As Acadiana businesses reopen and employers begin to recall and hire employees, some laid-off workers are finding themselves not ready to go back to work. The dilemma of workers is another roadblock for small business owners.
Managers at Tabouleh Lebanese Cuisine were initially set to open back in March, bust as the COVID-19 restrictions continued to grow, the date was pushed back multiple times.
"The effects of the coronavirus caused us to not really be able to do anything. That's when they shut down everything. We couldn't get any inspections done," said owner Matthew Mikhael.
When the governor loosened restrictions on restaurant's dining, the owner hit another roadblock during the search for new employees.
"Right now, I'm not pointing any fingers. People don't want to work," said Mikhael.
The new business owner says the pay local businesses are offering don't match unemployment.
"If I'm sitting at home collecting $3,000 a month, and I'm going to come in a restaurant not making $3,000 a month, I'm going to sit at home," said Mikhael.
After two months of searching, the family-owned restaurant decided to give some younger applicants a shot.
"People applying are really young. Some have a little experience. Some don't. So we're going to have to really work with them. It's really going to be a slow process for us a business and also for customers to get the right service they deserve,"said Mikhael.
With all the delays, the restaurant is set to have its grand opening Monday. For the updated restaurant hours, you can view them all on the Tabouleh Facebook page.
