We just came back from Fort Walton Beach.
We normally hit up PCB around Mothers Day Weekend. It's usually a perfect time as the weather is nice, Spring Breaks are finished and the summer rush has yet to start.
Not this year. FWB to PCB this year was simply slammed. Wide open.
Sit down restaurants were fully staffed. Fast food was for the most part as well. We noticed some places, like Panera and Starbucks, short staffed and using kiosks. This had nothing to do with safety measures of the pandemic, rather, they can't hire. Sidenote: this is what we will see in FL as the 15 dollar minimum wage is rolled out. This is what we will see nationally if a high minimum wage is rolled out. Kiosks.
However, most fast food places along 65 in Montgomery and Birmingham have closed indoor dining as they don't have enough staff. I noticed De Santis is shutting down the federal assistance for unemployment. Our governor Ivey is doing the same. We did not see this issue because Jefferson County and Montgomery county had harder restrictions than here, forcing layoffs and furloughs. Most fast food here stayed mostly staffed, so employees never went on unemployment.
Also, if anyone is in the Crestview area of Florida, north of Fort Walton Beach, there is a cool distillery out in the BFE of the Panhandle that is putting out some interesting Rums and Whiskeys. The place is called TimberCreek Distillery.
We normally hit up PCB around Mothers Day Weekend. It's usually a perfect time as the weather is nice, Spring Breaks are finished and the summer rush has yet to start.
Not this year. FWB to PCB this year was simply slammed. Wide open.
Sit down restaurants were fully staffed. Fast food was for the most part as well. We noticed some places, like Panera and Starbucks, short staffed and using kiosks. This had nothing to do with safety measures of the pandemic, rather, they can't hire. Sidenote: this is what we will see in FL as the 15 dollar minimum wage is rolled out. This is what we will see nationally if a high minimum wage is rolled out. Kiosks.
However, most fast food places along 65 in Montgomery and Birmingham have closed indoor dining as they don't have enough staff. I noticed De Santis is shutting down the federal assistance for unemployment. Our governor Ivey is doing the same. We did not see this issue because Jefferson County and Montgomery county had harder restrictions than here, forcing layoffs and furloughs. Most fast food here stayed mostly staffed, so employees never went on unemployment.
Also, if anyone is in the Crestview area of Florida, north of Fort Walton Beach, there is a cool distillery out in the BFE of the Panhandle that is putting out some interesting Rums and Whiskeys. The place is called TimberCreek Distillery.