Shortage of the Day
The shortage of the day: There’s No One to Deliver the Pizzas
Shares of Domino’s Pizza Inc. initially fell Thursday morning after the largest pizza company in the world posted its first decline in U.S. same-store sales in more than a decade. These results came as a shock to analysts and investors, who were expecting continued growth while the pandemic supercharges demand for takeout and delivery meals. But demand may not be the problem. Rather, a dearth of delivery drivers — amid a national shortage of workers — could be what’s eating into Domino’s sales. (Shares later reversed course and erased their decline.)
It just so happens that mid-July marked the first of the monthly payments for the expanded child tax credit, a form of Covid-19 relief money that provides eligible families $300 for each child younger than 6 and $250 for older children. Rutherford suspects that with the child tax credit, some part-time Domino’s drivers are working fewer hours.
Hotel Anecdotes of the Day
I have been on the road for a few days. I am currently in Escalante, Utah chasing fall colors.
On a last trip to Colorado at the beginning of October the hotel had an automated check-in. Insert your drivers license and a kiosk spits out your keys.
I had trouble because I registered as Mike but my license says “Michael”. Fortunately, there was someone at the counter to help.
This trip, the office was closed. Instead, they left keys and instructions for me to find them. There is a bill in the room for me to sign.
This will not work for large chains of course, but having something similar happen twice in two trips, it’s a sign of how some smaller outfits are coping.
I split my time this trip between Torrey, Utah (Capitol Reef National Park), and Escalante. I asked for a late checkout in Torrey and was told it was not possible due to a shortage of help.
Restaurant Anecdotes of the Day
Friday night, I went to my favorite restaurant in Escalante. There was a change this trip from last year.
Menus were at the door. You ordered, then found a table or waited until one was available.
Silverware was self-serve, off to the side. A server (the cashier) brought drinks and dinner when it was ready.
The default tip was 22% despite the lack of service.
This was not a dive. The restaurant has a nice dining room with a piano player who was also a great singer. She sang some Patsy Cline tune beautifully. There were lit candles on the tables.
From the restaurant perspective, think of the savings. Not counting the piano player, this was a 2-person show on a Friday night. A cashier-server and a cook. Perhaps there was another person in the back I did not see. I only saw the cashier-server.
Free Money
There’s no one to deliver the pizzas, no one to serve the tables, and no one to check you into the hotel.
This is what free money handouts do, and Biden wants more of them.
In related posts, please see A Medical Care Employment Crisis in Five Pictures and Free College Education Will Worsen the Already Extreme Labor Shortage
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Negative cash flow is something anyone can understand. You don’t need an accounting degree for that.
I dated a computer science major who attended Mizzou back in the 1990s. Debbie was on this government assistance from food stamps to Medicaid to welfare payments for her and her daughter. She left a good paying job at the Missouri Highway Patrol to go back to school and then had all this federal money and assistance thrown at her. I was always amused she bragged about her grade point average while insulting mine. Of course, I had a job and was working while going to college and not enjoying the American redistribution of wealth schemes from Washington. I wasn’t sucking off the American tax payer. She was perfectly able to work and take care of her child during all this.It was no surprise to me she went and got her a government job upon graduation. All this free stuff was available back then. I have no doubt she claims she is a self-made success these day. LOL
So a person who could live a good life back then can live a very nice life today. Food stamps have greatly increased in value, the child tax credit is a huge addition that didn’t exist in the 90’s. Rent help has increased greatly and then there’s Medicaid and the ACA.
It’s never been better to be poor in the USA.
“On a last trip to Colorado at the beginning of October the hotel had an automated check-in. Insert your drivers license and a kiosk spits out your keys.
I had trouble because I registered as Mike but my license says “Michael”. “
It’s coming and it’s coming quick. I know employers who won’t even schedule for an interview if you don’t call back asking for one once you submit a resume or application. I know a couple too that ask about the “COVID void” and if you don’t give an answer that you were willing to work, the interview is over…Isn’t that the problem with this trade war as well with the false promise it’s about restoring jobs? Those jobs aren’t coming back. They are either leaving China for even cheaper labor and the absence of tariffs to places like Vietnam or they will come back to the States as manufacturing jobs the machines can do. I know there was a recent article where NISSAN has robots now that will completely manufacture a car right up to a robot inspecting the paint job before it leaves the factory.
August
The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant
Performance Index (RPI) fell to a 6-month low in August, as
several indicators retreated from their elevated pandemic-disrupted levels. The RPI – a monthly composite index that
tracks the health of the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at
104.2 in August, down 1.1% from a level of 105.4 in July.
dipped somewhat from recent months. Fifty-three percent
of operators expect their sales volume in six months to be
higher than it was during the same period in the previous
year, down significantly from 71% who reported similarly
last month.
No more mean tweets! No more mean tweets!!! No more mean tweets!what a bunch of morons.