Local restaurants in need of help along the Gulf Coast

With Governor Tate Reeves lifting the statewide mask mandate and tourists flooding back to the Gulf Coast for spring break and the summer season, local restaurants have been struggling to find employees.

- mandate and tourists flooding - back to the gulf coast- for spring break and the summer- season, local restaurants - have been struggling to find- employees.- for more on this issue here's - news 25's grace boyles- reporting in studio.- - this time last year... the gulf- coast restaurant- group... and the restaurant - industry as a whole was - suffering record job losses,- location closures, and- revenue loss due to the - pandemic.

- a year later... local - restaurants like the rack house- and the district on the alley..- are facing a different- problem... finding enough - employees to serve all their- new customers.- - a year after shutting down- due to the covid pandemic, the- restaurant business is still- facing challenges to get back u- and running.- rob reid, owner of the district- on the alley: "we opened a year and a half ago, - so it's probably the worst time- in history to open.

So the last- year has been really tough.

- so now we're starting to see- people come out again and we're- starting to get busy- and we're struggling with - getting enough employees to - serve the customers."

Coastal restaurants have been - desperate to- hire workers to join their- teams.- some businesses have had to - reduce seating capacity or- operating hours due to depleted- work staff... while some have - had to close their business due- to no employees - wanting to come back to work.

- kelsey griffin, gulf coast- restaurant group marketing- director: "i think everybody on the gulf coast tha- runs a restaurant can just- anticipate longer wait- times.

We're doing the best we- can.

We want to make sure you - still get the best service- you do and that's going to ask- for a little compromise."

Rob reid, owner of the district- on the alley: "our guests, they understand and- they work with us and they're - having a good time as well, but- obviously more help is- going to make it easier on- everyone."

With the summer months quickly- approaching and a bump in - tourism - that comes along with them, rei- and griffin are hoping to - add to their staffs in order to- capitalize on the business- visitors are bringing to the- - - - mississippi gulf coast--- something that has been lacking- for the past year.- rob reid, owner of the district- on the alley: "we get a few applicants.

Most don't- show back up.

A lot don't show- up for their interviews.

So it'- been tough.

And with- us going into the busy season,- now is the time where we need - the help."

Kelsey griffin, gulf coast- restaurant group marketing- director: "the fact that we have tourists that are still- feeling safe enough to visit ou- mississippi gulf coast, - we are so happy to welcome them- down here.

So we're just going- to try to keep up - with the pace and hope that the- keep coming."

To apply for any of the job - openings, job seekers are - asked to check facebook pages o- stop by the restaurants for - an application.

- kelsey griffin, gulf coast- restaurant group marketing- director: "anybody that feels like they just need- to polish off some customer - service skills, go apply- to a local restaurant that you- really enjoy.

And you might - - learn something new."

In gulfport, grace boyles,