A sign seeking job applicants hangs in the window of Anchor Inn in Harrison. It’s been there for about six months. That sign has garnered only two applicants, owner Joe Kolek said Thursday. "Everybody’s got ‘help wanted’ signs,” Kolek said. "I think everybody is in the same boat trying to get employees.” Restaurant owners across Western Pennsylvania agree that good help is getting harder to find as pandemic restrictions loosen. Many are baffled. John Longstreet, president of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, said he’s heard plenty of anecdotes about a restaurant staffing shortage. There are a few reasons why restaurants might be having trouble finding workers — one of which predates the coronavirus pandemic. "Going into the pandemic, we had a labor shortage in the country, and we certainly had one in our industry,” he said. Unemployment rates are dropping rapidly, though they’re still far from the minuscule numbers of early 2020. Expanded unemployment benefits are still in effect, which Longstreet suspects might make some people hesitant to return to work. He said there’s not yet concrete data to measure the problem. Finally, the tumultuous cycle of restaurant shutdowns and reopenings may have left would-be workers wary about taking a job with an uncertain future, Longstreet said. "The shutdowns of our industry in Pennsylvania have been so unpredictable, and with such short notice, that employees don’t know what to expect,” he said. During the pandemic, Kolek lost six or seven employees — some of them quit, others chose not to return to work after being laid off. "When they get laid off, you can’t make somebody come back under covid conditions,” Kolek said. The issue is hindered by the extra money going to those collecting unemployment, Kolek said. "It’s kind of hard if the people are getting more on unemployment,” he said. "You have to blame the game, not the player.” Sam’s Tavern in the Wall is facing similar problems, head chef Nick Bentzel said. The Aspinwall restaurant is looking to hire new workers, particularly for nights. Bentzel said ownership is posting jobs on websites including Indeed and Facebook, while also hanging signs outside the restaurant. "I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. "I don’t know if it’s just pertaining to the culinary industry or if other industries are also experiencing this.” The restaurant industry, he said, may not be the most enticing for new workers, which may be worsening the problem. "It might have to do with the fact that the culinary industry is somewhat stressful, it’s a low-paying job, and you rarely get offered benefits or other perks that other businesses do,” Bentzel said, noting that Walmart pays more, as do corporate fast food chains. "Why would someone want to work at a real restaurant when they can work at a fast food restaurant and get paid more?” he said. During the pandemic, they lost about 60% of their kitchen staff. Now, as capacity increases, they’re missing those workers. "We’re understaffed now because it’s getting busier,” Bentzel said. "We are struggling. I’m busy — I could use an extra hand.” They’re hoping to hire another two or three workers for the kitchen, he said, but he doesn’t know if or when it’ll get easier to hire. "I can see some businesses not being able to stay open because they can’t supply the labor,” he said. Kolek tried to offer incentives, offering bonuses to any employee who could recruit a new worker. Yet, he’s still struggling to find more short-order cooks and waitresses. The lack of workers is even more concerning as restaurants start to see more customers and capacity allowances bump up to 75% on Easter. Customers, he said, will have to be patient as restaurants work with limited staff. "Everybody’s going to have to understand that things have changed since covid, and we don’t have the employees,” Kolek said. "The turnover time for customers might be a little slower than it used to be.” A "help wanted” sign has been on display at Abie & Bimbo’s Pizza in Greensburg for more than a month. That’s way longer than usual, according to owner Doug Mirolli. "Normally, when we do put up a help wanted sign, we get quite a few people within a week or two,” he said. "In the past month and a half, I’ve had four applications.” Short-staffed, Mirolli has been working many of the empty shifts himself. When that’s not enough, he’s called in friends and family to pick up a shift or two on busy nights. Ianni’s Pizzeria in Delmont never laid anyone off during the pandemic, but several workers quit and weren’t immediately replaced, said co-owner Wesley Harris. Now, with shutdown restrictions lifting and summer on the way, he’s trying to fill four or five vacant positions — and finding it harder than he was expecting. "I don’t know if it’s based on the fear of the pandemic still, I don’t know what the deal is, but it’s definitely more difficult,” he said. He’s getting extra "help wanted” signs printed that he can place along nearby Route 66 to try to spread the word. "If we have to go down that route we’re pretty desperate at that point,” he said. Longstreet, of the restaurant association, suspects the shortage of restaurant employees will be a short-term problem. As the pandemic ends and the industry stabilizes, people will return to work, he said. There’s another, grimmer reason why Longstreet thinks the shortage will be short-lived. He said many restaurants will never recover from the financial losses incurred during the pandemic. If they stay closed, that means the supply of restaurant workers is bound to increase as demand for their labor drops. "As we come out of the pandemic, there’s going to be a lot fewer restaurants,” he said.