One of San Francisco’s Busiest Restaurants Closed for a ‘Mental Health Break’
The Morris, considered one of San Francisco’s most beloved restaurants, located in the neighborhood known as Potrero Flats. Tables are booked a month in advance, and the restaurant has even limited the number of reservations due to the high demand.
Restaurants across the country have had trouble hiring and keeping workers amid a labor shortage. This is no different for The Morris. The restaurant, known for its extensive wine list and high-quality service, is understaffed, which has put more pressure on the employees who are currently overworked. The owner, Paul Einbund, even shortened the menu, stopped to-go service, cut hours down from six to five days per week and has kept the bar closed. Still, the service and staff are suffering.
This prompted Einbund to close the restaurant for four days to give his staff a desperately needed “mental health break.”
“Unlike the restaurant that closed down because people were yelling at their employees, most of our clients are really good. On occasion you get some people who are not realizing what’s happening, but for the most part everyone’s been really amazing and supportive,” Einbund said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. “But the team is still working their butts off. Even though we went down to five days a week, it’s too many hours in the day. It’s too exhausting. We just don’t have enough hands.”
Einbund said he thought it would be best to take a few days off and recharge the batteries to come back a little stronger. “If the staffing issue doesn’t change, then we’ll do it again,” he said.
The Morris was overly cautious during the start of the pandemic to keep everyone safe and healthy. Now, they are struggling to stay on top of everything. “Please be patient. Please bear with us all. All restaurants are in trouble right now,” said Einbund.
Einbund hopes that the four day pause will give the employees the break they need to recharge in order to come back to work happier and healthier. He also says he is acting as a “community leader,” hoping others might follow his lead and take proper care of their employees during these challenging times.
Image source: The Taste Edit
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