Atlanta restaurants have bounced back from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, but operators are encountering a new problem: finding enough workers to staff their eateries. Hiring issues are complicating restaurateurs' efforts not only to expand during this recovery, but also fully open existing restaurants to capacity. “We hear tenants all the time [say] they can't open regular hours because they can't find people to work,” said Jeff Fuqua, a prominent retail developer in Atlanta. “They can't even find people to deliver food. It's had a pretty dramatic effect.” 
Restaurants and hotels have been among the hardest-hit businesses over the past year. In January 2020, 235,500 Georgians were employed at food service and drinking establishments, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By April, that number dropped to 132,700. Roughly 4,000 restaurants in the state shuttered permanently during 2020, according to…  Read the full story here. | 
