A popular Thai restaurant on the Coast closes its doors due to worker shortage
Those who are craving their favorite Vietnamese and Thai dishes will find Basil’s Cafe is among the Coast restaurants that have had to close because the owners can’t find help.
A notice posted Jan. 22 on Facebook alerted customers that the restaurant temporarily is closed due to a worker shortage during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, now in its fifth wave.
Customers reacted with comments like, “Hope you find the staff you need,” and “Nooooo! Y’all are my favorite restaurant!”
The Thai restaurant at 5130 Beatline Road in Long Beach was named among the Sun Herald’s Top 15 new restaurants in 2021.
“The Thai and Vietnamese food is simple and spectacular,” the review said, “and I always make sure to order at least three appetizers.”
It is known for its curry dishes and the Sun Herald also cited the young servers at Basil’s for being “always friendly and attentive.”
This is the latest Coast restaurant that has been forced to close because of the high cases of COVID-19 and the shortage of people who want to work in the restaurant industry since the pandemic.
Fast food restaurants have been hardest hit, and many have only the drive-up window open because they can’t find enough employees to also open the dining room.
Restaurants are busier than ever on the Mississippi Coast as businesses struggle to find and keep help. Restaurant and bar foot traffic in Long Beach skyrocketed in 2021, data from SafeGraph shows.
