NEW BERN, N.C. — Not enough workers and not enough supplies. These are just a couple of the issues new restaurants face even after two years of dealing with COVID.
What You Need to Know
Restaurants are facing staff and supply shortages due to COVID
Don Pablos Tacos y Tequila was delayed for six months before they could open
They finally opened Jan. 3
Owner Jose Morales is from Mexico and owns another Mexican restaurant in New Bern
Don Pablos Tacos y Tequila finally opened its doors after months of delays.
Owner Jose Arturo Morales is passionate about cooking and determined to make his dreams a reality.
“It's hard,” Morales said. “I get up at 6 o'clock in the morning, and I go to sleep at 12:30 in the night, every day. But it's good.”
Morales is from Mexico. He moved to New Bern in 1995 and started working at a local restaurant called El Cerro Grande.
“I started working in the Cerro Grande, wash dishes, run food, you know, polishing tables,” Morales said.
He worked his way up the ladder until he bought the restaurant in 2006. Now, he's ready to add something new with Don Pablos.
“I want to open another one, but with a little bit of a different concept food,” he said. “It's a Mexican, but a little more nice. Think Tex Mex.”
They finally opened about a week ago after being delayed for over six months due to staffing and supply shortages from COVID.
Morales' son-in-law, Jose Alvarado, works at the new restaurant too.
“So, it was hiccup after hiccup every step of the way,” Alvarado said. “And now after a year of trying to get everything open, we finally got everything together. But like I said, even after we're open, we're having issues with staff-wise.”
It's been hard to find enough staff to run Don Pablos. Morales said they had to hire three cooks all the way from Raleigh to staff their kitchen. Alvarado said a restaurant of their size needs at least 60 employees, but they're currently operating with 40 to 50. They hope to get the extra staff and be up to full capacity in the next couple weeks.
“Well, it feels good to finally be able to be open, but we've been tired,” Alvarado said. “All the running around, trying to give the best we can to all our customers.”
Morales and Alvarado fill in where they're needed — Morales is often in the kitchen, and Alvarado works as manager and bartender.
Despite the struggles, Don Pablos is already a popular place.
“As soon as we opened it, it got packed,” Alvarado said. “And a lot of people in New Bern have been waiting on it for a while.”
While the staff asks for patience as they get things up and running, they're happy to be here.
“I'm happy to open,” Morales said. “I had many years, I've been doing this project. But I hope it's doing very well for the customers.”
