For some businesses in Maine, this Labor Day is much quieter than usual, at least in part due to staff shortages.
At Georgetown’s Five Islands Lobster Company, instead of the sound of orders, there was a patter of rain on Monday’s picnic table.
The iconic lobster restaurant in an idyllic location, which took second place in Down East Magazine’s 2022 Lobster Roll Competition, closed at the end of August.
In a Facebook post, the business said, “Due to unforeseen circumstances and staffing issues, we have been forced to close for the remainder of the season. This decision was not taken lightly and is our choice. Nothing, but we have no other choice at this time.”
In a follow-up post, he wrote, “While the loss of staff was a factor in closing the store a little earlier, there are other, more personal reasons of a sensitive nature that have prevented us from continuing to operate. Pay and don’t make assumptions without knowing the facts.”
Business also said: When…. For those behind us, I would like to clarify once again our early closure. This is not a question of ‘no one wants to work’ or ‘the kids are lazy’ or that we are not paying enough. FILC is a summer business that primarily relies on high school and college students and has a few older staff. Staffing has always been a unique challenge because of the restaurant’s location. The end of August is always a tough time as the kids head off to college and high schoolers go on their last family vacation before returning to school. With that said, our staff is full of hard working, responsible and cheerful people. We are a close working family and care deeply for each other.These people are literally the reason I keep coming back year after year. ”
The end of the Five Islands season adds to the list of Maine businesses ending the season earlier than usual due to staff shortages.
Gifford’s Ice Cream Stand in Auburn closed on August 7, citing “significant staffing issues.”
The company’s website says:
“Like many businesses across the country and here in Maine, we’ve been grappling with significant staffing issues this summer. The Auburn stand has proven to be the most difficult. At Gifford’s , which cares very much about the customer experience it provides to families, is a stand owned by and is currently understaffed appropriately, so the experience does not live up to its standards in Auburn. , has made the difficult decision to close early,” the post continued. “We know this will be a disappointment for many in our community, and we are working hard to find creative solutions so that we can continue to serve the region with Home Maine Ice Cream in Gifford. We are working on it and our hope is to host a series of pop-ups.New mobile scoop shacks at various locations in our local communities.We will share these dates and locations on our social media channels and newsletters. We appreciate all of your support and understanding.We hope you enjoy being part of our summer tradition and we look forward to returning each year next summer!
Luckily for those making a U-Turn at Five Islands on Monday, a reopening date of May 13, 2023 is already set.
“We’ll be back, that’s for sure,” said Dan Prindle, from Oxford, Maine, who was to be a Labor Day customer.
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