ROUND ROCK, Texas — A continued staffing shortage has pushed a Round Rock business to cut its hours.
In the heart of Downtown Round Rock sits Louisiana Longhorn Cafe.
"It's good," one customer told KVUE. "We've gotten to know the owner. She's always friendly. The food is consistent."
One thing that hasn't been consistent lately is operation hours.
"We've been very busy," owner Melinda Overstreet said. "I just don't have the staff to support all the business that we have."
Overstreet opened the place over 18 years ago. She said she's never dealt with a staffing shortage on such a large scale.
"My husband and I kind of relive the early days when they were lined up to work here," Overstreet said. "I don't have – I don't have much turnover."
Overstreet said five of her employees have worked with her since opening 18 years ago, which shows pay isn't the issue.
With seasonal employees back in school, servers and cooks have been working doubles to keep the business running.
"We've had to shorten our hours every day," Overstreet said.
That means closing an hour or more earlier, or not opening at all.
"I just don't have extra people to [fill in] if somebody gets sick or somebody needs a day off, and we're open six days a week," Overstreet said.
Overstreet said she's used Indeed, Monster and Facebook to post open positions but not many have applied. However, she said she just filled a hostess position, which gives her hope.
Other businesses are facing this staffing shortage as well. A Chick-Fil-A in Pflugerville posted that they are closing their dining area due to lack of staff.
"It has affected income," Overstreet said. "It also has [affected] our customers [who] will come down here expecting to eat and then we're closed. I try to put it out on Facebook any time we're going to close or close early."
While it's unclear how long this staffing shortage will last, closing is not an option for Overstreet right now.
"The gods brought us here for 18 and a half years," Overstreet said. "He has a plan, and I don't think closing's in that plan.
Louisiana Longhorn Cafe needs a few servers and a cook. You can apply at the restaurant or call for more details.
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