Squeeze In locations will be shutting down for certain days next week while staff takes a reprieve after being burnt out due to staffing shortages and all locations.
The Carson City location will be closed Tuesday, July 6 and Wednesday, July 7. All locations are in desperate need of cooks.
The open letter posted by Squeeze In management is as follows:
We have some hard, but necessary, restaurant updates to share with you. At this very moment our business is at a breaking point. We simply cannot keep our kitchen teams staffed, and as a result, we are on the verge of operational collapse.
In fact ALL Squeeze In locations are closed tomorrow, to allow our entire team a 24 hour reprieve and the chance to have a holiday with their families.
2 of our 6 locations are closed for slightly longer, and 1 of our locations is going down to 5 days a week.
The Truckee Squeeze In, which just celebrated 46 years in business, is closed until Monday July 12th.
The Las Vegas Fort Apache Squeeze In is closed until Thursday July 8th.
The Carson City Squeeze In will be closed on Tuesday July 6th and Wednesday July 7th.
We literally do not have enough cooks to operate, and after months of continuous hiring, training, begging, pleading, and getting creative, we have a tiny, loyal, incredible team of individuals at their breaking point and in desperate need of help.
We cannot sacrifice the mental well-being of our teams any longer, and if we try, we won’t have a team left.
Because of this you can expect to see some immediate changes.
We’re reducing capacity again, in order to only serve the amount of guests our kitchen team can handle. You can expect to see reduced tables in all locations.
You can also expect a pause in all To-Go ordering, the removal of specials, and a freeze on some of the more complicated, labor intensive menu items (like anything with King Crab).
You can also expect a pause on all EggHead coupons and promotional redemptions on weekends and holidays, while we regain our balance. (Please kindly redeem your coupons on weekdays, or save them and we can extend expiration dates for you).
It makes us feel sick to share these updates with you, and we are so sorry to be delivering a message like this to you.
Our family, and our entire Squeeze In team, is incredibly grateful for your patronage and support.
Please know that we have instituted every possible creative solution we can think of to solve these issues.
From each dishwasher to our HR administrator everyone has received a raise, and most on our kitchen teams have received significant, sizable increases.
We have hiring bonuses, referral incentives, and weekly bonuses for completing each week of work.
It’s not enough. New hires quit after 3 days, longtime loyal cooks are getting stolen from underneath us, 1 out of every 10 candidates shows up to their interview.
We made 100 phone calls to Truckee applicants yesterday and had one candidate schedule an interview.
Those that are staying with us are working 6-7 days with half the team they need and it’s burning them out.
At Squeeze In we aim to bring you the very best experience, in a unique fun environment, with amazing food and prompt service, and though we don’t always get it right, we do always strive for that high standard and quality.
It’s about the most painful thing as an industry professional to open in the morning knowing you’re going to hit a point where the kitchen is overwhelmed, guests are upset and angry, and the line out the door won’t stop.
That’s what the Squeeze In associates have been dealing with and it’s taking a major toll.
We have tears in our eyes as we type this out, and we hurt for our team, and for our community.
We cannot possibly express the humbling gratitude we feel to the many of you who have supported, and continue to support us for all these years, and promise that we will survive this, and come back even stronger.
The perspective giving us solace right now is that the pandemic isn’t over and that this is the next business symptom we are experiencing. It’s different from the symptoms we experienced a year ago, and it’s painful, but it is temporary and we know we will survive.
We’re also taking solace in the fact that literally every other business owner we talk to is experiencing the same thing, and that the struggle is being felt across the country, in every single neighborhood.
Please know we never want to let you down, or burden you with our stressful situation, and that we love you all so much. You have your own lives and your own challenges and we like to be the place you come to escape those challenges and find reprieve from the onslaught of daily life.
We welcome you, and can’t wait to serve you, and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding during these modified business adaptations.
If you know anyone willing to cook, please please please send them our way. We also still need hosts, but we really really really need cooks.
If you, or someone you know, is willing to cook or host, please send an email to: hr@squeezein.com
Thank you for taking the time to read our letter, and thank you for being part of the Squeeze In Universe. We’re sorry we’re in this position and hope to be back to fully staffed, and fully open, again soon.
With desperation and determination,
Kay & Shila
