Banbury Cross Donuts sparks outcry by blaming government ‘handouts’ for labor shortage
Social media users noted that the Salt Lake City bakery received thousands of federal pandemic aid after complaining that “no one wants to work”.
(Sheila McCann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Banbury Cross Donuts at 700 East in Salt Lake City. The bakery is being burned online for a sign holding the government responsible for its staff shortage.
A popular donut shop in Salt Lake City is being burned online for a sign holding the government responsible for their staff shortage.
According to a screenshot from Reddit posted on Twitter by New York Times columnist Farhad Manjoo, Banbury Cross bakery stuck a typed sign on a window complaining about the national labor shortage affecting everything from the restaurant industry to construction right through to truck transport.
“To our loyal customers,” the letter began, “regrettably, no one wants to work anymore due to government and government spending. Therefore we have personnel bottlenecks during our high season. “
The bakery, located at 705 S. 700 East, often has queues of cars at its drive-through window on 700 East during peak hours. It urged customers to be patient with the employees who “came to work today”.
“Ugh, when you see these signs, it means we’re not paying enough to make people want to work here,” tweeted Manjoo on Saturday, garnering more than 9,000 likes and 1,000 retweets over the weekend.
Some Twitter users, including state Senator Kathleen Riebe, were quick to point out that Banbury Cross received more than $ 140,000 in paycheck protection program funding. PPP is a government program that sent money to businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Others also noted that Utah stopped expanding unemployment benefits in June.
“This is one of the most popular local donut shops in Salt Lake and it’s CONSTANTLY busy,” @swansofnever tweeted. “But you got a PPP loan and still can’t pay your employees well? Sounds like it’s up to them. “
An employee who answered the phone on Monday said no manager was immediately available for comment.
Yelp had to temporarily turn off the company’s reviews. On Reddit, where the sign was first shared on Saturday, there were 1,785 comments on the post by Monday noon.
Riebe, whose tweet about Banbury Cross garnered nearly 1,000 likes, said she didn’t try to “cancel” the deal – and enjoyed eating her donuts.
So your handout was good, but your handout was bad?
– Sen. Kathleen Riebe (@Mskriebe) October 31, 2021
“But it’s not really fair to say the government is after you,” said the Cottonwood Heights Democrat.
Several donut lovers said they would go elsewhere for sugar. “Hey #BanburyCross, try to raise wages and benefits and stop blaming workers for knowing their worth,” tweeted @ lalalogan28.
Others complained on the Banbury Cross Facebook page, claiming hypocrisy.
The social media turmoil surrounding the local donut shop underscores the fact that workers across the country are demanding more from their employers, argues Riebe.
“We need better working conditions for our employees,” she said. “We have to see this as a bigger problem.”
As a teacher, she said, she has seen the same dynamic in the school system that has problems hiring bus drivers. And a colleague from Riebe entrusted us with the fact that she often exhausts her entire sick leave at the beginning of the year, as her little child gets sick as early as preschool age.
There are no simple answers to these problems, said Riebe, but it is clear that the status quo does not work for families.
“That was something that was always just below the surface, you know?” She said. “This is an undercurrent that we have had for years and we have neglected to look at it.”
Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said she advised Banbury Cross to get a different message.
“What you should have posted is ‘Please be patient, we are understaffed.’ We encourage the restaurant industry to do so, ”said Sine. “You not only have a shortage of labor because people no longer want to come to work, but there is a shortage because people actually get sick.”
She noted that there is not just a labor shortage but also a shortage in the supply chain and both companies and their customers have to accept the current situation.
“There is a new normal,” said Sine, “and the new normal is to enjoy the journey, no matter what journey you are on.”
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