Originally Posted by JBord

But how long is that sustainable before they lose customers? I'm not saying they can't or won't, just that they may not survive. Every market is different. In our area, there are Mexican restaurants and pizza places everywhere - makes sense, it's Chicago. So, the Greek restaurant can raise his prices because he's one of only two in the area. But if the Mexican and pizza places do it, they're hoping everyone else does it too - or their food is so spectacular they don't worry about what competitors do. And if no one else does, can they still afford to pay staff the same wage?

I still maintain it's a temporary issue anyway. As the $1200 federal subsidy runs out, people are likely going to be willing to take these jobs again. If I were to guess, based on what companies like Chipotle have done, they'll meet somewhere in the middle. Small raises from the restaurants because they need to attract people immediately, and then job demand will rise in the fall. But like I've said, we're all just speculating.