COVID employment benefits should be long exhausted so what's the verdict? Where I am, the recruitment situation for restaurant workers is even more dire than pre-COVID (roughly 2/3 vs 3/4 ratio of those entering the workforce to those leaving). Prices up, service generally poor, food might be o.k. or otherwise. We're just spending our money eating (and cooking) quality at home. Never eaten so much steak and lamb in my life. All the fast food outfits are advertising for workers at wages higher than minimum.