Restaurant margins are cratering. If they don’t lower wages, they will close. That’s why so many restaurant chain stocks are trading near multi-year lows. This manager may think his company exists to employ people. That’s not reality.
If they want to cut wages around here, they'll either have to hire illegals, or recruit at the elementary schools. Fast food places are having to go to drive through only not from fear of covid, but because they can't get staff at the current wage offered.
If the chain really wants to cut costs, they need to get rid of the idiots and deadweights at corporate.