I went to a Popeye’s recently - there was ONE employee. He was manning the drive-thru, the store cash register, and I saw him preparing food too.
Lucky for him, it wasn’t very busy.
I asked him - he said “yeah, the other people on the shift didn’t show up”
I understand this. I live in an older mostly retired area. With few teenagers and youngsters.
Fast food places, grocery stores, restaurants, etc are always needing help.
Myself and some friends walked into an IHOP last year about 10:00pm. Only two employees. The poor kid working the front looked sick. And he was. He apologized; said no one else showed up. And sick as he was... he felt obligated.
Naturally, we turned and left.
I was at a place the other day, 3 people didn’t show and they had one waitress. She was happy, did a good job and I tipped her well.
My sister managed a KFC in downtown Omaha years ago and the kids were notorious for calling in sick on football Friday night but she usually had a couple show up. One Friday, she was the only one who showed up so she called the owner who told her to stay open. She told him she was locking up & going home.