Why independent restaurants are recovering more slowly than chains

When will independent restaurants catch a break? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features a discussion on the state of independent restaurants with Senior Editor Heather Lalley. Restaurants are currently facing a major shortage of alcohol, which has made it difficult to get some specific brands—the latest in a string of shortages that have affected all kinds of businesses. Yet independents, unsurprisingly, are feeling the brunt of this. Independents are also facing a host of other challenges and have not recovered quite as well as have chain restaurants. They are at a major disadvantage on labor issues, technology adoption and food costs, among other things.