Are We Having Fun Yet?

BY SCOTT KAMMERER

They say this is one of those good problems. Off-the-chart sales growth can certainly be great. But lack of raw materials and a once-in-a-generation labor shortage are making me wonder, are we having fun yet?

The Delaware beach restaurants had the busiest year on record in 2021. Hundreds of retirees are moving to coastal Delaware weekly and thousands of second homeowners came to their beach houses and stayed. Business at the beach is definitely booming for hotels, restaurants, retail stores, breweries, and entertainment venues.

Although this makes the pandemic seem all but over, we’re still feeling the long-term consequences. Supply chain disruptions and labor shortages are threatening to make even the most experienced operators question their life choices. Material scarcity for restaurants has led some establishments to modify menus. Increasing freight costs dramatically increased prices for everyday staples. The increase in guest volume from pent-up demand has made it very difficult to create accurate forecasting for customer-facing establishments.

Adding to these real and tangible challenges are issues like port congestion, which most of us never even knew was a thing. Changing consumer attitudes is another incredible challenge as screaming guests are almost a regular occurrence. There’s also a wave of digital migration in the pandemic aftermath, and many of the millions of new remote workers—who can now pick anywhere to live—have thankfully chosen coastal Delaware.

All these challenges add up to test even the savviest of operations in southern Delaware and force us to focus on controlling what we can control. For SoDel, we will continue to cook beautiful, simple food, develop the people we work with, and strive to make the world a better place. For me, discipline and flexibility are the hallmarks of the businesses best navigating these choppy waters by transforming existing models to meet these challenges head on. As we move into the new normal of 2022, we certainly will be faced with some more of these good problems. Buckle up for a bumpy ride and let me know when you’re having fun!

Scott Kammerer is president of SoDel Concepts, which owns 18 business operations: 14 coastal restaurants, three sports concessions and a wedding-and-events venue.