(Ankeny, IA) -- Iowa restaurants are struggling to hire employees in the midst of the pandemic.
Ankeny restaurant Fiesta Jalapenos opened two months ago in Ankeny.
Store manager Noe Garcia tells WHO 13 that finding employees was difficult, "We'd have a lot of interviews thinking we would have a lot of people, but they didn't show up so we were short staffed."
Garcia says the restaurant does have a plan until they hire new staff. Fiesta Jalapenos is temporarily shortening their menu to ease the stress on staff.
The Labor Department reports the national unemployment rate slightly declined in August. The Iowa Restaurant Association says various businesses are still struggling to survive after the 2020 lockdowns.
Iowa Restaurant Association President Jessica Dunker tells WHO-TV another problem restaurants are having is not being able to pay new workers.
Restaurants across the country are dealing with staffing issues, but Iowa is doing much better...
"We haven't stalled in Iowa, but you know, other states are locking back down," says Jessica Dunker.