As vaccination rates continue to climb and restaurant dining capacity gradually expands, consumers are returning to restaurants in droves, eager to gather with friends and family. However, after months of sluggish sales, the sudden surge in business has brought unprecedented staffing challenges to operators.

"Restaurants are booming, making more money than ever, but they can't find workers—it's a strange problem," said Dan Sines, CEO of tech company Traitify.

Some operators believe that the federal government's extra unemployment benefits and stimulus checks are the main reason employees are reluctant to return to work; others point out that many workers have moved to other more stable industries. Additionally, many employees still have concerns about their own health and safety, hesitating to return to restaurant work.

To gain deeper insight into this tight labor market, Restaurant Dive conducted a special investigation into how restaurants are adjusting their recruitment strategies and how they are retaining existing employees. This series consists of three parts: the first focuses on the real impact of labor shortages on independent restaurants; the second looks at how chain restaurants are filling thousands of job openings through large-scale recruitment campaigns; and the third (to be published next week) explores how restaurants are improving employee retention by enhancing company culture.