For some Maine businesses, this Labor Day is much quieter than usual at least in part due to a lack of staff.
Instead of the sound of orders being called out at Five Islands Lobster Company in Georgetown, there was simply pattering rain on picnic tables Monday.
The iconic lobster eatery in an idyllic location that placed second in Down East Magazine’s 2022 Lobster Roll Competition closed at the end of August.
In a Facebook post, the business explained that “due to unforeseen circumstances and staffing issues, we are forced to close for the rest of the season. This decision was not made lightly and is not what we would choose to do but, there is no other option at this time.”
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In a follow-up post, it added that “although loss of staff is a factor in our closing a little early, there are other more personal reasons of a sensitive nature that added to us being unable to stay open. Please have compassion and respect for privacy and don’t make assumptions without knowing the facts.”
The business also noted: “We have received tons of love and support and well wishes regarding our abbreviated season and I’d like to thank you all for that!! And…. I would once again like to clarify our early closing for those in the back. This is NOT an issue of “no one wants to work”, “kids are lazy” or that we don’t pay enough. FILC is a summer business that relies on mostly high school and college students with a few older staff members. Staffing has always been a unique challenge because of the location of the restaurant. This year, we did see a decrease in applicants and because of different reasons, lost some employees along the way. The end of August is always a tough time as the kids head off to college and the high school students take their last family trips before going back to school. That being said, I want to reiterate that our staff is filled with a bunch of hard working, responsible and cheerful people. We are a tight knit work family and care deeply for each other. These people are literally what keeps me coming back every year."
The end of Five Islands’ season adds to a list of Maine businesses ending their seasons earlier than usual because of staffing shortages.
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A Gifford’s Ice Cream stand in Auburn shut down on Aug. 7 citing “significant staffing difficulties.”
A post on its website reads: “We have made the difficult decision to close our Auburn family-owned ice cream stand early for the season."
"Like many businesses around the country and here in Maine, we have been working through significant staffing difficulties this summer, and our Auburn stand has proven to be the most challenging. At Gifford’s, we care greatly about the customer experience we provide at our family-owned stands, and right now, without adequate staffing, that experience doesn’t meet our standards in Auburn. This has led us to make this difficult decision to close early," the post continued. "We know this will be a disappointment to many in the community, and we are working hard to find a creative solution so that we can still serve the area with Gifford’s HomeMaine ice cream. Our hope is to host a series of pop-ups with our new mobile Scoop Shack at various locations in the local community. We will share these dates and locations on our social media channels and through our newsletter when we have them. We appreciate your support and understanding, and enjoy being a part of your summer traditions each year. We look forward to being back next summer!”
Fortunately for those making U-turns at Five Islands on Monday, there is already a set reopening date of May 13, 2023.
“We’ll be back again that’s for sure,” said Dan Prindle, from Oxford, Maine, one of the would-be Labor Day customers.
