CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While things are improving, the restaurant industry is not out of the weeds yet when it comes to product shortages. What Albemarle Paper Supply is seeing this Spring 2022:
Raw materials – The supply level is improving but there are still some shortages in raw materials it takes to manufacture the paper supplies restaurants and small businesses rely on.
Labor – The labor force is getting a bit stronger on the manufacturing level, and for trucking and transportation. There are still jobs to be filled on the factory floors working the machinery.
Order Limits – Many manufacturers facing supply shortages have placed order limits on how much product suppliers can order. The good news here is that many of these limits are being lifted or raised, allowing product suppliers to order more inventory.
Now it’s a matter of actually increasing the number of SKUs or different types of products available.
What this means for restaurants and patrons: It will probably be another three to six months before paper product suppliers see comfortable levels of inventory. So if you’re a restaurant patron, be patient with your local restaurants. Everyone is still adapting to the post-COVID industry squeeze and things are looking up.
