City of Ate from p16 way they’re being treated and giving them flexibility.” Service industry job fairs are springing up across North Texas as small and large restaurants alike are having trouble filling job openings. Sugarbacon in McKinney is hosting a job fair to staff more than 50 roles for the opening of its new location. Finley and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild are host- ing a fair as well in hopes of bolstering diver- sity within the brewing industry. Even spots like Bar Louie are looking for help, offering a “revolutionary” benefits program for new general managers. “Changing compensation structures is important, and of course, money is impor- tant,” Bar Louie CEO Tom Fricke says. “But if people’s concerns are about a role, or a job or more rights, lifestyle-related, in my opin- ion, money gives you a temporary fix. It’s not the long-term solution.” Workers are not simply quitting their jobs to sit on the sidelines. Rather, they are switching jobs and perhaps even industries for better pay, benefits and working condi- tions. For employers hurting from under- staffing, there is a solution: Make workers a better offer. As part of the compensation package for Bar Louie, Fricke offers general managers a fully funded three-week sabbatical, educa- tion support, quarterly wellness allowance and an annual vacation subsidy. Fricke said pay rates at Bar Louie have increased by about “10–15%” since the pandemic. “Our general managers are the heart and soul of our business,” Fricke says. “We love our general managers, and so we were trying to come up with the right incentives to make sure that our general managers stay with us, grow with us … we’re trying to demonstrate our appreciation and support for the people who work with us.” Things aren’t getting better for hiring managers, rather trickier. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent re- port, in November total resignations in- creased to 4.5 million, up 379,000 over October. “Quits increased in several indus- tries with the largest increases in accommo- dation and food services (+159,000),” the agency reported. And a report by Lensa in November ranked Dallas as the city with the most un- happy workers. WE ARE OPEN FOR DINE IN, TO-GO & DELIVERY! Make your Valentines Day Reservations Now! $1 OFF PER POUND MONDAY & TUESDAY CRAWFISH 7224 Independence Parkway • Plano 972.618.4542 • litasdallas.com 1921 Angie Quebedeaux After closing for an entire month because of the omicron variant and a worker testing positive prior to a shift, the uptown restau- rant and bar Alexandre’s announced this week they’re ready to reopen. The decision to close was made by employees by vote. All were given paid leave during their time off. In addition to upgrades made to the space, Alexandre’s wrote they also “finally finished a new 35-page Alexandre’s Mani- festo (handbook) that is probably the most progressive labor centered document to ever be in a workplace.” So, while some companies may be having trouble finding workers, the solution to that problem is in their own hands: end the good jobs shortage. ▼ EAT THIS AFTER A METEORIC RISE IN THE LOCAL BREAKFAST-BAGEL SCENE, SHUG’S IS NOW OPEN NIGHTS OFFERING BAGEL BURGERS AND BOTTLES OF BUBBLY. BY ANGIE QUEBEDEAUX A NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE bout a year and a half ago, Shug’s Bagels introduced Dallas to what great bagels can and should be. The Chili, cheese fries and a Philly cheesesteak bagel from Shug’s. hand-made dough that is proofed, boiled and baked to perfection has garnered a cult following of bagel lovers who are willing to stand outside in line for 30 to 40 minutes on a cold Saturday morning. But what are bagel lovers supposed to do when they’re craving a great late-night meal? That problem is now officially solved. Shug’s recently announced their “soft opening” of a late-night ghost kitchen called Shug’s After Hours. Shug’s After Hours is the home of build-your-own pizza, burger bagels, hot dogs and deli sandwiches. You choose the bread (bagel, bun or wrap), protein, cheese, veggies and toppings and they do the rest. Other items on their regular day- time menu are also available at night, in- cluding their chicken cutlet sandwiches, bagels by the bag and deli salads. If you’re in the mood for breakfast after dark, the Shug, Spicy Shug and Ridgewood sand- wiches are available as well as a build- your-own egg sandwich. We recently checked them out and started with a cup of their house-made beef chili. This “award-winning” chili can be or- dered with cheese, sour cream, jalapeños and Fritos. We only wished we had ordered a bowl instead of a cup. Next up was a half order of their loaded shoestring-style fries topped with cheddar, pepper jack, bacon bits, jalapeños and ranch dressing. For our main dish, we went with the Philly cheesesteak and the build-your-own bagel burger. The Philly is loaded with grid- dled chopped steak, peppers and onions and topped with melted provolone cheese and a spicy ranch dip. For the build-your-own bagel burger, we decided to go all out and create the perfect late-night breakfast bagel burger that in- cluded an 8-ounce beef patty, hash brown, fried egg and ghost pepper jack cheese on an everything bagel. It was spicy, gluttonous, messy and deli- cious, and if we were still into late-night clubbing or fraternity parties, this would be our go-to after-hours meal every weekend. For now, Shug’s After Hours is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. These hours and days are subject to change based on demand. So, do us all a favor and please show up. As most ghost kitchens go, this is an experiment and things will evolve. They operate out of a pickup window in the front of the store. All orders must be placed online. You are welcome to eat your meal on their patio; there’s no dining inside after hours. They will also be partnering with UberEats in the next few weeks to offer delivery. Don’t forget to grab a jar of Cade’s Cake Guts ($4.50) for dessert. These locally made deconstructed premium cakes are hand- packed into jars and come in a variety of fla- vors, such as birthday, Oreo, s’mores and carrot caramel. And if you want to keep the party going while picking up your late-night meal, Shug’s also offers alcoholic beverages to go including beer and hard seltzer (where you can choose three kinds and build-your-own six-pack), boxed wine and $100 to $400 bot- tles of Champagne (including Dom Peri- gnon and Roederer Cristal). Because everyone should pop a bottle of Dom with their bagel burger and loaded fries, right? For all the bagel lovers still standing in line waiting to place your order at Shug’s — the online ordering is available on their website during business hours every day. You can even place your order in advance and schedule the time you want to pick it up. dallasobserver.com dallasobserver.com | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUTZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 FEBRUARY 10–16, 2022
