Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken opened its downtown Phoenix Location on Monday, October 4th.
The restaurant is located near the corner of Van Buren and 4th Avenue.
Material and labor shortages made it tough for local restaurants to remain operating, and even more difficult for those opening new restaurants, said food service design/build consultant, Justin McCallister.
After weeks of delays they are able to open. Johnny Marietta, the general manager of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, said “everything is short. Paper products, food, everything.”
Gus’s Fried Chicken serves hot and spicy fried chicken with Memphis-style sides. “All of our pies are homemade every day. We give that southern charm service, it’s just a really fun place to come eat and work at,” Marietta said.
The restaurant originated in Mason, Tennessee, opening in 1973 under the name Maggie’s Short Orders.
The chain now has restaurants across the United States. In February of 2021, they opened their first Arizona location, on Main Street in Mesa. Marietta said the chain plans to open two more in Tempe.
Like many restaurants, it dealt with everything from material delays to staffing issues.
“It really was hard to get anyone for the restaurant business back to work,” Marietta said.
“People are still testing positive so people are out, and getting staff to still come in to replace those people has been a little bit of a process,” assistant manager Evelyn Cockrell said. “You don’t get as many candidates as you used to back in the day.”
Marietta said the Phoenix location is beginning to get more job candidates. “I think the labor shortage is starting to ease up a little bit. I’m getting to be able to staff the stores to appropriate levels,” Marietta said.
However, material delays do not seem to be subsiding, causing many restaurants to delay opening.
“What you could have gotten done in about six months before, you might need to make room for about nine months,” McCallister said.
If you are trying to open or build a new restaurant, McCallister explained the price has gone up about 25%, and the “length of time it takes to do so, has extended by at least another 25%.”
Gus’s Fried Chicken dealt first hand with these shortages. Every week there is something, Marietta explained.
“You know, it’s everywhere from the pickers to the truck drivers, to a log jam on the cargo ships in California. It’s affecting all of us,” Marietta said.
McCallister said there is “one delay upon another” and many people are frustrated with the delays.
The shortage is real, Marietta said. Restaurants like Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken are working to find ways around it.
Contact the reporter astanbri@asu.edu.
