BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have been tasked with new challenges like finding employees, supply shortages and rising prices.
Now, they are facing another struggle: supply trucks not making deliveries.
The owner of Rockstar Pizza in Brownsburg noticed the problem last year. Since then, Ron Matthews said he's been forced to make last minutes trips just to get his supplies and ingredients in order to remain open.
“It’s always something. We can’t catch a break. We just can’t,” Matthews said, who’s owned the restaurant for about 10 years with his wife.
Last Thursday night, Matthews found out two of his supply trucks were not going to make it Friday. He was told that warehouses are short on workers to pull items and as a result, the delivery drivers are losing allotted driving time while waiting on trucks to get filled.
Knowing the weekends are his busiest days, he had no choice but to get the supplies himself by chasing down deliveries in his own vehicle.
“I could not be without the supplies, so we had to hustle up and we emptied all the cars and went out there and picked it up in increments because we couldn’t get it all in one trip,” Matthews said. “When we got there, I was kind of surprised because there were 15 people waiting. It wasn’t just me. I talked to some of the other people and they’re like, 'This is our third week having to do this.'”
Since last year, Matthews has been scrambling to get supplies and taking a hit because of the high prices.
“We’ve been able to dodge this bullet for a while now, but there is probably going to be a time when it is going to hit us,” he said.
Matthews’ wife posted on Facebook about the struggles small businesses are facing. Since then, they’ve received a lot of comments from people wanting to help and support them.
“I think the post opened a lot of our customers' eyes and their hearts,” Matthews said.
The post also shared a request for customers to be more patient when a restaurant is out of something or its prices have increased. Matthews said many times, it’s out of their control and they are dealing with a lot of hurdles just to stay open.
“I don’t know one owner or one manager that really wants to fail. They want to do the best they can for you. They are handcuffed and limited to what they can do and bring to the table,” Matthews said.
To help, Matthews moved his delivery days to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That way, if one is late, it won’t affect his weekend business.
What other people are reading:
- Thousands of motorcyclists parade by Riley Hospital to boost patients' morale
- IMPD: Juvenile girl shot on Indy's far east side
- Avon Schools to consider mask mandate for all schools
- WATCH: Kentucky racehorse runs along Indiana highway after escaping track
- 22 dead, many missing after 17 inches of rain in Tennessee
- Afghan mother delivered baby on US evacuation flight
- 'It was magical': Doctor proposes to nurse in unique way
- Community remembers 3 Fishers teens killed in South Carolina crash