CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Many Bojangles employees are getting breaks soon to try to boost mental health.
The restaurant chain announced Friday it's closing all of its company-owned restaurants on Monday, Aug. 30, and Monday, Sept. 13 to give crew members and managers a break amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I can relate I think mental health or peace of mind is just as important as getting a paycheck," Charlotte resident Diane Donoghue said.
Restaurants that fall under the company's umbrella will close at their regular times Sunday and will reopen at their regular times the following Tuesday.
“We appreciate everything our dedicated team has done for Bojangles this past year,” Bojangles CEO Jose Armario said in a statement. “From navigating a global pandemic to adjusting to new safety measures to picking up shifts for those unable to come in for work, we’ve asked, and they’ve delivered. But this hasn’t been easy, and we know many people are physically and emotionally drained, so we hope these extra two days off will provide rest and refreshment.”
Right now, businesses are dealing with a labor shortage and adapting to COVID-19 safety precautions.
"People are burning out really quickly because of the amount of hours working so losing people as fast as can hire them so you never really get ahead," President of Mac's Hospitality Group Shang Skipper said.
All the locations for Mac's Speed Shops, a Charlotte-area restaurant, also closed their doors on Aug. 9
"As long as employees are happy they'll come back and we'll make that money back, doing this shows how much we truly care about them," Skipper said.
The announcement comes the same day that The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said COVID-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina have reached over 3,600.
COVID-19 hospitalizations peaked back in January with roughly 3,900 cases.
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