Atlanta restaurants face new obstacles as COVID restrictions loosen

By Ligaya Figueras, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The key to managing a broad spectrum of guest desires is flexibility, said Mimmo Alboumeh, chef-owner of Botica, a Mexican-Spanish fusion restaurant located in the old Watershed space on Peachtree Road in Buckhead.

“You have to be flexible. Dealing with guests is hard. We want to give them an experience to come back.” The staff at Botica wears masks, but Alboumeh said that now that he is vaccinated, when he interacts with guests, he tries to match their comfort zone. “You want me to wear a mask, I’ll wear a mask. You want me to take off my mask, I’ll take it off,” he said as he greeted guests dining on the patio during a busy Mother’s Day that saw between 750 and 800 covers.

Unlike the majority of restaurants, Botica is not facing a staffing crisis. Open only since January, it counts nearly 70 people among its ranks, 80% of them full-time workers. Alboumeh credits the attraction to a flexible, understanding work culture and higher-than-average pay across all positions. “I am treating them better than anyone else will treat them,” he said.