FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - January first was supposed to be the grand opening for Salvatori’s at Leo Crossing. That has now shifted until late February due to the supply chain shortage.
The Leo Crossing restaurant was supposed to open on January first but Co-owner Stephanie Bourounis says it might not happen until the end of February.
Bourounis says they ordered a Lincoln Triple Stack Oven in August and was told it would take 14 weeks to arrive. She says the oven is here but they’re waiting on a wire harness that is overseas.
She also told ABC21 they need an indoor cooler another item they’ve waited for since August.
Supply chain issues have affected plenty of businesses since the surge of the Omicron variant. Since factories in parts of the world were shut down because of the pandemic, shipping companies cut their schedules because they expected a drop in demand.
Bourounis says navigating through this situation is not easy and they’re having to compromise a little bit.
“It’s definitely challenging to figure out how to move around and get these parts that we need and we’ve been looking for used items at this point. We’re looking for anything we can get our hands on,” she said.
She told ABC21 they’re also very short on to-go boxes and even Ciabatta bread. Bourounis says some of the items they use often have gone up 20 to 30 percent in price. On top of that, she says their vendors are adding a fuel charge for deliveries.
“Everything else we’ve gotten creative with and figured out ways to get what we need and a lot of things we’re just waiting. If you look in there and don’t see any furniture, we have it in a warehouse. You have to have the oven in here for the Fire Marshall to pass you and we have to have the fire marshal pass us before we’re allowed to move furniture in,” she said.
Something to note, the new location at Leo Crossing will have something new, a drive-thru window. The first one they’ll have in Fort Wayne.
Copyright 2022 WPTA. All rights reserved.
