The U.S. restaurant industry has been steadily recovering from the pandemic since February, but recent employment data shows restaurant owners face challenges ahead. Restaurants and bars lost 42,000 workers in August following several months of strong jobs growth, the latest sign that the industry is wrestling with the Delta variant of the CCP virus and a persistent shortage of labor. Michael Haskett, owner of M.B. Haskett Delicatessen in Sioux Fall, South Dakota, feels lucky because his business had a pretty good summer thanks to the patio that allows outdoor seating. But with growing concerns over the Delta variant, he believes the next few months are going to be “pretty tough” especially in his state where it gets extremely cold. Haskett’s business has not fully recovered from the initial shock of the pandemic. The restaurant is only open half of the hours that it was open before it struck and the severe …