Shortage of help, prices close WOW Fried Chicken in Concord

By DAVID BROOKS

Monitor staff

Published: 07-09-2022 11:57 AM

Shortage of help and price increases in supplies have closed WOW Fried Chicken on Pleasant Street, frustrating fans of an all-American meal with Middle Eastern flair, but Maher Abbas isn’t leaving Concord.

Abbas, an Iraqi refugee who came to New Hampshire because he likes cold weather and founded WOW almost seven years ago, is still operating the pool hall and arcade at 2 N. Main St. that he opened last year, and is in the process of changing the restaurant at 5 Pleasant St. into a cigar lounge.

“We’re working to switch to a cigar lounge because that doesn’t need a lot of employees,” said Abbas.

Devotees of his cooking shouldn’t completely despair, however, because Abbas is preserving the all-important back end of the business just in case.

“I will keep the kitchen and just close it up,” he said. “If something changes, I will open the restaurant back!”

Like many restaurants and other service businesses, WOW Chicken has struggled with finding employees for some time. Abbas cut back hours last fall, not opening WOW Chicken until 4 p.m. But says that wasn’t enough now that his three children are growing up and can’t work in the restaurant as much as they used to.

“There’s no help. We can’t find the help up to $18 an hour; posted on NH Jobs, put a sign outside, can’t find any help – zero,” Abbas said.

On top of the labor shortage is the sharp price increases in many food products. Prices of chicken, especially wings, have soared due to pandemic-related complications in the supply chain and changes in customer habits. So have prices for such necessities as canola oil.

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“It’s $45, $46, $47 now for five gallons of oil. Hopefully, it’ll go back to like $18 or $20,” he said. “And chicken … from 99 cents to 4 dollars. It’s too high!”

Abbas struggled passing those costs on to his regular customers.

“I can’t sell the customer two-piece chicken for $15,” Abbas said. “Even if they pay it, I can’t do it.”

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