My first thought upon seeing the headline was that perhaps this could be due to a workforce that has abandoned or has been abandoned by other industries- providing an influx of enthusiasm, competition, variety, and desperation.

But, then I read:

> We document that, after remaining almost constant for almost 30 years, real labor productivity at U.S. restaurants surged over 15% during the COVID pandemic.

So I wonder if it’s a combination of workers getting better tips and more people buying takeout meals?