By Kavitha George (Alaska Public Media) • Dec 28, 2020 Jack Sprat owner and operator Frans Weits. (Erin McKinstry/Alaska Public Media) Halfway through the city’s third pandemic shutdown, Anchorage’s hospitality industry is struggling and increasingly frustrated. “Being shut down the entire month of December is a big blow to our restaurant,” said Frans Weits, co-owner of Girdwood eatery Jack Sprat. “We depend on December to make up for some slow fall months.” Weits said swinging between shutdowns and partial-capacity reopenings over the last eight months have made it challenging to keep the restaurant staffed. During the first shutdown in March, he said he had to cut staff by two-thirds and business dropped by 75 percent. Rehiring is slow and difficult, and by the time they get close to fully staffed, it’s time for another shutdown.