MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- It’s the morning of Halloween and workers at Magnolia and May are trying to make sure the outdoor decorations hold up to the heavy wind and rain that’s pounding the MidSouth. Employees are also swapping out the menus which are changed daily and squeezing fresh lemon to make simple syrup for cocktails. Chef and owner Chip Dunham is prepping for lunch service in the kitchen. The griddle sizzles with butter for the French toast and chicken. It’s a fan favorite along with the double cheeseburger with a crispy cheese skirt that Dunham starts to make. Chip Dunham, Chef and Owner of Magnolia and May (Photo by WREG) Dunham is a Memphis native and second-generation restaurant owner. He and his wife opened Magnolia and May as Covid-19 was shutting down the world. “We opened in May of 2020 and we've just been doing it ever since,” said Dunham. Chip Dunham, Chef and Owner of Magnolia and May (Photo by WREG) They survived a global pandemic and all the challenges since, including finding and keeping employees, which in Memphis, can be compounded by problems with transportation. “We currently have employees that are dependent on public transit and we've had some in the past as well, and it's just, it's just the challenge of running a restaurant at this time,” said Dunham.  Why some fear privatizing parts of MATA will be brought up again Dunham says the challenge is mainly because of the hours the buses run. The closest bus stop to the East Memphis restaurant is at Poplar and Mendenhall. It’s not far, but according to Dunham, workers say it’s unreliable. “I have employees tell me all the time they're sitting at a bus stop, and a bus just drives by them and leaves them at the bus stop when they're supposed to stop,” explained Dunham. Which means making adjustments when employees are late or have to leave early. “They stop running at like 9:00 or 10:00 and we're open ‘till 10:00 and, you know, I have a dishwasher, a cook that has to catch the bus, then all of a sudden, they have to leave before their shift would be over, added Dunham. The restaurant loses a team member serving the public and that employee loses out on money. “I think it limits people's economic opportunity because they're either, 'A' dependent on working somewhere within walking distance and 'B' it just limits the amount of places you can work,” said Dunham, who explained the problem is even worse on weekends. MATA’s interim CEO exits through side door after TransPro presents initial findings Dunham said, “It definitely limits the amount of hours people work because, you know, the bus has a limited schedule on Saturday and Sunday, which is, you know, our busiest day, which would potentially give a potential employee more hours.” Four days a week, including Saturdays, Stephanie Washington rides a bus from her Cherokee Hills neighborhood to downtown Memphis for work. Stephanie Washington (Photo by WREG) “I catch it like, like eight o'clock so I can get there early - if it shows up,” Washington explained. WREG asked, “What happens on the days it doesn’t show up?” She replied, “Have to wait, or I call them and say I’m going to be late because the bus didn’t show up.” Washington works at Bass Pro at the Pyramid.  “I work at the front desk, I’m a cashier. Meet a lot of different people,” said Washington who we happened to meet on an off day in East Memphis where she was waiting on a bus along a route that runs Poplar Avenue to Exeter in Germantown. Stephanie Washington (Photo by WREG) She helps to welcome millions of visitors to Memphis each year. One of the city’s major tourist attractions depends on employees like Washington, meanwhile, it’s hard for her to depend on MATA to get there. MATA bus (Photo by WREG) 50 percent of MATA’s riders use it to get to work, according to a report from a consulting firm the city hired to audit MATA’s operations. MATA consultant says agency needs to hire, not fire, drivers The same report showed that Memphians who were surveyed, including those who don’t use MATA, ranked job access as the most important area for transit improvement. Ted Townsend, President & CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber (Photo by WREG) Ted Townsend is the President & CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber, where they recently partnered with Ford and others to fund grants to entrepreneurs for ideas in mobility innovation. “We feel that transit mobility equates to economic mobility,” said Townsend. Research from 2021 regarding job proximity reveals Memphis ranked next to last, compared to peer cities, with its percentage of the population that has access to jobs. New MATA board votes to pause service change, fare increase until 2025 “The imperative of mobility and transit options becomes even more challenged when you have that small portion of your population that has job accessibility. So, we obviously have to look at transit in different ways,” said Townsend. Beverly Robertson has seen the growth and decline of public transportation in Memphis. The Bluff City native grew up in Orange Mound and recalled a time when people from all walks of life rode the bus. Beverly Robertson, Co-Founder and COO of Trust Marketing (Photo by WREG) “We've got to think about this as a growth strategy, as an economic development attraction strategy for the Memphis marketplace,” said Robertson, Co-Founder and COO of Trust Marketing.  During her tenure as President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber, Robertson met with leaders from some of the area's largest companies about their workforce and transportation challenges. “All of us have a stake in a successful and efficient transit system, because when we realize that it is driving growth, if we're not growing, we're dying,” said Robertson.  MATA bus (Photo by WREG) The birth of transformation for transit in Memphis starts with changing the narrative, Robertson says. “Even those who think that I don't want to pay for a service that I'm not using. That's not a good way to look at the growth of Memphis. If we only want to pay for services that you use, then a lot of institutions are out of business,” added Robertson. ‘Clean-slate’: Mayor Young replaces MATA board members following report Businesses we all depend on, and their growth, along with the broader community’s Robertson says, requires building a new operating model for public transit which should include government, business leaders, advocates, riders, and innovators lending their voice. Beverly Robertson, Co-Founder and COO of Trust Marketing (Photo by WREG) “If we position public transit as an investment in the future and growth of Memphis, then I think we make a solid case for dedicated funding for everybody sitting at the table and discussing it. Because when you invest, there is always a return,” Robertson said. Stephanie Washington (Photo by WREG) Returns that pay off, so riders like Washington aren’t left wondering if their route will soon be cut, and for business owners like Dunham who see a brighter future for the Bluff City.  Chip Dunham, Chef and Owner of Magnolia and May (Photo by WREG) “If we had a reliable public transportation system, I think it would be a game changer for Memphis,” said Dunham. ► You may not take a public bus, but the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s success or failure still impacts you. WREG Investigators have spent months digging deeper into the transit authority and its $60 million deficit. We pored through records, listened to hours of meetings and pressed for answers as we work to find out what went wrong. Hear from riders and our top leaders who fear what would happen to the entire community if it’s not fixed. Catch the 30-minute special, MATA Missteps, Monday at 6:30 p.m.