Sad news to report here - a new survey by the National Restaurant Association reports that a massive 100,000 restaurants have closed on a permanent or long-term basis in the United States in the 6 months since the Coronavirus pandemic began. TODAY reports that that would be nearly 1 in 6 restaurants and 3 million restaurant employees out of work. Many fear that it may only get worse as we head into the winter months.
It's been a seesaw for many restaurants, as they have tried to adapt to new restrictions, and some have had to close after reopening after employees tested positive for the virus. They have also had to contend with the health precautions surrounding reopening, as a recent CDC report says that people who tested positive for COVID-19 were more than "twice as likely to have eaten in a bar or restaurant." Many of these things have complicated situations for restaurant owners, with some wondering if it would even be worth it reopen at all.
The National Restaurant Association findings, which included surveys of more than 3,500 restaurant operators nationwide in late August, found that "most restaurants are still struggling to survive and don't expect their position to improve over the next 6 months."
With things looking pretty bleak for so many restaurants, many are looking for any way that customers can help, whether that's getting a take-out/delivery order or just buying gift cards to help them stay afloat.