No industry was spared from the effects of Covid-19, but restaurants were undoubtedly one of the hardest hit. The numbers prove the stark reality: food service industry sales fell by $240 billion in 2020 from a projected $899 billion, and more than 110,000 eating and drinking establishments closed last year nationwide (that doesn’t include what’s... See more

Restaurant spending has fallen by about 60 percent across the country, with the sharpest declines in fine-dining, lunch, and late-night food. The situation is especially bad for independent restaurants.

Many of the restaurants that close during the pandemic will not reopen their doors. Diners should also brace for a restaurant landscape that will be entirely different by the time — however near or far off it may be — they can be safely encouraged to enjoy a crowded night out again.

In February, 12.3 million people worked in bars and restaurants, and by April, the number of people employed by food service and drinking establishments in the U.S. had declined by 6.1 million, making it the hardest hit category of employment tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In May, 1.4 million of those workers were back at work,... See more