The coronavirus crisis has shocked every corner of the restaurant industry. Closed dining rooms and shuttered locations, social-distancing strategies and an economy deep in recession are all wreaking havoc on independents and chains alike. Nobody knows how many restaurants will emerge once the pandemic ends. What is sure is that the industry will never be the same.
Photo illustration by RB
Photo illustration by RB
coronavirus
Why the coronavirus shutdown will upend delivery services for good
Delivery has surged since the shutdown, but price concerns, regulatory moves and operators’ own adjustments suggest it will look a lot different once life returns to normal.
“The days of restaurants taking a 20% to 30% haircut on their own menu prices in order to be on third-party delivery is going to go away.”
coronavirus
Will mom and pops survive the shutdown?
No one knows with certainty what independent restaurants will look like on the other side of the coronavirus pandemic, but one thing is for sure: There will be fewer of them.
$50K
More than half of restaurants said they’d taken on at least $50,000 in new debt obligations due to the crisis, according to the James Beard Foundation.
coronavirus
How the coronavirus will change restaurant menus
Expect more family meals and fewer shareables as restaurants adapt to a post-COVID-19 world.
With survival on the line, restaurants may rethink financing
Companies that make it through a near-death experience may be more conservative financially, but don’t expect them to abandon risks altogether.
casual_dining
Shakeout and takeout usher in new realities for full-service chains
The crisis has been a catalyst for righting supply and demand while also proving QSRs don’t have a hammerlock on off-premise.