This is the latest in an occasional series looking at independent restaurants closing their doors permanently due to the pandemic.
More than 100 current and former CEOs of large businesses on Monday sent a letter to congressional leaders, urging them to support “significant and sustained support” for the country’s small businesses.
“Most small businesses don’t have enough cash in the bank to weather more months of reduced revenue and customer traffic,” the letter, signed by Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, El Pollo Loco CEO Bernard Acoca and Tom Bene, CEO of the National Restaurant Association, among others, said. “To survive until a vaccine is widely available, millions of small businesses will require longer-term support from the federal government.”
Also on Monday, the Independent Restaurant Coalition advocacy group released a video, narrated by the actor Morgan Freeman, calling on Congress to pass the Restaurants Act, which would establish a $120 billion grant program for small restaurants, bars, food trucks and caterers.
Absent federal aid, the group said, as many as 85% of independent restaurants could permanently close.
Here is our latest installment of independent restaurants, many of which have operated for decades, that have recently announced permanent closures amid the coronavirus pandemic.