"There still is a substantial, substantial way
to go before the industry, in terms of sales and
employment, is back where it was pre-COVID,"
says Hudson Riehle, senior vice president, research
and knowledge group at the NRA. "Employment-
wise, the industry remains down by well over 2
million positions."
Restaurants that had strong delivery and
takeout programs have tended to fare better
than those geared toward dine-in service. Buffet
concepts were decimated, and fine-dining
restaurants that relied heavily on business meals
and large gatherings for special occasions also
struggled to stay afloat.
The NRA has lobbied for more federal relief
for the industry, and a new industry association,
the Independent Restaurant Coalition, emerged
during the pandemic to advocate specifically on
behalf of independent bars and restaurants.
Caroline Styne, a co-founder of The Lucques
Group, which operates multiple restaurants and other
T
he nation's vibrant foodservice landscape
has been forever changed by the COVID-19
pandemic.
The restaurant industry, the nation's second-
largest private employer, has been among the
most severely impacted of all U.S. business
segments, with sales down about 24 percent in
2020, compared to 2019, according to data from the
National Restaurant Association.
More than 110,000 restaurants, or about 17
percent of all locations, have closed, according
to NRA data, as states and municipalities around
the country ordered them to shut down or restrict
operations to slow the spread of the virus, and
consumers turned increasingly to home cooking.
Some analysts predict it could be years before the
industry returns to 2019 sales levels, which had
reached a record high of $889 billion. The NRA
estimated that sales for 2020 totaled around $659
billion, and it projects sales of $731 billion this year,
up 11 percent from last year.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund and o-premise dining
services such as takeout, meal kits, heat-and-eat solutions,
and virtual events are helping pave the road back.
Foodservice in Crisis:
How the Channel Can Recover
BY MARK HAMSTRA
SPRING
RESTAURANT RECOVERY
