A year in the pandemic, the wishes of restaurants come true: state and local governments allow them to sit and serve customers indoors again. But it comes with its own challenges.
Every state in the country now allows some degree of indoor dining. Even severely restrictive states, including Michigan, Illinois and California, are banning eating establishments that were introduced late last year to try to stem an increase in coronavirus cases.
Some restaurant operators have said that the new uncertainty is another frightening phase of the pandemic and that they cannot anticipate it soon. Those whose businesses have survived the past year said they are struggling to predict how many patrons will return, and how quickly. They also have no template for how much food to buy, staff to keep and what changes are associated with pandemic.
Toast Inc. plans an initial public offering that the restaurant software provider could value at about $ 20 billion. (Associated Press)
Many customers remain reluctant. Fifty-three percent of Americans are comfortable with the prospect of eating in a restaurant now, while the rest, according to consumer polling firm CivicScience, need more time. About 37% of consumers planned to eat in a restaurant in the following week, roughly equal to the levels measured during the fall.
The restaurant, EL Ideas, in Chicago, reopened for indoor dining on Valentine’s Day weekend, and the strong business surprised co-owner Phillip Foss. Shortly thereafter, sales declined again. For the Michelin star EL, who now also has a side business to go frying, the unpredictability complicates the planning of the menu, the ordering of food and staff.
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“I feel like I’m a yo-yo,” he said. Foss said, whose personal savings are linked to the restaurant. “I don’t think I’m going to feel like my feet are on solid ground for a year.”
For the independent entrepreneurs who run the majority of U.S. restaurants, navigating through a reopening is often a nerve-wracking process, owners said. Smaller chains and free-standing eateries usually have a smaller financial cushion compared to large chains. Small businesses tend to have less leverage in their supply contracts and cannot spread their financial burdens in different places.
A high-quality restaurant will reopen after the Covid-19 shutdown in 2010, with measures to protect staff and customers.
“It’s out the window, the idea to project your sales,” said Lindsay Rae Burleson, co-owner of Two Headed Dog, a pub and restaurant in Houston.
To survive the restrictions on indoor dining, some owners have sunk thousands of dollars for operations, outbuildings and other means of sale. Owners debate what to look for when trying to understand customers’ attitudes.
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The Restaurant Group, owner of New York City, Washington, DC and North Carolina, eats with a variety of services, including limited indoor dining, patio services and sales in 10 of 11 restaurants still operating. The owner, Jeremy Wladis, also manages two dozen online brands that were started from the kitchens of the company to stay afloat during the pandemic.
“It’s a mess,” he said. Wladis said, saying he tried to keep his staff employed, even though the hours were unpredictable. “Every time you think you know something, it changes.”
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – JUNE 23: In this photo provided by Walt Disney World Resort, new measures are being introduced to promote health and wellness in tableware restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort on June 23, 2020 in Lake Buena. Vista, Flor
Restaurateurs such as Messrs. Wladis and Foss said they realize they are happy to still have businesses. U.S. restaurants and pubs lost billions of dollars in sales during the pandemic due to the restrictions on food, as consumers spent more in supermarkets and ate at home. According to the National Restaurant Association, more than 110,000 restaurants and bars closed for good or temporary last year.
According to industry research firm NPD Group, orders at seat chains in the week ended February 21 were 37% lower compared to the corresponding week last year.
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According to the restaurant association, 22 states this week allowed restaurants to operate at full capacity. San Francisco restored limited indoor eateries for the first time since November last week. Texas, the state with the second most restaurants and bars in California, removes all occupancy restrictions and allows customers to waive the mask requirements.
Some epidemiologists have said that the capacity limits for restaurant are being lifted too quickly and too quickly. Federal officials have also warned against removing coronavirus-related restrictions too quickly, as virus variants are circulating and signs indicate that progress has flattened. Last week, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that provinces that allowed restaurants to eat had an increase in Covid-19 cases in the weeks that followed. Restricting personal eating and mandate masks could help reduce virus transmission and deaths, researchers said.
Josh Phillips, the co-owner of Espita, a stylish Mexican restaurant, is transferring a customer to his restaurant in downtown Washington on Monday, February 15, 2021. Phillips opened a brand in August with the delivery called Ghostburger to retain Espita. ‘ (AP)
Although restrictions on indoor meals have benefited some fast-food chains, many companies with comfortable restaurants have experienced losses, despite improving their own takeaway options.
Some restaurant operators believe they can work safely and said many customers returned when they opened their doors.
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John Peyton, CEO of Dine Brands Global Inc., DIN + 1.47%, said the parent of Applebee is confident in his ability to keep customers and workers safe, and that the return of indoor eateries is crucial . When a state increases capacity for indoor dining, the improvement in the company’s sales is almost immediate, he said.
“We have been planning to return to our restaurants for months,” he said. Peyton said.
Reopening is not always a complete setback for restaurants.
In Florida, which allowed restaurants to return to full occupancy in September, several chain owners said sales had fallen. According to the online booking website OpenTable, restaurant accommodation remains about 20% lower than the previous year, and restaurant operators have said that tourist centers like Orlando are sluggish.
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Burleson, the bar owner of Houston, currently holds capacity at 50% to help customers and workers feel safe. She could not exceed the level and usually did not bump into it as demand remained low and irregular, she said. Burleson has taken on odd jobs to try to get by by the summer, when she hopes sales will improve and stay that way. Her entire savings have managed to keep her business alive, she said.
“If it disappears, I just have a dog,” Burleson said.