U.S. restaurants stayed afloat during the pandemic thanks to outdoor heaters, elaborate patio spaces, and to-go drinks. But the creative workarounds weren’t enough to stem the losses from the recent omicron-fueled surge of Covid cases, Bloomberg News reported. Sales decreased at 98% of restaurants across the country in December, according to a poll of 1,169 restaurants conducted by the Independent Restaurant Coalition. Sales dropped by at least half at 58% of those surveyed, while 80% of restaurant owners said omicron impacted their operating hours. U.S. restaurants stayed afloat during the pandemic thanks to outdoor heaters, elaborate patio spaces, and to-go drinks. But the creative workarounds weren’t enough to stem the losses from the recent omicron-fueled surge of Covid cases. Sales decreased at 98% of restaurants across the country in December, according to a poll of 1,169 restaurants conducted by the Independent Restaurant Coalition. Sales dropped by at least half at 58% of those surveyed, while 80% of restaurant owners said omicron impacted their operating hours. The sharp hit to restaurants nationwide demonstrates the pandemic’s continuing blow to the industry, despite national efforts to avoid economic pitfalls from shutdowns this winter. The impact is particularly challenging for businesses that didn’t get funding from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a $28.6 billion federal effort to rescue struggling businesses that was part of the American Rescue Fund. Four out of five businesses that did not receive grants said they were in danger of permanently closing in 2022. The fund provided as much as $5 million per location for restaurant owners — or as much as $10 million per business — who could demonstrate their businesses experienced significant financial distress during the pandemic.
