Restaurant & Bar Business Conditions in your State

[RCJoe]

I was listening to Ohio NPR as I was driving today and the news was alarming.

Ohio has always had great restaurants and Bar/taverns many of which were small businesses owned for decades by families. The state has always had a diverse group of people from around the world so that the culinary offerings
provide an exciting variety.

Now,

" Half of Ohio's restaurants, bars, could close permanently, industry group says"
https://www.dispatch.com/business/2...s-could-close-permanently-industry-group-says

I don't know if the article will come in for you or not.

To quote Auguste Escoffier, "Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness"


Has your state released statistics concerning the culinary industry there?

 

[RCJoe]

Dispatch Article: (if it doesn't come in for you)

The Ohio Restaurant Association has conducted weekly polls over the past several months across Ohio to “gauge the impacts of COVID-19 on the industry, and the results continue to be devastating.”

Half of Ohio’s restaurant and bar owners are concerned they will be forced to permanently close within nine months, according to a poll from the Ohio Restaurant Association.


It’s a stark statistic as many bars and restaurants are suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has temporarily closed restaurants and slashed occupancy for those that remain open.


The Ohio Restaurant Association has conducted weekly polls over the past several months across Ohio to “gauge the impacts of COVID-19 on the industry, and the results continue to be devastating.”


If current capacities continue, 54% of restaurants anticipate forced closure within nine months, the ORA found in its most recent poll.


“This number has been steadily increasing over the past 30 days but jumped from 31% to 54% in the past week. Only 30% of restaurants believe they can operate for more than a year or indefinitely at their current capacity,” the poll found.


The most recent survey, conducted over three days at the end of July and early August, had 107 total respondents.


“The COVID-19 pandemic and capacity/curfew limitations continue to dishearten the majority of Ohio’s restaurants,” President and CEO of the ORA John Barker said in a statement. “While some industry sectors such as pizza are experiencing better sales, most have experienced significant sales losses for months and 54% said in our poll that they fear that they will not be able to sustain their business and will be forced to close in the next year.”


More than 75% of Ohio restaurants have now reopened.



Another 4% of respondents plan to reopen their dining rooms soon while 17% of respondents do not plan to reopen at this time, an increase of 8% from two weeks ago.



Most restaurants are operating at 50% or less of their normal capacity.


Only 11% are operating at more than 75% capacity while none of the reporting dining rooms have been able to increase their normal capacity.
Given the current guidelines, most restaurants do not anticipate breaking even in 2020. Only 17% of respondents believe they will be able to reach break-even sales in 2020 – down from the week prior (24%).


A total of 52% of restaurants are experiencing year-over-year sales declines in a range of -20% to more than -70% and this is slightly better than previous weeks.


Also, 14% of restaurants are experiencing positive sales, especially in the pizza and fast casual restaurant sectors.


Over half (61%) of restaurants are selling to-go cocktails.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Our restaurants that are open at half capacity are doing well, lunch hour has become two hours. Speaking with the local owners, their to-go business has continued on a high note. I am eating out 2-3 times a week, which is what I was doing before Covid.

 

[taxlady]

I'm not sure how our restos are doing. Those that have dine in at the moment are regulated to be at lowered capacity. They are going to take another hit when the cold weather comes, because many are using their outdoor spaces to allow more customers and I believe some are only doing sit down dining outdoors. One place that I know of is having people order and pay with their phones to limit the amount of time and contact that the servers have with them.

This has to be particularly hard for the resto workers.

 

[RCJoe]

I was speaking with a fast food manager I've gotten to know and she was explaining that they are having to pay an "up charge" (not sure exactly how it works) to purchase from their prime supplier. Supposedly it covers the added expenses that supplier now has due to Covid. She says that presently they are absorbing the expense of it as a cost of business and working on volume in the drive thru's. Their Lobby has remained closed.
This in over in West Virginia near the University district there.

Their menu has been streamlined to smaller offering that lends itself t volume
and rapid prep.

 

[Just Cooking]

We eat out (dine-in) frequently.

We rotate between a half doz. or so favorites and once a week or so we try to go to a new, to us, place.

I have no idea if all will 'make it' but, I see that those who seemed to have a loyal following pre Covid, seem to be doing well now.

Ross

 

[GotGarlic]

Estimates are that half of all restaurants will go out of business because of the pandemic. They have always had very slim margins and with lower sales combined with added expenses for cleaning, etc., many just can't stay in business for the long term.

One of our favorite restaurants closed at the end of March because they couldn't afford their lease. Others close periodically because a staff member or guest tests positive. Closing every so often for a two-week quarantine is unsustainable.

The podcast "Special Sauce" by Serious Eats had an episode on this recently, as well as "The David Chang Show." It's interesting to hear the perspective of people in the business.