In Survey of Nearly 24,000 Restaurants, Yelp Finds That 53 Percent Have Permanently Closed

But for those that are open, fondue is questionably popular

Yesterday, Yelp released an Economic Impact Report, detailing the changes that restaurants, retail, and other industries have undergone because of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. And for restaurants, it’s a dire outlook. According to Yelp, 53 percent of restaurants that had closed since March 1 have since indicated permanent closures on their Yelp pages.

Of the 23,981 restaurants used in Yelp’s report, 47 percent have been labeled as temporarily closed. The report also shows that diners are eager to eat out as states encourage businesses to reopen, despite spiking COVID-19 cases. Strangely, shared food is what people are craving. Yelp names “fondue (up 123 percent), tapas bars (up 98 percent), hot pot (up 49 percent) and even buffets (up 17 percent)” as dining experiences making a comeback, while foods that were readily available through delivery and takeout — like pizza— aren’t as enticing.

Between a baffling PPP loan system, no cancelation of rent or mortgage payments, and the necessity that restaurants turn a profit while operating at half-capacity or through takeout only, it’s sadly unsurprising that 53 percent of Yelp’s restaurants have closed permanently. Those that remain open now face the risk of a second round of closures, as COVID-19 keeps spreading at an alarming rate.

And in other news...

• Kroger is ending hazard pay for its grocery workers, even though grocery work is still very hazardous. [ABC7]
• Costco is bringing back free samples, but is also ending the sale of its popular sheet cakes. [USA Today]
• A Starbucks customer tried to shame a barista on Facebook because he refused to serve her until she put on a mask. Now, that barista has gotten $22,000 in tips. [Insider]
• U.S. and UK ambassadors are now fighting over how to make tea, because of TikTok. [NBC]
• A food historian argues that the government should extend SNAP benefits, rather than make people endure the “the humiliation of lining up for food boxes.” [NYTimes]
• Conde Nast has suspended a Bon Appétit video editor, possibly because he was critical of the magazine online. [Business Insider]
• What if we talked about American foods the way the New York Times wrote about Southeast Asian fruit?

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