These Types of Restaurants and Bars May Be Closed for Good
Several popular restaurant chains announced location closings after the pandemic forced them to switch to delivery or takeout or to shut their doors altogether. Hotels were hit hard, too, and the restaurants and bars located in those hotels suffered large losses that could take a while to recover from.
Hotel restaurant profits fell 64.3% and bars 63.6% compared to this time last year. Total hotel profits decreased 116.9% just in April, according to data from Hospitalitynet. Even room service orders took a hit, seeing sales fall 60%.
Related: These Two Popular Restaurants are Seeing Sales Skyrocket
Many high-end restaurants in luxury hotels suddenly emptied, according to the New York Times. One hotel, the Sunset Tower in Los Angeles, stayed open but stayed virtually empty, says owner Jeff Klein. The hotel’s restaurant, The Tower Bar, quickly became a celebrity hotspot after it’s opening in the early 2000s. In 2009, Vanity Fair hosted their famous Oscar party in house. The pandemic had other plans for the restaurant — it closed entirely for the time being.
Klein says The Tower Bar will reopen on June 16, with more open space in the dining room to accommodate for social distancing and hopefully bring some famous customers back (Cindy Crawford and George Clooney are only a few!).
“Celebrities have had extra space between their tables for years,” Klein told the New York Times. “Now I just have to do it for everybody.”
With other places opening, too, it's hard to say where hotel restaurant profits will be in a few months. But if you're headed out, in addition to tables six feet apart, expect to see a few other changes to dining rooms across the country. Some restaurants are cutting their menu. Some are thinking of news ways waiters can serve at a distance. In most places, the number of people in your party will be limited. Stay up to date on restaurants and bars opening and how you can enjoy dining in safely by signing up for our newsletter. All the news and tips will go directly to your inbox!
