When the coronavirus pandemic comes to an end, at least 25% of restaurants around the country will likely remain closed, according to the study conducted by OpenTable, a service that allows people to book reservations at more than 60,000 restaurants.
The pandemic has decimated the food service industry as many restaurants were forced to close down. Some restaurants were able to offer delivery and pickup services, but without the money from dine-in customers, the industry has lost at least $80 billion since March, according to the National Restaurant Association.
According to OpenTable's data, the daily number of reservations in the United States has been down by more than 90% every day since March 18.
While some states are allowing restaurants to reopen, they must adhere to strict social distancing guidelines and will have to operate at a reduced capacity. Even if a restaurant can reopen, it will be tough to turn even a small profit with all the extra precautions they will have to take.
"Restaurants are complicated beasts," Steve Hafner, chief executive officer of Booking Holdings' OpenTable and Kayak, told Bloomberg. "You have to order food and supplies. You have to make sure you've prepped the kitchen and service areas to be easily disinfected."
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