Washington, D.C., could see 25 percent to 30 percent of the independently owned restaurants in the city close for good due to the lack of revenue during the coronavirus shutdown.
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington made the prediction, Fox 5 reported, and noted that the restaurant industry has suffered the most sales and job losses as a result of the pandemic.
As part of phase two of D.C.’s reopening, restaurants can now open for indoor dining with safeguards. Restaurants in D.C. were able to open outdoor seating in phase one. Safeguards include increased sanitation efforts, no more than six people seated at a table indoors or outdoors, and that tables must be placed 6 feet apart.
The Restaurant Association of Maryland also projected 25 percent of restaurants in Maryland will close permanently, according to Fox 5.
The projections mirror national estimates. OpenTable data found that 25 percent of restaurants in the U.S. will permanently close due to the coronavirus, Yahoo reported.
“Even in the best of times, restaurants operate on really thin margins. So if you add on capacity restrictions, new safety and service protocols, it’s really tough for a restaurant to make it,” OpenTable CEO Steve Hafner told Yahoo.