In early March 2020, when the realities of COVID-19 were just dawning on the US, 32% of consumers said they planned to eat at restaurants less often, according to Technomic.
In December 2020, CNN reported that 10,000 restaurants had closed in the past three months.
More than a year later, here’s an update from Technomic’s TIndex, a monthly index that was introduced in April 2021 and is revised regularly.
“[T]he industry is down 2.8% over a two-year basis but has grown by 22% compared to the same month in 2020.”
Restaurant closures have multiple downstream effects: loss of revenue for their owners, negative effects on local economies, and job reductions/terminations for the people who work there. Those are the people I want to talk about in this series. I suppose the 22% growth in November 2021 compared to November 2020 is a plus, but the biggest story is the longer-term metric that the industry is down 2.8% since two years ago.
Here are the previous posts:
Hospitality in a pandemic: What your server wants you to know (January 2021)
The Restaurant Business 2021: Neutralizing Negativity (September 2021)
Why the restaurant business is not back to normal (December 2021)
For this post, I’m pleased to welcome “Taylor,” who asked to remain anonymous.
What is the ONE thing you wish your guests understood about the challenges of serving them amid the pandemic?
We care about everyone’s safety — theirs and our own! If I get sick, I can’t work, and I don’t get paid. I don’t have the luxury of a salaried job that offers “sick days.” A sick day for me is a no-money day.
What is the most frustrating thing that has happened to you as a hospitality pro during the pandemic?
Having people treat me rudely and guests that refuse to mask up.
Has there been ANYTHING good/heartwarming that has happened to you in the hospitality world during the pandemic? (If so, what was it?)
Once in a while we get compliments from guests that they appreciate the steps we are taking to keep everyone safe.
Is there anything else you’d like to share? If so, this is your place!
Your server works HARD to give you a good dining experience, but they are not your slave. Do not snap your fingers at them or, worse, grab them by the arm if you want something. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.
A note from Paula
Thank you, Taylor, for these thoughts. I hope your upcoming workdays are full of masked (and/or vaccinated) customers and decent tips but don’t have ANY finger snapping!
NOTE from Paula: I’d love to hear from other hospitality professionals. Full disclosure: I only want to talk to people who are serious about protecting themselves and their customers by following safe procedures. If that’s you, fill out this form and I’d love to consider using your thoughts in a future post if they’re a fit.
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Been there, done that, it’s a difficult job in the best of times.
And how. Thanks for commenting.
I’ve never been a server, but I’ve been a Mother, which, at meal times is the same thing. Without the tips.
I always say you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat the person serving them. And in these days of Pandemic, that has become even more obvious!
Yes that is so true. I’m a little spooked by the attitude I used to have. I guess the point is to learn. These days are particularly treacherous.
I’ve always appreciated wait staff. They are servers, not servants.. Years ago, in college, I had a temp gig handing out advertising leaflets on a Manhattan street corner, and have never forgotten how people treated me, both for good and not. Why do people think they are entitled to abuse workers? Especially in these times, and I don’t blame any waitstaff for leaving the industry.
Same here. Hopefully we all learn something from these difficult times.