Chain restaurants, and notably Starbucks, are announcing closures and restructuring of their locations. This recognizes the reality that the US has entered a recession but also a new reality for the industry. This disruption is even more profound in the fine dining segment. Most locations were closed for some period of time and, if they did carryout or delivery at all, their offering were quite different than pre-Covid.
This dynamic is not restricted to just the USA. Premium dining in North America, Europe and Japan has plummeted. The suppliers of products like Wagyu beef, caviar and oysters report cratering demand and prices for these high-end products have cratered. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-corononavirus-food-premium/luxury-food-industry-turns-sour-amid-global-coronavirus-lockdowns-idUSKBN23J0TX
In this article from Worth Magazine, industry insiders including Eric Ripert talk about how the industry is thinking about re-opening and the new normal. https://www.worth.com/what-chefs-and-executives-want-you-to-know-about-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-hospitality-industry/
For all restaurants, the issues regarding staff health are similar. You want your staff to be safe and healthy. You certainly don’t want workers infecting other workers. Without staff, you are shut down too. But testing and other protocols may create disincentives for both operator and worker. Here the co-owner of Alinea discusses these tensions.
In Singapore the attitude is a little different. But Singapore’s experience with the pandemic has been different than the US. However even Singapore has seen hotspots in worker housing that can transfer into the rrestaruant workforce