By Staff
A new study of the restaurant industry paints a grim picture of the pandemic’s impact nationally, and mirrors a trend in Maine.
The 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, released Tuesday by the National Restaurant Association, polled 6,000 eatery operators and 1,000 consumers. Among the findings:
Restaurant and food service sales fell by $240 billion in 2020 from an expected level of $899 billion.
As of Dec. 1, 2020, more than 110,000 eating and drinking places were closed for business temporarily, or for good.
Eating and drinking places lost 2.5 million jobs from pre-pandemic levels.
The restaurant and food service industry was projected to provide 15.6 million jobs in 2020, representing 10% of all jobs in the U.S. economy, according to the report.
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The Portland Food Co-op at 290 Congress St. will be closed through Sunday because a second staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, the store’s general manager said in an email sent out to customers Monday.
The store had initially closed last week after an employee tested positive on Jan. 3. The rest of the workers were tested, and the store was sanitized before reopening Thursday afternoon. A second employee tested positive Sunday, prompting another closure. This time the store will remain closed through Jan. 17, general manager John Crane said. The store has shut down its curbside service during this closure as well.