Consumer Trends

Chairs against a bar at an empty restaurant.

Florida Removes COVID Restrictions on Restaurants

In a press conference Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is moving into what it initially called “phase 3,” which allows restaurants and bars to operate at full capacity. ...

Gray stainless steel cup with tissue on brown table.

Indiana to Remove Capacity Restrictions Saturday

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday that the state will move to Stage 5 of its reopening plan Saturday, which allows restaurants to operate at full capacity.

Buffalo Wild Wings Browns Dawg pound restaurant.

With Sports Back, Can Empty Stadiums Turn Into Crowded Restaurants?

Sports have returned to quiet stadiums across America. While great news for TV networks, where it leaves restaurants is a more complex debate.

Clear glasses in a restaurant in the city street.

San Francisco to Reopen Dining Rooms Soon

San Francisco is moving forward with indoor dining plans, but they won’t be implemented until after the end of September.

Boarded up storefronts in New York City.

NYC Restaurants Sit at a Survival Crossroads

The cut-throat nature of New York City’s real estate market made it difficult for small businesses to thrive even before the pandemic.

Inside an empty restaurant with colorful booths.

Close to 20,000 Restaurants Have Permanently Closed Since COVID

Closures are on the rise for restaurants as COVID-19 crosses the half-year mark.

NYC Indoor Dining to Return September 30

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday afternoon that New York City will be allowed to resume indoor dining beginning September 30.

During the pandemic, Pizza Inn has made operational changes like introducing delivery service and doubling down on sanitation.

COVID-19 Fallout: The New Way of the Buffet

Even before COVID-19, some consumers were wary of buffet-style dining, despite the fact that the vast majority of those restaurant regularly passed sanitation standards with flying

A sign reading "this area is off limits" on a restaurant table.

The Restaurant of the Future 3.0: Eight Drivers of Change in a ‘New Normal’

Here are eight areas of a restaurant’s design and operation that have changed and will continue to evolve and influence the Restaurant of the Future.

Unlike restaurants in other parts of the country, Bakan can utilize its outdoor dining space year-round.

How Three Restaurants are Making the Most of Outdoor Dining

Since late spring, the on-again, off-again nature of dine-in restrictions has left many operators scrambling to adhere to local mandates and, when possible, revive on-site business. ...