When is the last time you visited your favorite restaurant? How has it adapted to the challenges of the pandemic? Many restaurants across the country are finding creative ways to keep business going after shut downs and limits on indoor dining, and those conversations are becoming more urgent as we head into the cold months. Will restaurants in regions like ours be able to weather the winter?
According to a recent study from the New York Restaurant Association, nearly 64 percent of restaurant owners surveyed across the state say they are likely or somewhat likely to go out of business by the end of this year unless they see financial relief. A consulting firm for the restaurant industry estimates that between 20 and 25 percent of independently-owned restaurants that closed earlier this year will never reopen.
So what’s the situation here in Rochester and the Finger Lakes? We talk about the state of the industry with the New York Restaurant Association and local restaurant owners, and we hear from listeners about their experiences with take out or dining out during the pandemic. Our guests:
- Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association
- Lorna Underwood, owner of Caribbean Heritage Restaurant
- Zury Brown, founder of El Pilón Criollo
- Chuck Cerankosky, co-owner of Good Luck, Cure, Lucky’s, and the Jackrabbit Club; and director of the Rochester Cocktail Revival
