Chinese Restaurants Shift From Most-Closed to Fastest Reopeners

After clocking the restaurant industry’s highest closure rate at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, places specializing in Chinese food have swung back to become the group reopening at the fastest clip, a new study has found.

At one point during the crisis,  60% of the Chinese restaurants in the United States had closed  rather than try to stay afloat through takeout and delivery while dine-in service was prohibited, according to the source of the research, the credit-card processor Womply.

CDC Guidelines to Open Your Restaurant or Bar

As restaurants and bars reopen in the coming days and weeks, there will be no shortage of creativity. Breakfast chain First Watch,  for example , is turning community tables into no-touch pickup areas for grab-and-go guests and third-party delivery drivers. It’s also putting tables and chairs into storage so customers can walk into a more airy, welcoming space, instead of one with “don’t sit here” signs littered throughout.

A Recipe For Restaurant Rebound

Long-lasting changes and effects from the closures and restrictions are inevitable because of COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn. For example, it’s estimated that  75% of independent restaurants  that closed will never reopen. For some restaurants, though, recovery will happen.

What could recovery look like? What factors will contribute to a successful recovery, and what are the essential ingredients for a rebound?

Google Maps is getting a new feature that makes it easier to order directly from local businesses

Restaurants now have a new way to encourage customers to order from them directly versus turning to an app like Grubhub or Uber Eats as eateries across the country shift primarily to takeout because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Restaurants will soon be able to communicate their preferred ordering method to customers through Google, the search giant announced on Wednesday.