The surprising resilience of American restaurant chains

COVID-19 HAS been brutal for big tenants of American shopping centres, such as clothing stores and cinemas. Not so for the casual eateries that surround these outlets. Many of America’s sit-down dining chains are on track to emerge stronger after two quarters of pandemic-driven innovation. The final hurdle is the winter.Independent restaurants were early victims of lockdowns. Chewing, chatter and low air-flow made their busy floors prime candidates for super-spreader events. As early as March, state and local regulations shut down dining halls and began to whittle down the ranks of sit-down eateries. Yelp, a popular review website, reported more than 32,000 restaurant closures between March and September; 61% of these were predicted to be permanent.