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FILE: Between March 1 and July 10, Yelp found that the San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward metropolitan area collectively had 369 restaurant closings. That number included both temporary closings and permanent closings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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FILE: Between March 1 and July 10, Yelp found that the San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward metropolitan area collectively had 369 restaurant closings. That number included both temporary closings and
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Photo: LeoPatrizi / Getty Images
FILE: Between March 1 and July 10, Yelp found that the San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward metropolitan area collectively had 369 restaurant closings. That number included both temporary closings and permanent closings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Less
FILE: Between March 1 and July 10, Yelp found that the San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward metropolitan area collectively had 369 restaurant closings. That number included both temporary closings and
… plus
Photo: LeoPatrizi / Getty Images
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As restaurants continue to hold a thread, a new report looking at the closure of businesses in the US Since March revealed a grim picture.
Restaurants have been the hardest hit by permanent closings amid the ongoing pandemic compared to any other industry, according to Yelp, according to an economic impact study conducted between March 1 and July 10, 2020.
On the local front, the results revealed that the San Francisco Bay Area (specifically San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward) was the third-highest metropolitan area for closings just behind New York and Los Angeles. Together, the three cities in the Bay Area had a total of 5,048 temporary and permanent business closings, which included restaurants, retail stores, and other industries.
According to Yelp, the San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward metropolitan area was the third-largest metropolitan area, followed by New York City and Los Angeles, with the most business closings. The data was reviewed between March 1 and July 10.
Yelp told SFGATE that among those 5,048 business closings, SF, Oakland and Hayward accumulated 369 permanent restaurant closings between March 1 and July 10.
ALSO: The Bay Area bars are still closed. But this brewery found a way to reopen.
“The restaurant industry now reflects the highest total business closings, recently outpacing retailers,” Yelp wrote of restaurants nationwide. “As of July 10, there were a total of 26,160 restaurant closings.”
Breaking the numbers further, Yelp indicated that 15,770 (or 60%) of those 26,160 restaurants across the country were permanent closings.
The findings did not surprise Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, who told SFGATE that the report is consistent with what she is seeing in San Francisco.
“I think, unfortunately, none of us anticipated this long closure,” said Thomas. “The longer this lasts, the less likely people are to succeed.”
Thomas emphasized that the reopening process should be taken with caution, but she knows that San Francisco restaurants are suffering a financial blow as they continue to operate under a fixed model. Dining in the open air was allowed in mid-June and it is still unclear when San Francisco will allow indoor dining.
ALSO: San Francisco restaurants say they are losing money by staying open to go
“If we can’t eat inside, [many restaurants] They’re just going to close, “said Thomas.” Once you close a restaurant, it’s very difficult to reopen it. “
Locals have already seen the economic strain the pandemic has had on SF restaurants in a matter of months. Most recently, the Jeanne D’Arc restaurant closed after 55 years and the San Francisco institution, the Louis’ restaurant, also closed after 83 years. (You can see a more extensive list of restaurant closings in the Bay Area here).
Another finding in the Yelp report was that the San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward areas had the second highest rate of business closings, just behind Honolulu. Similarly, that data point did not surprise Thomas, who said the city of San Francisco depends on tourism.
Yelp found that the San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward metropolitan area had the second highest rate of commercial closings across the country. The data was reviewed between March 1 and July 10.
“San Francisco is a great driver of hospitality,” said Thomas. “Businesses are tied to conventions and all of that is gone. No one travels to the city center and a high economic cost has been charged. ”
For Thomas, the future of restaurant livelihood is in the hands of the federal government. Thomas said that she and a group of restaurant owners are working together to defend the Restaurant Law, a bill that would award grants to independent restaurants if passed. The hope is that it will help keep cash in the hands of small businesses, Thomas shared.
See the full Yelp report here.
Susana Guerrero is a digital reporter for SFGATE. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @ SusyGuerrero3
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