Nearly 200,000 restaurants are in danger of closing permanently, according to the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC). The IRC is an organization formed by chefs and independent restaurant owners nationwide who began a grassroots movement to help the nation’s 500,000 independent restaurants and more than 11 million restaurant workers affected by the pandemic.
“COVID-19 has eradicated the overall appeal of restaurants, and many businesses have crumbled down due to heavy financial losses,” Lori Bogedin, chef, culinary expert, and owner of Twigs Café in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, told The Epoch Times.
