Considering all the havoc the pandemic wrought, it is surprising that as many restaurants remain standing as do and that newcomers are constantly springing up. But inflation coupled with food shortages have ignited a whole new round of problems for the trade. The result, according to a report by Datassential via Nation’s Restaurant News, is that restaurants are slashing hours, with New York City suffering the greatest loss of dining hours.
From the report:
Out of the top 15 zip codes that had the largest weekly decline in restaurant operating hours, 12 were in New York City (the other three were also major metropolitan areas in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans). This might say more about how New York City restaurants were once known for their almost European late-night dining culture where the dinner rush usually started around 8:00, and now the post-pandemic reality has forced restaurants to rein it in.
In September of 2020, AppleEats noted that 100,000 restaurants had closed during first six months of pandemic. A month later we shared an industry prediction that 50% of the city’s restaurants could close permanently in the next 6 months.
Despite these dire predictions, the local restaurant scene remains vibrant. But will it be able to survive the latest crisis? Stay tuned.
Pizza — Aaayy!
No, Henry Winkler, who played “The Fonz” on the seventies sitcom “Happy Days,” is not a principal so far as we know. That hasn’t stopped chef Ed Cotton of Jack & Charlie’s no. 118 in the West Village from calling his new pizza pop-up Fonzie’s Pizza NYC. The 12-inch pies will sport handsomely blistered crusts and are available on Thursdays only from noon to 2 p.m. during the winter months. Supplies are limited, so get there early if you want to snag one. Fonzie’s Pizza NYC, 118 Greenwich Avenue (bet. Jane and 12th Sts.), 212-680-4265.
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