On March 16th, 2020, Utah Governor Gary Herbert and the Utah Department of Health declared a statewide public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also issued an accompanying series of regulations for restaurants and bars: by 11:00 PM that night, all establishments were to close to dine-in customers for the next two weeks. Takeout and delivery options were available for businesses licensed as restaurants; bars were shut down entirely.
Between March and May of 2020, employment in Utah’s restaurant and bar industry dropped from 109,000 people to 63,000 people. Since dining rooms reopened in May the industry has rebounded to 93,000 employees, leaving 16,000 people still displaced more than nine months after Utah's initial lockdown.
(Source: Utah Restaurant Association, November 2020)
National projections say that up to 85% of small restaurants could close over the next year if they don’t receive federal relief.
(Source: National Independent Restaurant Association, December 2020)
More than 450 Utah restaurants have already closed permanently.
(Source: Utah Restaurant Association, November 2020)
This is all to say, your favorite restaurants are struggling. They need your support, and they need your good behavior. Please order often, tip generously, and follow public health recommendations in your personal life -- it's going to take all of us to get our food scene through this.
