National Restaurant Association last week released a mid-year supplement to the 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, which illustrates the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry. The report provides an updated look at key indicators and trends influencing the industry’s recovery as of June/July 2021, including the current state of the economy, workforce, and food and beverage sales.
Despite a steady trend of job creation in the first half of the year, eating and drinking places are still nearly 1 million jobs, or 8%, below pre-pandemic employment levels. Six in 10 adults have changed their restaurant use due to the rise in the delta variant, and 75% of restaurant operators reported that recruiting employees was their top challenge as of June 2021– the highest level ever recorded
