How Dining Out Has Evolved Over 200 Years – From Haute Cuisine To Hot Dogs And Is Innovating Further In The Pandemic
Dining out has for generations been a fun way to celebrate special occasions, meet friends or just enjoy a quiet evening with someone special. But for many, that ended almost overnight last year as the spread of COVID-19 shuttered businesses and forced people to stay home.
The restaurants that survived scaled down and reworked their operations. Many have had to close permanently. Since March 2020, over 110,000 – or about one out of every six restaurants in the U.S. – have closed. This has affected not only individuals, but the overall economy. In 2017 the profits of the restaurant industry were estimated at US$800 billion, which experts expect have shrunk substantially in the past year.
As a food historian, I follow the impact of global events on food culture and practices. Starting in l...