Will Bars Ever Be the Same After COVID-19?

Spending Friday evening sipping on a glass of wine inside a trendy wine bar or mingling at the local pub seems to be a luxury of the past.

Since COVID-19 began ravaging the United States in March, indoor dining and drinking have been closed in many states. Those states that do allow indoor dining do so at limited capacity.

The National Restaurant Association conducted a survey that estimates the restaurant and food service industry lost nearly $120 billion in sales during the first three months of the pandemic, according to ABC News. Eateries and bars raked in $38.6 billion in sales in May, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, but that’s down $27 billion from January and February, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“In recent years, May was typically the top sales month for restaurants, based on the unadjusted data,” a National Restaurant Association official said. “On average, during the last five years, May sales at eating and drinking places were more than 5% higher than the average monthly sales volume for the entire year. This year, May sales were more than 40% lower than what would have been expected in the absence of the pandemic.”

In states such as California, the governor ordered all bars closed when the virus spiked again. Indoor dining is on hold indefinitely in states such as New York and New Jersey. Currently, New York State doesn’t allow bars or restaurants to sell liquor without also serving food. If people aren’t allowed to gather, what does the future for bars look like?

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