Across the metropolis of New York, hundreds of thousands of workers have lost their jobs due to the destructive virus COVID-19, leaving restaurant workers, owners, landlords, and food suppliers in devastation. 

 

The question is, will these NYC restaurants survive? If they do, will they be the same as they were before? These questions arise as many restaurateurs are considering whether or not to completely shut down their businesses or to stay and fight to keep their restaurants alive.

According to Steve Cuozzo of the New York Post, by the time this virus is contained and we get back to living our normal lives, the city will regain its buzz and the restaurant business will see the “greatest restaurant-creation boom the Big Apple has ever seen.”

Two things we New Yorkers take pride in are our love for food and our diverse culinary scene. You can walk less than five minutes in the city and find 5 new and culturally diverse restaurants, from Turkish to Italian to Columbian. With our love for culinary experiences comes our spirit and tenacity to make the restaurant scene bounce back once the storm passes.Even in these uncertain times, New Yorkers are standing behind their beloved restaurants to keep them in business by buying gift cards, donating to GoFundMe’s, and ordering take-out if available.

Although it is uncertain when this will pass, and whether or not the $2 trillion coronavirus-relief bill’s $350 million in small-business paycheck will help our small restaurants, what we do know is that we will continue to stand behind them in support. When this passes, we will go back to fighting for reservations at our favorite neighborhood eatery, and socializing with family and friends over a delicious New York slice and a glass of red. Will these restaurants be the same? No one knows, but what we do know is that our love for food will never change.