Beloved Buffet Chain Making a Resurgence 4 Years After Bankruptcy

When it comes to restaurants, the pandemic was difficult for the industry, in general. According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly one in six restaurants, meaning around 100,000 restaurants, closed either permanently or long-term six months into the pandemic, by September of 2020.

Even by August of that year, when things were starting to open back up, "consumer spending in restaurants remained well below normal levels in August," the National Restaurant Association notes, adding that sales were down 34 percent.