Restaurants take big pandemic hit as closures top 110K across US

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin restaurants are among those being impacted by the pandemic, and many expect it to take a long time to recover. 

Wisconsin Restaurant Association officials say that nearly half of restaurants will have to temporarily close and may not reopen. 

According to the National Restaurant Association, more than 110,000 restaurants have permanently closed. That is on in six restaurants. 

The number has increased since September. 

Some businesses have been given $20,000 grants to help them out during the pandemic. However, restaurant advocacy groups and owners say the impact of the pandemic will be long lasting. 

“You have to remember that the impact is not only to the restaurant itself, i’s to their employees, it’s to their suppliers, it’s to the communities in which they serve," said Kristine Hillmer, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association "One small business goes out of business, but you have to look at the broader impact.”

“In Milwaukee there’s been a small percentage but each week, you hear about somebody else closing and I think we anticipate after winter 30 or 40 percent of restaurants closing and not reopening. It’s just a matter of trying to survive right now," said Omar Shaikh, co-owner of Carnevor Premier Steakhouse. 

The Wisconsin Restaurant Association received a grant and they are using it for a program called "Ready to Serve Safely." They made a list