Many Wisconsin Restaurants Still Struggling

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021 -- 11:00 AM

(WMTV) Many restaurants in Wisconsin are still struggling to handle the financial burdens they have sustained due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent survey released Tuesday.

The survey, conducted by the National Restaurant Association, found that one-third of restaurants in Wisconsin think it will take 7-12 months before business conditions return back to normal.

Twenty-nine percent of restaurants think it will take more than a year for things to go back to normal, while 12% say conditions will never return to normal for their restaurant.

The National Restaurant Association also found that consumer spending remained below pre-pandemic levels, with 83% of restaurants reporting that their total sales volume in January was lower this year than it was in January of 2020.

Only 9% of restaurants said they had higher sales in January. This is mirrored on a national level, with 77% of restaurants nationally saying their total dollar sales volume this January was lower than in 2020.

Some restaurants also noted that additional help from the federal government is critical in keeping their doors open. Thirteen percent of operators in Wisconsin said they will “probably” or “definitely” will close within the next three months if they do not receive any relief packages.

Positively, restaurants in Wisconsin note that they have been charitable despite tough times. About 76% of restaurants in the Badger State say their restaurant made a charitable contribution, such as in cash or volunteering, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This survey was a compilation of responses from 3,000 restaurant operators nationwide and was conducted from Feb. 2-10, 2021.

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