Why Restaurants Are Temporarily Closing to Survive the Pandemic | Eater
"This Brookline restaurant officially ceased public operations on November 17 and entered a temporary "hibernation," halting most activity so the business spends only on essential fixed costs like rent. Owners ran projections through the summer, cut hours and pared menus, and found revenue still well below sustainable levels—reporting they weren’t making even 50% of normal sales while payroll alone was about half of operating costs. After consulting staff (some with more than a decade at the company) and weighing the risks of taking on additional debt after using PPP funds, management chose to pause operations to preserve jobs and hope to reopen when public-health conditions and demand improve; they stress, however, that hibernation is a stopgap and long-term survival remains uncertain." - Hillary Dixler Canavan
