Buffalo State College: Ask An Expert: O'Brien Discusses Challenges Facing Restaurants, How They’re Surviving

Press release from Buffalo State College:

Laurie Kaiser

March 26, 2021

When the coronavirus forced much of the country into lockdown last March, millions of people lost jobs, and some, longtime livelihoods. One sector of the economy that felt this loss immediately and profoundly was the restaurant industry.

According to a recent report from the National Restaurant Association, more than 110,000 eating and drinking establishments closed in 2020, either temporarily or for good, and 2.5 million restaurant industry jobs disappeared. In Erie County, restaurants experienced two state-mandated shutdowns while also investing in safety modifications and supplies last year. Capacity cuts and curfews ensued.

At the same time, the pandemic spurred restaurant owners and operators to get creative—offering curbside pickup, delivery, expanded outdoor dining in parking lots, and even patio heaters—in order to stay afloat.

Kathleen O’Brien, lecturer and chair of Buffalo State College’s Hospitality and Tourism Department, shared her thoughts on where the restaurant industry stands and what the future may hold as we emerge from the pandemic over the coming weeks with more available vaccines.

Name: Kathleen O’Brien  

Title: Lecturer and chair of Buffalo State College’s Hospitality and Tourism Department  

O’Brien is the founding director of Campus House, the department’s teaching and research laboratory that opened as an on-campus dining club for faculty, staff, and alumni in 2002. O’Brien specializes in hospitality services management, event planning, and private club management and teaches cultural tourism and management strategies for the global hospitality industry.

What’s the status of the restaurant industry now, especially in Western New York?

Nothing has been more devastating for the industry than what we’ve been through this past year. 

Sue McCartney, director of the campus’s Small Business Development Center, and I gave a free virtual workshop for restaurant owners in June to help them through this. We heard from owners about their need for education and training on new and stricter mandates for sanitation and safety, technology, and shifting business and financial planning. Some were worried about stabilizing their situations when allowed to reopen.

This press release was produced by Buffalo State College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.