Will Restaurants in the United States , Ever Recover From the <br />COVID-19 Pandemic?.<br />CNN reports officials with the <br />U.S. National Restaurant Association <br />don't believe their industry will ever <br />return to its pre-pandemic form.<br />As the food and hospitality industry remains locked in a struggle to retain its workforce, experts predict 2022 could be the <br />"new normal" for the sector.<br />Restaurants and <br />their patrons have <br />found themselves <br />in a 'new normal.' , Hudson Riehle, the National Restaurant Association, via CNN.<br />Given emergent technology, changing consumer behavior <br />and dining preferences, <br />and the extraordinary challenges <br />of the last two years, , Hudson Riehle, the National Restaurant Association, via CNN.<br />... the industry is unlikely to ever completely return to <br />its pre-pandemic state. , Hudson Riehle, the National Restaurant Association, via CNN.<br />Though experts predict <br />restaurant sales have risen <br />nearly $34 billion since 2019, .<br />only one in four operators believes their restaurant will be more profitable <br />this year than in 2021.<br />As the Omicron variant further depleted <br />an already thinned labor force, .<br />As the Omicron variant further depleted <br />an already thinned labor force, .<br />seven out of 10 restaurant owners say <br />they don't have enough workers.<br />Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, <br />food service employees quit their jobs <br />in Dec. 2021 at a rate of 10.2%
