Ten percent of U.S. food establishments have closed permanently since the pandemic began, according to new data from Datassential. This figure includes restaurants that opened during the pandemic and all levels of service.
Food trucks were the most affected of any segment, with 22.5 percent of mobile restaurants permanently closing. The quick-service industry weathered the pandemic with the fewest closures at 9.8 percent.
At a rate of 16.2 percent, chain restaurants closed at a higher rate than independent restaurants, and by cuisine, French restaurants were the most impacted at a rate of 15.3 percent.
"This last year has been one the toughest the restaurant industry has ever faced," said Jack Li, Datassential's CEO, in a statement. "But the good news is that the rate of closures is slowing, and the future is bright for those restaurants who have learned to adapt to the host of new challenges facing them in our new normal."
Related: SBA Will Launch Restaurant Grant Program in April; Immigrant-Owned Restaurants Face Additional Struggles Amid the Pandemic.