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Jan. 5 — The World Health Organization (WHO) announces an outbreak of a new respiratory illness in Wuhan, China.
Jan. 21 — The WHO declares a global health emergency over the spreading novel coronavirus.
Jan. 31 — The U.S. government declares a public health emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak, as of Jan. 27.
Feb. 6 — The first American dies of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, Calif.
March 11 — The World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a global pandemic.
March 12 — Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas announces he will close 12 of his 13 restaurants in response to a 90% decline in sales, starting after dinner service on Sunday, March 15 (Dahlia Bakery, which had a contract with Hotel Ändra across the street, stayed open). At that point 29 people had died in Washington State.
March 13 — The White House declares a national emergency. Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group announces the closure of all New York restaurants.
March 15, 2020 — Illinois announces all restaurants to close indoor dining at close of business March 16, becoming the first state to make such a decision. Ohio and others follow suit. California asks restaurants to reduce capacity to 50%.
March 16 — Canlis, the fine-dining landmark in Seattle, changes its format and reopens as a takeout restaurant selling breakfast sandwiches, burgers and other items normally associated with quick service. It was the first of many full-service restaurants to do so.
March 19 — California becomes the first state to issue a statewide stay-at-home order; Arkansas becomes the first state to relax alcohol sales laws, allowing restaurants to sell sealed containers of beer and wine. Most other states will relax their liquor laws, allowing for takeout and/or delivery of beer and wine, and in many states spirits and cocktails, from restaurants in the following three months and longer.
Week of March 21 — Some restaurants start selling groceries as skyrocketing demand at supermarkets causes supply disruptions there; others start offering bundled meals, mostly for families of four.
March 25 — Thomas Keller files a lawsuit against Hartford Fire Insurance Company for denying his business interruption insurance claim, one of many similar lawsuits that were to follow (unlike most insurance policies, Keller’s specifically included insurance against pandemics, but he was denied anyway).
March 27 — The $2 trillion CARES Act is signed into law, granting the first series of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, $1,200 stimulus checks and a $600-per-week bump in unemployment checks.
April 9 — San Francisco becomes the first jurisdiction to cap third-party delivery fees as off-premise dining becomes an increasingly important source of restaurant revenue.
April 19 — Amid public uproar, Shake Shack announces it will return its $10 million PPP loan. Over the course of the next two weeks, other chains, including J. Alexander’s, Nathan’s Famous, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Sweetgreen return their loans.
April 24 — Alaska become the first state to allow restaurants to reopen (with capacity restrictions, social distancing requirements and other preventative measures). Georgia and Tennessee follow later the same week.
April — The restaurant industry loses 5.5 million jobs in the month as the national unemployment rate soars to 14.7%
Week of May 4 — Starbucks opens 85% of company locations with modified operations and hours. https://www.nrn.com/news/starbucks-reopening-85-its-company-stores-week-may-4
Late May to mid-June — Jurisdictions begin easing restrictions to allow more outdoor-dining spaces, including setting up tables in parking spaces.
May 28 — United States deaths from COVID-19 pass the 100,000 mark.
June 5 — The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act is signed into law, extending the forgiveness period from eight weeks to 24 weeks and reducing the payroll ratio requirement from 75% to 60%, and extending the deadline for rehiring workers from June 30 to Dec., 31, among other measures
June 10 — U.S. COVID-19 cases hit 2 million.
June 26 — Florida suspends on-premise alcohol consumption at bars as COVID-19 cases surge.
June 29 — Texas closes bars and rolls restaurant occupancy back to 50%. Other states, including California and New Jersey, as well as counties and municipalities across the country follow suit in the following days.
July 7 — U.S. reaches 3 million COVID cases and announces withdrawal from WHO.
Aug. 1 — McDonald’s requires customers to wear masks.
Aug 8. — President Trump signs an executive order extending supplemental unemployment benefits, deferring payroll tax obligations and halting evictions, among other measures.
Aug. 9 — U.S. coronavirus cases top 5 million.
Aug. 20 — The James Beard Foundation announces the suspension of its Restaurant & Chef Awards for 2020 and 2021, citing negative effect of pandemic on industry, as well as social upheaval.
Sept. 18 — Chicago issues guidelines for enclosing outdoor spaces to continue dining as the weather cools; other jurisdictions follow suit.
Sept. 25 — New York announces plans to keep outdoor dining in effect indefinitely.
September — The number of foodservice jobs remains 2.3 million below pre-COVID levels as the unemployment rate declines to 7.9%.
Chicago, New Mexico and Oregon resume lockdowns, Minnesota and New York City announce curfews and San Francisco bans indoor dining.
Nov. 9 — U.S. passes 10 million mark in COVID-19 cases.
Dine-in is further restricted in Michigan, Iowa, Washington state, California and Philadelphia.
Nov. 18 — U.S. deaths from coronavirus reach 250,000.
Los Angeles County shuts down outdoor dining and other jurisdictions tighten rules as Americans largely ignore pleas not to travel during Thanksgiving.
Dec. 3 — Stay-at-home orders are issued for 52 of California’s 58 counties.
Dec. 8 — U.S. exceeds 15 million coronavirus cases.
Dec. 14 — New York City shuts down indoor dining.
Jan. 1, 2021 — Coronavirus cases surpass 20 million in the U.S.
Jan. 11 — The Paycheck Protection Program reopens; more than $18 billion goes to restaurants by mid-February.
Jan. 21 — President Joe Biden issues his coronavirus response plan, including calls for guidance on worker safety and restaurant operating regulations
Jan. 26 — California stay-at-home orders start lifting, opening the way for outdoor dining to resume.
Feb. 12 — Indoor dining resumes in New York City at 25% capacity, two days earlier than planned.
Feb. 26 — The National Restaurant Association cancels its annual show in Chicago in May for the second year in a row.
Feb. 22 — The U.S. passes 500,000 total deaths from COVID-19.
March 10 — Texas lifts all COVID-related capacity limits and ends its mask mandate.
March 11 — The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is signed into law, including $1,400 stimulus checks and $28.6 billion in relief grants for small restaurants.
