Sponsored By

The 25 most-read Nation’s Restaurant News stories in 2020

COVID-19 pandemic dominates the headlines

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

December 17, 2020

25 Slides
Sign reading "closed due to coronavirus"

Already have an account?

The coronavirus pandemic dominated the news in 2020, and Nation’s Restaurant News was no exception. Most of our top 25 most-read stories of the year were at least tangentially related.

Restaurants closed dining rooms, reopened them, and have since begun closing again. Experts offered advice for keeping restaurants clean and virus-free, and the National Restaurant Association provided tips and guidelines for operating safely.

Amid economic uncertainty, relief funds popped up to help restaurants and their employees. The Great American Takeout encouraged consumers to order delivery and takeout at the height of dining-room closures in the spring.

Meanwhile, business carried on. Just before the pandemic was declared, Sonic unveiled a new logo and ad campaign. Over the summer, Taco Bell trimmed 12 items from its menu. And Brinker International launched then expanded its virtual brand, It’s Just Wings.

Click through the gallery to see NRN’s top 25 most-read stories of 2020.

Read more about:

BrinkerTaco Bell

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at leighanne.zinsmeister@informa.com 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.

You May Also Like