LANSING (WWJ) -- As the coronavirus pandemic drags on into 2022, more and more once profitable restaurants are feeling the effects.
New data released Wednesday by the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA) showed the severe impact COVID-19's Omicron variant has had on the state's restaurant industry.
MRLA said about 86% of restaurants saw less customers walking through their doors and three in four restaurant owners believed business is worse now that it was three months ago all because of omicron.
Of business operators surveyed, 78% also said their restaurant was less profitable now than it was two years ago at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The association said they are calling on Congress to support the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to once again help local businesses. Restaurant owners can apply for grants through the program that would save jobs and give owners to opportunity to hire or rehire employees.
Studies show the first round of funding greatly benefitted Michigan industry owners, allowing 35,000 people to remain employed and helping 94 percent of grant recipients keep their doors open.
Winslow said if the fund was fully replenished by Congress, an estimated 50,000 restaurants across the state could be helped.
“Our survey delivers reliable data to what everyone in Michigan already knows – that Omicron is closing restaurants and significantly complicating our recovery,” said Justin Winslow, MRLA President & CEO.
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"The decisions Congress could make in the coming weeks will be critical toward the future of many restaurants that serve as the cornerstone of their community," Winslow said.
Find more data from the survey here.
