Some restaurants may not survive renewed mask mandates

“We only get so many months of summer,” said Nya Marshall, owner of Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails in Detroit. “If we experience additional restrictions, social distancing and occupancy restrictions — a person only has so much fight in them. We can’t take another blow.”

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The delta variant has created multiple levels of strain on eateries.

It has made many diners more anxious about entering a public space. It has forced waiters and bartenders to revert to their agonizing role as public-health enforcers. And it has forced many restaurants to consider closing indoor dining rooms and relying solely on takeout orders and outdoor dining for revenue at a time when food-price inflation has made their margins very thin…

“Restaurant employees face the challenge of being the police with ever-changing guidance,” she said, alluding to the many documented instances of conflict between restaurant workers and would-be diners over masking rules. “This makes restaurant workers the bad guy and adds additional stress when guidance isn’t clear. What we’re looking for is permission to be cautious.”

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