Portland restaurant Lardo, pictured in early 2020, during a time service was limited to delivery and take-out.
Kaylee Domzalski / OPB
A survey released by the Independent Restaurant Coalition found that nearly 60% of restaurants in the country say that sales were down by more than half. The group says 80 percent of those that never got federal Restaurant Relief Fund grants are in danger of closing. About half face eviction and bankruptcy. Erika Polmar, executive director of the IRC, says the country has lost 100 thousand restaurants and could lose 100 thousand more. She joins us along with Aaron Barnett, chef/partner of Portland’s La Moule, who shares how he’s weathered the pandemic so far and what he needs to survive.
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