The 25 most-read Restaurant Hospitality stories in 2020

The coronavirus pandemic and related economic crisis dominated the news in 2020, including at Restaurant Hospitality. Most of the top 25 most-read stories of the year were related.

Dozens of notable restaurants were forced to permanently close their doors, and restaurateurs including Thomas Keller sued their insurance companies over business interruption claims. Stimulus bills came and went.

Restaurants closed their dining rooms for weeks on end, switching to off-premise models and selling family meals. They furloughed and laid off staff. They then reopened and faced struggles in bringing back the workforce and figuring out cleaning protocols. In an effort to help, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Restaurant Association and other groups released reopening guides for the industry.

In the midst of it all, other news emerged as well. Chefs turned to developing their own plant-based burgers without the processing. Everytable won a $2.5 million investment to recruit franchisees of color from underserved areas. Some restaurant concepts even continued to grow.

Click through the gallery to read the 25 most-read stories from Restaurant Hospitality this year.