Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the data of its effects on restaurants had been conducted on a national level, and localizing that data had proven difficult. Through a survey administered by the College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis and with additional support from the City of Charleston, we aimed to investigate the state of the Charleston restaurant industry amidst the pandemic and understand the ongoing effects it has had and will continue to have on the industry.
The purpose of this research project was to better understand how Charleston’s restaurant industry endured the vast challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and assess the current state of the industry. It will help form a better understanding of the effects that COVID-19 has had on our local industry and will inform advocacy + policy efforts to effectively aid and heal our food + beverage community.