No surprise: Pizza shops do well

Heavy regulations on dining have decimated the restaurant industry in the past year, but one player is growing.

Pizza, the cheesy comfort food, is not only budget-friendly, but its delivery systems were in place before the forced shutdown.

Pizza is the bright light in the restaurant sector, with revenues up at major pizza chains Domino’s and Papa John’s, according to the New York Times. Even frozen pizza is up more than a fifth, according to NielsenIQ.

According to the New York Times, Domino’s attributes much of its success to its investments in delivery service and its digital platform.

The news isn’t so good for the rest of the sector, especially for local restaurants. At least 110,000 restaurants have closed permanently, according to Forbes.

In California, the state prohibited indoor and outdoor dining until Jan. 25 of this year. New York City has restricted restaurant capacity to 25 percent, with dine-in service restricted to outdoor tables — even during winter.

According to Forbes, 90 percent of restaurant owners say state restrictions are the biggest threat to their business since they opened, and more than half say that permanent closure is a possibility.

The restaurant industry is a major American employer, with more than 13.5 million employees in 2019. According to Restaurant Dive, the restaurant industry ended in 2020 with 2.5 million fewer jobs than pre-pandemic levels.