More than 60 percent of San Diego County restaurants have completely closed, industry leaders say

An estimated 60 percent of restaurants in San Diego County have chosen to close completely during the COVID19 crisis, instead of continuing operations focused on take-out and deliveries, the California Restaurant Association said Monday.

To help affected employees of local eateries, the restaurant association has launched a “Restaurants Care” program that is accepting donations, including an initial $100,000 from the owners of Skrewball Whiskey in Ocean Beach.

Meanwhile restaurants in South County are eligible for 50 loans of $5,000 each under a new program announced Monday by the South County Economic Development Council.

Also county officials announced they have approved a six-month deferral of environmental health permit fees for restaurants. The annual fees range from $753 to $1,930 depending on the size of the restaurant....
 

And the North San Diego Business Chamber is providing daily updates at sdbusinesschamber.com with helpful resources, including links to the United Way and disaster loan programs from the Small Business Administration.

Restaurant closures and the impact on their employees were the primary focus of Monday’s 30-minute news conference, which was held at the County Administration Center on Pacific Highway.

“We are estimating that about 60 percent of all of our restaurants have closed,” said Jeff Rosssman, president of the local chapter of the California Restaurant Association. “You can imagine how many thousands and thousands of employees have been affected.”

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