The pandemic has forced thousands of restaurants to permanently shut their doors as dining restrictions keep customers away. But the unprecedented closures have created a business boom for commercial auctioneers that buy and sell used restaurant equipment. Bonilla’s family business, American Restaurant Supply in San Leandro, Calif., buys used appliances, furniture and other equipment when restaurants close in the San Francisco Bay Area. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced tens of thousands of restaurants to permanently shut their doors as dining restrictions keep customers away. A new report by the National Restaurant Association shows the pandemic’s devastating impact on the restaurant industry, which last year lost 110,000 businesses — about 17% of the nation’s total.

DETROIT – With little government assistance, nearly 110,000 restaurants in the United States have closed in 2020. The European Central Bank decided Thursday to increase its stimulus by $600 billion, bringing the total to $2.2 trillion to help keep businesses and workers afloat. In lieu of government assistance, one Metro Detroit business owner is trying to help his customers with the help of carry-out customers. The program runs Dec. 7- Dec. 25 and Atlas will support up to $100,000 in total. You can find ClickOnDetroit’s continually updated list of resources that assist food service workers here.

The fund topped $6,000 and he's been able to give out $500 tips. It was all starting to come together, Backus recalled about Little fanning out the $100 bills to give to her. Little started by giving $500 tips to five separate waiters or waitresses across the city. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri partnered with the non-profit National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to start the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. The fund provided $500 cash grants to more than 43,000 workers during the pandemic, Sink said.

Movement urges residents to support Metro Detroit restaurantsPublished: April 1, 2020, 5:43 pmNew numbers from the National Restaurant Association are showing $25 billion in lost sales and an estimated 3 million jobs lost.