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Top 10: Effects of the coronavirus outbreak on restaurants, grocery

Coronavirus-related food world stories grabbed readers' attention this week.

3 min read

Food

Top 10: Effects of the coronavirus outbreak on restaurants, grocery

Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images

Not surprisingly, all but two of this week’s 10 most-read food-and-beverage stories are related to the pandemic that’s reshaping the way US consumers are buying their food, at least temporarily.

Celebrity chef and restaurateur David Chang’s thoughts on how the coronavirus outbreak could fuel big changes in the restaurant industry was this week’s most-read story. Chang closed his restaurants amid the outbreak and his immediate focus has been making sure his employees are OK, he said. But he’s also looking ahead and pondering the potential for the pandemic to change the way we view foodie culture and fuel the growth of delivery.

A story about eateries’ decisions to close instead of trying to stay afloat doing takeout and delivery made this week’s Top 10 list, as did a tale of other restaurants adding groceries to their offerings to beef up off-premise sales. News that McDonald’s managers would start screening employees for symptoms and risk factors before each shift also caught readers’ attention.

On the grocery side, Costco said it would allow members to bring only one guest with them while shopping in the store. The retailer has also set aside dedicated shopping hours for seniors and shortened stores’ operating hours.

In CPG news, Hershey warned in a regulatory filing that the coronavirus outbreak could take a toll on its supply chain and also shared concerns about revenue as events have been canceled and its Hershey’s Chocolate World stores remain closed.

Read the entire Top 10:

  1. How coronavirus could reshape the restaurant industry
  2. DFA to acquire Dean Foods’ assets for $433M
  3. Costco limits members to one guest while shopping
  4. Some eateries opt to close amid low sales, safety fears
  5. Restaurants add groceries to the menu in a time of takeout
  6. Lucky’s Market assets go to 10 winning bidders
  7. Relief bill may help restaurant industry weather the storm
  8. McDonald’s managers to screen staff for coronavirus risk
  9. See’s Candies temporarily ceases production
  10. Hershey issues warning about coronavirus impact

Related stories:

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