OpenTable reservations have yet to rebound in Seattle.

Restaurant bookings in Seattle had been down 28% in the beginning of this month in comparison with pre-pandemic, in accordance with new knowledge from OpenTable.

The massive image: Seattle’s restaurant business seems to be recovering from COVID shutdowns and slowdowns at a extra sluggish tempo than different components of the nation.

Zoom out: Not like the town, bookings in Washington state broadly and nationwide have bounced again to pre-pandemic ranges after which some.

• Bookings had been up 9% statewide and 19% nationally in comparison with the identical interval in 2019.

Between the strains: Downtown Seattle eating places have been hit significantly onerous as fewer individuals journey for enterprise, to the workplace and to attend conventions, mentioned Anthony Anton, Washington Hospitality Affiliation president and CEO.

• “If we will absolutely recoup and see numbers that match 2019, we have to get these conference facilities crammed,” Anton advised Axios.
• Labor shortages have additionally led many eating places to scale back their hours, Anton mentioned, noting that OpenTable’s figures are only one metric for gauging the business’s well being.

The newest: Seattle has embraced distant work greater than nearly another metropolis within the nation, per new knowledge from the U.S. Census Bureau.