Texas government leaders have done a horrible job protecting our state's businesses during the lock down.
Here's a report that details how half of Texas restaurants will likely be gone in about 6 months.
If you think this sounds bad, just imagine what it's like to own a bar right now.
The Texas Restaurant Association released results of a survey this week predicting half percent of Texas restaurants will close within the next six months if they don't receive federal funding.
In Texas, the pandemic took a particularly heavy financial toll on the restaurant industry, leaving many of the restaurants to shutter their doors. The industry lost an estimated $4.2 billion in sales and nearly 700,000 jobs from March to April, according to the TRA.
Houston restaurant favorites including Patrenella's, Bernie's Burger Bus and Barry's Pizza were forced to close permanently as the pandemic dragged on and sales foundered.
"We'd been thinking about [the possibility of closing] since Christmas, but then the virus came along and we had to close. The restaurant business was in terrible shape," Patrenella's Owner Sammy Patrenella told Marcy de Luna.
According to the survey, 71 percent of restaurant operators don’t believe sales will return to normal (pre-coronavirus numbers) within the next six months.
The cost of doing business has also risen, with 73 percent of those surveyed saying operational costs have increased.
GALVESTON, TX - AUGUST 26: A restaurant is closed at Galveston Island as hurricane Laura is expected to hit Texas and Louisiana coasts on August 26, 2020 in Galveston, Texas. (Photo by Zeng Jingning/China News Service via Getty Images)