Distributors and suppliers shifting focus to retail as restaurant profits plunge
By Christine Blank, SeafoodSource
The reaction from U.S. consumers to the COVID-19 pandemic has scrambled how Americans are buying seafood. In response, U.S. foodservice distributors and seafood suppliers are shifting their focus away from a shriveling restaurant scene and putting more focus on supplying retailers.
As evidence of how badly restaurants have been hit by a crisis that has seen many restaurants forced to shift to take-out or close entirely, a number of major restaurant chains have announced significantly decreased earnings.
Orlando, Florida-based Darden Restaurants, which operates Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, and the Capital Grille, said that its same-restaurant sales for the current week plunged 60 percent, Marketwatch reported. On 20 March, Darden said it will close all of its 1,800 restaurant dining rooms across the U.S…