Over the past year, major U.S. dining hubs experienced severe upheaval amid constantly changing indoor dining restrictions, with widespread restaurant closures, massive layoffs, and staggering revenue losses becoming common.

However, due to differing government pandemic guidelines and restaurant support policies across regions, along with regional variations in virus transmission and weather conditions, some cities were hit harder. As the dust from overlapping challenges began to settle, key questions emerged: How much impact did indoor dining capacity limits actually have on local COVID-19 case numbers? And did industry-specific measures such as expanded outdoor dining and winterization grants truly help restaurants on the brink?

Restaurant Dive launches a six-part series focusing on the unique experiences of six major dining markets—Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Washington, D.C.—during the industry's biggest crisis in history. Each article will delve into the complex interplay between local policies, pandemic data, and restaurant survival.

This page will be continuously updated with new additions to the series until March 26. Stay tuned for specific case studies and data analyses for each city.