How will restaurants survive the coronavirus 'new normal'?

I am thinking about categories of restaurants here, not individual restaurants, though I will cite some individual restaurants as examples.

Speaking of that? I was prompted by driving by an IHOP where I live the other day. It had a "we're open" sign in front on the grass strip near the interstate frontage road.

But, really?

Yes, IHOP serves other foods. But, you think of it for?? Pancakes, followed by other breakfast food. And who does takeout pancakes? I mean, your straight-up fast food restaurants do breakfast burritos and sandwiches. McDonald's still has pancakes, at least at select locations. I eat relatively little fast food, and when I do get breakfast fast food, it's a sammich or burrito.

And with that, let's dig in.

Fast food restaurants

They should come out pretty well. Most of them did the majority of sales at the drive-through before this. The only hinderance might be the recession and fewer customers. Breakfast sales will likely take some hit with fewer people driving to work; OTOH, out of habit, many of them may still hit a fast food place for breakfast, if they're single, or partnered but childless, and just bring it home. Pizza joints already did delivery, so they'll generally be OK, too. (When's the last time you ate a Pizza Hut or a Domino's inside the joint?)

That said, fast food places that still have robust breakfast lines may wind up trimming them before this is done. See above, and below, on the pancakes issue.

Fast-casual restaurants

I'm thinking of the likes of Chili's. Many of these places already did takeout, so again, they should be OK overall, just general recession worries. Regional as well as national chains, this is true. Chinese restaurants, even local ones, have long done takeout. The local ones will struggle, but if they keep doing takeout, and use a limited menu to reduce overhead, they should be OK. Other local, or small-regional (less than 10 locations) chains, like local Mexican? They're probably in more trouble. All of these may take a bigger hit from no booze sales except in states where executive orders were framed carefully to allow takeout wine or beer with the takeout food or something. Italian, like Olive Garden? More trouble yet. Nobody's ever thought of pasta as being a big takeout food.

24-hour breakfast oriented restaurants

Three big names here. I already mentioned IHOP. Another trended on Twitter, per an actual index by FEMA, and that is Waffle House. Denny's is the third. Denny's is less oriented toward breakfast than the other two, but still, if I asked you to name one Denny's item from memory, you'd almost certainly say "Grand Slam" — a breakfast. None of these three did takeout before. As noted above, many breakfast items don't lend themselves to the idea of takeout. They'll be hurting. All three chains will surely close marginal locations. And, speaking of closing marginal locations, that leads to ...

All-you-can-eat joints

The name here, in much of the nation, is Golden Corral. But, it spent most the previous decade or more dumping marginal locations. Some stayed open as independent restaurants. They will all be in trouble. The whole biz is predicated on high volume at slim margins — the Walmart of restaurateuring. (If you call these places restaurants.) Many might offer takeout; Golden Corral itself, and many of the others, offered a la carte dinners as well as the buffets. But, seriously. These places are hurting. Luby's is another that was hurting even before the coronavirus.

But, while you can do takeout, and many already offered a la carte options, they were predicated on all-you-can eat business. They're hurting.

There's a subcategory here, of "healthy all-you-can-eat." No, that's not a joke. One name pops up: Sooper Salad. But, soups and salads are even less, overall, a takeout item than what Golden Corral offers. Some of these places also got dinged by the dirty lettuce scares of the last couple of years.

Steakhouses

Steak is also not a traditional takeout food. If steakhouses are wanting to cope, I'm sure they'll try. But, as the weather warms up, more people will be grilling on their own. Meat availability and prices for bigger steaks is also going to be a factor.

Upscale sites

People go to these places for the food presentation as much as the food. Or to be seen, as much as for the food. (Think upend steakhouses, high-end Italian, etc.) They're hurting. But, they have a chunk of loyalty for the reasons above and more and will likely bounce back well.