How communication infrastructure impacted New York City restaurants’ ability to access resources during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants were forced to temporarily close or reduce operations. Drawing on Communication Infrastructure Theory (CIT), this study explored how communication infrastructure helped restaurant owners and chefs in New York City navigate resources and understand the dynamic policy responses to COVID-19 that impacted their industry (e.g. whether indoor dining was allowed, at what capacity, etc.). The results of this study demonstrate that New York City restaurants possess an incredible capacity for resilience, in part due to their communication networks. Even with inadequate relief funds and a mixed bag of regulations and initiatives, most participants’ restaurants were able to adapt their businesses to meet the challenges of the pandemic. Additionally, this work shows how dramatically unsupported the restaurant industry was during the height of the pandemic, and at the same time, how important restaurants can be to the communities they serve.