‘Unprecedented Upheaval’: Half Of NYC Restaurants And Bars Could Close Permanently, State Audit Says

Up to half of bars and restaurants in New York City may be forced to close permanently within six months after having been devastated by the coronavirus lockdowns.

An audit released Thursday by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli revealed that a third to half of the establishments that comprise one of the city’s key industries could shutter and never return, costing the city more than 150,000 jobs, according to the New York Post.