The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Kuwait’s F&B sector has been devastating, with the head of the Kuwait Federation of Restaurants, Cafes and Catering Companies saying that around 30 percent of restaurants and cafes have been permanently closed.
Speaking to Al-Anba daily, Fahad Al-Arbash said this number could increase to 40 percent by the end of Q1 2021 due to the number of restaurants facing lawsuits over their inability to fulfil their financial liabilities.
Al-Arbash told the Kuwaiti media outlet that restaurant and café owners would even face imprisonment if the state is unable to find solutions for them. He said the sector was already facing a weak economy before the pandemic increased the problems for restaurateurs.
It’s a similar problem the world over, with one in six restaurants in the United States of America facing closure back in September, with that number likely to have risen.
Even back in May, Naim Maadad, chief executive of Gates Hospitality was suggesting that as many as 50 percent of Dubai restaurants may never operate again.
