MRM Research Roundup: Mid-September 2020 Edition

In this edition of MRM Research Roundup, we feature the latest from the National Restaurant Association, hot breakfast spots, fried chicken adoration and some top vegan trends.An Industry in Limbo Six months following the first shutdown of restaurants for the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant industry is in limbo. According to a new survey released by the National Restaurant Association, nearly one in six restaurants (representing nearly 100,000 restaurants) is closed either permanently or long-term; nearly three million employees are still out of work; and the industry is on track to lose $240 billion in sales by the end of the year. 

The survey, which asked restaurant operators about the six-month impact of the pandemic on their businesses, found that overwhelmingly, most restaurants are still struggling to survive and don’t expect their position to improve over the next six months. The findings include: 

Consumer spending in restaurants remained well below normal levels…