‘Too Many Seats, Too Few Butts’ Mean Changes at Your Favorite Restaurant

It would be pretty hard to confuse the prime bone-in rib-eye steak from Morton’s with the Philly cheesesteak at Jersey Mike’s, but at least they now have one thing in common: both can be delivered.

For most people, a meal at an upscale chain is about the ambience as much as the food. The pandemic seems to have taken away some of the charm of eating out, though. A surprisingly high 18% of sales at American fine dining establishments last year, surveyed by consulting firm Technomic, were to people for whom there is no place like home—except maybe their car.