Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Feb 20, 2026

Dining out is back, as America gets vaccinated

Dining out is back, as America gets vaccinated

Across the country, Americans are getting vaccinated. States and cities are loosening pandemic-related restrictions. And people are heading back to restaurants.

According to OpenTable, which has been keeping tabs on the industry using data from the restaurants that employ its reservations platform, the percentage of seated customers at US restaurants open for reservations is hovering just below pre-pandemic levels.

OpenTable is tracking the number of seated diners compared to the same period two years ago. For example: If 100 people made reservations at a restaurant on this day two years ago, and only 50 did today, the seated diner level would be 50%.

Recently, the number has been relatively high. With some dips and spikes along the way, the percentage of diners compared to 2019 rose from 75% on March 1 to 87% on April 29. On Saturday, for example, US seated diners reached 97% of 2019 levels.

Some states, like Florida and New Jersey, have been at 100% in recent days, according to the data. OpenTable is measuring markets with 500 or more restaurants on the platform and in which at least 10% of restaurants are taking reservations.

Katie Nguyen, a spokesperson for OpenTable, declined to specify the sample size of restaurants tracked, noting in an email that the number changes as restaurants reopen.


OpenTable CEO Debby Soo told Bloomberg TV in an interview on Wednesday that as soon as cities or states announce looser dine-in restrictions, OpenTable begins to see future reservations in those areas rise. "Dining is coming back, and it is coming back strong," Soo said.

Restaurant chains are also reporting signs of a recovery.

At Starbucks (SBUX), sales at restaurants open at least 13 months jumped 9% in the first quarter of the year. The results pointed to a "full sales recovery" in the United States, CEO Kevin Johnson said in a statement earlier this week. McDonald's (MCD) also saw sales spike in the first quarter.

Another encouraging sign? Industry jobs are coming back: Restaurants and bars added about 176,000 jobs in March. Chains have announced major hiring events, and smaller restaurants say they're desperately looking for employees.

The demand is good news for restaurants open today. But not every restaurant made it through the pandemic.

OpenTable data shows that about one in four restaurants have closed for good, Soo said in the interview. Over the summer, a Yelp report found that 60% of restaurants marked as closed on the platform during the pandemic were shut down permanently.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
×