It's still tough going for many small businesses, especially restaurants. Many restaurant owners in Houston are hoping Senate Republicans will keep their industry in mind as they consider a proposal for another stimulus bill.
The popular crowd-sourcing review site Yelp reports more than half of restaurants which have temporarily closed, won't reopen at all. That's tens of thousands across the country permanently gone. Jonathan Horowitz, the founder/CEO of Convive Hospitality Consulting, says it's a similar problem here in Houston. He says the industry needs help from Congress.
“Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight, and I think that if there isn’t additional stimulus and additional help for all small businesses, not just restaurants, I think we are going to see an increasing rate of closure,” Horowitz said.
Horowitz added restaurants were crippled by the economic shutdown, and he says another one would be even worse. He hopes lawmakers debating a stimulus bill will be focused on helping small businesses, which have been hit the hardest.