By Taylor Williams Well before a global pandemic barreled through the nation, destroying the jobs, savings and legacies of thousands of American businesses, launching a new restaurant was still a daunting task. According to 2021 data from National Restaurant Association, 30 percent of U.S. restaurants fail within their first year of opening. Relentless competition, high employee turnover, razor-thin margins, misfired marketing campaigns — all represent major operating minefields that come with such ventures. The industry is not for faint-of-heart entrepreneurs, and even with the aid of a healthy economy, a talented and experienced operator and a prime location, there are no guarantees of success. One might think that with COVID-19 causing food and beverage (F&B) businesses to fail and sending vacated spaces back to the market, finding quality locations at affordable rates would be feasible in the current environment. But that’s hardly the case in many major cities, especially those in states that implemented life-saving initiatives for its F&B operators early in the pandemic and has been “back to normal” for some time. Minimal Vacancy While F&B markets across numerous states are flush with pent-up consumer demand to eat, drink and socialize, the logistical and financial challenges of launching …
