As COVID-19 disrupts the American economy, healthcare system and way of life, retailers and restaurants — the commercial real estate users whose very profitability and essence thrive on social congregation — have already been pegged as immediate casualties of war. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, total U.S. retail sales fell by 16.4 percent between April and March, well above the projected drop of 12.3 percent. And specifically within the Lone Star State, the Texas Restaurant Association issued a statement in mid-April warning that as much as 40 percent of the state’s restaurants could remain permanently closed as a result of the pandemic. The month of May has seen Texas emerge as a national trendsetter for reopening retail and restaurant businesses. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott granted restaurants and malls permission to begin reopening on May 1, followed by gyms, bars and bowling alleys during the week of May 18 to 22. All establishments were required to reopen at limited occupancies. But even prior to the pandemic, landlord and tenants in brick-and-mortar retail were already engaged in a vicious battle against e-commerce. The introduction of COVID-19 has not changed physical retailers’ need to be aggressive, but it has …
