Covid-19 impact: Pandemic heat spreads to large restaurant chains

Industry body says Covid could end up eating a third of total market, Zomato says 40% dine-ins will shut

The global restaurant industry was in for a surprise this week with fast-food giant Pizza Hut announcing it would shut 300 outlets in the US, following the bankruptcy of a key franchisee there. While the Indian unit of Pizza Hut, which has over 430 stores in the country, has not announced any closures, experts say large, organised players are beginning to feel the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reason: People are keeping away from out-of-home shopping and eating.
 
"So far, smaller players were shutting down. The trend that I now see is of larger players trying to rationalise