NEW YORK: Japanese restaurants in New York that used to attract many foodies with the Asian country’s cuisine are now struggling to stay afloat amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

Many establishments lost all their income due to suspensions of operations amid the crisis, with high rents forcing some out of business.

New York was the epicenter of novel coronavirus infections in the United States, and eateries were banned from offering eat-in services in mid-March. The 900 or so Japanese food restaurants in the city included sushi outlets and ramen joints, some of which have found difficulty in adapting to delivery services and have suspended operations altogether.

A popular “izakaya” Japanese-style dining bar near Grand Central station in downtown Manhattan shut permanently at the end of June. Japanese expatriates and other customers who frequented the store before taking the train home expressed regret over the loss of the store.

Meanwhile, it was revealed on Thursday that Japanese steakhouse chain Ikinari Steak has decided to withdraw from New York due to the pandemic. Although the chain, operated by Pepper Food Service Co., was able to expand to 11 outlets in the city in a short span of time after entering the market in 2017, it has struggled to attract customers. It was embarking on a comeback plan by reducing the number of stores when the coronavirus crisis struck.

The number of infections in the United States has begun growing again in the western and southern regions. The city of New York, concerned over a potential second wave of infections, has postponed the lifting of a ban on eat-in services initially scheduled for Monday.

Even if outlets do reopen, distancing measures will prevent sales from returning to pre-pandemic levels, with an end to Japanese restaurants’ hardships nowhere in sight.

JIJI Press