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#THREAD: Some 110,000 restaurants have closed permanently in the U.S. due to Covid-19. We talk a lot about the economic impact, but there’s a less-discussed *social* impact, as communities lose places to gather.
The consequences can be disastrous. https://thecounter.org/restaurants-close-what-happens-to-communities-third-space/
The consequences can be disastrous. https://thecounter.org/restaurants-close-what-happens-to-communities-third-space/
Many restaurants are what sociologists call “third places.” If the first two places in our lives are home and work, third places are where we socialize—gathering grounds like libraries, parks, and restaurants. They provide connection and a feeling of belonging.
These places make up what @EricKlinenberg calls “social infrastructure”—specific spaces where people cross paths and forge relationships outside their usual network of friends and family. These informal community centers can be literally lifesaving.
As Klinenberg documents, and other researchers like @jessica_finlay have also shown, these gathering grounds offer measurable benefits to physical and mental health, and even a city’s civic health, because of the robust conversations and connections.
In a recent paper, Finlay examined how casual eateries (& fast-food chains) offer cognitive benefits for older adults. The food may not be healthful, but their social role is invaluable. “I’ve even seen staff in a bakery…checking on a very vulnerable older woman,” Finlay said.
Some restaurants serve as gathering grounds for specific groups, like the Malibu Diner in New York City, which has many blind and visually impaired regulars, or a Starbucks in Minneapolis famous as a hub for the local Somali community.
Some nonprofits have even recognized the community-building role that restaurants play. In Vancouver, Washington, Meals on Wheels runs a place called The Diner. It’s retro-hip and open to all, intended to draw patrons of all ages, and fight isolation among seniors.
It’s critical to understand restaurants in these terms, to see how they offer sustenance beyond food—in many cases, the meal isn’t really the main point. Looking at restaurants in this way, the 110,00 closures is even more devastating.
“Third places” were already in decline before the pandemic, but the trend has become especially bleak in recent months. The loss of these social spaces just may be the most important story in the restaurant world right now.
Read more: https://thecounter.org/restaurants-close-what-happens-to-communities-third-space/
Read more: https://thecounter.org/restaurants-close-what-happens-to-communities-third-space/
