The foundation of many cities across the world, the restaurant industry brings in billions of dollars a year. In 2020 alone, the National Restaurant Association predicted that the industry would make $899 billion. The impacts of COVID-19, however, have caused restaurants around the world to take devastating hits, greater than many other industries. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant employment has decreased and $240 billion in sales have been lost. This isn’t just a national impact; the effects of COVID-19 have hit local restaurants right here in Macon. In late 2020, downtown Macon restaurant Piedmont Brewery closed its dining room due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases. The restaurant has since reopened, but other restaurants in Macon have not been so lucky.