'Stimulus, not loans': Restaurants struggle to survive in the pandemic Aug 3, 2021 9:00 AM PHT After over a year and a half in lockdown, the food and beverage industry has seen it all – sudden closures, loss of staff, permanently shuttered windows, to re-openings, an increase in deliveries, new products, and even expansions. While some small businesses managed to pull through, some weren't so lucky. Nobody anticipated the lockdown to stretch on this long, and hardly anybody was prepared for added troubles: restrictions that changed rapidly, an uncertain economy, rises in COVID-19 cases, and a lack of government assistance. We're halfway through 2021, and less than a year away from the next presidential elections in June 2022. With the possibility of a new administration approaching, small businesses want to know: What's next?