What’s more, while transactions are down, average amount spent per visit is actually increasing, Johnson said.
At-home brewing saves money — an A$60 ($43) bag from bespoke coffee roaster St Ali works out at roughly A$0.42 per shot, compared with the A$5 you’d pay inside. It can’t replicate the experience.
In San Diego, California, a burrito is the perfect end to a long day of surfing or swimming. Roberto’s Taco Shop serves its popular California burrito — filled with french fries, carne asada, sour cream and cheddar cheese — at a number of locations along the coast.
Thanks to loyal customers, business has remained steady throughout the pandemic, and the restaurant didn’t have to lay off workers, said co-owner Reynaldo Robledo, the son of the restaurant’s founder.
Those customers include Grace Furnari, who has been twice already since she moved back to the area in July. “Roberto’s feels like a luxury because it gives me a break from cooking at home — and a good reason to leave the house,” she said.
In tropical Singapore, the local obsession is bubble tea: sweet, milky tea shaken with ice and chewy tapioca balls. As the city prepared to go back into lockdown in late April, long queues formed across the island with locals determined to get that final hit.
Justin Teh, 48, co-owns the Forbidden Tea shop in Marymount, a green, family-friendly part of the city. He said they saw a renewed burst in demand when they were allowed to open up in June. While things are now calmer, they are still seeing a steady flow of customers, he said.
“Because we can’t travel right now, there’s a sense of a void needing to be filled, and for some people, little luxuries like bubble tea, hot pots, staycations hit the spot,” Teh said. “It’s the next best thing you can do.”
--With assistance from Matthew Burgess, Ruth Carson, Olivia Rockeman and Tom Metcalf.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.