Catering entrepreneurs increasingly gloomy about the future

The future does not look bright for more and more catering entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. If the current coronavirus situation continues, about 15 percent of entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry think they won't last more than two months, double the 7 percent that thought so a quarter ago, Statistics Netherlands reported.

41 percent of hospitality entrepreneurs don't expect to last longer than five months in the current situation. A third think they can hold on for a year or more.

Nearly 70 percent of entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry believe they suffered a loss in 2020. Despite the coronavirus lockdowns, 14 percent closed the year with a profit, they expect. The rest made no significant profit or don't know what to expect from their figures.

Travel restrictions impacted accommodations, and lockdowns severely affected the catering sector. Restaurants have been closed for everything but takeaways for months. The majority of businesses in this sector had to apply for coroanvirus support from the government.