Many dives around here closed down during and shortly after the pandemic. I was wondering how they kept going for so long before that, and well, mostly they didn't, really. Covid was just the last straw for many dive bars, regular bars, restaurants etc. here in Switzerland.
Those bar people that actually own the premises they're in, rather than paying rent, seem to be a bit better off. But they all invest loads of unpaid personal work hours, use underpaid staff if possible, or slowly eat away at their savings for the love of the game.
Sort of unexpected to me, what Covid accelerated was the "underpaid staff" bit, more than the "you need to close down for a couple of months, and afterwards, patrons need to wear face masks." But so many waitresses and waiters, cooks, sound techs etc. were laid off during the pandemic that a critical mass apparently decided to reorient their lives and go into less unstable businesses / forms of employment. The remaining bars and venues are struggling, and I fully expect another wave of closures around summer, early next year the latest.
(Disclaimer: I'm not in the business myself, but a journalist who's been working on/off on a larger piece about the topic. So, anecdotal, but made from many many people I've already talked to about it. Still – anecdotal, take with a grain of salt and whatnot.)
