The South remains hardest hit by coronavirus-related disruptions, at least according to newly released market-level data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic and data firm Shortest Track.
Most of the markets hit hardest by the pandemic are in Southern states currently dealing with increases in the spread of the coronavirus, according to the COVID-19 Disruption Risk Index, which the two data firms announced this week.
The five hardest-hit markets are all in Florida, Louisiana and Texas:
- Houma, La.
- Lafayette, La.
- Tampa, Fla.
- Panama City, Fla.
- Houston
Technomic is working with Shortest Track to provide a weekly look at the impact of the coronavirus on individual markets.
“The effects of the pandemic vary by market, which is hugely important to differentiate,” Eric Hillerbrand, CEO of Shortest Track, said in a statement. He said that the index uses 20 different data signals that affect length of disruption, likelihood of future breakout and the stability of the community in which the businesses are operating.
The information goes down to ZIP code level, and uses risk factors such as infection rates, state-level restrictions, population densities, health and disease risks and whether lifestyle factors are contributing to the spread.
“As the market continuously shifts, real-time, market-specific data is vital for restaurant operators and suppliers to develop a smarter business response to changing pandemic conditions,” Bernadette Noone, vice president of programs at Technomic, said in a statement.
The feature is being published as part of Technomic’s Ignite company platform on information and reports on the restaurant industry.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.