Mostly yes, an economist said. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be more hurdles, even as business conditions improve.

Turnover is normal, but this hiring season is definitely different.

There is pent-up demand and cash. A lot of people who haven’t lost their jobs also haven’t been spending money.

Curfews, cold weather and capacity restrictions are turning business on its head.

Restaurateurs welcome the policy shift, but some are worried that it might be temporary and some are frustrated with the lack of advance notice.

For one LA restaurateur, it was a significant investment at a risky time, but starting a business in his old neighborhood meant a lot to him.

Allison Arevalo owns Pasta Louise, a Brooklyn restaurant. She kept a weeklong diary for us, as she, like many restaurant owners, faces yet another seismic change in the industry.

“There’s just a lot of people applying for not a lot of jobs,” says Neil Cairns of Portland, Oregon.

It doesn’t look good, considering the pandemic is still raging and there’s no additional federal relief yet.

In a pandemic, the less contact with customers the better, and the chains that can pull that off are doing all right.