It was only a matter of time before businesses had to reclose. California retracted their indoor dining, Texas reclosed bars, and in Florida, fast food locations such as Kentucky Fried Chicken are locking their doors once again to combat the coronavirus pandemic. KFC closed 40 dining rooms in Florida, all of which are corporate-owned. From the looks of it, franchisee-owned locations may not be far behind.
"We have advised our franchise locations in the hot spot states of Florida, Texas, Arizona and California that have reopened to consider closing dining rooms for dine-in seating at this time," a representative said in a statement to Business Insider.
KFC Re-Closes Dining Rooms in Florida
The closed dining room locations are still open for drive-thru and delivery options, as well as carry-out. At the time of writing, Florida recorded more than 12,600 new Covid-19 cases, making it the second-highest daily total since the outbreak started. Miami is said to be the current epicenter of coronavirus as more than 2,000 patients are currently hospitalized and hundreds in the ICU. Other Florida cities with rising cases include Fort Lauderdale, Kissimmee, Ocala, Delray Beach, Pensacola, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, who just recently reopened Walt Disney World.
KFC isn't the only fast food that is starting to revert back to quarantine business practices. Earlier this month McDonald's Corp delayed opening dining rooms due to the rising cases.
At the rate coronavirus is going, there's a very large change states will be forced to re-close in the next month or so. With new coronavirus cases surging daily, and the lack of management from government officials, it's only a matter of time before Americans will be forced back into their homes. Until then, wear your mask, avoid groups of people, and wash your hands.