Restaurant Woes & Other Top 2020 Pittsburgh Business Stories

PITTSBURGH, PA — When it comes to the Pittsburgh area's top business stories of 2020, the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the restaurant and tavern industries ranks at the top.

Businesses everywhere were adversely affected by the pandemic, obviously during the surreal spring shutdown nationwide in which virtually all non-essential ones were closed in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus. But since the reopening, bars and restaurants have been subject to operating hour and seating capacity restrictions that have made enjoying a traditional sit-down restaurant meal difficult.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf last month ordered a 5 p.m. last call in state bars and restaurants on Thanksgiving Eve - traditionally one of the busiest nights of the year. As a response to a sharp spike in coronavirus cases and deaths across the state, Wolf recently announced a three-week ban on indoor dining during the holiday season.

There has been growing pushback to such policies. Several Pittsburgh-area restaurants are ignoring the latest indoor dining prohibition, joining hundreds of eateries across the state objecting to the restrictions.

The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in - or contributed to - the demise of many restaurants in Pittsburgh this year, several of which had been around for decades. Many restaurant workers had to live with stressful job uncertainty and reduced wages owing to a lack of hours and customer tips.

It was a terrible year for bars and restaurants; with coronavirus vaccinations now under way, 2021 looks much more promising for the industries.

The Pittsburgh area's other top business stories of 2020:

Pittsburgh Impacted By Large Number Of Retail Bankruptcies

Last year, 17 major retailers declared bankruptcy. In 2020, owing largely to the pandemic, 30 retailers and restaurant chains filed for bankruptcy. Pittsburgh, the home of one of those companies - GNC- was not immune to the catastrophic retail environment.

Plans Advance For New $1 Billion Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal

With most of the year spent on design efforts for the new state-of-the-art terminal, construction is slated to begin in 2021.

Amazon To Open Massive Delivery Center in Pittsburgh

The e-commerce giant will take over all 260,000 square feet of the former Sears Outlet on 51st Street in Lawrenceville. The new facility is expected to open in 2021.

Zoom To Open Research And Development Center In Pittsburgh

The company millions of Americans have become familiar with during the coronavirus outbreak via their online meeting service, announced plans to hire as many as 500 workers to staff the center.

Target To Open Store in Downtown Pittsburgh

The retailer is advancing plans to open a store at one of Downtown's most prominent locations - the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street - in a building rich in retail history, the former Kaufmann's-Macy's department store.

Owner Of Two Pittsburgh-Area Malls Files For Bankruptcy

It's one thing when several stores in a mall go bankrupt. It's quite another when the actual mall owner does the same thing.

Last Century III Mall Store Closes

J.C. Penney seemed to finally get around to realizing it had been the last surviving tenant at the once-popular West Mifflin retail complex for more than a year. It vacated the premises and Century III officially became a dead mall.

PPG Paints Arena Getting Major Renovations

When fans finally are allowed back inside the arena, they will find a new sports bar and technological upgrades that will provide for safe and contactless dining experiences.

Turmoil At The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Let's see. This year, the P-G replaced its controversial executive editor; the head of the union representing the P-G's editorial staffs resigned after sexual harassment allegations against him surfaced; that same editorial staff authorized a strike (but didn't walk off the job); a national news guild called for the resignation of the newspaper's top editors and Giant Eagle, the region's largest grocery chain, decided to stop selling the paper in its stores.