Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Arby’s among eateries that took a hit at DC locations as shutdown costs US economy $11 billion

February 13, 2019

President Donald Trump said he isn’t happy with the tentative border wall deal Congress announced Tuesday. But restaurants won’t be happy if there’s another shutdown.

If Democrats and Republicans don’t reach a final deal by the end of day Friday, another shutdown could once again put pressure on Washington, D.C.-area businesses in an industry that’s already struggling with higher labor and commodity costs.

The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency, estimated that the 35-day shutdown in December and January, the longest in U.S. history, cost the economy $11 billion, with $3 billion permanently lost.

That $3 billion includes lost revenue for restaurants as tourists skipped trips to the nation’s capital to visit the Smithsonian museums and 800,000 federal employees missed paychecks and cashed in on deals and free meals from local eateries instead. Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and Arby’s were among national restaurant chains to see a sharp drop in foot traffic, according to a new report.

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