Downtown Philadelphia’s restaurant industry thrives despite hybrid work

Across the nation hybrid work is impacting more than just offices but also neighboring food and beverage establishments. Prior to the pandemic, downtown office workers consistently supplied a steady stream of business to downtown restaurants, specifically those located in central business districts during lunchtime rush hours. But with the new hybrid work model, restaurant operators are being forced to rely more heavily on residents and visitors than ever before. This is creating an environment where cities with downtowns rich in cultural amenities, tourist attractions and vibrant residential neighborhoods (as opposed to those purely dense in office buildings) are finding themselves at an advantage. Philadelphia is a prime example of a city whose restaurant industry has been able to continue to flourish despite the fact that only a percentage of non-resident workers have returned to in-office work downtown.