Nearly twice as many Richmond restaurants closed this year

Perch, Saison, Kitchen 64, Lady N'Awlins, Salt & Forge …

More than two-dozen local restaurants closed for good in 2022 in what should've been a comeback year for the industry.

• But the tentacles of COVID, coupled with inflation, pushed some operators to the end. And restaurant owners tell Axios they're not out of the woods yet.

Why it matters: Richmond's diverse and award-winning dining scene was a pride of the city, regularly earning RVA national accolades.

• And independent restaurants were such a powerful economic driver for the region that in fall 2019, the state launched a marketing campaign around local restaurants — with plans to kick it into high gear in 2020.

By the numbers: By the end of 2022, 25 independent Richmond restaurants will have closed, according to a tally by Richmond blogger Chad Williams culled from local news reports.

• Last year, it was 14; in 2020, 72 restaurants closed.

Meanwhile, new restaurants have opened every year, but at about half the rate as before the pandemic, per Williams' count.

What's happening: Labor and food costs have been up all year, making it more expensive than ever to run a restaurant. Meanwhile persistent industry staffing challenges have kept many local restaurants from fully returning to their pre-pandemic hours.

Of note: Richmond's food scene was oversaturated by some estimates heading into the pandemic. The highest concentration of restaurants were in the city, away from the population centers in the counties.

• Hybrid and remote work has kept many of those commuters at home at least a couple of days a week.

The good news: Diners are back, and they're spending more money eating out around the holidays, according to the latest report from the National Restaurant Association.

Yes, but: Volume and overall spending isn't fully back to pre-pandemic numbers, according to the same report.

What we're watching: The number of butts in seats in local restaurants; they need to close out the year strong before heading into notoriously slow January and February.