The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) announced the formation of the Hospitality Recovery Coalition with the goal of supporting on-premise partners, including restaurants, bars and distilleries, facing harsh economic impacts due to the COVID-19 crisis. The Hospitality Recovery Coalition includes DISCUS, the American Distilled Spirits Alliance, the Council of State Restaurant Associations, the National Restaurant Association and TIPS. Some efforts supported by the coalition include extending or making permanent effective and responsible revenue-boosting measures like cocktails to-go on the state level and supporting relief legislation like the RESTAURANTS Act on the federal level. According to a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry is expected to lose $240 billion by the end of 2020. The study also found that 8 million employees were laid off or furloughed during the height of
the pandemic.