Deep Dive: Summer approaches for the restaurant industry. What does it mean for reservations and jobs?

In this week’s Deep Dive, as the summer gets closer and restrictions are relaxed, what will it mean for the restaurant industry? News 12's Kristie Reeter is taking a deep dive into the numbers to see who is booking reservations, and what that means for jobs.
With Mother's Day close and the weather getting nicer, maybe you find yourself booking more reservations to go out to eat. We are actually able to track all those reservations booked online through OpenTable.
Caleb Silver, with Investopedia, pulled the numbers for our area. What are we seeing?
“A slow and steady recovery in the Garden State for reservations, Kristie,” says Silver. “Down 3.5% from 2019 levels, but getting better month after month which is a great sign as we head into the summer."
What about those who work in the industry? What are the numbers showing when it comes to jobs?
"Yeah, a nice recovery there as well,” says Silver. “We are only down about 1, 1.1% from 2019 levels, so folks are getting back to work in the restaurant industry. Another great sign especially as we head into the summer, a lot more people going out to eat."