Uncertain future rattles Italy’s famed restaurants

ROME (AP) — Italy’s restaurants and pizzerias, for foodie travelers the world over a key reason to visit, are facing an existential threat. After 10 weeks of a strict coronavirus lockdown, they have emerged to find that new social-distancing measures might drive them out of business. Italians reveled this week in being able to sit down to a plate of spaghetti alle vongole at their local trattoria for the first time since March. But a slew of studies suggest that as many as a third of Italy’s eateries risked closing due to projected tourism downturn, reduced capacity to turn tables and Italians’ own fears of eating out. Venice’s famed Harry’s Bar is among those closed until further notice. Seven out of 10 restaurants on Rome’s Piazza Navona remained shuttered Wednesday.