Iran's Restaurant Industry Hit Hard by COVID-19

The global coronavirus pandemic has hit the food service industry while Muslims around the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan, and Iran is no exception.
Many small businesses have gone under and many more are on the verge of doing so, according to a video report by Al Jazeera. Transcription of the full text follows:
For many Iranians, there is no better way to break their fast than by one of the country’s most traditional meals: aash and haleem, slow-cooked stews of meat, lentils and vegetables. They’re high in protein, packed with flavor and affordable. But this year’s sales are down because of COVID-19.
"We have usually more customers in Ramadan and more profit. The coronavirus has had a big impact. We closed for two months but reopened recently. With health protocols, people are still afraid. We were waiting to see how it would go but there were less customers," says Agha Rasouli, a line cook.
Restaurants are closed most of the day in keeping with the Islamic tradition. Business hours in other sectors also reduced. Ramadan can be a time of lost income for food service workers and day laborers. So traders sell homemade food on the streets to supplement their income. 
"Because of the coronavirus, I can’t say exactly, but we’ve lost about 50% of the income. We’ve been facing problems for months," said Ehsan Karimi, a restaurant owner.
One husband and wife operation had to fire their employees to stay afloat. Now they cook the food, operate tills and deliver the few orders they get all by themselves. Some days they only get two orders making just five dollars. They say reduced Ramadan hours only make things worse. 
The government has ordered mosques, shrines and places of congregational worship to remain closed. Religious rituals at the time of coronavirus promise to be a more solitary affair. 
Ramadan is also a time to be with friends and family, breaking the fast at the end of the day with loved ones around a table of food, helping those that are less fortunate. These traditions are as much a part of the Islamic month of fasting as anything else. 
Iranians said gatherings at dinner tables are likely to be smaller this year. 
"We haven’t been inviting guests over since the outbreak of the virus. We haven’t gone anywhere either and no iftar parties at all," said a pedestrian. 
"The difference this year is that we should stay away from people. We had many guests in Ramadan for iftar but now no one comes," said another. 
And this year, Iranians say they’ll be praying especially for one thing: an end to the coronavirus pandemic.