ATHENS — A long lockdown aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, closing non-essential businesses and restaurants up to 10 weeks was too much for the Pizza Hunt chain in Greece, which has closed down its operations for good.

Company officials said all of its 16 restaurants in the country closed on July 30 because of the pandemic that left eateries only with take-out and deliveries to survive on, with reports some businesses never recovered. 

The move put 180 people out of work as health protocols in place still limit dining inside and restaurants without sufficient outdoor seating said they are struggling to survive otherwise.

"The company made great efforts in previous years to return the stores to positive operation and growth rates,” a company source told state-run Athens-Macedonia News Agency (ANA-MPA.)

“Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic, which created an unprecedented crisis for our country and worldwide, has placed a heavy toll on the restaurant sector and led to a worsening of existing difficulties and an inability to turn the bad climate around,” it was added.