The Inland Empire—which had seen a surge of new retail and dining before the pandemic struck—is making it through the pandemic. Restaurant tenants are finding creative techniques to drive business, working closely with local municipalities and restructuring leases to survive the pandemic. Still, according to a recent report from JLL, lease rates are down compare to 2019 and vacancy rates are rising.

"The Inland Empire is unique compared to other markets within Southern California due to the heat," Blake Kaplan, VP at JLL, tells GlobeSt.com. "They are working with cities to get temporary outdoor seating with tents/tarps to cover the outdoor seating area to maximize the amount of revenue. Marketing is challenging for many of these smaller businesses, but a lot of promotional discounts, third party delivery and larger catering packages are common."

For retailers looking to drum up business during the pandemic, Kaplan recommends restaurants rely on a variety of resources and think of new models. Chili's, for example, launched It's Just Wings, a delivery concept. "Restaurants can continue to pass word of mouth, make it a weekly routine to order from there, buy the catering packages and post on social media platforms to support local businesses," says Kaplan.