Restaurants are turning up the heat on Congress to provide relief to an industry in "free fall."

The National Restaurant Association told lawmakers in a letter Monday that more than 110,000 restaurants in the U.S. have closed permanently or long term. The data was based on a survey of 6,000 restaurant operators and 250 supply chain businesses in November.

On Monday, another trade group was involved in a demonstration at the U.S. Capitol, as restaurant workers left empty plates on the East Lawn, Washingtonian Magazine reported. The Independent Restaurant Coalition was formed in response to the pandemic by well-known chefs including José Andrés.

The plates, brought by restaurant and bar owners and employees, bore the names of affected workers and establishments that have closed, including Johnny's Half Shell and the Capitol Lounge in Washington, D.C.

The industry backs the Restaurants Act, which would establish a $120 billion fund to help the sector and add a second round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program.

Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs at the National Restaurant Association, wrote that the industry "cannot wait for relief any longer."

"What these findings make clear is that more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type—franchise, chain and independent—are in an economic free fall," he said. "And for every month that passes without a solution from Congress, thousands more restaurants will close their doors for good."

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