The closure of late-night taco spots in York, Pa., has left Christian Williamson and his co-workers at a local hospital without a place to unwind after night shifts.

Mr. Williamson used to order the Chicken Chalupas or Doritos Locos Tacos from Taco Bell. He said he now says goodbye to his co-workers after clocking out after 11 p.m., goes home, plays videogames and orders from DoorDash —if he can find any restaurants still open.

Midnight snack

“Definitely I am nostalgic for those days,” said Mr. Williamson, a nursing assistant in the hospital emergency department.

A classic American part of life—cramming into booths for burgers or eggs and bacon with friends in the middle of the night—went dark during the pandemic and hasn’t fully returned.

Many bars and restaurants were required to halt indoor dining or limit hours after Covid-19 began spreading in early 2020. While daytime hours are mostly back to normal, some restaurants never fully resumed their late-night hours, saying it’s been hard to coax back both workers and customers.