It was another of those “perfect storms.” In the space of three days, I saw articles/columns in the NY Times, LA Times, and even our local ATL AJC encouraging people to get out to their local restaurants. A plot by the National Restaurant Association? Probably not. I suspect it’s a reaction by editors to find a “feel good human interest story” to place alongside the stories about the stock market tanking, pirates in the Mediterranean, and Detroit going down for the third time.
Its true…the restaurant industry IS suffering along with the rest of us, only more-so. A recent Gallup Survey found 81 percent say they are eating out less often. And two-thirds of U.S. restaurants report declining sales, says the NRA.
And restaurants are the consummate “small business” with a small localized line of credit and owners who work in the kitchen or at the front desk. When business is slow, they have to lay off a busser or cook, and servers leave if they can’t make enough money. Banks shut down their working capital loans when their bosses tighten requirements. Distributors put them on COD if they don’t pay in 15 days. And so it goes. A microcosm of the American economy.
But unlike Wall Street or Detroit, there IS something YOU can do. Go forth and support your local restaurants. I don’t know about you, but since we have cut back on our own “restaurant habit”, my family is quickly getting cabin fever. How many ways can you cook chicken, anyway?
So we took stock (no pun intended) and decided that it was important not only for our own sanity, but for the local businesses as well to go out a couple of times a week for dinner.
In addition to breaking out of our rut, there is another very good reason. We have our favorite places, and they won’t be around if we don’t help them survive this slow period. Here’s some other good reasons why…
Easier reservations
It’s ironic. Our favorite places sometimes wouldn’t get our business because they had become so popular that we weren’t willing to wait for a table. That’s certainly not the case anymore; reservations are easier to get, and drop-ins are welcomed.
In addition, you can now try some of those places that you may not have tried previously, because they are available, and are trying to get your business just as hard as your regular haunts. You might find a jewel in the rough. It could happen.
And don’t forget that the owner, who undoubtedly is now working the front of the house every night, will take notice that you are a regular. And that will come in quite handy when things heat up again. Quid pro quo, baby. You’ll be swept ahead of the unwashed like Brad and Angelina. And who doesn’t like that?
Less costly options
I think you'll find that restaurateurs share your pain and have added some less-pricey items, are running very cool specials, offering attractive coupons and more modestly priced prix-fixe meals. You certainly don't have to feel deprived. There are lots of ways to eat well without going crazy. Share an appetizer or a main course. Skip dessert. But do savor every bite. Tip generously and let the chef or restaurateur know how much you appreciate what they're doing.
And if you approach the extras with an open mind, you don’t have to go overboard to have a great meal and a nice time. Perhaps you decide to cut back on the pricey cocktails or the expensive bottle of wine. Ask your host for some modestly priced suggestions. They get to taste everything and will steer you the right way. And always order by the bottle and not by the glass: it’s a better value and often much fresher glass.
You cannot keep the entire restaurant scene alive by yourself, but you can support the restaurants that have meant something to you over the years. Show your face: Don't just disappear. It's better to come in more often for a bite at the bar than once in a blue moon for a big blowout dinner.
So don't entirely give up on going out to your favorite restaurants. They need your support. And now, more than ever, it's important to be a regular.
Jim Sullivan’s Law of Location:
It is more fun to eat at a bar than it is to drink in a restaurant.