MUSINGS OF A LOCAL by Iris Mead - RESTAURANTS, THEY COME AND GO

Everyone knows the restaurant business is one of the hardest businesses to navigate and stay afloat. Why then do people keep opening (and closing) them so often?  Trying to open and maintain a strong footing in the business climate today requires more than an ability to cook.  It requires more money than one would think to open an eatery after finding the right location.  As they say, when opening any kind of business, it’s location, location, location.  Why then do people keep doing it? 

First, it looks like fun – community spirit, a place for people to gather and eat good food, showcasing your ideas in design and types of food you offer, playing the role of host and helping the economy by hiring employees. All these things sound great in your head but in reality can be, and usually are, very difficult to achieve. Restaurants have one of the highest risks of failure and usually fold within 1-3 years.  The National Restaurant Association estimates that about 30% of new restaurants fail within a year. Advertising and consistency is key to maintaining your customer base.

So many things play into a successfully run restaurant, especially in small communities like ours. Finding good help, both in the kitchen and wait staff, is key to successfully running any business but especially so in the restaurant business.  Finding that help is hampered by our small population.  In addition, because our area is so spread out how far one will travel to try a new venue and will they go back if they aren’t satisfied with the first visit is another major obstacle.  Usually, a new restaurant has its ups and downs during the first few months and needs a chance to get its footing.  Word of mouth is so important for a new start-up as it can both help or hurt a new business.  And restaurant owners do not start recouping their costs until they are open for a few years.  

One of the villages in our area lost two long-time favorite restaurants and will soon be losing another fairly new restaurant that has garnered good reviews and customers.  But the good news is that one of the long-closed eateries will soon open with new owners that have restaurant experience.  We wish them well and hope that it will become a destination for locals and visitors alike.  

Meanwhile, as the pendulum continues to swing back and forth as the economy fluctuates, there will always be that one person who defies the odds and opens and successfully makes a living serving the public with good food at a reasonable price.  Let’s support them.