Slow Food: The Restaurant Biz Is Floundering

[marmar]

from Fast Company:



Slow Food: The Restaurant Biz Is Floundering
BY Zachary Wilson1 hour, 25 minutes ago


More bad news for the nation's diners, drive-thrus, and dives. Can they innovate their way out of this mess?

"Hey Mom, what's for dinner?"

"Whatever we have in the house."

"Again?"

According to the latest numbers coming from the restaurant industry, some version of this one-act play is taking place all over the country. Total traffic declined 2.6% this past spring versus the same quarter last year, the biggest decline in 28 years, says the NPD Group. And it's households with kids who are beating the hasty retreat from eating out. One-third of dining traffic is groups with children, and this marks the third quarter in a row families are cutting back. (Adult households with no kids were stable this spring.)

Even fast food, usually up in a recession, has fallen 2%--in fact, fast-foodie traffic has been Super Down Sized seven of the last nine months. The only player who's lovin' it is McDonald's, which Research Edge predicts will report 2.7% same-store sales growth in June (perhaps because that chain did not confuse size with success). ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/zachary-wilson/and-how/families-stay-home-dinner-leave-restaurant-industry-floudering

[RB TexLa]

1. Good, cooking at home saves people money.

[Iris]

2. and time.

We cut down going out to each to once a week. I'm amazed at how much easier and quicker it is to put something together at home.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. I agree, and it's nicer, too -

but, given the prices at the grocery store, I wonder how people with growing children can even afford groceries.

Anyone who's raised teenager - especially boys - can testify to the amount they eat, bless them. How do people afford to feed them?

As for restaurants, that's not at all surprising, but it's a bad, bad sign............................

[izquierdista]

11. Cardboard

Many parts of a pizza box are edible. Smear enough tomato sauce on the cardboard and 8 out of 10 teenage boys will take the bait. Drywall and water whizzed up in the blender can also be substituted for milk. I learned that one after the boy learned how to unhinge his jaw and swallow a gallon of milk like a boa constrictor downs a rabbit.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

24. Your son is my boy!!!

He did that. I saw it.

I never in my life saw anything like that boy growing up. One year, when school ended, I swear, he went to bed in his room downstairs, slept the whole summer, and when he emerged right before Labor Day, he needed a shave, his voice had changed, and he had gone from a man's S to an XL.

The pediatrician (HA!) told me that kids grow while they sleep.......................

[masuki bance]

4. This is awesome, more restaurants out of business equals

less people having to go to work, equals less people driving and wasting gas. Great little self sustaining circle spiraling downward from there.

[JackDragna]

23. It's not always so simple.

There are places, such as New Orleans, where good food and eating out is part of the culture. The restaurant biz keeps food on the table for a lot of people. It's still possible to have a good restaurant biz and people eat at home, too. :)

[BlooInBloo]

5. Of course. Restaurants are always the first hit when discretionary spending drops.

[obliviously]

6. I like Flounder if it's fried right! N/T

[Captain Hilts]

7. The article suggests that the industry is 'foundering' not 'floundering'. nt

[CakeGrrl]

8. The luxury items will continue to suffer until people are unafraid to spend

or until they CAN spend.

When you lose an income or if you're afraid you might, people will get back to basics pretty fast.

I was laid off earlier this year, and even with a good severance, there were certain expenditures I just wasn't going to make until I was working again, including eating out or eating fast food as often as I used to, and stopping for Starbucks. That stuff adds up very quickly, especially if you don't track it.

As it stands, I won't resume some of my old eating habits just for health reasons.

I've heard parents in the grocery store having to back off of some of the things their kids ask for.

I watch grocery store sales like a hawk to see which chain has what items on sale. I have a really hard time paying full price for an item that I know might be on sale somewhere else. I'd have to really want the convenience of having it right then and not waiting to get it elsewhere.

[FarCenter]

9. Takeout or the grocery's deli counter is a good compromise

No tipping, no overpriced beverages, and you can get more healthful foods.

[Historic NY]

10. It is getting the family together at dinner time..I can cook better than most places.

[Lex]

12. I hate when authors use "floundering" when they mean "foundering"

but I'm a pain in the ass that way.

[marmar]

14. Maybe they were going for a play on food words....."flounder"

Probably not, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

[anigbrowl]

17. Copy checkers got fired a few months ago :-)

[mitchum]

22. I thought it meant that they were all switching to seafood

The use of "floundering" drives me crazy as well

[HughMoran]

13. This is reasonable news

Nothing unexpected happening here.

[Fire1]

15. I haven't cooked this much in fifteen years!! And thankfully

it's summer and grillin time!

[Subdivisions]

16. Doesn't seem to have fazed my little part of N. Texas. Doesn't

matter what night of the week, the restaurant parking lots are full.

[imdjh]

18. I'd like to see Outback/Carraba's /Bonefish/Cheeseurger in Paradise go out of business.

Sorry about people losing those jobs if that would happen, but this corporation needs to be the posterboy for failed corporate philosophy.

Outback is the corporation which took the lead in fighting health care reform suring the Clinton Administration. The founder of Outback promised "To use all my resources to throw Bill Clinton out of office." the day after the election.

[marmar]

20. And considering Outback's 100% fat menu, they really should be pro-health care.

nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

26. Didn't know Outback was owned by RW... will avoid

[girl gone mad]

19. I finally broke down and bought a good espresso machine.

I'm paying about $1 per coffee drink now vs. $3 or $4 at the local coffee shop. This was more a matter of thinking of all of the waste involved, but saving a little extra money every day doesn't hurt.

[Hardrada]

21. I never started drinking coffee at all so I must have saved

a brazilion over the last 50 years!!

[TransitJohn]

25. Good choice.

You'll be in the black on that choice in like a month or two. :hi:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. They don't sell the stuff I make anyway....

Ferinstance, do you ever see a bakery that sells date bars???

I make my own that are yummy and good for ya. I put prunes in them too. YUM!!