Pete Wells – I Reviewed Restaurants for 12 Years
They’ve changed, and not for the better. This is Pete Wells’s last column as restaurant critic for The New York Times. Read more about his 12 years of reviewing here. Last week, the restaurant-loyalty app Blackbird introduced a new way to pay for dinner. Customers check in on the app on arrival, pick a payment source and tip percentage, and then eat. Ben Leventhal, one of the app’s founders, explained what he called the “best part” in an Instagram video shot at the Italian cafe Lodi. “When you’re done, you just get up and go,” he said. Then he demonstrated how it’s done, high-fiving Lodi’s host on his way to the door without breaking stride. I’m at the end of 12 years as a critic who ate in and reviewed restaurants constantly. Of those years, I probably spent two solid months just waiting for the check. I ought to be in favor of anything that speeds up the end of the meal, but Blackbird’s new checkless exit gives me the creeps. It is just the latest in a series of changes that have gradually and steadily stripped the human touch and the human voice out of restaurants. Each of these changes was small, but together they’ve made going out to eat much less personal. Meals are different now, and our sense of who we are is different, too. In my first few years on the job, I thought of restaurants as one of the few places left where our experiences were completely human. We might work silently in our cubicles, rearranging and transmitting zeros and ones. We might walk around with speakers in our ears that played digital music files chosen by an algorithm. We might buy our books and sweaters and toothpaste with a click and wait until they showed up at our door. We might flirt, fight, and make up by text. But when we went out to eat, we were people again. No machine could drink rosé for us, or chew lamb chops, or flirt, fight and make up. And at every critical point in the meal, there were people there to guide us. From the moment we walked in, we talked with hosts, bartenders, captains, runners, and bussers. Being served in a restaurant wasn’t passive. We had to participate.
Hundreds of Churches Sit Empty
Some become hotels and restaurants. With vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows, the architectural features of churches have become huge draws for business owners. Lisa Tofano was baptized, confirmed, and married at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Lake Opeka in Des Plaines, Ill. When she and her husband, John, visited the church last fall, however, it wasn’t to worship but rather to celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary at what the church had become: the Foxtail on the Lake, a restaurant. The transformation was not easy: The shuttered church needed an 18-month, $6 million gut renovation, and a new 3,000-square-foot kitchen, before it could start offering items like paella and beef shawarma, said David Villegas, a managing partner of Foxtail, who said he had been “a bit nervous” before the restaurant’s opening in November about the reaction of former parishioners. For Mrs. Tofano, though, “a church is more about the people than the building,” she said. Across the country, the number of empty churches and other houses of worship is sharply rising, and these structures, often unique architectural gems, have become huge draws for business owners. Eileen Lindner, a sociologist, and Presbyterian minister who is a former editor of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, which analyzes census data on religious organizations and houses of worship, said that she expected as many as 100,000 Protestant church properties to close by 2030. That figure, which may come close to 20 percent of all existing Protestant churches, is a significant increase over the past decade, Ms. Lindner said.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Alert
BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ SPORTS BAR FOR SALE
Photo used to illustrate “Sports Bar/Restaurant” only and not actual representation.
Spacious 5,000 square foot sports bar with (20) years of successful history and loyal clientele; area is conducive for a tavern operation due to its proximity to Rt. 38 and Mount Holly’s Central Business District. Built in 1960, the bar was completely gutted and renovated in 2005. The 2,750sf open bar area sports an exposed wood rafter roof with exposed ducting, 13’+ ceilings, and (6) large paddle ceiling fans giving it a modern spacious feel. Twenty-two TVs allow for great sports viewing from any angle. 45 seat bar gives true sport bar feel.
Contact Robert Gillis 732-673-3436 for additional information.
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7 False Beliefs that Almost Destroyed the Restaurant Industry
The restaurant industry has had an interesting past 50 years. We hurled through recessions, financial crashes, a pandemic, and inflation. Arguably these were all happenings that affected our industry greatly. However, I would argue the bigger enemy of success was the model we followed. Our restaurants lived on low margins, low pay, long hours, and the wrong KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). My new book, Shift Happens, became available on Amazon August 1. In my book, I discuss seven false beliefs that plagued our industry. I identify them, then explain why they don’t work, and finish with seven strategies to replace those false beliefs and the broken model. In this edition of my Shift Happens Column, I am going to share these false beliefs and then share the mindset for change you need to embrace. Finally, I will share briefly the overall strategies for combatting those false beliefs so that your restaurant doesn’t just survive the “New Economy,” but thrives in it. False Belief No. 1: You have to underpay your people to make profits. For far too long, we thought the key to profit was to work our people as hard as we could and pay them as little as possible. And we wonder why we aren’t successful. Let me ask you something. Would you hire the cheapest heart surgeon to operate on your spouse or child? Of course not. You would pay more if it meant the success would go up. So it is with your employees. Hiring the lowest bidder never goes well. The model never worked because we looked at our employees as a liability on the P&L. So we tried minimize our spend. I propose we look at our people as an asset on a balance sheet instead. If we do this, we spend the money to properly train them. We schedule them correctly. They feel valued. They become self-managing, more loyal, more committed. Invest in your people as if they were an asset with more growth potential and you will see amazing results. False Belief No. 2: Marketing is expensive…
Hotel Restaurants Fear for Their Future
Following controversial new bill. Restaurateurs are concerned if the bill were passed, it would nullify current restaurant leases and management agreements. Hotel restaurateurs and the New York City Hospitality Alliance have been on high alert the past week due to the introduction of a controversial bill. Framed as a safety and cleanliness issue, it pits hotel restaurant owners against members of New York City Council and the politically powerful hotel workers’ union representing over 30,000 hotel and casino employees in New York and New Jersey. The gist is that 26 members of City Council — enough to pass a bill into law — have signed on to sponsor the potential legislation that, among other things, would transfer the ability to hire staff away from restaurant owners to hotel management. The bill would also require hotels to have licenses that would have to be renewed annually; many believe that the distribution and approval of these licenses would be influenced by the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and community boards. “I’ve dealt with countless issues,” says Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance. “This one has galvanized opposition and outrage unlike any other.” The bill was introduced in mid-July; the public hearing was originally scheduled for Tuesday, July 30, at City Hall. By Sunday, the hearing had been postponed to allow for feedback before next steps in the committee process. The Licensing Hotel bill, also known as “the Safe Hotels Act,” has been introduced by Council Member Julie Menin — who represents the Upper East Side and chairs the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. According to Int 0991-2024, the Licensing Hotels bill “would require hotels to obtain a license in order to operate their business in the City.
What Restaurant Guests Value
Experience matters. Sixty-nine percent of consumers would dine out more often if it were more enjoyable, and that number goes up to 78 percent for adults under the age of 35, according to a report from ChangeUp. The experience agency, who designed new restaurant prototypes for clients such as Burger King, Panda Express and Panera Bread, surveyed consumers to gain a better understanding of the current customer journey and what guests value most about the restaurant experience, particularly at casual dining and fast casual restaurants. What key factors are guests reporting disappointment about regarding the dining out experience and how can they be alleviated? With so many choices available today, guests’ evaluation of the “best option” is more complicated, and their disappointment extends beyond traditional concerns like service quality or food temperature. ChangeUp’s research indicates that diners seek meaningful connections and experiences amid constant change. To address this, restaurants must develop a compelling brand narrative that resonates emotionally with guests, informing every aspect of the dining experience both off and on premise. By creating a cohesive, story-driven branded environment, what were once “cookie-cutter” chains, can transform into sanctuaries where customers find respite from daily chaos. This not only alleviates disappointment, but fosters lasting loyalty. Yet it requires taking a more comprehensive approach to experience design. If you provide a disappointing experience to a diner, how can you as an operator recover and re-engage with that guest? Recovering from a disappointing experience presents an opportunity to showcase your brand’s values. Begin by promptly acknowledging and empathizing with the guest’s concerns, followed by immediate action and accountability to resolve the issue. The key is to create an ‘on-brand response’ that aligns with your brand story. Turn a negative experience into a positive memory where your brand gets credit. We encourage our clients to go beyond ‘in-the-moment’ remedies by reaching out personally and inviting the customer back for a curated experience that highlights your brand’s strengths. This approach can transform a disappointed diner into a loyal advocate, eager to share their positive redemption story.
Buca di Beppo Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
The family-style Italian concept closed more than a dozen underperforming stores last week. Orlando, Fla.-based Buca di Beppo, a family-style Italian concept founded in 1993, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. In its filing, the company said it owes at least $15 million to $50 million to at least 30 creditors. It cited declining sales, rising costs, continued staffing challenges and changes in consumer preferences for its challenges. This move comes about a week after the chain abruptly closed more than a dozen locations. There remain 44 locations across 14 states and two international locations within the system. Further, the company is in the process of opening a new location. Buca said in a release that it is committed to ensuring its remaining restaurants continue to operate as usual, while all gift cards, reservations, and promotional services remain active and redeemable. The company said the goal of the restructuring effort is to ensure a “seamless transition and position the brand for future success,” while optimizing operations and the dining experience. “This is a strategic step towards a strong future for Buca di Beppo. While the restaurant industry has faced significant challenges, this move is the best next step for our brand. By restructuring with the continued support of our lenders, we are paving the way toward a reinvigorated future,” president Rich Saultz said in a statement. “Buca di Beppo has been a beloved gathering place for celebrations and memorable meals for many years, and we are enthusiastic about entering this next phase of our brand’s story.” “We believe this path will best allow us to continue to serve Buca’s patrons and communities for many years to come. We are open for business in 44 locations, and we expect day-to-day operations to continue uninterrupted. We anticipate moving through this process as quickly and efficiently as possible to emerge as a stronger organization built for the future,” Buca C LLC chief restructuring officer William Snyder said in a statement.
Why Soups Taste Better at Restaurants
According to a chef. I don’t believe in “soup season.” There is no time of year, hot or not, that can deny the ecstasy that a good, soul-healing bowl of soup delivers. But I’m a simple man—easy to please. A purplish-brown cup of French onion with jammy alliums, a sodden raft of crusty bread and gooey Gruyère on an oppressively overcast day? Twist my arm. A giant bowl of clean and anise-y chicken pho with some aromatic Vietnamese coriander, bird’s-eye chile rounds and a juicy wedge of lime? In the middle of July? Give it to me, dammit. These days, since I left the restaurant industry, I make most of the soup I eat at home. Cooking—and making soup, in particular—has long been a love language for me. The first time my partner got very sick, I made her chicken soup in between changing out her icy washcloth bandanna. I religiously keep a stockpile of bones of various animals in my freezer to save for stock day: the day where, to the dichotomous joy and dismay of my partner, I fill up our tiny Manhattan apartment with a bounty of aromas and fill our much tinier fridge with containers full of gallons of freshly made bone broth, just begging to become soup. But it wasn’t always this way, and neither was I. Before I became a line cook, my soup sucked. It was watery, flavorless, sadly speckled with flecks of mushy carrot or tough chicken breast. In the early days of my first real cooking gig, I made many large pots full of the worst coconut lamb curry you’d have ever tasted, until I learned from the much better cooks around me where my game was off. It’s not as easy as following the recipe—whether from the restaurant binder or the internet. If you don’t know the techniques, your homemade soup will never stack up to the silky, savory, slurp-worthy stuff of the big leagues. But hey, I got sucked under the weeds and kicked off my station so you don’t have to. You don’t need to brave the fire of the hot line to make restaurant-grade soup—you just need to learn the tricks of the trade.
Did You Know?
Best practices for handling a data breach. A former employee filed a class-action lawsuit against Panera, following a data breach earlier this year. The suit claims that Panera is to blame for the breach, which exposed employees’ personal information, including Social Security numbers. Panera contacted affected employees and is providing a one-year membership in a program that provides credit monitoring, identity detection and resolution of identity theft. What can restaurant operators learn from this experience? What makes restaurant chain breaches unique compared to other industries? Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine reached out to Matt Green, partner, and Deputy Chair of Obermayer’s Litigation Department, for insights on this topic. He concentrates his practice on commercial litigation and has experience in settlements in data breach cases.
Employee Tip
How employee feedback fosters stronger restaurants. In the restaurant industry, employee feedback—in both directions—is crucial for making positive changes in operations and workplace dynamics. When restaurant staff feel listened to and appreciated, their morale increases as does workplace engagement and productivity. By seeking out staff input, clearly conveying areas for improvement and creating a clear action plan, restaurant owners and managers can aptly address areas that need enhancement, simplify processes, and create an environment where employees are motivated to provide optimum service for a top-notch customer experience. This job satisfaction boost also decreases employee turnover, which is an ongoing challenge in the restaurant sector. Moreover, fostering a culture of feedback and communication can drive innovation and ongoing progress.
