Darn! Great restaurant closing! :-(

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I just found out our favorite restaurant is closing Friday .
First place I took my wife to in 1972. Friday night all you can eat spaghetti. Back then $1.95...now $8.95, exact same recipe with buttered garlic bread, large salad.
Saltfish for breakfast sometimes.
Homemade desserts, Lemon meringue pie, chocolate cake, banana pudding, hot apple pie with cheese...$2.75.
Flounder...two large pieces best we've had as good as at the beach.
Owner is 90 now! Nicest people.
What a shame!

 

[lilranch2001]

Hate to see good restaurants close!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Exactly. As time goes on those one of a kind small ones are disappearing. It's very much like good home cooked food! So many memories and like family...

 

[5030]

Buy it Fuddy????

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep… falling like Dominos here… highly rated and mom and pop makes no difference.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Buy it Fuddy????

Well...
retired 10 years and I know zip about the restaurant business!
There are two waitresses I think of that have been there for many years, either or both could run it. It's actually in a pretty decent house, converted to a restaurant years ago. Belongs to owner & wife. They or someone should buy it!
To me it seems nowadays not only do people not want to work there aren't as many entrepreneurs.
Owner lives in a really nice home, nice things...they've done well. I'm sure restaurant business could get stressful.
There are quite a few customers who eat there every day!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Those the type of places I look for. Hate to see it close. We’ve had several like that close here also.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I've seen a lot of my favorite places close over the last 3 years; it's not fun.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Another sign of the best economy ever.

 

[5030]

Well...
retired 10 years and I know zip about the restaurant business!
There are two waitresses I think of that have been there for many years, either or both could run it. It's actually in a pretty decent house, converted to a restaurant years ago. Belongs to owner & wife. They or someone should buy it!
To me it seems nowadays not only do people not want to work there aren't as many entrepreneurs.
Owner lives in a really nice home, nice things...they've done well. I'm sure restaurant business could get stressful.
There are quite a few customers who eat there every day!

Not to demean you in any way Fuddy, but, today is seems like people always suggest that someone else' should step up to the plate and be proactive but not them. My comment is, again, buy it. I get that kind of comment on about every forum I frequent today. People want someone else to do something, but just not them. Kind of how this country is going too. Everyone wants someone else to take step up to the plate, but not them so the country is going down the dumper.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Not to demean you in any way Fuddy, but, today is seems like people always suggest that someone else' should step up to the plate and be proactive but not them. My comment is, again, buy it. I get that kind of comment on about every forum I frequent today. People want someone else to do something, but just not them. Kind of how this country is going too. Everyone wants someone else to take step up to the plate, but not them so the country is going down the dumper.

I say same thing to people in small town that complain about only 1 grocery store and their high prices. I say open a grocery store.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Not to demean you in any way Fuddy, but, today is seems like people always suggest that someone else' should step up to the plate and be proactive but not them. My comment is, again, buy it. I get that kind of comment on about every forum I frequent today. People want someone else to do something, but just not them. Kind of how this country is going too. Everyone wants someone else to take step up to the plate, but not them so the country is going down the dumper.

Capital investment, where does it come from? Your pocket, fine. Loans ? where from? Investors like franchise deals, it’s easier to see the track record and profit margins.
I‘m involved in helping someone start up a mom and pop restaurant. Over $1M out of pocket plus some surety bonds, July opening was pushed to Aug, Aug is now maybe mid September. Government inspections are very slow and sometimes painful.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I do understand the 5030 & buckeye replies and appreciate it. I certainly will talk to owner and some employees about it. Personally I can't imagine at 71yo going back in a business I know nothing about.
Like my wife said at 41 that my be a different story...except even then I'd start from scratch learning a new business.
Too many headaches for a 71 yo.
Now...if anyone is interested in relocating here and taking over a restaurant, I can arrange it with the owner.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

When I was in business I rented from a fellow who's business was behind mine.
Rent was very reasonable and he decided to sell the property. After a few months on the market he offered it to me at a really good price. I thanked him but said I have three choices: get a bank loan, the worst because I'm now paying interest. Or I could simply pay cash for it. Or I could invest that money which would appreciate faster than the property.
If I stay where I am I can deduct the rent, if I owned the building now I have property taxes and maintenance. I can rent other sections which can be it's own headache.
Investing that money there are no headaches, maintenance, only taxes on investment income.
I hate to see a mom & pop restaurant like this go...but the responsibility and time involved far outweighs the benefit.
I'll always picture the owner in his small office near the register, pipe in mouth counting stacks of money on his desk.

 

[riptides]

You have to appreciate small businesses. It's always been tough. Friend of mine opened a pizzeria. Amazing food, good manager, hard time attracting and keeping staff. The margins are paper thin. Wants to grow, back to the staffing issues.

If it is not the product that kills the business, it is the service.

I feel for small business owners.

 

[lilranch2001]

It takes a very special, hard-working person to be a small business person

 

[buckeyefarmer]

yea, the italian mom and pop that run the italian place we eat almost every sunday are in the kitchen and do most of the work. They have had a help wanted sign in the window for years now. Place stays busy, good food, good price. They just returned from 3 weeks in Italy, her mom died while they were there. While gone the place is closed.
In contrast we stopped going to another place because who I think is the owner only runs the register. If short staffed, he sits on his stool and does nothing. food can take up to an hour to come out. Last pancake I got there was maybe 3" diameter at the most. We've been going to another place for breakfast that is really good, really crowded.

 

[jmc]

Another sign of the best economy ever.

Labor shortage is taking its toll on restaurants. Some around here had to cut hours because of it, in a college town no less. Open Th-Su. Too many other places to work; opposite of a recession, no matter what the talking heads say.

 

[ultrarunner]

It does seem everything has a cycle…

Wages are up too… as high as $17.20 to start with new minimum wage laws…

Minimum wage to increase throughout the Bay Area in 2023

The minimum wage will go up in a number of Bay Area cities in 2023.

www.eastbaytimes.com

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

We went there today at 11:40 thinking we would beat the lunch crowd. People were lined up at the door, no parking anywhere so we left. I'll try again...they're only open 3 more days!