Went to an Arby's last week in Frisco... wanted to dine in the restaurant because it was 100+ and I did not want to eat in my auto.

Dining room closed at 7 pm ... only drive-thru open.

This location has been "open" for 4 or 5 years and I cannot recall the dining room ever being open. Maybe I go at the "wrong" time... I have no clue.

The worker in the drive -thru said there is only 2 workers in the restaurant and they cannot service in-store dining.

Until they get new owners or mgmt. &/or pay more... not going to that location again.

Might as well have a food truck there instead of a $1.000,000+ free standing bldg.

Frisco and McKinney ea. had a Del Taco.

They shut down years ago.

Could not understand it ... their "simple" beef tacos were loaded with protein instead of lettuce and cheese filler ... product was so much better than the Taco Bell' and Taco Bueno's.

Read that Del Taco is going to give D/FW another shot. Do not know the time frame though.

RoadkillBBQ said:

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HollywoodBQ said:

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In LA, In N Out is starting at $22/hour and having difficulty finding workers.

I went to Del Taco last week and there were 8 customers inside, 3 in the drive thru but only two 55+ y/o Spanish speaking ladies working to serve these customers.

Not to mention how many restaurants have gone out of business since 2019. If you can't find a Yelp review from 2023, it's probably no longer there.

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Are In and Out and Del Taco really restaurants?

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In & Out where the burger is ok and the fries are the worst ever.

Del Taco is like Taco Bell, but you can get fries with your taco. When I lived in Garden Grove I preferred DT over TB.

Both real…

Arby's is just gross!

My best guess is the last time I went to Arby's was 1984 in South Austin.

So gross!

Urban Ag said:

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YouBet said:

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Restaurant industry is absolutely on fire in my Dallas hood. Maybe he should open something here?

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Yeah I gotta question what markets and locals they are judging this on.

I live in Georgetown (as in the Texas one) and the wife and I tried to get a table or even bar seats Friday night without a reservation at three different hot spots and it was pointless. Finally went over to the Sheraton where we could get a table at the hotel restaurant.

And it's literally always like this and only getting worse with the never ending influx of new residents.

I think red state restaurants are doing just north of "fine".

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Some of that is because a lot of restaurants closed down 2-3 years ago, so there are fewer. Others have significant issues in hiring staff. The ones still around have staff that are nowhere near the level of competence they were 4 years ago.

As someone who has restaurants as clients (it is a host of issues) and dines out frequently, all I can say is that it is a mess, even in Texas. Some well managed places are still doing fairly well. But they hire good people, pay and train them well. Those that can't do that, for whatever reason, are going to struggle. If you're thinking about opening a restaurant, you better have some capital behind you. Shoestring operations are going to lead to you going broke in 6-12 weeks. And that's with you putting in 90-110 hours a week.

I almost took over a client's place that he was leaving. He was essentially going to give me the place, but the landlord was delusional (the client's lease was up), moving wasn't a good option, and the (employee) house needed to be cleaned up. However, I wasn't sure where I was going to find replacements. I couldn't pay the amount I needed to pay to just break even, which I was willing to do for the first year. In the end, he walked away, sold what equipment he could, and told the landlord to, well, do something physically impossible. Did that to several employees too, most of whom he should have fired months prior to that. I don't even want to think how much they stole from him.

TresPuertas said:

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https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2023/08/07/the-whole-story-with-anderson-cooper-travels-across-the-country-with-bobby-flay-in-restaurant-nation-whats-changed/amp/

some really tasty snippets:

Quote:

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The pandemic altered the restaurant industry forever, ushering technological advances that have changed our habits and how we dine out," said Flay. "This is a seismic shift that deserves the attention that only CNN can bring to it It is an honor to join The Whole Story, which is producing the most compelling reporting on television, and I am very honored to play a part in sharing this important story."

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Quote:

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Flay, whose own New York City restaurant was among the more than 110,000 restaurants that closed in 2020,

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it's unreal to me that people like Flay won't admit to themselves that CNN, and the party they support, are the primary reason the restaurant industry is dying.

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Doesn't Cooper famously only consume meals in liquid form?

TresPuertas said:

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Urban Ag said:

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YouBet said:

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Restaurant industry is absolutely on fire in my Dallas hood. Maybe he should open something here?

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Yeah I gotta question what markets and locals they are judging this on.

I live in Georgetown (as in the Texas one) and the wife and I tried to get a table or even bar seats Friday night without a reservation at three different hot spots and it was pointless. Finally went over to the Sheraton where we could get a table at the hotel restaurant.

And it's literally always like this and only getting worse with the never ending influx of new residents.

I think red state restaurants are doing just north of "fine".

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this whole "wha happen" routine and report is an insane microcosm of CNN. they'll focus on one area who got obliterated by Covid policies, NYC, and then go nowhere outside of that bubble and to places that actually succeeded, because that would be actual journalism and would cause them to question themselves.

so instead they stay in the bubble and "journalism".

mind you, these are the exact same humans that yelled at you and told anyone who went outside they are responsible for mass genocide.

God i hate the left so much

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/Dwayne Johnson hand clap gif

we spent 2020 hitting out local and beloved restaurants for takeout, tipping bigly, and showing them love and support

Because that is how red state people role

Sorry. I honestly don't understand what your point is.

Very few restaurants in Georgetown, TX, closed during or after Covid. They hustled and the locals supported however they could. During and since Covid our town has continued record growth. Like tops in the nation.

Cities like Gtown are destination markets and held their own during the "pandemic" and thrived in the aftermath. Because of who lives there.

HollywoodBQ said:

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In LA, I lived close to a Morton's Steakhouse and I went there for dinner a few times in the mid-2000s with co-workers and salespeople. The place was always packed and it was always a big deal. Service was great. We'd usually spend some stupid money on steaks sides and a bottle of wine and maybe even some Cognac.

In 2021 when they re-opened, a sales rep took me there and we were one of maybe 5 tables in the restaurant. There was one server and a manager. I couldn't believe the fact that nobody was there. The food was good and even more expensive but the restaurant was dead.

In 2022, we went back to Morton's and this time there were two servers covering the 10 tables. It was just a shell of it's former self.

And this wasn't just an LA problem. In September 2022, I went to Morton's in downtown Houston and it was dead. There were maybe 3 tables worth of customers.

For these high-end restaurants, I think Work From Home had killed off the 3 hour lunch and the important business dinner. I don't think people stopped liking Steak, Wine and Service.

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The pandemic didn't kill that Morton's. Tillman Fertitta and his Ops style of gut it out, cut it to the bone policies did.

Talked to somebody in the restaurant purveyor industry the other day.

They said during covid restaurants reduced the quality and grade of foods they ordered and this has not come back.

So the end result 3-years out from covid is that we are paying twice the price for food made with the minimum quality ingredients.

Restaurants are still way understaffed with no sign that this will improve.

Amazed at the number of chain places you go in that are completely trashed on the inside.

Fast food still trucking along though. Every-time I pass by a drive through line its slammed. Line for $10 coffee drinks slammed 24/7.

But I got a feeling some of these higher end fast-casual places are doomed.

You've also had shrinkage + higher costs. Double whammy.

Abbott is sending NY plenty of workers, and they dont utilize them?

Pre Covid (response), I used to meet co-workers out for lunch almost daily. My family would also grab 2-3 restaurant dinners out weekly. Now, I bring my lunch most days and grab dinner out with family/friends once a week. I started cooking healthier dinners and watching portions and lost 40 pounds. It's hard to beat a good home cooked meal of mostly grilled meats and vegetables with olive and avocado oils. We do have a lot of good restaurants and a wide variety in Clear Lake/Houston/Galveston. Now when we go out, we try to eat more unique or difficult to prepare dishes that are not in my wheelhouse (Thai, Seafood, Indian, etc.). Costs are, of course, up on dining out along with everything else, but our restaurant expenditures are down overall. Now going out to eat is a treat, not a lifestyle, for us and we are better off for it.

Four-years out and it's safe to say that the restaurant industry never recovered from covid.

Compared to 2019, we a long way off from the way things were.

Food quality is still way down.

Prices are up 30-40%.

Service still operating at covid level and most places still seem understaffed.

Prexys Moon said:

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TresPuertas said:

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Quote:

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The pandemic altered the restaurant industry forever, ushering technological advances that have changed our habits and how we dine out," said Flay. "This is a seismic shift that deserves the attention that only CNN can bring to it It is an honor to join The Whole Story, which is producing the most compelling reporting on television, and I am very honored to play a part in sharing this important story."

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I love when leftist idiots use the phrase "the pandemic did xyz". No, the response to the pandemic by leftist democrats did xyz.

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This is a typical Democrat/liberal response where they blame it on everything except the policies that they enact.

It is these policies that cause the problems and not the "pandemic" where covid is now considered on par with the flu.

I'm a huge Bobby Flay fan, but I'm not watching that. LOL

ETA: Just realized that this was from August 2023. Guess I missed it.

Stat Monitor Repairman said:

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Four-years out and it's safe to say that the restaurant industry never recovered from covid.

Compared to 2019, we a long way off from the way things were.

Food quality is still way down.

Prices are up 30-40%.

Service still operating at covid level and most places still seem understaffed.

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I think it did recover, at least in most areas...but current costs are murdering them. The average family of four don't want to spend $80 for some wings or to eat at Chili's. But that's what they have to charge because of recently inflated costs.

AgGrad99 said:

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Stat Monitor Repairman said:

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Four-years out and it's safe to say that the restaurant industry never recovered from covid.

Compared to 2019, we a long way off from the way things were.

Food quality is still way down.

Prices are up 30-40%.

Service still operating at covid level and most places still seem understaffed.

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I think it did recover, at least in most areas...but current costs are murdering them. The average family of four don't want to spend $80 for some wings or to eat at Chili's. But that's what they have to charge because of recently inflated costs.

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This--our family dining habits are practically nonexistent at this point except when traveling.

And when my kid and I travel for hockey, we save our lunch leftovers to eat on the drive home so we are not stopping for TEN DOLLAR sandwich at Buc-ees. I mean seriously a ten dollar sandwich from a gas station. I flush their toilet twice just for spite.

I had 1600 dollars in office catering Tuesday and 900 yesterday for pharm reps.

Some places are doing well.

I love that your place is thriving!! That means it is worth it!!

Quote:

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I flush their toilet twice just for spite.

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Emotional Support Cobra said:

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I love that your place is thriving!! That means it is worth it!!

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In negotiations right now for catering tailgates

Damn

People like us

Tanya 93 said:

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Emotional Support Cobra said:

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I love that your place is thriving!! That means it is worth it!!

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In negotiations right now for catering tailgates

Damn

People like us

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Only the best sammiches!

From my travels I see the south and parts of the midwest are doing much better than the west and the north.

Tanya 93 said:

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I had 1600 dollars in office catering Tuesday and 900 yesterday for pharm reps.

Some places are doing well.

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I sometimes wonder if Drs offices ever pay for their own lunches.

The pandemic didn't alter the industry. Liberal politicians wanting absolute power over people and private industry did by using Covid for their benefit.

Hondo. said:

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College Station Olive Garden is turning customers away

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Johnny Carinos is shuttered
Businesses thrive businesses fail
Hard to believe the Olive Garden is winning but there is famous phrase that goes something like

" Nobody ever went broke betting on the American Public having bad taste "

Aust Ag said:

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Tanya 93 said:

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I had 1600 dollars in office catering Tuesday and 900 yesterday for pharm reps.

Some places are doing well.

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I sometimes wonder if Drs offices ever pay for their own lunches.

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Bribes are a serious business.

Sq 17 said:

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Hondo. said:

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College Station Olive Garden is turning customers away

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Johnny Carinos is shuttered
Businesses thrive businesses fail
Hard to believe the Olive Garden is winning but there is famous phrase that goes something like

" Nobody ever went broke betting on the American Public having bad taste "

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o one goes to olive garden thinking its gourmet food its a decent meal for a good price, I see them everywhere so they are doing something right, and they keep the restaurants looking nice.

Casa Rodriguez after 4 decades is closing, Amico Nave closed in February 2024. Amico Nave had been open for a Decade.

TresPuertas said:

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https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2023/08/07/the-whole-story-with-anderson-cooper-travels-across-the-country-with-bobby-flay-in-restaurant-nation-whats-changed/amp/

some really tasty snippets:

Quote:

---

The pandemic altered the restaurant industry forever, ushering technological advances that have changed our habits and how we dine out," said Flay. "This is a seismic shift that deserves the attention that only CNN can bring to it It is an honor to join The Whole Story, which is producing the most compelling reporting on television, and I am very honored to play a part in sharing this important story."

---

Quote:

---

Flay, whose own New York City restaurant was among the more than 110,000 restaurants that closed in 2020,

---

it's unreal to me that people like Flay won't admit to themselves that CNN, and the party they support, are the primary reason the restaurant industry is dying.

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And I'm sure Flay lined up for that shot, like every other sucker, to support all the nonsense. F 'em.

One trend I've noticed is that mom & pops can no longer afford to operate in downtown CBDs. Seems like its all national chains or regional conglomerates that can afford to set up shop. Most downtown areas are cookie cutter now with few exceptions.

Two teas policy can only delay inflationary pricing for a short period of artificially inflated wages.

Sq 17 said:

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Hondo. said:

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College Station Olive Garden is turning customers away

---

Johnny Carinos is shuttered
Businesses thrive businesses fail
Hard to believe the Olive Garden is winning but there is famous phrase that goes something like

" Nobody ever went broke betting on the American Public having bad taste "

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That cocaine/parmesan blend they sprinkle on the breadsticks is the competitive edge keeping them in business.