If you know me in IRL, you know that I grew up in the restaurant industry. My dad has owned several and I worked in some (some his, some not his) during high school, college and my first few summers of teaching. I will note that he was insistent that my first job not be at any of his restaurants, so I was a proud pretzel twister at Auntie Anne’s in the mall.
If you follow me on social media, you know that I have been very vocal about my support of the restaurant industry throughout the pandemic. Montgomery Country, Maryland (the closest to DC), where I live, was the most restrictive when it came to shutdowns of restaurants that we unfortunately ended up spending a significant amount of money outside the county. While I’m all about public safety, I am not in favor of painfully arbitrary restrictions that absolutely kill small business.
Now that people are becoming more and more comfortable with reemerging in to restaurant dining. Today I thought I’d share some insider knowledge, written with the help of my dad and my sister (who works for my dad). There are a lot of misunderstandings about the restaurant industry from well-meaning people, so I hope you find this helpful.
Most restaurant owners aren’t filthy rich
A typical restaurant nets about 5% profit. That’s it. So, if a restaurant does $1 million in sales, the owner is bringing home around $50,000. When you hear the phrase, “razor thin profit margin,” that’s what this means. Restaurants have an obscene amount of overhead between equipment (a singly deep fryer–most restaurants have several– is around $1,000), lease, labor, and rising food costs that, many times, their managers are making more money than the owners are!
Food production is way down, which means menu prices sometimes have to increase.
It sucks to go to a restaurant and realize that your tab is WAY more than you’re used to paying. That happened to a friend of mine and me just last week at our favorite Mexican spot… I almost gagged when I saw the bill (but I’ll be back, let’s be real). Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, food prices are going to be on the higher side. For example, chicken wings have tripled in cost over the last six months and some of the “bigger fish” (big restaurants that are household names) snatch up some of the best prices because of the volume they’re able to buy.
Restaurants are terribly under staffed.
Say what you want about Trump, but he definitely incentivized people to work, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. Under Obama (and presumably Biden), the incentives just aren’t there; it’s much more enticing for someone to collect unemployment than it is to work. Please don’t put words in my mouth here–I know plenty of people need unemployment. However, I know from personal experience that many, many able-bodied people simply aren’t working.
From coast to coast, restaurants are clamoring to hire everyone from dishwashers to managers. So, if you have to wait a little longer in a restaurant than you’re used to pre-pandemic, try to give some grace. Be extra nice to your server–they could have easily taken the easy way out (by not working) and are there to serve you!
Third party food delivery has grown 400% since the start of the pandemic… and that isn’t necessarily a good thing for small restaurants.
We all love the convenience of services like Door Dash and Uber Eats but, when it comes to the small guys, it’s most certainly NOT always a good thing. Remember that 5% profit in my first point? Well, Door Dash and Uber Eats charge restaurants around 30%. Big name places can afford that kind of charge, but it does certainly hurt small, family-owned places. Furthermore, food from many kinds of restaurants (sandwiches and burgers, for example) don’t travel well, which sometimes equals bad reviews, which sometimes equals people getting a really bad impression… Anyway…
If you still don’t feel comfortable eating out but want to really support your local establishment, go and pick it up yourself if you can!
Yes, following (and liking and sharing) your favorite restaurant on social media DOES make a huge difference.
For as much as we’d love to hate it, social media is here to stay and is very, very powerful. Following, liking and sharing your favorite restaurant’s pages keeps them at the front of your mind so you don’t forget about your small local joints and can share them with friends and family. Follows and shares expand audience which could lead to new customers. So, even if you’re not frequenting your favorite places as much as you’d like, doing your part on social media can be the help that they need!
Now that restaurants are back and vaccines are becoming easier to obtain, do you feel comfortable eating out? I hope so! Take this as a little challenge to try that family-owned place this weekend!
