12,000 restaurants too many

A Stifel Nicolaus analyst says that the restaurant industry is overcrowded and that 12,000 locations may have to close to 'match consumer demand' ..

Steve West, the analyst 12,000 restaurants may not want to meet, said the bar and grill segment of the industry has reported declining traffic for some time and about 7,500 bar and grills may have to shut down..West notes that business expense accounts aren't giving much business to restaurants lately..

Stifel Nicolaus is the largest subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp. and is a member of SIPC and listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Stifel Financial Corp offers securities-related financial services in the United States and Europe

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Restaurants "cross the line" to keep business..

The restaurants being focused on by USA TODAY are all chain and theme restaurants. KFC offers grilled chicken.. Pizza Hut offers pasta.. McDonalds offers nice coffee..

All interesting and yes all showing that restaurants have to change their culture and environment to keep things exciting and interesting, but the USA TODAY article didn't go as far as it could it. Taking the easy way out and just looking at the major high prized chains isn't a true snapshot of one the real restaurants are doing to survive the economic collapse the nation hasn't recovered from yet..

What are the small places doing? How are the menus changing?

I know at least two of three of my favorite places have raised prices to the point where I can't go there anymore. One in particular has excellent pizza, but a pizza, salad, and 2-liter of Coke costing $26 bucks is a bit much for my poor taste. Frozen pizzas have as much salt and fat and are much cheaper.. Frozen for me from now on..

Likewise, some higher-end establishments that I am aware of are losing some business.. Instead of raising prices too much they are trying to offer extended happy hours, newer drinks, or a lower priced menu during certain hours..

And finally, the Jackson House, my favorite burger restaurant in Harrisburg, PA, offers the same product at the same price and is still doing the same great business it always did..

The real story in the new economy is "changing" things up, but instead offering the best product at the best price.. Places like the Jackson House or Devito's in Ashland, PA (my favorite pizza joint) are offering good products at fair prices.

It doesn't mean that the restaurants won't eventually fail.. It just means that they have a good competitive edge that gives them more breathing room in a time when so many other meager and tasteless food establishments have stopped breathing...

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A different kind of wedding..

Not all crowds are the same.. I appreciate that, really. Last night was a perfect showing of that difference in wedding guests..

It was a self-described "hick" wedding. They wore suits, though, it wasn't a ho-down .. Although could have easily become one!

The groom wore a hat the entire night.. The bride actually looked quite nice and classy..

The beer was flowing after dinner.. late-night horderves were served to compliment their drinks..

And country music playing loud. Then they did karaoke .. Yea.. karaoke at a wedding. Interesting move, I guess.

I can't say the atmosphere wasn't fun, though.

It wasn't as stuffy and edgy as some "wealthier" weddings in the restaurant.. it wasn't as tense as a few weddings where money was a consideration in everything. This wedding was simple, the cake was plain and homemade, the bar was only open for an hour and the rest was cash (a little different for a wedding, but the valley folk brought $50s with them for the evening) and the dancing went late into the night.. It switched to all country about halfway through. And never looked back with regret.

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Thank you: Take a moment of silence from your food and beer to remember the reason you're allowed to eat and drink in the first place

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Heat wave..

Too often the kitchen becomes a nightmare land when a summer time heat wave hits early.. This particular scene was not a slaughterhouse, but instead an innocent wedding cake that became a victim of heat.. It didn't help that the inside was filled with raspberries and whipped cream.. Didn't help at all.

Bright side is that 200 people still got to eat wedding cake ..

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When the best of the best is just like the rest..

It always makes me chuckle a bit when management falls in love with one or two particular servers.. We've seen it throughout restaurant history for as long as eateries have existed..

Management and owners start to take solace in or or two workers.. acting almost cult-like in their trust of the worker. The worker can do no wrong.. they can not mess up. Confidence and trust is showered on them throughout their short histories at the restaurant..

But the confidence can so often go awry..

The cult leader worker begins to exhibit signs of total control .. Sometimes control to an extreme that cannot be undone. Sometimes the employee begins to have high ambitions or even delusions as he or she begins to feel as though they've been promoted to the management themselves.. Or quite often they even begin to show signs to customers that they know more than the ownership of the establishment..

And finally, when the fallout occurs (And it ALWAYS will) the worker calls in sick and becomes a no show just like every other staff person they criticized over the years..

And when they don't show, the show goes on. Because in the end, everyone is replaceable. Even the owner--the owner that learned everything from the "best of the best" before he or she became just like the rest..

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..I'm winded.

Waiting on 300 prom attendees is a little extreme.. Something I don't want to do again. Really.

The cops were on guard, and only 1 or 2 kids got arrested--one before he got there due to a little underage drinking.. You know, the kids aren't alright.

The food service? They really didn't care. We could have served them soap scum and sludge from garbage cans and they would still have been ok with it. But seriously, they got beef and chicken.. 300 kids dancing soon afterwards was literally, I think, making parts of the building move. I think they wanted to topple the place.

Smoking in the bathrooms.. Typical. Asking servers to sneak them liquor for five bucks.. By the end of the night, the serving staff stayed in the kitchen until cleanup. Booby traps were set up so they couldn't find their way to rooms were alcohol was locked away.. Salt and pepper shakers missing at the end.. sugar bowls filled with Pepsi. Ten years ago I guess my class did the same stuff..

But the shocker came near the end when the king and queen were chosen.. The principal of the school reminded everyone that sobriety checkpoints were going to be out and for everyone to be careful. He was mocked by all, booed by some, and also called a f**ker by at least one. The beat goes on, though. He bravely smiled at them and the king and queen were announced..
But the fact that a principal of a school tells 300 18-year-olds, in front of two police officers, that there will be checkpoints, was quite shocking.

And as the kids shuffled out to their after-dancing prom parties, sweaty from their three hours straight of intense music, the doors slammed shut and the few gutless teachers thanked the owner and staff.. And from a distance, a young kid screamed "time to drink!"

Indeed, the kids aren't alright.

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Not a big shocker: Restaurants choosing to sell cheap fish during recession

I've seen it done.. Tilapia crusted with some form of lemon or other flavoring.. Tilapia being one of the cheapest fish to buy still selling for over 10 bucks a meal at restaurants.. Same thing with haddock dinners: They are being replaced by cod, cod, and more cod. Tastes the same, butter and lemon added and few notice--the price can stay the same too, even though cod is reasonably priced and much lower than fresh haddock.

The new world of dining out in restaurants offering up cheap ocean meals--good luck on trying to find fish without the high amounts of mercury or chemicals added. Farm fresh? Gag me with a fishing hook!

An NBC affiliate is detailing out more about the fishy story. The news station says that Kansas City restaurants are not selling the fish that they say they are on their menus..

The station even caught restaurants serving red snapper.. but it wasn't that at all.

You are what you eat--but not always what you think you're paying for.

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300 prom kids tonight..

oh boy.. I'm sighing just thinking about the dysfunction serving this party is going to cause..

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Skyrocketing sodium..

Should come as no shocker..
Simply take a peak at your restaurant's powdered grazy mixture.. Normally about 600 mg of sodium or so per tea spoon---TEA SPOON!

And now a health group is focusing on sodium levels in chain restaurants ..

Red Lobster doesn't fair so well, neither does Olive Garden (6,176 mg of salt!?!?!?)

Jack in the Box should stay in the box..

Here's the full study..

The winner of the saltiest by the way? Red Lobster's Admiral's feast.. Over 7,000 mg of sodium in one sitting.

Don't stroke out.

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Did it.. made it through..

Mother's Day 2009 actually went off without a major hitch at the restaurant. Surprising, especially with the fact we did 400 people in a little under 3 hours at brunch--with only about 5 tables of 20 people waiting for more than 30 minutes for their reserved table to be cleaned.

I still don't take back my anti-Mother's Day tirade..

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I CAN'T SLEEP..

The tension is building. We're almost there: The worst day in the world of restaurants .. or the best, depending on your thought..
I have written about this before..

We'll do it.. It may be rough. But before we know it, it will be over.

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...The eve of destruction..

Prepped for 4 hours today for tomorrow.. majorly busy day coming for all.

May God be with you all -- and prepare tonight.. Drink the night away .. but not enough to miss work.

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When the country clubber loses his club

..It's a sad state of mind. When everything you once knew that was steady is now shaky--and often times gone..

The country clubber, once donned with golf clubs and fancy sweaters, sipped away at his highballs and Manhattans as he gossipped with other rich white alpha males throughout the club. The waitresses could have been dead behind the bar and they'd still ask for a drink.. The bartenders could have passed out and the country clubber would have thought the fallen comrade was a simple area rug, just something to be walked on -- and God forbid tipped.

But the country clubber has lost his club.. They are a dying art. Fewer and fewer places are members only.. more and more places are opening to the public. Yes, the masses, those asses.

You can tell when the former country clubber enters the room.. He looks glaringly at the commoners eating dinner--forgetting for a second that they are allowed in the room now .. The 20th century members only late night smokey filled bars are gone.. Enter the new generation of allowing those of different races and genders to eat at the tables that were once reserved for only the privileged and powerful.

The country clubber often gets confused.. The attention is not only on him at the bar anymore. Now there are more customers.. people are coming from all walks of life. And with them, the riff raff.. the problems.. the middle class! eeek!!

The country clubbers are a dying breed.. Once mighty and powerful on earth, now they scatter like rats in a cornfield.. desperate to swallow that last gulp of liquor with friends.. very rich, white friends.

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...the dreaded weekend...

Get ready..
Prepare..
It's almost here.
Mother's Day 2009 is going to come in with a bang and go out with a blast.. tables will wait, customers will line up. Moms with oxygen tanks and walkers, wheel chairs and sons with Dockers.. All in line for prime rib and fine wine..
They'll go to the home,
to pick up their moms..
They'll bring her back after dinner..
And pat themselves on the back.

But mom doesn't want prime rib..
She doesn't want soup..
She doesn't want wine..
Guess what she wants? Attention.. and thanks. And praise..

As a server, I will tell you the worst day to be a customer is Mother's Day .. Do mom a favor, see her more than just one day a year. And if you can't, make sure the one day you see her don't spend it in a loud and crowded restaurant..

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