Can South Walton Support all of the Restaurants?

[scooterbug44]

It's 9 pm on a rainy wednesday in the off season and you've served 8 meals that were all reservations - why stay open until 10?

 

[cherijean]

I certainly agree on being open no matter how slow you are for the hours you advertise.

Myself or my employees can always find something to do even when we aren't busy with customers ... it's just good business to stay consistent in every aspect.

 

[SneakyPete]

I agree that you need to stay open the hours you advertise. If business is traditionally slow during certain months, then advertise your "off season hours" (closing at 9 during the off season rather than 11) a restaurant owes it's customers that much. If it's dead and you've got two hours to go, well, my old boss used to say -- "If you can LEAN, you can CLEAN!" Let any extra wait staff leave early and give the others a job to do. I don't know of ANY restaurant that doesn't have a number of cleaning/repair jobs that need to be done (continually).

 

[wrobert]

As a former restaurant owner I totally disagree with this comment....you can't just close at 8 on a Tuesday cause you are slow...that's a quick way to go out of business when word starts circulating that you do that...I don't have a problem with starting to shut down at 10.30 if your hours say you stay open to 11 and no one is there...but if someone shows up at 10.50 you grin and bear it and serve the folks who came and thank them...just my two cents on it

Did you own the Green Knight restaurant?

 

[conched out]

There's lots more to having a successful restaurant besides the food and service. The numbers have to work. I don't know much about the lease/rent some of the restaurants are paying on 30A but I bet most of the longer lasting ones own their own buildings. The old Seacreast Cafe building was on the market for a great price and I bet the new owners will do quite well there. Even if they fail, they will still own the building and eventually lease or sell to someone else. Have been in the business for a long time and its the only way we have been truely successful (owning) Had some great locations in the early years but leased them and were forced out for one reason or another. So, in summary, longevity in the restaurant business is part real estate venture.

 

[Green Knight]

Did you own the Green Knight restaurant?

Wrobert.....No I did not own The Green Knight...was just a school kid when the place was still open and the last light you saw on 98 till you got to Panama City....grew up in FWB and just wanted a screen name that reminded me of the way things used to be in the area...I am not anti-progress but it is a shame what has happened to Destin and I am just grateful that Walton County had the foresight to not let the same thing happen on 30A........so far...

 

[wrobert]

Wrobert.....No I did not own The Green Knight...was just a school kid when the place was still open and the last light you saw on 98 till you got to Panama City....grew up in FWB and just wanted a screen name that reminded me of the way things used to be in the area...I am not anti-progress but it is a shame what has happened to Destin and I am just grateful that Walton County had the foresight to not let the same thing happen on 30A........so far...

I know what you mean. Every weekend we went to Wewa from Pensacola to hunt and fish. A simpler, less crowded time. So much has changed since paradise got discovered.

 

[avalon]

I have found that a phone call or reservation easily solves that problem.

I certainly don't expect them to stay open and staffed when there are no customers.

You are certainly more understanding than most people. With so much competition, I think all of these businesses would be smart to keep their posted hours at least through Labor Day. I don't mind giving a call first in January. Good luck to all, there is a nice selection to choose from this season!

 

[Smiling JOe]

It's 9 pm on a rainy wednesday in the off season and you've served 8 meals that were all reservations - why stay open until 10?

Coming from the biz, I will tell you what is wrong with doing that. When you post your hours, people expect you to have those hours. If you close during your posted hours, and a customer does show up to patronize your business, they quickly process the fact that you don't stick to your hours of operation and they will likely go elsewhere the next time they get hungry at 9pm. In the restaurant business, word of mouth advertising is second only to location.
Statistically, one person encountering your closure during posted hours will tell 7 other people, each of whom will tell 3 other people, each of whom will tell one other person. Negative word of mouth grows much more rapidly than positive word of mouth, so even if a customer has a good experience from the service and food when they dine at your restaurant, closing early eliminating one customer's service, will outweigh all of the effort you put forth in serving your meals when you are open.

Furthermore, one of the primary reasons why 90%+ of restaurants fail in the first year is that the owner doesn't have enough cash on hand to sustain through the growing phase. If you don't have enough cash to pay for staff during your hours of operation, you have budgeted incorrectly. Either change your hours of operation to fit your budget, or give up the restaurant business while you have some money left in your pocket.

 

[TableFiveChef]

The restaurant business has no mercy. Produce quality food with great service, good atmosphere, value & most imporatanly CONSISTENCY in both hours of operation and the aforementioned above. It doesn't matter if the owner is a nice guy/girl. If these standards are not met you will be gone quick. This biz is cuthroat but I love it.