Operating a neighborhood restaurant is a labor of love. The work is physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult but spiritually rewarding. That place at the center of a community where friends and family can gather to share a meal, raise a glass, commiserate, celebrate, problem-solve, and simply stay in touch is essential to the people who live and work there.
The difference between a restaurant and a neighborhood mecca lies with those unique people called restaurateurs. They’re not always the people who prepare and serve the food, but rather the ones who give the operation its soul. These are the individuals with the core vision, the ones who secretly wrestle with the demands of paying bills, finding the right people to share the vision as employees, and investing the time to make connections with the community – the community that will either adopt the operation or ignore it. These are the individuals who are constantly asked to sponsor a little league baseball team, donate to the food pantry, or support the meager budget of a local school’s music department even though they can ill-afford to donate, but they do. The restauranteur is the one who sacrifices everything, who invests in creating history for those in the community, who stands up for what is important to the neighborhood, and does so with a smile on their face.
A great neighborhood restaurant is not determined by price point, the type of food that is served, the breadth of the wine list, or even its location (although being in the center of the town or village is vital to its importance). A great neighborhood restaurant has everything to do with how it feels – its heart and soul.
Of course, the restaurant needs to serve consistent, flavorful, value-focused products, and of course, the service needs to be efficient and sincere, but those factors are the “price of admission” and may not feed the heart and soul. When a business just seems to fit into the fabric of a community, when it becomes a natural part of a neighborhood and serves as a destination for meeting and greeting friends celebrating small and large successes, when it fits the role of a place to relax, break bread, clink glasses, and laugh with reckless abandon – then it becomes essential to the culture of a community.
Small, independent restaurants have had a tough go of it in recent years, actually, they have always had enormous challenges, yet they continue. Too often we do not stop and think about how important they are. The great neighborhood restaurant is the personification of a dream; the American Dream of owning a business and making a difference. That dining room and the food served reflect who they are, their family history, their experiences, their belief in hospitality, and their desire to put themselves out there by signing the work they do. Every dish likely carries a story behind it, every bottle of wine or signature cocktail, every appointment in the dining room and every step taken to provide a guest experience is part of their story.
“Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself.”
-Anthony Bourdain
Interestingly, it is the small independent restaurant that drives the food business in the U.S. It is the desire to be an entrepreneur that excites so many, and it is the work of the restaurateur that perpetuates traditions while at the same time introducing something new and fresh. Nearly 16% of the American workforce owns their own business and the most common ownership is a food business including restaurants. The American Dream is alive and well and your table is ready.
The restaurateur, like the chef in the kitchen, is passionate about great food and beverage. They have a need to share that passion with every guest who walks through their doors and aside from the need to be profitable, want everyone to enjoy the experience they try to create. The two greatest compliments that a restaurateur receives are a clean plate and a return guest – both signify that they made a difference in a person’s life, even for just a moment.
At a time when some may speak of the challenges faced in the restaurant business – think about your local community operations. When you wonder what might be done to encourage neighborhood spirit and growth – think about your local restaurants. When you speak of how much you relish living where you do – think about that neighborhood eatery. Eat local and support the neighborhood restaurant, bring a friend, splurge, and add an appetizer and a bottle of wine – this is the place where people work so that you might relax, share, and celebrate. Make sure you celebrate them.
PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
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