The Societal Importance of Taverns, Restaurants, and Bars

What those of us involved in the business of food and beverage do for a living, is important. Our importance extends way beyond the provision of food and drink, we are an integral part of a country’s culture and a neighborhood’s chemistry. The heartbeat of a community, regardless of size, resides within the walls of those businesses that have, for centuries, been a place of respite, a business where one can express their views, where challenges can be addressed and in some cases solutions found; where celebrations have a home and sorrow can be shared; where political opinions find a forum, friendships solidified, business deals formalized, arguments resolved, and where all can find a way to come together, raise a glass, break bread, and find common ground. Yes, what we do, is important.

My grandfather owned a speakeasy during American Prohibition, a dark time in our history when the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages was illegal. Of course, this law did not stop Americans from producing, selling, and consuming alcohol, it simply drove the process underground. The speakeasy was a business that kept the heart of a community beating. Although their fate was always questionable, these underground operations knew how important they were to the soul of a community. From 1920 until 1933 when President Franklin Roosevelt repealed prohibition, the conversations within communities that found a home in taverns, restaurants, and bars were forced to hide in the dark corners of “need-to-know” locations in every community from New York to San Francisco. There had never been a more important time for this type of forum, especially from October 24, 1929 (Black Thursday) when the stock market crashed, and the world was pulled into a Great Depression that lasted until 1941. The repeal of prohibition at least opened the doors to camaraderie and conversation among those deeply impacted by record unemployment, depleted investment portfolios, limited spending, and a crumbling culture.

World War II, as devastating as it was, helped to pull America out of the Depression. Military manufacturing and Roosevelt’s New Deal lifted the economy, eventually bringing American troops home to a country ready to grow once again. 

These speakeasy that were prevalent from coast to coast would become the restaurant industry of today and President Dwight Eisenhower’s commitment to the highway system connecting the country via automobile was the impetus needed to grow an industry of food, fun, travel, and cultural impact. My grandfather’s speakeasy, like thousands of others, became an important restaurant and mecca for debate, communication, and celebration. The food and drink we serve are simply the fuel to feed the appetite of these connections.

The transaction of the restaurant experience, the exchange of product and service for money, is important, but it is not the purpose of what we do. We are part of a cultural experience, even an experiment of the sort, that brings people together, creates common ground, and offers a calming tool in quality food and beverage, all while building a forum for people to talk freely without judgment, listen with intent, recognize how we are similar and embrace how we are different. This is our purpose, this is what we do better than almost everyone else, this is the restaurant business. 

Throughout history, it has always been the restaurant, tavern, or bar that rises after catastrophe. These are typically the first businesses to breathe again after all else seems lost. We, those in the business of food, are there because people need us. They thirst for that forum where challenges can be met, problems discussed, opinions aired, and solutions found. What could be better than to have this place of connection, a place for coming together, and a place where so much can be accomplished while respecting a great plate of food, a special glass of wine, a well-aged scotch or bourbon, or a frothy glass of beer.

Cheers to all who tie on an apron, mix a special cocktail, serve with good intent, and contribute to the stories that ensue. Restaurants, taverns, and bars are as important to a culture as art, music, theater, and history. We are part of that history and are often the source of inspiration for art, music, and theater. 

So, raise a glass, bread some bread, tell a story or two, express yourself in many ways, and laugh with reckless abandon. We will always move to brighter times with the help of our local restaurants.