Hard times

Times are definitely difficult for the restaurant business now. Recession and stupid legislation with high VAT are a bad combination. However, the success of Gluttonous Thursday has proved that Hungarians like to eat out, but not for too much money. As a result of hard times, a division has appeared among restaurant owners. Some resignedly accept the loss in revenues, while other vigorously look for new possibilities. Restaurants are not the only competitors for other restaurants during difficult times. Restaurants also need to compete with every other business where people can spend their money which could otherwise be spent on eating out, so they need to offer more than others. It is easy to blame recession for everything. However, there are other problems which should and could be dealt with. Effort needs to be made in order to survive. Restaurant owners need to look in the mirror and realise that they might not be doing everything as well as they could be. Restaurant guests want to buy a feeling, comfort and satisfaction, so this is what they should get. If there are not enough guests, that means the owner is not doing something well enough. Faith is needed in order to do something well. Successful restaurant owners always have that certain glow in their eyes. Professional expertise is even more important, because this is a business after all. Franchise schemes are a good example of how profitably proven business models can perform almost anywhere. The restaurant business is not an area where big fish eat the small fish and in order to be best, you don’t have to be the biggest. Either added value, like special services should be provided or market gaps should be identified which have been unnoticed by competitors. This is not necessarily a matter of money. One of the mistakes often made by restaurant owners when hard times come is that they start saving money on things which should not be economised on and guests soon discover that they are not getting what they have become accustomed to. We should not be too worried by the mentality of our staff. When times are hard, they also realise that they need to adapt to the new circumstances, provided there is someone who can communicate the new requirements clearly. Although these are hard times for the restaurant business, these are also the times when it is easier to get fine quality and service noticed by customers.