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Economy Related???

December 12th, 2008 at 10:36 pm

We tried to eat out but the restaurant we chose was closed for insect/rodent infestation.

Not surprised - the place is kind of a mess. But we love it so much. At what cost? Makes you think.

So yeah - that in itself - NOT surprising. It's not the first time.

I know - WHY do we eat there?

So we went over to TGIF after heated discussion.

That's fine, but they were under warning for food violations too.

What's up with that??? IT was on the same street.

Is it more risky to eat out when the economy is down?

Favorite appetizer - no longer offered.

The kids' menus were crappily photocopied on white paper.

I was SHOCKED the parking lot was PACKED. Must have been for other reasons. (Other neighboring buildings???????). The place actually was pretty empty, for lunch. More what I expected.

But I got in a good walk because there was nowhere to park.

Well, we had a nice lunch in the end. Was just interesting.

10 Responses to “Economy Related???”

  1. Ms. Pearl Says:
    1229122490

    I drove past a Red Lobster last weekend and I bet there wasn't one empty parking space. It was packed. I just wondered to myself how many of those people in there were paying with credit cards. It made me sad.

  2. lizajane Says:
    1229123298

    I think the same thing every time I go past the big chain restaurants in the closest city. They are all packed, and I just think to myself how it doesn't LOOK like the economy is all that bad for these people. Of course, it may be their one trip out all year, but somehow I doubt it.

  3. gruntina Says:
    1229125621

    This is weird for me! I have been going out on a few dinner dates with my husband the last few months. Before that it was so rare for us to go out at all.

    I think it is because we still have the same saving habits and the price of gas has gone down as well as the prices for our basic shopping needs. So we have more wriggle room during these times. I guess it is backwards to us when it comes to the economy. I notice that resturants in our area is semi-packed as well.

  4. dmontngrey Says:
    1229126456

    We went to TGIF last Friday. It was busy, but far from packed. Around here on a Friday or Saturday you usually have to wait quite a while for a table. Not the case this time.

  5. monkeymama Says:
    1229129774

    I was commenting more on the health code violations more than anything.

    BUT...

    Our city has been hit hard. I think everyone was eating out and paying with their homes before. Last year you could not eat out like anywhere without waiting for hours. Now, state can't honor its contracts, lots of layoffs, loss of hundreds of thousands of equity, so it's been opposite. Empty restaurants, obviously hurting, and lots of closures.

    & apparently, more health code violations...

    We were also getting way awesome coupons for a time, when the hurting first hit, but those have dried up. Too desperate for coupons even, it seems.

    Anyway, we have definitely noticed one extreme to the other. My friends who thought we were so deprived we could not eat out much are homeless and broke, and we have been eating out more because of the abundance of 2 for 1 coupons for a time. Funny how things change...

  6. whitestripe Says:
    1229133949

    lol (about the friends thinking you guys are deprived) look who gets the last laugh then, eh?!

    Hmm yes, sometimes it is funny when you KNOW a place is a bit of a mess but you still go there. I used to work in a restaurant that was the same. Young kids working there, not much cleaning getting done. Boss too slack and lazy to buy regular pest baits. Never knowing how old the seafood is (ew!) etc. The cook leaving the bolognaise out over night to 'cool'.

    And yet, I still occasionally go there. It is odd, isn't it? It's like we conveniently erase it from our minds for the hour we eat there, and then start thinking about it again after we've finished and paid for the meal...

  7. homebody Says:
    1229135578

    In the paper today, a 17 year in business Mexican restaurant closing due to the higher cost of ingredients and less cutomers here locally.

    We rarely ever eat out. However, DH just called from Redding, CA and said the line was so long at In and Out Burger, he was giving up (on a business trip). Instead of staying in a hotel, he is crashing at his brother's. That is his contribution to our new frugal budget (which I am working on tonight).

    I made a crab omelet for dinner with leftover crab DH was given yesterday. He had most for dinner last night, with just enough left for an omelet for me.

  8. baselle Says:
    1229139217

    That is interesting - if the city was hurting, you would think they would be laying off inspectors, and those inspectors left would have more restaurants to check, so if the % of bad restaurants is unchanged, the inspectors would be less likely to find bad restaurants. Finding more means ... eew.

    And the packed parking lots w/no customers inside. Is the restaurant next to the mall and taking on overflow? Or is it that every car has only one driver?

    The lunch places here in Seattle are a bit thinner also .. it might be me though. I'm digging on how much longer I can go between ATM runs when I bring my lunch in, so fewer lunches out.

    Mysteries, mysteries....

  9. Analise Says:
    1229146842

    My dh and I eat dinner out about 3 or 4 times a month, and I've noticed that things are very different... it's weird. Our favorite restaurants are secret "divey" ones we've been going to for years (good inexpensive food, unimpressive atmosphere) but we often had a wait to get in... no more. The exception: we went to Chevy's a few weeks ago and it was hopping... no sign of recession that day.

    Prices are also creeping up @ some restaurants, including our favorite Pho house... no longer is a bowl of noodle soup a $3.75 bargain, it is now $5.75. Several closures, too. I think it's definitely a sign of the economic times.

  10. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1229180352

    Like gruntina and monkeymama, my husband and I have been going out to eat more, not less. I think we started that in May. Don't know why. Our favorite places put their effort into their food, not their decor. So the tables and chairs may be 35 years old; the table cloths may be scissored lengths of vinyl; the walls may be covered in cheap wood-like paneling. The china is heavy, plain, white, also at least 35 years old. A five minute walk away is my favorite place for eggplant Parmesan for just $4.95. Heaven in every bite. On the same street is my favorite place for real tiramisu and linguine carbonara. From one serving, one takes home enough leftover to serve 4 people the next meal. Around the corner and down two blocks from there, toasted ravioli. Not walkable, but still close is a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant where the owner just smiles and smiles and smiles. I swear I go there for his smile as much as for the food....I only wish one of these restaurants would serve decent tea.

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