Okay, again we ask, "How's business?". Three months into our second year. I've been telling our customers that I know that BT , being just over a year old, should be busier, should be growing since that is how businesses that want to be successful should behave. But in these difficult economic times, that is not the case. I already knew we weren't counting more covers on a daily basis over last summer, that was obvious. But yes, sales are off. What a surprise, eh? By my (rough) calculations, we're down about 18.5%, which is the average between last month (-13%) and this month (-24%)(with a rough guess as to what the weekend holds for us). I've read here and there that the figure being tossed about within the industry is -12%. And if you look at this webpage you'll see that a lot of chains - many being quick service and fast food - are up up up. This might tell you that people are still eating out but maybe just not spending as much - grabbing pizza more often at Procolino's instead of lunch at the BT, picking up Subs from C'town instead of a sit-down dinner in our dining room. Which, when we all are paying that extra $50 a week to fill the family car, makes sense to me too.
I haven't done an analysis yet of how our costs have risen, even as our sales go down. That is for another post, when we're feeling flush. These are certainly 'interesting' times to be a business owner, as many out there would agree. Yet, we remind ourselves, we've been through this before. This article was printed in May of 1986 - just two months before we opened the Ironstone Cafe in Chestertown. 22 years later, we have seen this before, and 22 years later, we'll live through it. And you know what, trying as things might be or become, I still would prefer this job of restaurant owner-operator, with it's skewed hours and precarious income, to any other that I would be qualified for...which doesn't leave much choice anyway, now does it?
I haven't done an analysis yet of how our costs have risen, even as our sales go down. That is for another post, when we're feeling flush. These are certainly 'interesting' times to be a business owner, as many out there would agree. Yet, we remind ourselves, we've been through this before. This article was printed in May of 1986 - just two months before we opened the Ironstone Cafe in Chestertown. 22 years later, we have seen this before, and 22 years later, we'll live through it. And you know what, trying as things might be or become, I still would prefer this job of restaurant owner-operator, with it's skewed hours and precarious income, to any other that I would be qualified for...which doesn't leave much choice anyway, now does it?
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