Eating out is getting lonelier

[babylonsister]

Eating out is getting lonelier

Restaurants are feeling the pinch as people cut back on their spending in the face of tightening household budgets.

By Ronald D. White, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 24, 2007

Lisa Johnson would be happy to eat IHOP's strawberry waffles every morning. Her husband, Steve, is such a fan of the omelets and taco salads served by Glendale-based IHOP Corp.'s restaurants that he paid homage on his website, Junk Food Blog.

The Johnsons of Riverside County, an area racked by high home-foreclosure rates, once dined out daily, usually at the nation's biggest pancake-house chain. But lately, the couple have been indulging only once a week.

"We're just cutting back, trying to save money for gifts for the family for the holidays," said Steve, 41, a website publisher with about 20 clients. "There are just a lot of people here worried about higher costs and debt, people we know who are trying to save enough just to make their house payments."

The slowing economy is giving restaurants heartburn, with experts calling this the worst period for eateries in years.That's because consumers are having their pockets picked by high energy prices, declining home values, tightening credit from the sub-prime real estate bust and the falling value of the dollar, which makes imported goods more expensive.

"It's a perfect storm, with the industry being bit by several negatives at the same time. And we don't think gas prices are at the top of that list. Mortgage payments for people with adjustable rates are already higher. Couple that with higher interest rates for people who are maxed out on their credit cards and you have an immediate squeeze on income on a monthly basis," said Ron Paul, president of Chicago-based Technomic Inc., a food industry consulting firm.

Examples abound.

more...

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-restaurants24nov24,1,4065752.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=2&cset=true

[DS1]

1. "But lately, the couple have been indulging only once a week."

Welcome to the rest of the world, morans.

[Cha]

5. And, yet, these people

don't have to worry about bombs wiping out their families and whether the next car bomb is going to blow up your loved one in Iraq where bushits lied to get our Soldiers over there.

But, I'm particularly sad for this family that has to save for holiday gifts by cutting back on their junk food indulgence. :(

[DS1]

7. That was a rather thorough, and refreshingly brief mandatory 'tie Iraq into everything' reply

Thanks for making it so painless

[Cha]

15. Are you saying

Iraq shouldn't be tied into "everything"?

[A HERETIC I AM]

49. If he won't, I will.

Iraq shouldn't be tied into everything.

Doing so is absurd.

[Cha]

59. What I said in

my first post has every right to be tied into Iraq. This Nation is loosing Blood and Treasure on bushit lies and people at home are moaning about fucking ihop.

Iraq is the numero uno issue this country needs to solve before it can go forward.

[Lord Wortherington]

64. It is tied to everything.

A country defines itself through it's foreign policy. right now our foreign policy is the Iraq War. These people actually think they are "making a sacrifice" by cutting back on their weekly fast food ration. It shows the disconnect that pretty much all Americans have with the rest of the world.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Lately, once a week is off the table too.

[Horse with no Name]

82. I hear you

I was thankful that I got 4 days out of the Thanksgiving meal.
However, after almost a year, the SO got a job today, albeit at a little less money initially, I think in the long run, it will turn into a better job.

[L0oniX]

53. Today in a 7/11 I saw a guy with a kid buying a 6 pack of beer, $5 worth of lotto tickets, a pack..

of cigarettes and a pack of Twinkies for the kid. Yea that's some cut back for the kid I guess. I hate seeing that shit go on. People need to get their priorities right. Damned trailer trash!

[Liberal_in_LA]

57. Periodically I see a person buying their 'groceries" and the local convenience store.

Usually the person doesn't look too upscale either.

[JeanGrey]

70. I see those types all the time. Usually at least two or sometimes

three kids in tow, stairsteps, with raggy clothes on, buying his 12 pack or sometimes case of beer, carton of cigs, and lottery tickets. Usually driving a piece of crap that is held together with spit.

[enid602]

2. lucky

They're lucky to be alive, after having dined at IHOP on a daily basis for so long.

[babylonsister]

3. Ha!

:rofl: :thumbsup:

[K8-EEE]

45. THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING!!

IHOP EVERY DAY??? OMG....that's gross. I can't even remember the last time I went there!

I'm lucky to have lots of cool ethnic indie places by me -- kabobs, fish tacos, curry, thai, all manner of yummy cheap-ish stuff but honestly, I don't run out for takeout on a busy day like I used to.

Now I'm more likely to dig a little deeper in the fridge and come up a salad and pasta or a can of soup or something, spending $50 to fill up the car can put you in a more frugal mindset for sure!

I do kind of feel like I've gotten some better habits from the gas crunch, taking the subway more, eating less take-out food and coffe etc. If gas ever gets cheap again, I still probably won't go back to my old spendthrift ways.

[Saturday]

4. In my vicinity (Chicago burbs)

a Fridays and a Cracker Barrel closed their doors in the last year. I was shocked because they always seemed to have business. Interesting article.

[Cha]

6. Movie Gallerys are closing

like hot cakes around our neck of the woods. :)

[China_cat]

12. Our IMAXX closed in Sept.

[Bozita]

21. ... but, but, payday loans stores are opening everywhere around here.

Think of the job opportunities.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

23. I've actually seen 3 close down in my neck of the woods...

OR recently passed new rules that cap the fees they can charge. It does my heart good every time I pass the closed-up shopfronts. :)

[MadMaddie]

44. This is one of the shadiest unchecked businesses in the nation

it should be made illegal. I am curious about who owns these businesses because you really only see them in lower and middle class areas.

My dad got caught up in the bullshit and my sister and I had to get him out of the cycle....once someone is caught in the cycle it's almost impossible to get out.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

67. Don't know the principals, but they are publicly traded companies.

[MadMaddie]

78. It would be interesting....these companies are taking huge

advantage of our military folks too...around military bases they are on every corner...

[KingFlorez]

8. Devastating

Oh, it's so devastating not to be able to eat out every night, NOT. Have these people ever heard of cooking their own meals and eating at home?

[tech3149]

27. My idea of eating out

One Grande soft taco from Taco Hell. It's about the cheapest I can get and not toss my cookies. I only do that when I'm too lazy to cook or don't have the time. Still it's a rare occurrence.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

30. That's not the point, though, is it?

The point is that until recently this couple could afford to eat out, and now they can't. It was just a small luxury they have had to give up. It's not a hardship for them, of course; and there's no reason to pity them, but the issue isn't their small loss, but that now there's a waitress who won't be getting their tips any more and a restaurant that won't be getting their business. Multiply this by the many other people who have decided they can't afford to eat out any more and you have restaurant employees who rely on tips as a major part of their income taking a hit, or maybe losing their jobs altogether. You have restaurants buying less food, employing fewer people, maybe going out of business. Now there's an empty building, no property or income taxes being collected, which incrementally harms the entire community.

Don't sneer at people who have had to give up non-essential things like eating out or buying a new car or taking a vacation. That's money that isn't being spent to employ somebody else.

[KoKo]

37. Good points...thanks for pointing out the loss of jobs that our 'Service Industry' relies on...

All those folks who have jobs in the stores that sell China Junk that we don't want to buy are feeding their families by having those jobs.

It's a huge problem that folks will be laid off in the last refuge they had to earn money now that most of our manufacturing has been 'offshored.'

And, in most places, unless one goes to church and has friends there, going out to eat is a way of breaking a routine for many folks where they get to see people and feel part of their society. Same with shopping. With the death of community activities...eating out and shopping replaced the group community activities enjoyed by many of our parents and grandparents.

[blondeatlast]

42. Nicely put. As the economic struggle hits further up the scale, more jobs

will be lost at all levels.

Wehn even service industry jobs are precious, wages will NOT go up.

This is bad news--and it's important to remember that the poor and middle class drive the working economy because they spend a far larger percentage of their incomes than do the wealthy.

[Chulanowa]

58. Well, everyone on this thread lives off of lentils and rainwater, obviously...

[kestrel91316]

10. I noticed a big drop in the lunchtime crowd at the Baja Fresh

near my office A YEAR AGO, and they are still down.

There are plenty of crappy restaurants that we could stand to see go under. The good ones will be able to pick up the slack. Fabrocini's (family-run small local Italian chain with GREAT food) is still packed every night, and deservedly so.

[Cha]

18. Well, there ya go!

It'd be nice if all this led back to family owned businesses where the products are excellent and the mass produced junk is abandonded!

[kestrel91316]

62. Hear! Hear!

[China_cat]

11. Geez, we get once a month if that

and then it's paid for by the union because I help keep their membership rolls and don't charge them for it.

(The local president tends to get upset if we don't go once a month at least)

[NNN0LHI]

13. I noticed the slowness myself

Raised my tip for the waitresses because of it too. Them ladies work damn hard.

Don

[Akoto]

14. Used to eat out a few times a week at my house, but ...

Money's a lot tighter now. We go out for breakfast at the local cafe on Sundays, and eating out for dinner is more of a luxury for once or twice a month.

[K8-EEE]

50. Confessions of an ex-takeout queen!

I used to think nothing of stopping to pick up kabobs, tacos, thai or whatever on the way home. Wow now it's once a week max. My kids LOVE subway veggie sandwiches :eyes: so sometimes they split a big one and I'll make my husband and me something else, although I do tell the kiddies to ditch the "combo"-ing...I'd rather have them have some iced tea and fruit or something from home with it, than the mindless chips-and-soda stuff they push, besides, when you don't get the drinks it's so much less expensive (and less TRASH!)

[CrispyQ]

16. Some comedienne, can't remember which one, said in one of her routines:

"When I call out to the kids that it's time for dinner, they grab their coats & go to the car."

A woman I worked with related to that. Her family ate out almost every night & she ate out at lunch every day & she wondered why, with their family income over $100k, they still lived paycheck to paycheck. They would go to places like Chili's & TGIF. I'm not familiar with the menu's at these places, but I can't imagine a family of four would pay less than $40 for dinner. Times that by 4 or 5 nights a week -- holy crap! That's a lot of money. And they still have to purchase some groceries.

[RebelSansCause]

68. self-delete n/t

[treestar]

17. Each person who needs to economize will pick a different

thing to economize on - some will still eat out but won't watch movies. Some will watch movies but not go to amusement parks. Some will go to amusement parks but not buy extra clothes. This'll have an effect on all but the most essential.

If we could just get those illegal aliens deported, this would not be happening! :sarcasm:

[yorkiemommie1]

19. Cutting back

My husband is retired and I work parttime for the school district so we are on a fixed income although financially comfortable. But we've cut way back because of rising healthcare and longterm care premiums, rising gas prices, even tho we don't drive around much.

We shop at the 99cent store for a lot of items now! I'm scared of what the future may bring and don't want to outlive my funds.

[stillcool]

20. we tried to indulge...

with a pizza last Sunday night...but all the joints were closed. Not enough biz to stay open on a Sunday. Then again half of the stores on Main Street are empty...the ones that always seem to have customers are thrift stores, banks, and bars.

[SoCalDem]

74. Pizza is ONE thing we never go out for..My family's spoiled by MY pizza

and I can have a pizza on the table in less than 15 minutes:)

[knitter4democracy]

22. We've cut back a lot.

We used to eat out at least once a week, usually two to three times. Now it's once if that.

[lame54]

24. Here's why:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jTW0y6kazWM

[AndyTiedye]

25. We Went Out to Our Favorite Indian Restaurant Last Week and It Was Empty

And they were running a buffet. That's gotta hurt.

[OldMarine6012]

26. You could have fooled me

Where we live the resturants are ALWAYS busy, expect at least an hour wait for a seat at a couple of places we go.

[babylonsister]

28. They seem busy here, too, though I can mostly judge from cars

in the parking spaces, not firsthand accounts.

[OldMarine6012]

29. I called

our favorite restaurant had a wait last night of over an hour, so we went across town to another one that usually does not have a wait and got right in.

[KoKo]

38. Holiday fatigue? Too many folks pent up cooking that Turkey and they had to get

out of the house? Visiting relatives...? There could be alot of reasons Restaurants would be filled on Thanksgiving Weekend. It's the rest of the time...and the cheaper fast food places that would take the hit from the day to day folks. :shrug: Also, some parts of the country could be doing better economically than others, at this point.

[OldMarine6012]

39. actually

these places are ALWAYS busy like this. One place we like to frequent normally has a 90 min wait time if you wait till 5:30-6 to call. Since my wife is on 3rd's what we usually do is go a bit earlier and get right in.

[KoKo]

47. Are the places you go..."Franchise" OR "Local Folks" you've visited for years

because the food is great and consistent? :shrug:

[OldMarine6012]

65. Both actually

In our small town there is not much of a choice as far as decent restaurants to frequent. One has DAMN good fried chicken on Wendsday and Saturday nights all you can eat so we go there alot and its local but to get anything other than that you have to leave town. There is an award winning Ribs place a half hour or so north of us thats local and we go there on occasion if my wife is in the mood for the Ribs, but for steaks we go to Texas Roadhouse. Have gone there for years and the management knows us and takes care of us, plus I love their salads.

[HeeBGBz]

43. My restaurant was slammed Friday but the rest of the weekend wasn't

Friday's shopper crowd was evil. I got cussed out by three different customers because they didn't get their milkshakes quick enough. Horrid snarly beasts.

The rest of the weekend went much better. They weren't tipping all that great though.

[Skittles]

60. LOL

here's an idea: try not to base what is happening to America at the hands of the repukes to simply what YOU see

[dysfunctional press]

31. NO SEX THREADS!

nt

[earth mom]

32. Pockets picked. My that hits it squarely on the head now doesn't it?

:grr:

[cascadiance]

33. Makes you wonder if the CEOs of these fast food companies will still get huge bonuses...

THAT is the f'ing problem! When the elites at the top of these companies don't realize that not only does paying such different salaries to the low end and the high end of their employees not only screw those on the bottom, but it also ultimately comes around to bite them in the ass when collectively those getting screwed start screwing their profits when they get less business! It's time for shareholders, etc. to start saying NO and that they need cuts in salaries if the economy sucks because they've been raping it for too long!

[4_TN_TITANS]

34. Johnsons... I'd like to introduce Reality

on behalf of the rest of America.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

35. See #30.

[Kurovski]

36. I never knew it took more than one person to get that job done.

:shrug:

[Mike03]

40. Glad you posted this.

Maybe I can talk my friend out of buying Cheesecake Factory stock.

This is rather intersting, because the old addage about depressions/recessions used to be that people would cut down on almost anything before they would give up eating out or "entertainment", which used to mean going out to see movies.

Sounds like times are a'changin'

[KoKo]

41. One thing I noticed that "Crock Pots" and "Slo-Cookers" are flying off the shelves.

I needed to replace a slow cooker I've had for years and it seems either everyone's old slo-cooker, Crock Pot went on the fritz at the same time...or folks are thinking more about having dinner ready when they get home than in the past. One store had a sale on them and there was only one left...I'm seeing flyers advertising them like they are a new "hot item" when I figured I was one of the last people who even used one!

Everywhere I went they are a "Featured item" with few left on the shelves. I thought that this must mean something... I mean...who thinks of Crock Pots as something "hot" these days unless there's a need for them. Folks who are working who can't afford to grab take out on the way home? :shrug:

[K8-EEE]

48. I treasure my circa 1970 garage sale crock pot!! The new China made ones SUCK!

My mom gave me a pretty stainless steel model a couple of years ago -- I returned it to the manufacturer TWICE because it would blow out, or overheat/burn the food. I'm so happy I kept my ugly old one.

I actually never really COOK in it anyhow (IMO, stuff turns out too watery if you don't really SIMMER it), but serving chili, soup or cider at a party, you can't beat it.

[Initech]

46. This is exactly what these corporate scumfucks want.

They want us to sacrifice to pay for shit like gas and so forth. One more year of this nightmare.

[shimbo]

54. One more year?

One more year of this nightmare

Ha.
That's what YOU think.
Try three.

[Initech]

56. Three?

:shrug:

Of course, if Romney chooses Jeb as his running mate, we might as well just declare ourselves a theocracy and get it over with.

[Solon]

51. Not if you do it with someone!

TMI? :evilgrin:

[juno jones]

52. Eat Local!

If your're going to dine out once a week, consider giving that money to local and or regional buisnesses. Chain food is pretty much pre-made elsewhere and reconstitued at the franchise location. That's why they can sell those mixes and frozen food that tastes pretty much like the original product. Additives and preservatives. Local provide fresh food, often made from scratch without additives. They also seem to be safer health-wise, having incidents with salmonella, etc at a far lower rate than chain stores.

[Greyhound]

55. I made the mistake of eating at an IHOP about two, maybe three, years ago...

It was the first time I've ordered a meal that had no real food on the plate.

Eggs out of a carton, hashed browns out of a bag, some burnt bread-like substance with congealed vegetable spread on it, all topped off with artificially flavored HFCS.

Yum!

[Raine]

61. "dined out daily" (!!!)

:wow: it's a wonder they haven't ended up with food poisoning. :puke:

[SoCalDem]

75. You would be surprised (or maybe not) that many older people DO eat out almost every day

In some cases it's even cheaper. The portion sized are too large these days, and if one eats out early, and has a coupon, or has the early-bird special, TWO CAN eat pretty cheaply..

Coco's entrees are always too lage for one person, so if the other orders a salad, and they share it and the entree, and drink water with their meal, they can eat very frugally..This applies at almost all restaurants..

Even the damned hamburger are HUGE.. Many times, my husband and I have split a burger & fries..not to save money, but because we wanted a hamburger, but could not eat a whole one apiece..

Even if a place has a "split charge" , they usually won;t charge you if the second person at least orders a salad or dessert.

With the prices of groceries going up, an older couple may actually get more for their money sometimes, if they choose their restaurants carefully:)

[kineneb]

83. and they waste less food

cooking for one can get really tiresome and depressing. Sometimes it makes sense to eat out (if one has the $), rather than just skip a meal because it is just too much hassle to deal with food prep.

I was eating out a lot while Hubby was in the hospital. It didn't seem to make sense to buy stuff if I was going to be on the road all the time (hosp. is 50 mi. from here). Also, I was really stressed out and depressed, so I probably would not have eaten much at all otherwise.

[AmBlue]

63. Try to patronize the non-franchised restaurants

...that serve good food in your area. They are run by families who are trying to keep food on their own tables, so to speak, just like the rest of us. Simple economics dictates that they will close if there is no business. The franchises can always bounce back, but the mom and pop shops will be gone forever.

[hatrack]

66. Anecdotal, but . . .

My brother and I went out to Applebee's for a beer Friday night. OK, it's Black Friday at 8:00 PM in a smallish town about 50 miles from Kansas City. On top of that, the Wal-Mart Super Center is right across the road, and the place wasn't even half full.

OTOH, maybe everybody who got up to stand in line at 2:00 am had hit the wall for that day, so who knows?

:shrug:

[JeanGrey]

69. Oh Boo Hoo!! My heart is breaking for this couple because

they can only eat out "once a week" instead of "every day". You're kidding, right? I wonder if these two are overweight at all, ummmmmm????? Strawberry waffles every single morning! I'd weigh 400 lbs.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

77. See #30. You've missed the point, as have many others on this thread.

No, this couple won't suffer because they no longer can afford to go out for breakfast every day. Who will suffer is the waitress who won't be getting their tips and the restaurant that won't be getting their business. Restaurants stay in business and buy stuff and employ people because of the people who enjoy the luxury of eating at them. If people like the Johnsons can afford to eat out frequently, what's wrong with that? And when they can't afford it, who really suffers? I don't feel sorry for the Johnsons. I do feel sorry for the restaurant workers and owners who are losing income because people like them are cutting back.

It's Econ 101. Think about it.

[JeanGrey]

79. It sounds like trickle down junk to me. The rich can afford to eat out

everyday, but somehow the poor will suffer if they don't.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

81. Well, that's reality, isn't it?

I don't think someone who eats breakfast at IHOP is likely to be "rich," in any event. If I were rich I certainly wouldn't be eating there. But the fact, like it or not, is that the service industry depends rather considerably on expenditures of discretionary income. We really don't NEED any restaurants at all; let's just abolish them and then all those stinkin' rich people who patronize IHOP and Denny's will have to eat at home like us peasants. And all the people whose jobs depend on restaurants and bars and cafes and hotels can just find some other way to make a living.

[JeanGrey]

86. No, it's not reality. If I could afford to eat out at IHOP everyday,

I'd be a lot better off.

[renate]

71. We haven't eaten out as a family for well over a year... fine with me

My husband's family was, briefly (and therefore typically), in the restaurant business... it's a HARD way to make a living and I have every single sympathy in the world for restaurant owners.

A couple of times my family have gone out (when I was out of town), and we do grab a bite when we're on the road and it's cheaper to go to McDonald's than to go anywhere else, but otherwise we haven't gone out to eat in over 15 months. It's really not that painful a thing to give up (I'm the one who does the cooking, so I can say that). By shopping at Trader Joe's and Costco, and by avoiding meat or cutting down on it, I can feed four of us well at dinner for less than $10, easy. Going out to eat would be actually unpleasant for me because I'd be thinking about what could be bought for the $30 or $40 over the cost of an at-home meal.

I'm certainly not criticizing those who enjoy eating out, nor--by any means--am I calling restaurants overpriced, because they're not. Most barely make a profit.

[Bright Eyes]

72. Please tell me I'm not the only one

who thought from the title of this thread, it would be about sex?

:+

[SoCalDem]

73. We eat out every Thursday night with our youngest son,

and we have noticed a "thinning of the herd" recently.. We NEVER have to wait for a table any more, and there is usually a close parking spot at our favorites.

We usually do take-out on Wednesdays, because we bowl every week at 6:30 and my husband hates the bowling alley food, and even the drive thru line are shorter these days..

Before the smoking ban in CA, we used to eat out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, but when the weather turned chilly, we cut back to once a week, and just stayed with that "schedule"..(many places here have Patio Dining, which we actually prefer..less kids outside:evilgrin:)

My girlfriend and I sometimes go out for dinner on Tuesdays, again after bowling..my husband only bowls on wednesday's league), but we usually just go to Denny's since it's 10:30 PM when we finish.. It's our girls' night out..aren't we the party girls ?:)

[cleveramerican]

76. Maybe there's simply too many restaurants.

and not enough really good ones.

I always thought the restaurant business was part of the fashion business anyway.
" lets try that new place"

[Ilsa]

80. Dollar velocity is declining. The turover of the bucks is cramping

down as people have less to spend and are less certain about their financial futures.

From the article: "...which makes imported goods more expensive." And it seems like most things meet that description.

[nadinbrzezinski]

84. Hell not even going out for coffee is something I do that often

and today I went out, and damn it, I wanted to kill the place.

They had music in the background, so loud I could not hear myself think

I finished my coffee and walked out... I don't expect to go back to that place

You know it is bad when the IPOD cannot block them

And reality is, I can make my coffee at home

Oh and we go out what once a month these days?

[MilesColtrane]

85. Can the drop in eating out relate to the increasing divorce rate?

Tip Of My Tongue
The Tubes/Snyder/M. White

You somehow knew we'd meet again.
Now I understand.
If I look surprised don't be alarmed,
I've got you, in my arms.
I can almost taste it, and when I can,
(I won't waste the chance).
Just a lick away,
(Oh so close)
and baby there's one thing I know...
My heart speaks but the words play
on the tip of my tongue...
and no matter
what my lips say, you are still the only one.
Never been too cunning, I'm no linguist,
but I can tell you this ---
Ever since I left you I've been lost,
I'm walking in a fog.
We can lick this problem;
we can work it out.
Don't be impatient, and don't you run,
'cause I want you on the tip of my...
I can't find the words.
My lips are on their own,
and my speech is slurred...
can't even talk on the telephone.
I'll take a tip from you.
You say my French is pretty good,
so that's what I'll use...
If I could