Restaurant disappointment... (San Antonio, Alamo, Anton: real estate, insurance, houses)

[SsnTktHldr]

Originally Posted by rd2007

I think these guys know a little more about restaurants.. News Release | Press Room | National Restaurant Association

and it's not hard to see it every day either. A lot of places are not like they used to be, except for those that serve value meals.. McDonald's January same-store sales up 7.1 percent - Yahoo! Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/McDonalds-January-samestore-apf-14292334.html - broken link)

San Antonio will probably buck the trend as far as overall numbers, but I can see some overpriced ones dropping off into the tar pits

I think that just shows you're not familliar with what we're talking about. I don't think we needed a National Restaurant Assoc. report to tell us that restaurants hurt in bad econoimic times. Those stats are collected from participating companies mainly your 500 unit plus chains.

By the way, nothing in that report says fine dining is dying. Check the openings and closings thread, look at what is closing and what is opening. I think you'll find the amount of high end openings over the past 2 years and the next 2 years far outweighs the closings.

[djw]

Could the Rodeo have anything to do with the crowd (or lack of)?
It's a big draw for a lot of folks, and quite the money sucker if I recall!

[Ripshin]

Biga does well with the tourists/conventioneers. It's too much trouble for locals, especially when you have to tack on hefty parking fees. (They may have free valet, but I doubt it.) It's former location was BEHIND the old Paesano's, in a white house. Customer loyalty is hard for some places to lock in, especially in this financial climate. Some restaurants deserve to bite the dust - like Merchant's (Alamo Heights). They were charging $11 for three pieces of calamari. The Alamo Heights crowd is hard to nail - they're mainly SACC (new money) or The Argyle (old) folks.

[Kerowyn]

san antonio and food go hand in hand. unfortunately people are going to start getting wiser with thier money and more selective on their eating habits. ie more frugal. I see Americans become more like the families I knew when I lived in Italy. They save for a month then go to thier favorite restuarant. Still they hit the local sandwhich and pizza places with gusto weekly.
I saw a show on american 'recession' eating or something to that effect. The only places that seem to be doing well are the ones that offer hamburgers on the menu. Hamburgers even gormet version are less expessive but give the diner the meat they crave.
Personally my dining out hasn't changed yet, most likely wont since I was already budgeting my money for such luxury events as eating out, movies, and travel. It all in the how one budgets ones life I believe.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Kerowyn

san antonio and food go hand in hand. unfortunately people are going to start getting wiser with thier money and more selective on their eating habits. ie more frugal. I see Americans become more like the families I knew when I lived in Italy. They save for a month then go to thier favorite restuarant. Still they hit the local sandwhich and pizza places with gusto weekly.
I saw a show on american 'recession' eating or something to that effect. The only places that seem to be doing well are the ones that offer hamburgers on the menu. Hamburgers even gormet version are less expessive but give the diner the meat they crave.
Personally my dining out hasn't changed yet, most likely wont since I was already budgeting my money for such luxury events as eating out, movies, and travel. It all in the how one budgets ones life I believe.

Interesting. I've cut back on eating out in the past couple of years, but that's really the low-end places - places with burgers/grub. The kind of st I can easily do myself, I find eating out for that a waste of money. Instead when I eat out, it tends to be at the higher end places where I go for the whole experience.

I'm not a huge fan of Biga (too rushed) as there are other places I prefer, but it's quite the popular place.

[SsnTktHldr]

I totally agree...

[mtdave2]

Originally Posted by rd2007

umm, places that are "a little pricey" are probably going to go the way of the dinosaurs. I do not think there is much of a market for them here in SA or anywhere else anymore. I've never been fond of spending a lot of money on something that's going down the toilet the next day and I think a lot of other people are seeing quite a few things as just not worth the money. Think about how much groceries you could buy or how many meals you could eat at Wendy's for the price of a $100+ meal. It's a lot and it would take over a week to have all that go down the toilet..

you are obviousely not a "foodie" lol.

[sarahdsmom]

I agree with a pp, 10 is a little late. When we go downtown on a weekend to eat it's always between 5-7 and busy everywhere you look.

[jwebtx]

My wife & I periodically hit Biga and always find the food to be solid to very good. The wine list is okay, but we always find something worth trying. Our regular waiter is great and probably 1 of the main reasons we make a point to go back. I have never found the food to be pricey for the experience and food they offer.

To their credit, they always offer 1 or more 3-course prix fixe options at a reasonable set price. That is in addition to the free glass of bubbles they offer you for booking online. Parking is inconvenient? They have valet parking at the front door. There are also garages within a short walk if you want to save $4 or 5. Risk making your wife walk in heels at your own risk.

10 pm is late for San Antonio. Heck, 9pm is late for the majority of San Antonio's "fine" dinners. The 30 something and younger crowd here that spend money on food seem to populate chain restaurants with reckless abandon. Maybe they are more packed come 10? Just an observation...

[Bo]

Originally Posted by SsnTktHldr

Come on people, support your local restaurants. I have heard many rumors of restaurants going under, 95% of which have been untrue, but how long will that be the case? I don't want the economy to come back and most of the places I love to eat have closed their doors!

I believe you're right to be concerned. I went to a favorite north side restaurant about 10 days ago. This place has ~30 tables and would have been 2/3 full a year ago on a Friday night. There was one other table occupied when we walked in the door. The waitstaff was one server. A handful of other people came in while we were there, but I was glad that we gave the place our business.