Hey, I’m back! The long ice cream/tourist season is over…and
the word is…GOOD. And that’s how I would
describe this year - good. But not great,
and not terribly crazy, either. The last
couple of years were hot, hot, hot; both in Seaside and the Portland metro area. By that I mean the weather – lots of 90° days
mean folks flock to the beach (and to the store). This year was not so hot and frankly, ice
cream and tourism are both weather-dependent.
Sure, people come to Seaside no matter what’s going on outdoors, and
some folks eat ice cream every darn day, but weather has its effect both on how
many come to town, and what they do once they get here. As a result, we had a very good year, but not
quite to the extent of 2014 and 2015. The
ending was a bit abrupt, but we ran out of ice cream faster than
anticipated. That’s a GOOD problem to
have.
So for the last week
or so we’ve been cleaning up and catching up.
Working during the summer months is pretty much 24/7. It’s work, work, work, and there’s no time to
get the car maintained, get a haircut, etc.
So that’s what we’ve been doing, and, as we’ve been busy running all
these errands, we’ve been eating out a bunch.
We never do this in summer either, and as a result of all this eating
out, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend.
More and more eateries are moving to what I refer to as an “eat
and get the hell out” ambiance. Now, the
picture here is of an infamous spot on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and Bob’s
Grill mostly plays the theme for fun (like Dick’s Bar makes fun of being a dick…sort
of). What I’m talking about is a
deliberate, but inconspicuous attempt to make diners feel uncomfortable while
eating, and making their stay short (and profitable, I assume, as the
restaurant must be looking for a fast churn).
Though it seems bass-ackwards to me.
Let me explain.
We all know about fast food joints making their plastic
chairs uncomfortable to sit in so that you’ll order, eat, and leave (and maybe
next time just take it to go, leaving more room for other customers). But the things I’ve seen of late boggle the
mind because they seem so counter-productive (no pun intended).
For example, the infamous salad and soup buffet house Sweet
Tomatoes used to play classical music in their restaurants. This was appropriate and refreshing (and
about the only place I’ve EVER heard classical music beyond some hippie joint
tuned in to NPR). Now, the corporate
heads have decided that today’s modern/loud/pop music is just the thing lunch
customers want to hear. Loudly. Sadly, this trend pops up (pun intended) at
most chain stores. No matter what the
target market, all the music is geared to 20-somethings or less, and at a
volume that makes dinner conversation a lost art because no one can hear
it. I SAID IT’S PLAYED AT A VOLUME THAT
MAKES DINNER CONVERSATION A LOST ART BECAU…never mind.
Like I said, this is done DESPITE the target market. Now I am guessing on some of this, but for
the years we’ve been going to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes, the bulk of the crowd is
50+. Yes, there are some working stiffs
(again, older ones), and a few families with small kids, but it’s the era of
music from the 70s, 80s, or maybe the 90s; certainly not that of today’s modern
swill (don’t start me – I was in radio for 20+ years and know swill when I hear
it). Worse – go to “senior time” at Sweet
Tomatoes, when damn near EVERYONE is 60+, and the music doesn’t change, nor
does it get any quieter.
Last night we went to a new brew pub that was supposed to be
“upscale” (in an upscale town with a pricey menu). To our shock, there were no waitstaff – you ordered
at the front, and they brought it to you.
There were TVs on with the game, but as for any other ambiance…nada. There might have been one picture in the
lobby, but you couldn’t see the brewery, and the décor was wood benches and
tables and walls and windows…and that’s it.
Did I mention the pricey menu?
Yes, the food and beer was good (not great), but I was still hungry when
we got home. And because there was no
waitstaff (just “bussers” to clear our empty plates), dessert was never
considered (can’t linger too long to watch the game, I guess). We might have wanted another pint. Or stick around to visit with the other couple
we went with (who we haven’t seen in a couple of years and lives 10 hours from
here). Nope, we felt rushed, so we
left. I’d say, “it’s their loss,” except
they already extracted a goodly sum from us.
Now remember, I own an eatery. Our ice cream parlor is quite small (seats
14) so when we get busy in the summer I am aware and sensitive to the “there’s
no place to eat” problem. We are
fortunate to have a patio (no seats, though) where customers like to go out in
the summer to “hang” and eat their treats.
Still, there are always times when tables are full and there’s a
couple/family/group who have already finished and yet they tarry a bit…and a
bit longer…and longer…and it gets to the point where you want to find a nice
way to say, “eat and get the hell out.”
But in all of the situations I described above, this isn’t
the case. There are PLENTY of seats to
choose from. Overcrowding is NOT a problem
and utilizing an “eat and get the hell out” strategy seems downright dumb. Yes, they may have problems at other times of
the day, and yes, I know that there are some folks who overstay their welcome as
a matter of habit. Ironically, once
place I’ve seen such is at Sweet Tomatoes.
On two occasions there have been large family groupings (in the center
of one side, at their long tables designed to hold large groups), where they
were finishing their meal as we arrived, and when we left…they were still
there. Obviously, they planned on
camping here for a while. So I know it
happens.
But are all restaurants going to this “eat and get the hell
out” strategy? When were at Sweet
Tomatoes earlier this week, I noticed that they are in the process of
remodeling. The new décor seems colder,
less inviting…
…and they’ve taken the long tables out, too.
