A Message for Restaurant Customers

A message that I wish restaurant customers truly understood…

The unfortunate truth of owning and running a restaurant.

Running a restaurant is really hard.

What they don’t tell you is that it can cause severe stress and anxiety, and drains you mentally to the point of depression in even the most laid-back people.

People will talk about you, compare you to others, use you, they will view you as a service and not a person anymore.

Friends and family will expect discounts and people will value you and your hard work less than a big chain restaurant.

You have to worry about if you forget to return a call or text, are they going to think it was on purpose? Did you disappoint them? Will they hold that against you? When in reality you just can’t get to everyone’s calls and texts.

Starting up and running a successful restaurant puts incredible strain on personal lives and relationships, many of which fail because there is just often no work-life balance.

You often need to be the manager, the server, the bartender, the cook, as well as the admin, the marketing team, the accountant… All the while being a parent, a husband or a wife, family support, friend…

There’s a reason you don’t see many people succeed in restaurant ownership after 5–10 years. If they are successful, they are overwhelmed.

It takes a toll. It’s freaking exhausting. Especially the past couple of years when so much has been out of our control.

Here’s a small reminder that restaurant owners are just normal people with hectic lives.

Be kind, be patient, support local restaurants… and hopefully more will stick around!

And know that 2022 prices are not 2023 prices.

I copied this from a small business owner that I support and revised to reflect restaurant owners who are facing similar challenges, and then some!

Please support your local restaurant, and please remember most franchise restaurants are also locally owned and operated! 💖💖💖💖