A few comments on NYE's service. In short, a great night. We topped last year's customer count and sales. More importantly things went smoothly and I'm confidant our customers noticed. Despite the absence of a server (called in sick, never fails) the dining room ran like a clock with my wife Patrice and guest hostess Cory,(Our daughter)at the helm.
As far as 2008 goes, I'm glad it's over. A rough year dominated by the closing of The Yellow Rose. A seemingly "all consuming" task. That should be put to bed once and for all within a week. You add the dismal economy on top of that and it makes for a bleak year business-wise.
Personal-wise, we have sold our home and will be moving very soon. The added stress of selling a home in this market hasn't helped our already amped stress level either. The up-side is we are now prepared for whatever this economy throws at us.
With all that behind us we're excited about 2009. Building improvements and new marketing plans will be our focus. A new website is also a priority. We also hope to travel more and spend quality time in Door County.
Food-wise, I think you're going to continue to see an emphasis on sustainable and natural. Local sourcing and chef to farmer hook-ups. It will be all the rage. The benefit of this movement is I think it will bring the focus back to the food. Simple, real and comforting food. I think restaurant design will follow. In other words "retro" with a sleeker more modern look. Prices will be an issue. Operators will want to keep the prices down but will have ever increasing budgets to cover. For the big guys, something's got to give. Their customers won't notice it for a couple more years yet. Then they'll go the way of Cork and Cleaver, Steak and Stein and my Alma mater Victoria Station.
Let's hope it's a peaceful and prosperous year for us all. Happy New Year!
