EVERYBODY EATS: THE STATE OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
RESTAURANT CONSULTANTS OF AMERICA™
Everybody Eats: The State of the Restaurant Industry
It all started, as you might expect, in Paris.
A chef named Boulanger opened Champ d’Oiseau in Paris, France, in 1765. This was the first restaurant on record, and it came about because Boulanger had the audacity to try something new in the business world—serving food for profit at an outside establishment. Until then, chefs had worked for the wealthy, and everyone else cooked their own meals. But the concept of restaurants started to spread around 1789 when more chefs who were employed by the wealthy found themselves out of work and took to the idea of feeding the public for a price per meal. The French Revolution, it seems, spurred a revolution in how people ate.
By 1826, Union Oyster House was founded in Boston, and Delmonico’s was founded in New York City in 1827. After World War I, the changing lifestyles of the American people (spurred especially by the invention of the automobile) prompted sweeping growth changes to the restaurant industry.
In recent decades, many concept and industry changes have occurred as a result of the increasing importance of convenience in the mobile society. This chapter describes the current state of the restaurant industry, including the risks and threats to the restaurant business and the many opportunities that exist.
Some Recent Restaurant History
By the mid-1980s, there was a variety of restaurants to cover every taste imaginable and a concept to fit within every budget. Every corner had a restaurant, or so it seemed. That growth trend continues today. Approximately 13,000 to 17,000 new restaurants open in this country every year, and the concept designs and table fare continue to blossom.
People no longer go to restaurants simply to eat. They go to be entertained, to meet with clients, to build social relationships, to relax and unwind, and yes, to save time.
The restaurant consumer has grown to have very high standards. Because of the large influx of unique and varied cuisine, the American palate has become both educated and critical. Our desire for great products and services at a fair price has become intense, and our loyalty to any one restaurant is liable to change. Restaurant owners and chefs have come to realize that they are no better than the last meal they served. There are too many dining choices for them to be complacent.
