That’s not ideal…
click to read NZ Herald hospitality owners report surge in negative mental health amid declining profits
What’s happening in the hospitality sector is really concerning. It’s true that some venues, be they café’s bars or restaurants thoroughly deserve to go out of business with their over-inflated prices, surly service and awful food.
But that happens in any economy. If you aren’t giving people what they want, you’ll soon find yourself needing to go and do something else to pay the bills.
Most hospo people are doing it because they love what they do and from what I’ve seen, food and booze really get in your bloodstream (so to speak) and it’s something very different to manufacturing widgets. It’s a passion and when the doors are open and nobody comes, it is soul-destroying.
It makes these poor people feel that they have failed in life and the evidence is that they have been rejected by everyone. That’s a big, public slap in the face by anyone’s measure.
I don’t for a moment think I have “the answer”. In fact, I don’t think there really is one answer to rule them all. But, it is clear that people’s habits are changing and hospo would do well to examine those trends and formulate a strategy to deal with it.
We happen to live in Kirikiriroa/Hamilton and the very clever Matt Stark recently put the ghastly old Waikato Regional Council’s building in Ham East to great use as a mixed emporium of eateries, bars, a food refillery and assorted other interesting things.
From what I can see, this is a concept that works really well. People can wander around, choose some food from one outlet, some from another, beer, wine or cocktails from others still and get together in the central eating hall where they can share tables or eat alone.
If it sounds like some awful mall foodhall, it isn’t. What it is, is a different way of doing hospo that works for people. It is very casual, no booking, no waiting and always things to look at as you wait for what you’ve ordered.
This is not a puff piece about Stark Properties or about Matt. It is a reminder that when it comes to hospo, you need to give people what they want. We are old school attendees of restaurants and cafes, so the fact that Made has increased our eating out by quite a lot says something about behaviour and the changing patterns of what people enjoy.
I feel deeply for the many businesses that are suffering out there and the mental toll that it must be taking, but I think there are ways of doing things that could turn their fortunes around.
If you are in the restaurant or café business and you’d like to bat some ideas around in the pursuit of restored fortunes, please feel free to contact me on +64 275 665 682 or john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
I’m not a hospo whizz, but I do have the ability to think laterally and sometimes all you need is to get a fresh perspective. You’d be most welcome.