Why The Restaurant Industry is Arguably the Most Important.
Eating. The single most important activity that brings friends together in celebration, turns friends into lovers, and turns acquaintances into friends. Most major events of life are observed at restaurants, around tables brimming with food. As our world gets busier, people start to seek alternative options to home prepared food, hence always keeping restaurants relevant.
From the cafes of Paris in the 20’s, to the Martini lunches of the 50’s and 60’s, restaurants have always played a vital role in the business, social, intellectual and artistic life of society.
More restaurants are opening up now, more than ever before. Why is this? The answers are simple:
Urbanization
Most of today’s Americans are now residing in urban cities. This has doubled in comparison to 100 years ago. Living spaces are getting smaller and the number of living spaces crammed into small areas is tripling. This means much smaller kitchens and even less room for congregating around a dinner table to enjoy a meal, or in a family room appreciating the company of family and friends.
Digitization
The world is changing. There is no denying that. Everything has become digital and/or virtual. The special thing about restaurants is that you can’t eat megabytes or meet your family for dinner at a virtual restaurant. The appeal and staying power of the restaurant stems from the fact that it can’t be imitated or duplicated. There is no way to re-create a restaurant without actually having the space and the food that a REAL restaurant does.
Staying Power
You will never hear that your favorite restaurant is taking reservations from a call center in India, or is mass producing their food in a much cheaper facility operating out of China. Your favorite restaurant is composed of 2 non-replaceable factors: The manufacturing facility – the kitchen, and the sales space- the dining room.
It is undeniable that restaurants are a staple in today’s society and in the societies of our future generations. There will always be a need to congregate, relax, and socialize. One of the very few businesses that cannot operate without the live energy of human interaction, and will always be around for that very simple reason.
