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Dining out
One of my favorite restaurants in SF is reportedly closing by the end of the year (the owner claims he won't be able to afford the new SF minimum wage, which, whatever, dude, it's a slow rise over three years, and your restaurant is popular; just jack up the prices a little and you'd be fine. Seems to me he was looking for an excuse to get out and took the opportunity to score political points -- he made the statement before the proposition even passed) so I went with a group for dinner tonight. A bowl of sangria, a pile of macaroni and cheese, apple crisp and make-your-own s'mores at the table. It all adds up to a good night, especially when you add in casual conversation with four of my best friends.
This is my Thursday Night Dinner crew -- a rotating group of about 20 people who take turns arranging dinner at a restaurant, almost every week on Thursday night (or sometimes Wednesday, depending on schedules). And this has been going on continuously since 1998, which is rather amazing, really. Sometimes we try new places, other times we visit old favorites. Luna Park is one of those favorites; I'd say we get there about once a year, on average, usually when I'm craving comfort food. I'll miss it, but I'm sure I'll find something else I like just as well. And hopefully the next one won't balk at paying its staff a living wage.
This is my Thursday Night Dinner crew -- a rotating group of about 20 people who take turns arranging dinner at a restaurant, almost every week on Thursday night (or sometimes Wednesday, depending on schedules). And this has been going on continuously since 1998, which is rather amazing, really. Sometimes we try new places, other times we visit old favorites. Luna Park is one of those favorites; I'd say we get there about once a year, on average, usually when I'm craving comfort food. I'll miss it, but I'm sure I'll find something else I like just as well. And hopefully the next one won't balk at paying its staff a living wage.
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I read the news article in that link. My cynicism also kicked in about the owner using a political issue as cover for his own desire to shut down. Too bad.
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-and after further research-
Huh, this guy decided to cut his losses already by not bothering to try to match the incremental increase; probably knew ahead of time the outcome of it. I guess he felt that he was speaking out for his fellow restaurateurs who might be feeling the same way, and does so by cutting his staff and the restaurant out.
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Which I guess is better than being flat out on the streets, but turnover like this would instill fear with other restaurant employees whose employers might share that guy's sentiments. I totally know that feeling since SB restaurant businesses are kinda like that, especially within long-standing establishments, though probably not as fierce as what SF's scene would be.
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From what I've seen, sometimes restaurant owners/chefs just get *bored*. Or tired and burnt out. (Chef/owner Chris Cosentino more or less admitted that's why our favorite place closed a few months back.) It seems like Luna Park is popular and in a great location, and they should be able to jack the prices up a little without losing their customers if that's what he wanted to do. (Hey, it worked for the Monk's Kettle, around the corner. *We* don't eat there anymore because it got too spendy, but the place is ALWAYS full.)
It's pretty great, though, that you have a core group of people who've been getting together for all that time. I think that's pretty awesome.