Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

medium.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

331–340 of 498 posts

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#331

Post by renewiltord »

darren_ wrote: post #317
MattGaiser wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it reads as the typical piece from the "bro culture" that massively ignores the rest of the world. Why should articles need to be generalized to the world? It certainly fits the Canadian and US markets. You can't have comprehensive coverage of everything and everyone in an article.

When their title is "Why Restaurants Are So Fucked" instead of "Why Restaurants In America Are So Fucked" is why.

I think one is expected to understand the context oneself or else the first time one's spouse says "There aren't any eggs" one may receive a terrific fright at the thought of the impending doom of all sexual reproduction on the planet.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#332

Post by kenneth »

simonebrunozzi wrote: post #215

I really dislike the way in which this article has been written - it reads as the typical piece from the "bro culture" that massively ignores the rest of the world. Besides this, which is not the point... 1) most restaurants in US and high-end Europe that survive and thrive do so by having big margins on alcohol. Their margins are not single-digits. (edit: just saw other comments mentioning this). 2) Many restaurateu…

A "bro culture" article written by a female entrepreneur who isn't from Silicon Valley… right. I think you need to check your prejudices.

1) plenty of restaurants don't sell alcohol, including it seems this one. she also had a point about how drinks aren't a great revenue generator given the price you can expect to charge in a fast-casual setting vs. the costs (higher than grocery stores)

2) how is the restauranteur's motivation relevant?

3) her restaurant isn't in the USA so I'm not sure how you can call it US-centric.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#333

Post by Falkon1313 »

MattGaiser wrote: post #277
gambiting wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buffet for me means one of these restaurants where you pay a fixed price and then eat as much as you like. That's not the kind of restaurant that is common in Central/Eastern Europe(in fact those all-you-can eat restaurants have never caught on here)

So what are they like?

Cafeteria style means you pick what you want as you go down the line, and at the end of the line you pay for what you picked.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#334

Post by superzadeh »

MattGaiser wrote: post #237
simonebrunozzi wrote: post #215

I really dislike the way in which this article has been written - it reads as the typical piece from the "bro culture" that massively ignores the rest of the world. Besides this, which is not the point... 1) most restaurants in US and high-end Europe that survive and thrive do so by having big margins on alcohol. Their margins are not single-digits. (edit: just saw other comments mentioning this). 2) Many restaurateu…

> it reads as the typical piece from the "bro culture" that massively ignores the rest of the world. Why should articles need to be generalized to the world? It certainly fits the Canadian and US markets. You can't have comprehensive coverage of everything and everyone in an article.

Maybe just adjust to title to avoid generalization. "Why Restaurants Are So Fucked in the US". Showing awareness goes a long way.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#335

Post by apta »

hnick wrote: post #278
JackFr wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah it’s funny that she ever mentions booze, where the markups are 200-500%. If you can use your tables and food to sell bottles of wine, you can really improve your bottom line.

Now that just makes me wonder how the economics pans out in an Islamic country.

There's always a way to make healthy profits without dealing in immoral and despicable practices.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#336

Post by rjsw »

smabie wrote: post #287
dba7dba wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So I know (not personally) this guy named Ian McCollum. He's kind of well known on youtube, filming/writing/presenting on a topic that is personally very interesting to him. He graduated from Purdue with a degree in mechanical engineer. But he didn't want to settle with a 9 to 5 job and a normal life, just to pay his bills. So instead he earned some extra small pile of money after college and set up a low cost life s…

Why didn't he just get a engineering job for 2 or 3 years? Presumably he would have made lot more money.

I don't know anything about the profitability of the area of engineering that he is interested in. Perhaps you could look into it and report back.

I'm sure he was a very good bartender.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#337

Post by somewhereoutth »

willvarfar wrote: post #312
simonebrunozzi wrote: post #215

I really dislike the way in which this article has been written - it reads as the typical piece from the "bro culture" that massively ignores the rest of the world. Besides this, which is not the point... 1) most restaurants in US and high-end Europe that survive and thrive do so by having big margins on alcohol. Their margins are not single-digits. (edit: just saw other comments mentioning this). 2) Many restaurateu…

Re point 1, there has been a major change in pubs in the U.K. All are trying to migrate into dining, as the margins on alcohol have fallen. Those that didn’t become restaurants have basically gone bust. There are no longer any normal classic pubs in England! I know a couple that tried to rejuvenate a failing “free house” in a tourist hotspot and failed. Passing the spot recently I saw it is now a pub restaurant like…

I once worked in a central London pub that wasn't doing very well - however they had the lease on all 5 floors, including the landlord's apartment at the top.

They opened one of the staff rooms on the second floor as a hostel dorm with a couple of beds, filled them no problem. By the time I left the entire building, apart from the bar itself on the ground floor, was hostel beds. £20-£30/ppn, 90 beds, nearly always 100% occupancy - a license to print money!

Sadly Covid19 will have crushed them I suspect.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#338

Post by Symbiote »

willvarfar wrote: post #320
andybak wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are no longer any normal classic pubs in England! A slight exaggeration, no? Whilst it's uncommon to find a pub that doesn't do food, I can think of several not far from me. (just outside Brighton). And "a pub that does food" is still quite far from being a restaurant. Some only do food on Sundays, some have limited menus run by guest kitchens and some get the food cooked by a nearby takeaway with whom they p…

“Pubs that do food” is the kind of thing I’m talking about! :) It starts with Sunday lunches, and slips into weeknights. It starts with order at the bar, and slips into little “reserved for diners” signs on most of the tables. It starts with the barman working the sandwich toaster and slides into teenagers in white blouses and knee length black skirts with name tags saying “trainee” asking you to wait to be seated as…

When I was very young, in the late 1980s, my parents regularly took me to two different pubs. Both had outdoor equipment (slides, climbing frame, sandpit etc) for children. One served food in the "lounge bar".

When I visit London, it's not difficult to find a pub with no children and no food.

Things have changed, but you are exaggerating it.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#339

Post by superzadeh »

hnick wrote: post #278
JackFr wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah it’s funny that she ever mentions booze, where the markups are 200-500%. If you can use your tables and food to sell bottles of wine, you can really improve your bottom line.

Now that just makes me wonder how the economics pans out in an Islamic country.

turns out the article is mostly focused on US restaurants; but I agree, German street food is not complete without a Pislner.

Re: Why Restaurants Are So Fucked

#340

Post by teddyuk »

willvarfar wrote: post #320
andybak wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are no longer any normal classic pubs in England! A slight exaggeration, no? Whilst it's uncommon to find a pub that doesn't do food, I can think of several not far from me. (just outside Brighton). And "a pub that does food" is still quite far from being a restaurant. Some only do food on Sundays, some have limited menus run by guest kitchens and some get the food cooked by a nearby takeaway with whom they p…

“Pubs that do food” is the kind of thing I’m talking about! :) It starts with Sunday lunches, and slips into weeknights. It starts with order at the bar, and slips into little “reserved for diners” signs on most of the tables. It starts with the barman working the sandwich toaster and slides into teenagers in white blouses and knee length black skirts with name tags saying “trainee” asking you to wait to be seated as…

Yes let’s get back to the good old days where the men went to the pub and any bloody women could go to the saloon bar .... arrrgh!
Post reply on HN