Page 110 - SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE FALL 2019

data storage, credit card fees, lost productivity, escalating leases, leases
that cost more based on gross sales, maintenance, maybe some advertis-
ing, ever-changing food costs based on weather, tariffs, and the price
of fuel, theft, walkouts, licensing, health department, OLCC… The list
goes on. There are more ways to lose money than make it.

Those are just some of the constant challenges for a restaurant. Owners
have noticed other things changing over time. Some of the challenges
they face now are different from 30 or 40 years ago.

Most commonly, there seems to be a difference in employees over the
decades. Hamilton remembers more long-term people who treated res-
taurant work as a career in the early years. Hayes agrees. “People seem
to want employment only on their terms now.” While there’s nothing
wrong with employment on your terms, restaurant owners have a busi-
ness to staff. New employees shouldn’t expect to cherry pick the best
shifts, or the shifts that only make their schedules easier.

There is a feeling that 35 years ago employees were more eager to work,
and more ambitious about proving themselves. Maybe it’s different
because of low unemployment, or maybe it’s different because of things
like the emerging cannabis industry that grabs would-be employees for
cash-in-hand work. Whatever the reason, it’s harder to get good employ-
ees now than it used to be. Ask any owner. They will tell you exactly that.

The way people eat has also changed and presents new challenges. There
are multiple new diets and ways people want their food. 35 years ago,
you didn’t have to have gluten free, vegan, paleo, or keto menu items. All
of these owners mentioned that they’re happy to make substitutions. As
Evans says, “The answer is yes, what’s the question?” But it’s a different
kind of eating environment than it used to be, and that’s something that
from the finest these places have had to adjust to.

organic food to More than one of the people interviewed commented on the rise of peer

award-winning review sites like Yelp. “It used to be someone had a bad experience, they
told 10 people,” says Hayes. “Now they tell everyone on the Internet.”
local wines Peer review can be a good thing, but as a restaurant owner myself, I will
admit that we dwell on the bad reviews because we are here to serve. We
want your experience to be good. Many times the complaints are things
that, had they been brought to us, we would have gladly fixed.

Running a restaurant is not an easy task. Most are gone by the 10-year
mark. So what does it take to have longevity—to be the 30-, 40-, or
70-year restaurant? It takes a willingness to serve the people and enjoy
— AND — it. It takes long hours, and keeping track of every tiny thing that can lose
you money. It takes the balancing act of consistency, nimbleness, and
The Café staying relevant. It takes hiring the right people, and finding employees
who will “take care of your baby.” It also takes luck on occasion and
coming up with creative solutions to difficult problems. But more than
anything, what you hear from these owners is that it takes a love of the
industry. By definition, restaurants and owners with this kind of longev-
Open Daily 7 to 9 ity truly are uncommon. Thirteen years in, I applaud them and others
945 S Riverside Ave like them.
(541)779-2667
medfordfood.coop

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