What do you think of an empty restaurant?

[Kajikit]

I think your restaurant (and food) look absolutely beautiful! I'd think that the 'weeknights=empty' situation is a simple matter of logistics - you say your restaurant is out in the country (so presumably it takes people an hour or so to get there) and they simply have more time for the trek on Saturdays!

[chuchelo]

Well, since you rely on word of mouth (and I accept my friend's recommendation) and because I've made a special effort to be there, I'd be pleased not to see the place heaving. Assuming I enjoy a delicious meal and excellent service, I'd talk it up to anyone who would listen just so it wouldn't close!

[Shelby]

We have a small restaurant located in a lovely, but remote location.  We get no drive by traffic -- everyone makes a reservation.  Since we've been open (a short time) we've received some really nice reviews and good publicity.  That said, we are almost entirely dependent on word of mouth.  People have the perception that we are an impossible reservation and some will book months in advance.  Saturday nights are usually packed and we do have to turn people away most Saturdays.  Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, however, can vary wildly from very busy to depressingly empty. 

Here is the question -- what would you, the dining public, think if you came to our place on an off night and found 15 people in the place? Would it depress you?  Could you have a good time if everything else was to your liking - food, service, etc?  Would you think the place was failing and does that impression have greater ramifications (i.e. do people start spreading the word that that the restaurant is not making it - a perception that could snowball - or do people give us the benefit of the doubt since we are new?)

I am curious as to your thoughts.  We torment ourselves about about a really slow night more because of its effect on someones dining experience than even the effect on our bottom line. 

Thanks!

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I'm kind of a shy person and I love having the place to myself! Some of the best food I've had was in a restaurant with just the 2 of us eating. Excellent service, too lol

[laurelm]

I dont mind an empty restaurant, I travel alot and move alot, so sometimes I dont have many options or knowledge of an area. In my experience, an empty restaurant does not mean it is bad.

One of my favorite restaurants suffered from being very slow during the week, but was always busy on weekends and holidays- they did a few things that picked up business, email newsletters, wine tastings, and wine Wednesdays- 1/2 off bottles of wine.

I am not a big going out to dinner on weekdays fan- but I went to wine weds, quite a bit

By the way, beautiful website, menu, and info. Love the story of getting your dream place, my husband and I want that down the road as well.

Good luck to you and congratulations!

[docsconz]

I'd go in, worry about the restaurants survival, and enjoy myself.

And then tell lots of people how good it was, to improve its chances of being around for me to visit again.

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Assuming that there was something to attract me to the restaurant to begin with, I would do the same. This is a frequent problem where I live that has bedeviled some of the best new restaurants. Aside from the possibility of the restaurant not being financially viable, the one thing I would worry about would be freshness and quality of product. If that can be maintained then the restaurant should ultimately be fine if the underlying cooking is good and the restaurant provides value.

Good luck!

[wallchef]

Empty restaurants on a Friday and Saturday can be a bit off putting, mid-week is a little less concerning.

Have you thought about ways to 'reduce' your seating capacity during the week?

Maybe removing tables or sectioning off a portion of the dinner room. If the restaurant looks full, people get the idea that it is the place to be.

[Fat Guy]

A couple of weeks ago, Still River Cafe received an "Extraordinary" rating from Stephanie Lyness, who reviews Connecticut restaurants for the New York Times. This is the highest rating available to restaurants reviewed in the Connecticut section of the paper. The scale is "Extraordinary, Excellent, Very Good, Good," so "Extraordinary" is the Connecticut equivalent of the four-star rating in New York City. The review concludes, "The food is as lovely as the dining experience is pleasurable. But what gives palpable purpose to this excellence is the realization of the Brooks family’s risky dream of living a Connecticut life defined by the largesse and the limitations of the land."

This prompted my mother-in-law, who lives in New Haven, Connecticut, to drive out to Eastford this weekend. I just got her off the phone -- she couldn't stop talking about how great the meal was.

I noticed in the review that the restaurant is now open only Friday-Saturday-Sunday, which I think makes sense as a temporary move. But with the raves the place has been eliciting, I think we can look for an expanded schedule down the road.

I hope the first eGullet Society member to dine at Still River Cafe will start a new "reports and discussion" topic. Looking forward to hearing about it, and to making it out there when I can.

[Txacoli]

Last January we felt lucky to get a last minute reservation at Zortziko in Bilbao, Spain. When we arrived, we were the only people. At first we thought we were in the American dining room, and the fun was elsewhere. Nope. We were their entire night....in a Michelin starred place in the middle of a big city.

It was slightly creepy at first....but the food and the wine service were so good that my wife actually cried.

I just now made reservations to go back this January. I really don't care if anyone else comes or not.

The mark of a really good place is that the same attention to detail, and the same quality of ingredients are there for the guest no matter how many people show up.

We have a place in the middle of nowhere, 28 miles from town in a valley on the far side of a mountain. After four years, we are reservations only at the first seating.

If you cook it, they will come. Be patient and have faith.

[jbzepol]

Looks lovely-- congratulations. Next time I'm in New York I'll squeeze in a day trip to CT and try it out; looking forward to your review FatGuy.