Signs of the Recession Taking Its Toll...

[Chris Amirault]

"Healthier" portioning.

Water conservation preventing the server from keeping your glass filled.

Bread upon request only.

Frantic upselling.

[wax311]

Caviar being replaced on the menu with chicken wings

Vendors putting restaurants on COD

Servers complaining about 10% tips and threatening to finally find "real" jobs

High-end trendy joints closing by the dozen

[nickrey]

Top restaurants putting on cheap prix fixe lunches to keep the money flowing.

[tsquare]

Fancy restaurants opening for weekend brunch.

Everyone having double happy hours - normal early evening and again for two hours before closing.

[MattyC]

The Bistro I worked at in the fall having a for rent sign up in the window with everything cleared out.

Bummer.

[jvalentino]

Closed.

Closed.

"new menu" + fewer staff = soon to be closed.

$5 P'zones at Pizza Hut.

[MrGerbick]

Servers complaining about 10% tips and threatening to finally find "real" jobs

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its not just FOH. I hear this from many many many kitchen employees. As people that work on hourly pay, many cooks come to accept that your base 40 hour workweek isn't where you make your loot. Its generally accepted that overtime is where the bills get payed. When hourly employees go from making 20+ hours of OT a cheque, to not even hitting 40 hours a week, it causes chaos and major uncertainty.

"Real jobs" with real benefits and a real salary sound a lot more appealing than not knowing how much money you're going to have when payday comes around.

[tan319]

I was reading somewhere this morning that a new survey is showing a % like 71 % are staying where they are, across the board.

It has to hold tru for kitchens.

All I see are adds for servers & bussers.

[annecros]

I got two mailers today from surprisingly upscale establishments. Expensive print job, advertising decent deals, and two establishments I wouldn't expect to see via direct mail.

I'm glad everyone is doing what they can to stay competitive.

[brandonscott]

I'm in Texas..Austin to be specific. We havn't felt the recession like the rest of the country. We are, however, feeling the season...and this summer is slower than most. Where is everybody located that you are experiencing this downward economy?

[Chris Amirault]

I'm in Providence RI.

Here's a new one, from a place I liked, too: various iterations on "Buy something with alcohol in it now":

"Care to start with a cocktail?"

"The Magic Hat goes very well with that appetizer."

"Glass of wine with your main course?"

"Some brandy to close?"

[pastrygirl]

Accepting a salary that is what I was making 8 years ago, MINUS health insurance, and still feeling lucky to be the one who got the job.

[annecros]

Meat market half a mile away is gone. I could always depend on them to have a veal shank or two when I needed them.

Family run operation.