The topic keeps coming up. Not long ago I posted about a Chowhound discussion on the changes in some South Florida restaurant menus to accommodate taste. The discussion about recent restaurant closings has also been kicking for some time on Chowhound and others. Today’s Herald takes a look at the situation.
South Florida fancies itself as a cosmopolitan playground for the rich and trendy, but its restaurant market is discovering the recipe for success looks a lot more like a giant slab of steak than black truffle risotto.
…
This year, at least half a dozen high-profile restaurants have closed, reflecting South Florida diners’ preference for simplicity and value and the rising cost of doing business.
Some show little confidence in Miami diners.
”I don’t think Miami is capable of being a big foodie town” said Mango Gang founding member Norman Van Aken …
”Miami was a better place in the early ’90s,” Van Aken said. “What’s happening today is one step above fast-food nation.”
The current landscape may be frustrating to some, but if all these closings are going to result in more neighborhood joints by great chefs as the article suggests, maybe this is a good thing for South Florida dining.
tags: South Florida dining, Miami Herald, Norman Van Aken, Chowhound
I meant to post this comment here but posted it on the other post of similar discussion…
See, I disagree with this notion that restaurants HAVE to ‘dumb down’ their menus to attract Miami clientele. Sure, most people in Miami are dumb and pretty set in their ways. But I dont think it needs to be pointed out. Its quite obvious. Besides, any chef that complains and blames the people of an area as the reason for his restaurant’s failure is a goddamn fool. Wouldnt you want to research an area before starting a restaurant there? Would you eat at a restaurant where the chef insults you by saying that you have no taste? I sure as hell wouldnt do either, and you can bet that I’ll never eat at a Van Aken restaurant. His place failed because he became complacent and his restaurant became yesterday’s news.
I think that a lot of these new restaurants fail because they fail to bring anything else to the table besides just food. There are hundreds of options for dining in Miami. I can name at least 5 great restaurants in South Miami, Gables, Grove, Brickell, and SoBe. Maybe even more than 5 in some areas. My point is that you really have to give people a reason to come spend their hard-earned dollars at your restaurant. To me, the successful restaurant is the one who not only serves great food, but serves it in an atmosphere that adds to the food and maybe adds to the dining experience in another way. A great example of this is Jaguar in Coconut Grove. The food is a mix of ceviche and latin american food. The ambiance is really cool and seems to go with the theme of the restaurant. To top it off, the ceviche is served on spoons, which is a creative, out of the box medium that gets people talking. On top of it all, they go out and actually advertise in publications to reach others and pull them in to the restaurant. The Grove is a really tough market to succeed in (mostly because business owners dont include “marketing” in their business plans and the Grove doesnt market itself effectively at all) so I think if a place like Jaguar can succeed there, a similar model can apply to other areas in Miami.
Bottom line is that it seems like every jerk with a chef’s knife is starting a restaurant these days and hoping to get rich. Remember, 50% of all restaurants fail early, and 50% of the remainder fail a little later. Being creative and giving people a reason to dine is a good way to make the cut in my opinion.
The real problem isn’t that Miamians don’t like good food. The real problem is that we’re getting a little tired of paying huge wads of cash to enjoy it.
I loved the food at Norman’s. But I simply couldn’t afford to eat there very often.
As gas prices, taxes, and fees rise, there’s less money to spend on luxuries, and eating out at a fancy restaurant is just that - a luxury.
Rather than “dumb down” the menu, restaurateurs should find ways to serve interesting fare for less; avoid the expensive trendy locations, and don’t waste huge amounts of money on interior design.
The best seafood I’ve ever had anywhere is the Oar House, up in Lake Worth. The place is a dive; mismatched chairs, and the only decorations come from beer distributors. But there’s always a line around the building. Why? Because you can’t eat like that anywhere for the price.
Norman’s was great; but I’ll trek up to Lake Worth to the Oar House any day.
It is a shame that restaurants are closing, but I think it’s more due to high overhead (location, staff, decor, etc.) than to lack of public interest.
For about a year now a group of friends and I gather once a month to try a new, preferably *exotic* restaurant. We’ve had South African, Ethiopian, Bengali, Korean, Filipino, Haitian, German, Russian (most of us are Hispanic, so it was relatively exotic), etc. and we have a great time and always find something new and exciting.
As CL Jahn said, maybe if restaurants lower their overhead they would fare better. Also, they might consider the BYOB trend, very popular in parts of the Northeast.
Just my 2 cents.
Great Blog!