I have never owned a restaurant, and I will freely admit that I have always struggled with math. I made some assumptions that have proven to be incorrect, and I must apologize to the very industry that I pretend to help. I won't bore you with the details, but my mistake was assuming that giving away some 75% (Groupon and the multitude of copycat programs) would basically be a disaster for the owners that choose to participate. I now discover that these owners are smarter than I will ever be and the results are all that matters.
I obviously made many mathematical errors because I was thinking the wrong way. I was actually convinced that if your total costs were more that the 75% that you are giving away, somehow there would be a problem. And without compromising their quality, the restaurants (all by themselves) figured a way to make this work.
I forgot about all the new people who discovered your restaurant and had such an amazing experience that they returned time and again (even without the coupons). I forgot that all these Groupon folks told all their friends about your restaurant and it becomes a tremendous marketing benefit. One of my biggest mistakes was thinking your waitstaff would not be happy with this crowd. Now I discover that they tip on a dramatic basis and everybody wins.
I almost suggest that some of these owners should be involved in our Government. I now believe they are more than capable of solving most, if not all, of our nation's economic problems.
While I continue to feel like an idiot, there is one thing that bothers me. I can't understand why the restaurants that have great food and great chefs haven't embraced
these much needed programs. I now fear for their survival, and I urge the really good restaurants to get involved with the popular discount craze as soon as humanly possible. I am aware that all the costs are rising, and that 75% seems prohibitive -
but if it wasn't working, why would all these restaurants be doing it?
We all make mistakes... I am sorry.
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