“Bail Out” Dining

“Bail Out” Dining

When the belt-tightening first began we heard a lot about restaurants feeling the first pinch because people tend to cross restaurant dining off their luxury list as a first-line budget measure.

So we were surprised recently when chatting with a couple of restaurant owners who said their business is good:

“Our business is actually up since the recession started,” says Doug Smith, who co-owns West Cafe in downtown Portland, Oregon with Sean Concannon. “Everyone is watching their wallet and our strategy has always been folks shouldn’t consider eating out to have to be a “special occasion!” We have many who join us several times a week for lunch or dinner and have commented that eating at home would not save them that much money. We offer our “Bail Out Dinner Deal” six nights a week as well as reduced prices during Happy Hour ... which is very popular with the budget conscious.”

Connecting Over Food

West Cafe’s large windows look out on a sparkling city while inside the space is warm, hip and comfortable. This is why we go to restaurants. It’s a wonderful treat to have a delicious meal prepared for you while you dine at a table that doesn’t also have a stack of mail pushed over to the side and Polly Pocket dolls strewn about the floor.

Doug and Sean add that “People want to get out and enjoy good food and their city with other people. You can do that without spending too much - an entree, a glass of house wine and some live jazz can be had for around $20.”

We intend to keep eating out - it fuels the local economy and we love connecting with people over food - but we may make some changes: splitting plates, skipping appetizers, or just going out for dessert and coffee after dinner cooked at home. You don’t have to feel cheap if you do that - restaurants are happy to have you!

We’re still young in the life of the Fruugalist, and we thought we might try an interview format like this once a week or so. Let us know what you think!