Will restaurants in DC survive the current situation

[Anonymous]

Mass closures.

People are done spending $49 for a $20 dish. No one can afford it with mass layoffs for the largest employers in the region. It will cascade to lawyers, lobbyists, consulting, contracting, etc. Then all those people will spend less at cafes, restaurants, car and home repairs, boutique shopping.....it's a complete collapse.

I guess that's one way to get inflation under control. A local Great Depression.

[Anonymous]

Business meals will pick up. Musk and the DOGE dudes probably eat power bars. But new appointees gonna lunch with stakeholders. You think Marco doesn't dine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:well we went out mon night place was almost full <$120 for us 3 i think it's business as usual. nova.

NoVA restaurants don't have these ridiculous 20% mandatory surcharges with waitstaff soliciting tips on top of them.

[Anonymous]

I honestly think there will be a wide economic downturn in dc, like we have not seen for a century. It’s being gutted. You can dismiss my opinion, and I hope I’m wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mass closures.

People are done spending $49 for a $20 dish. No one can afford it with mass layoffs for the largest employers in the region. It will cascade to lawyers, lobbyists, consulting, contracting, etc. Then all those people will spend less at cafes, restaurants, car and home repairs, boutique shopping.....it's a complete collapse.

I guess that's one way to get inflation under control. A local Great Depression.

Regardless I’m not ok paying $50 a plate of basic food not including anything else plus tip. $15-20 ok, not $50.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:well we went out mon night place was almost full <$120 for us 3 i think it's business as usual. nova.

NoVA restaurants don't have these ridiculous 20% mandatory surcharges with waitstaff soliciting tips on top of them.

I’m tired of the tipping. Just pay them a salary.

[Anonymous]

I think places in the suburbs will be especially hard hit. Feds still employed are going back to the office and those who lost their jobs are being frugal. While the big banks and the DC mayor like to complain about all the empty offices and storefronts downtown, there is no doubt the last few years were good ones for restaurants, especially more casual ones, in the suburbs. They are going to lose in a big way.

[Anonymous]

More will close. Some will pivot by cutting hours or offerings or some such.

[Anonymous]

Trumper administration people are horrible customers too. I know a lot of people in the restaurant industry and they all hate them. Obnoxious bunch, as you might expect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:well we went out mon night place was almost full <$120 for us 3 i think it's business as usual. nova.

NoVA restaurants don't have these ridiculous 20% mandatory surcharges with waitstaff soliciting tips on top of them.

DC does?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here what kind of restaurants you think will survive ?

High end ones probably first to go right ? And more affordable might survive?
Most Feds I know saying if they are RTO they will bring their own lunch . I actually do it everyday

Most Feds have always brought their own lunch to work. This is nothing new.

+1
I couldn’t afford to buy lunch back then and certainly not now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:well we went out mon night place was almost full <$120 for us 3 i think it's business as usual. nova.

NoVA restaurants don't have these ridiculous 20% mandatory surcharges with waitstaff soliciting tips on top of them.

DC does?

Several mid-tier DC restaurants I've been to have it. It's up to the establishment. Haven't seen as much of this in NoVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for pointing that out. I feel terrible for the people in the DMV who are losing their jobs. However, that doesn't negate the cost point. I am able to order basics from restaurants that I then supplement with additional protein and starches to stretch the meal out. The grocery store prices are out of control.

Where on Earth do you live that the groceries are out of control compared to mid tier restaurants? Some kind of food desert in Arkansas? Or Oklahoma? I feel sorry for you.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s going to peter out and amount to not that many people fired in the DMV anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:well we went out mon night place was almost full <$120 for us 3 i think it's business as usual. nova.

NoVA restaurants don't have these ridiculous 20% mandatory surcharges with waitstaff soliciting tips on top of them.

DC does?

Several mid-tier DC restaurants I've been to have it. It's up to the establishment. Haven't seen as much of this in NoVA.

Yes we went to one in dupont circle. I just circle the surcharge and don't leave more on top of that. That's how it should work.