It was the best of food, it was the worst of food…

Joe’s Food Stop

If you were planning on catching dinner or any meal for that matter at the local favorite Joe’s Food Stop, you knew you had to get there early. Joe’s did not require reservations, but maybe should’ve because everybody went to Joe’s, there was always a wait, sometimes the line went out the door all the way to the sidewalk. People were happy to wait as the wafting “sweet-smelling savors” of Joe’s kitchen whetted their appetites.

Joe’s never advertised, never had to. Joe’s reputation spread fast throughout the community and beyond. What made Joe’s so popular was the outstanding quality of the food and at a fair price. People would’ve, and thought they probably should’ve paid more for such generous portions of such consistently delicious and quality food.

As for the atmosphere at Joe’s, sure their was the customary music piped in from a local radio station, standard scenic pictures on the walls, bathrooms were functionally clean, customer service was solid, but it was the FOOD! The consistently delicious, healthy, fair-priced, generous helpings of tasty food that brought people in and brought them back, that built a clientele of patrons who served as walking advertisements for his restaurant. Not only did Joe’s not need to advertise, they were going to build a dining annex (with unused advertising money) to accommodate breakfast, lunch, and dinner crowds which were overflowing.

Joe’s secret; consistently delicious quality food, pleasant atmosphere and good service at a fair price (Joe’s reasonable service).

Center City Culinary Cuisine and Cafe

People asked, How does the Center City Culinary Cuisine and Cafe (otherwise known as the 5C’s) remain open? Most had been there once, but only once, vowing to never return. The 5C’s also had customary music piped in from a local radio station, standard scenic pictures on the walls, bathrooms were functionally clean, customer service was solid. But what the 5C’s didn’t have was the one thing they should’ve had, GOOD FOOD. They were a restaurant after all, edible prepared food was the main business, everything else was secondary. Customers reported bland, flat tasting leftovers, not just from yesterday, but from last week. Frozen “entrees” shown on the menu as hot dishes were served cold, or worse, half-hot half-cold as a 700watt microwave is wont to do. They became known for their suspicious “everything” mystery stew, as it was noticed that the dumpster behind the restaurant rarely got emptied.

Yet the 5C’s, with its handful of regulars (relatives of the owners and a few stragglers) somehow trudged along. They did advertise, but never mentioned their food or specials, but only how the local population was somehow “obligated” to patronize them as their building was an historical landmark and they were a long time community member, so forth and so on.

Somewhere along the line the 5C’s lost the vision, if it ever had one in the first place, of its primary purpose; that being obtaining, preparing, and serving quality food. And for the longest time residents debated on how that flickering and faded “open” sign remained on with 1 or at the most 2 cars in the parking lot. That is, until the secret got out…

It was being subsidized.

Lesson: The restaurant business is all about the food. If the food is consistently good, patrons will become regulars and regulars do come back.

GS