Lazy Lifestyle ‘Reporting’ Doesn’t Help An Already Struggling Restaurant Industry

The restaurant industry has been on a rough ride for the past few years. And the current administration's policies are exacerbating the issues. Tariffs, the immigration war being waged, and the country’s fall from favor as an international travel destination are all wreaking havoc on the industry, not to mention the plummeting level of consumer confidence across the country, which is hitting the top line and bottom line of hospitality spaces. 

Restaurants in response have been throwing away the traditional playbook and thinking outside the box — getting creative, and leaning into technology to save their businesses.  

Which makes a recent article published in the Infatuation, “Restaurants Used to Be Fun,” pretty disappointing. In it, the writer takes umbrage with the ways in which some restaurants are trying to be more efficient and streamline the dining experience. While it’s understandable that most people don’t know the realities of running a restaurant right now, the operator’s perspective is critically absent from this piece. I would hope that someone writing and reporting about restaurants — which can have lasting effects and damaging consequences depending on the piece — would at least try to figure out why things are the way that they are. Unfortunately that wasn’t done here. 

So I’m going to do what the author should have done, and break down why these restaurants do what they do, which is more likely for operational or financial purposes and not because they’re trying to ruin “the cultural experience of going out to eat.” 

Pitt’s in Brooklyn, N.Y. has a quirky, kitschy vibe that permeates everything from the decor to the food. This is all intentional and thoughtfully planned. Some of the staff wear headsets, which the writer is bothered by:

“As far as we can tell, the headsets are primarily used when a table orders a pancake soufflé so the chef can fire it immediately, shaving a few minutes or so off the prep time (and the time before they can flip the table).”