Sep 26, 2008 11:32 pm US/Eastern
More People Eating In, Restaurants Feel The Pinch
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
It's Friday night, but the bad economy and penny pinching have many Marylanders staying at home, instead of enjoying a night on the town.
Kelly McPherson reports businesses are feeling the pain of people deciding to eat in.
Going out for dinner is more difficult with a tight budget.
At Jack's Bistro in Canton, the owner offers most entrées under $20 and specials throughout the week as incentive for customers to splurge.
"There's no filet mignon here because it's simply too expensive. So you begin to look elsewhere for different kinds of meat that generally are less expensive," said Ted Stelzenmuller, spokesperson for Jack's Bistro.
While this restaurant says the local neighbors are keeping their tables full, nationally it's a different story.
The restaurant association says revenue is down, thanks to the economy. Supplies cost more. Fewer people are dining out.
"I haven't really changed, but I've always been pretty conservative about how much I spend," said Sarah Stocks, Baltimore resident.
Here's the twist--the earnings for spice manufacturer McCormick and Company are up.
The Baltimore County company's CEO says people bought more spices this last quarter compared to last year because they're cooking at home more often.
To compete, local eateries focus on price options.
Three restaurants in Fells Point are owned by the same company. The owner says they're able to stay afloat during this economy because the restaurants provide enough variety to attract just enough customers to pay the bills.
Those customers seem happy to contribute.
"Unless I'm going to go to Washington and help solve the problem, I"m not sure how much I can really help. I'll just keep putting money in the economy and hope that has an effect," said Tom Mulgrew.
With that theory, owners can see beyond the tough times.
"You just have to stay positive, especially in this industry," said Stelzenmuller.
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