The Only Constant in Life Is Change. -Heraclitus

We decided to go to a Japanese restaurant that we patronize regularly back in the day. (I will omit its name to protect the guilty.) The place was always hopping, full of customers, including many familiar faces, the sounds of teppanyaki cooking, and laughter.

Last Saturday, it was empty when we arrived, and by the time we left at 7:30 p.m. The interior was like a museum. No renovation, no upgrades, the same old (read dirty) upholstery on aging chairs and the original now tarnished bathroom fixtures.

When I tried to order a Japanese beer, which they used to have, the server told me that they only had Vietnamese beer. It reminded me of an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia that didn’t serve cappuccino because they said they didn’t have enough space for the coffee machine. WTF revisited.

The food was nothing to write home about. Even the ginger tasted stale. The most delicious item was the seafood salad. The ramen broth had no taste. A bowl of ramen without a rich, tasty broth is like a day without sunshine.

The owner isn’t trying hard enough. (He once had four restaurants and now there are two.) The restaurant market has become much more competitive since his restaurant opened its doors nearly 20 years ago. In addition, there was the pandemic, a relatively new zero-tolerance DUI law, and official restrictions on government employees enjoying lavish lunches and dinners on the taxpayer’s dong. All of this means you have to aggressively market your business, maintain quality even if with fewer staff for the time being, and create an appealing environment and atmosphere that customers enjoy and want to return to.

Speaking of marketing, have a look at the English section of their website:

WHY CHOOSE US?

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Sitting there, music playing in the background, the Vietnamese word that popped into my head was buồn (sad). I also thought of the expression you can never go home again. Businesses that insist on resting on their laurels will become irrelevant and cease to exist.

Will I return? Only if I’m in a charitable mood.

Shalom (שלום), MAA