I just finished reading a disturbing article in the Atlantic about the de-socialization of America brought on by a flurry of factors from cell phones to the pandemic, political polarization to television, and the car ownership phenomena thrust upon us at the turn of the previous century. In summation, we (Americans) are aloof when it comes to gathering with others and in some cases even fearful of doing so. There are so many opportunities for us to become introverted, staying away from public gatherings or even becoming close to anyone outside of our biological family. Young people are less inclined to meet after work for that social cocktail, gather with friends and break bread in a restaurant, attend a movie in a theater, join social organizations, attend church on Sunday, date another person, or even pick up a phone and talk to another human being. We relish the opportunity to work remotely, to take classes on-line rather than sit in a classroom with others, stream a show or movie on our home theater set-up, order our food through Uber, make our purchases through Amazon, or simply stare at our phones as we death scroll through exaggerated stories, misinformation, or wild conspiracy theories. Young kids avoid playing outside in favor of playing video games by themselves or with an on-line partner, and family meals have been replaced with microwaved processed foods heated at your convenience and taken to a private place in the home. It really is frightening to think about.

As a result – loneliness is at an all-time high, fear and loathing are rampant, depression is a real concern, radicalization is something we read about every day, marriage and birth rates are down, college enrollment is faltering, polarization over everything from politics to sports and product brands we support to religion are ever-present, and America seems to be drifting apart rather than coming together. Now, obviously this is not the case everywhere, but it is present in most communities. Should we just accept this and shrug it off as the evolving nature of humankind, or should we take a hard look at what WE might do to slow the tide or even turn it in a different direction?

In this case, the WE I am focused on are those of us in the business of restaurants. WE have held, for more than a century, the key to bringing people together. WE are, in many historical cases, the light at the end of the tunnel and the first place where people find hope in numbers, promise in the face of despair, and opportunity when other parts of society have failed us. We can help to stop the social decay that continues to grip our neighbors and family members in a tight hold on the joy of being with others. Restaurants are a key to happiness. Now, is that an exaggeration? Is this statement a bit over the top? I don’t think so.

Look at some of our darkest hours and see how the local tavern, bistro, café, trattoria, or pub has managed to pull people out of depression and give them hope in the human experience. During and after the travesty of the War for Independence, Civil War, WWI and WWII, Korea and even Vietnam, it was the restaurant or tavern where people gathered to try and forget the bad, find hope in the good, relish friendships, family and community, and even plot out their next steps toward a better time. When we have endured economic collapse or near depression economic times, we still found ways to get together and find comfort in the company of others who suffered through the same. In all cases, as we managed to struggle through the tough times, it was the restaurant or bar where we could unite to celebrate our resilience and find hope for a brighter tomorrow. Even when two sides of an issue have been so polar opposite to the point of anger and even hate, a great plate of food, and raised glasses filled with wine or ale allowed us to realize that we were more alike than different. Restaurants are POWERFUL and always an antidote for impossible times. We need to flex the muscle of that power again as a silent killer works its way through our society. Restaurants need to bring people together and stop the societal decay that comes from isolation. We need to emphasize the importance of togetherness and help to turn frowns into smiles. What we do is MORE IMPORTANT than a great tasting plate of food or a full bar of drink options. WE need to re-learn what hospitality means. So, here are some thoughts:

[]       BRING BACK NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR NIGHTS

Create a special list of current and former steady customers or those whom you would like to see become steady customers and develop direct mail invitations to mingle with their neighbors. Build a neighbor-to-neighbor newsletter and celebrate new menu items, profiles of your employees, neighborhood birthdays and anniversaries and build all of this into your neighbor-to-neighbor restaurant nights.

[]       CREATE MEMBERSHIPS WITH BENEFITS

Offer restaurant memberships (for a small fee if you like) that include a great package of benefits such as free wine classes, try our new menu item tastings before they go to print, member discounts, special menus for members.

[]       LOCAL CELEBRITY HOST NIGHTS

Make a list of those individuals who are the life of the party or have local notoriety (newspaper editors, local artists or authors, the mayor or other community leaders, athletes, etc.) and feature them as your host for the night. Let the invite and advertising promote them and have them meet and greet at the door, touch base with tables during dinner, and become the center of attention.

[]       TELL YOUR STORY THROUGH FOOD NIGHTS

Guest neighbors and your staff for that matter, can design a special menu for a night that reflects their heritage and life experiences. Your staff would execute it, but the story connections would come from the featured individual.

[]       LEAVE YOUR PHONES AT HOME NIGHTS

Give a special gift to everyone who leaves their phone at home driving more conversation and less scrolling.

[]       FOOD TO GO – INSIDE

Keep your online ordering and to-go packaging but coax people to bring their bags of food to the table and stay for a while. A good way to start easing them away from dining at home. Celebrate their decision to stay with maybe a free appetizer or dessert.

[]       CELEBRATE LIFE NIGHTS

Offer guests an opportunity to stand up to a microphone and tell the dining room crowd what they are grateful for. Like a karaoke night of thanks instead of music.

Anything that you can do to show that your restaurant is a safe and welcoming place for socialization. Food and beverage become the icing on the cake rather than the primary reason to be there.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER – BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

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