waiter cutbacks

Looking for a last-minute reservation at a hot-spot restaurant in New York, San Francisco or anywhere in between? The good news is you can most likely get in without waiting months for a reservation. The bad news is service may not be up to snuff, since the economic downturn is forcing eateries to cut staff.

The famous (and high priced) Michael Mina four star restaurant in San Francisco’s St. Francis Hotel announced it is soon closing on Sundays and Mondays, after October/November sales declined 10 percent. And across the country restaurant consultants say culinary establishments are seeing sales declines of 10 to 40 percent. That is much worse than watching a client skip out on the bill in an industry with already slim profit margins.  read more »