They are out to get you...

Restaurant owners have a lot to worry about. In point of fact, if you happen to own a restaurant and you are not worried, you are probably in need of some kind of psychiatric care. There are approximately one-million restaurant critics out to get you. And the one-million number is not exactly an exaggeration. It's all about the internet, and so many sites make it possible for anyone to write their own review about your restaurant. In the old days, you worried about the food critics of your local newspapers and city magazines. Things have changed, and it's not all for the good.

My advice to all owners is to identify these sites and have a minimum of ten of your friends submit glowing revues on your behalf. Don't laugh, because tons of restaurants actually do this. The problem is that your competitors can easily have ten of their friends tell the world how horrible your restaurant is, and they can do it without a single visit. If you don't believe me, just click on citysearch.com. It can be a restaurant 3000 miles away and in a few seconds, you can tell the world about your memorable dining experience. Depending upon your mood, you can praise them or rip them.

And now, for better or for worse, a new crisis has arisen. The restaurant bloggers are everywhere, and in all fairness, many of them are actually very well done. One of my personal favorites in New York is Eater.com and they even list a host of other restaurant oriented blogs. The names can be as interesting as the information they carry...The Food Nerds; A Full Belly; Gaijin Girl; Gastro Chic; The Grinder; Lovescool; Mona’s Apple; NYC Nosh; Restaurant Girl; Somethink to Chew On; and Vittle’s Vamp (just to name a few). They tell you about openings, closings, and worst of all, restaurants that are soon to close.

When Chef Gary Robins resigned (or was removed) from the newly re-opened Russian Tea Room, his actual letter of resignation appeared immediately on all kinds of blogs. It proved to be an unexpected bashing of the owner, and he can't be happy about it. This is what the blogs are all about, and they present an entirely new set of circumstances for restaurant owners. The blogs have infinitely more freedom than the traditional media, and their information is basically instantaneous.

It's a beautiful thing for the fans of the always intriguing restaurant business. It can be yet another potential nightmare for the owners.

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