On Tap from the Pub

By Tom Field

Executive Summary:

Like a crime scene, there is always evidence of what happened and why when someone goes out of business; some clues are microscopic.

There were clues

We recently heard the news of two iconic businesses in Roanoke’s restaurant sector closing. Quite a few businesses in the service industry exited the market in one way or another (particularly in 2021) after a year struggling through the pandemic. But as we came out of the biological virus and watched nearly-destroyed businesses rebuild, the greater virus (primarily consumer restriction, supply failings, inflation, and most notably of all—labor/staffing shortage) is still inflicting its wrath on businesses that “almost made it.”

The two that really got our attention are The Roanoker Restaurant and Carlos Brazilian International Cuisine. Visitors enjoyed their distinctive footholds and cultural status to our Star City, while locals established long-standing traditions with both—primarily business breakfasts or family/ friend casual dining at one, date-night and special celebrations at the other.

As surprising, shocking, and unfortunate we found the news that two of our favorites might be going away, the attentive among us probably saw it coming. Those of us who report on business, the consultants and columnist like the ones who write for us here at FRONT, and most of all—the super loyal customer—felt something was amiss.

There were clues.

In most cases—the tiniest clues.

The greeting: a little less enthusiastic. The entre: just a tad bit bland in comparison to previous experiences. The sauce—more liquid and standing in the plate instead of incorporated like it usually is. The service—still good, but we noticed it took a little longer to get our food. The menu selection and price—those didn’t change all that much. The overall vibe and energy—a little off.

Again, the change—was subtle. Just a little off, dear Roanoker and Carlos.

We could also tell these iconic stalwart ships were sailing just a bit off kilter when we spoke to the pilots—the owners and management. A little less brightness in the eyes of folks who are usually all too eager to serve and please.

The experts and professionals we have writing our FRONTperspectives columns each month would be the first to tell you that the details of operating your business matter. Our two favored and popular restaurants may not be exiting because they failed to pay attention to the smallest details, but these small changes are revealing. Survival maneuvers could have included a myriad of changes to one degree or another: raise prices, limit