I was riding around Naples and Bonita Springs yesterday and I was noticing how many businesses were closing their doors. The high season is over and if a business can't make it in season, why prolong the agony.

I was mostly interested in the  restaurants that are gone, since that was my career in a past life. I owned and managed restaurants in New York city and northern New Jersey. I began to notice that the places that shut down had certain things in common, besides a lack of customers. Their menus were outdated. They were tired looking and shabby. Not necessarily dirty, but just old. But mostly they just weren't good enough.

Restaurants that focus on pizza, and comfort type food for instance, have to look at their new competition Everybody has their favorite style of pizza or tomato gravy . ZA-ZA, Capri, California Kitchens, are all places with good ideas, good food and brand new. People will try these places. If their old haunts are better they will return to them . Aldo's, Aurelios, Gatsby,s and Moravella's are these types of places. They are good enough. They are excellent neighborhood restaurants. I don't have the time or gas money to travel across the county to get to these places, but if I even go near one of them, I need a pizza fix and my car goes on auto pilot right into the driveway.

Of course some restaurnt owners just get old and tired, like me , or they lose the drive needed to sustain a first class operation. You have to be very good and stay that way if you want to be a contender.

I have said my piece and I am sticking to it .

 HTTP://www.JohnKaloostian.com

JohnKaloostian@KW.com