Every dine-in is a lesson

As an operator, I rarely eat out just to eat. Every restaurant is a live case study — even the ones that seem ordinary. Especially those.

A restaurant is like a factory and a retail shop combined.

You might not see the kitchen. But you can read the menu.

You can observe the staff. You can feel the space.

Even the type of customers — or lack of them — tells you something about how the business is run.

Recently, I visited a Japanese restaurant I found on Google Maps.

Decent food. Fair prices. Clean setting.

But one thing stood out — the drinks were expensive for the kind of environment they had. Not outrageous, just… off.

It was dinnertime. But aside from my table, there were no other customers.

The location wasn’t bad. Quiet but convenient.

The food and service were fine.

But clearly, something wasn’t clicking.

That’s the lesson.

If you’re going to charge a higher price — even for beverages — you need to create something that makes people want to stay longer, pay more, and not second-guess their decision.

Price isn’t just about numbers.

It’s about positioning.

In a big city with plenty of options, people compare you with everything else nearby. If your customer profile is narrow, your reach is limited.

But if you moved that exact same restaurant — same food, same pricing — into a suburban neighbourhood with less competition, you might win.

Not because you changed.

But because the context did.

Every dine-in moment teaches you something.

Not just what to do.

But where, for whom, and why it works — or doesn’t.

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