Heat Affecting Local Restaurants
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Money is getting tight for local restaurant owners who say triple digit temperatures are frying their profits. “The heat does affect when people get out,” said Randy Smith, executive chef at Baudo’s. “It tends to be in the summertime that people get out more after the sun sets. And it really hurts the lunch business.” It also hurts their pockets. Smith says the utility bills, which are already high, are likely to worsen. “We’re probably looking at about $5,000 for the month of August – if not a little more – $5,200,” said Smith. “So it’ll go up about $1,000.” In order to combat costs, Smith says he sometimes works alone in the kitchen. “We’ve staggered hours, we’ve cut back a little on hourly pay, we’ve made everyone come in a little later, we use one fryer instead of two fryers,” said Smith. “We’ve had to cut our usage of power back in the kitchen to offset how much we’re running our air conditioning because they’re running constantly – I mean, the air never shuts off.” Temperatures in the kitchen can reach upwards of 100 degrees, but Smith says the most important thing is keeping the dining area cool and comfortable for customers. “Nobody wants to eat in a hot restaurant,” said Smith. “We’ve got fans in practically every dining room. We keep the air set at anywhere from 68-71 degrees. With the fans, we just try to keep the air moving.” They also try to keep business moving. “We still strive to serve the best food, give you the best service. We just have to cut back, and we’re doing the best we can with what we got.”
