The Times
In Which We Live
“May you always live in interesting times.” – anonymous fortune
cookie saying
R
obert Kennedy gave a speech in Cape Town in June of
1966 in which he famously spoke the following: “There is a
Chinese curse which says, ‘May he live in interesting times’. Like
it or not we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and
uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of
men than any other in history.”
So are interesting times a blessing or a curse? I submit that it
depends solely on your outlook. From where I sit, the times in
which we live are full of promise and creative opportunity. A cynic
would see the current political, economic and social climate in the
world with a decidedly less optimistic outlook.
“From where I sit, the times
in which we live are full of promise
and creative opportunity.”
Yes, we face struggles. Virtually everywhere I look I see
shortsightedness, greed, populism and self-serving motives. Our
government is in turmoil, taxes are out of control, regulation is
stifling businesses, and the economy is stuck on… well, just stuck!
In business we feed on energy, creativity and optimism. To see
those ideals in today’s landscape takes some unabashed hope. But
an entrepreneur without hope is doomed to failure, so hopeful we
are. I was asked to write about the state of the restaurant industry
for the five-year anniversary of our intrepid Food & Spirits Magazine
and the longer I thought about it, the harder it got. I’ve been
involved in this industry for nearly 40-years and it seems as though
I’ve never had to work both harder and smarter to stay relevant.
And being relevant is the key – the goal of every business owner.
by Ron Samuelson
I love to read national prognosticators give their opinions about
new trends or fads, but the more I read about what could be
coming, the more I see a return of what has been, which is kind of
cool. New spins on old themes can create an environment where
innovation fuels creativity. Imitation is still the highest form of
flattery. Necessity will always be the mother of invention. This
is how we grow and transform as an industry. True innovation is
rare, but infusing old techniques with new energy and applying it
differently is no less creative. Growth is fed by innovation, whether
it is a re-tooled idea or the pure energy of generational innovation.
So on we trudge, trying to find our unique place in the world of
hospitality. The following are my thoughts on what may be on the
horizon for our thriving city, as well as what has been driving the
creative class in the past decade.
The past ten years has been a blur of corporate restaurant
openings and closings. A wave of newly graduated culinary students
have flooded the market and infused the landscape with youth and
enthusiasm. Sushi restaurants and steak houses have dominated
the scene, and high-end retail developments, heavy on bar and
restaurant seating, have sprung up in all areas of the city.
Television executives have brought out the inner foodie in
millions of Americans and (for better or worse) created what we
now call “celebrity chefs” with a numbing array of reality shows.
“I see the trend of highly skilled,
adventurous (even avant-garde)
chef-driven restaurants to increase.”
Chef Clayton Chapman ?
photo by Jessica Orth
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