COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Local restaurants struggle to survive amid rising costs and staffing challenges.
Watch the full story here:
The restaurant industry in College Station has faced significant hardships in recent years, with many locally owned establishments forced to close their doors permanently. The Anchor Bar is among several local spots that have gone out of business as economic pressures continue to mount.
"As far as the menu goes, keeping a small but very appealing menu is probably the best way to go," said Skyler Landers, a business owner who recently had to close Landers Barbeque in Anderson.
The restaurant business has been hit particularly hard by rising inflation, which has driven up food costs significantly. However, the challenges extend beyond just ingredient prices.
"You also have to consider prices of your food, of your employees, and of profit, like, are you going to make anything or not?" Landers said.
Business owners must also navigate the difficult task of hiring and retaining quality staff in a competitive labor market.
"Employees are a must because everybody likes table-side manners. So that's where you don't really want to skip too much there," Landers said.
Wende Anderson, College Station Economic Development Manager, explained that the local job market creates additional staffing challenges for restaurant owners.
"Our unemployment rate is very low here, so it can be hard to find the workforce that you need," Anderson said.
Despite having to close her restaurant, Landers offers practical advice for aspiring restaurant owners: maintain realistic expectations and focus on sustainable growth.
"Don't shoot too high. There's always a dream to have something really big and amazing, but baby steps. As long as you can maintain a good budget, keep your menu items small, but still appeasing in every area of your menu, I think that it could work out for whoever tries to go for it," Landers said.
As inflation and other economic pressures persist, adaptability remains crucial for business survival.
"But one of the things that you need to really be successful in business is to be adaptable," Anderson said.
For Landers, adaptation meant scaling back rather than shutting down completely.
"We haven't stopped our business; we just shrunk it back down to what fits our family the best," Landers said.
Anderson recommends that small business owners work closely with their local chamber of commerce, attend networking events, and utilize social media platforms to effectively reach their customer base.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.