Brockton area restaurants struggle in recession, but 'Taste' revival at food fest

The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass.
www.enterprisenews.com
By Jessica Scarpati
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Mar 19, 2009
BROCKTON — Maybe Cathy Auger of Bridgewater isnt the person to ask about how the recession has affected her dining out habits.

She has happily paid the $25 to get into the Taste of Metro South food festival for the past 17 years, since its inception.

But the way Auger sees it, shes saving money by coming to sample dishes from restaurants around the region.

It gives you an opportunity to try something before you spend $25 in a restaurant, and you realize you dont like it, she said, scraping her spoon around a hot fudge sundae from the Friendlys table.

Diehard foodies at The Shaws Center event Wednesday said they werent letting the down economy ruin their fun, leaving restaurant managers there to wish every consumer was just as loyal.

It was a difficult year, said Steve Stathis, owner of Fredas in West Bridgewater, as he ladled out cream of broccoli soup to attendees of the event, hosted by the Metro South Chamber of Commerce.

The checks are down slightly, but the foot traffic is still there, Stathis added. You have to be very creative and understand the market.

Athina Diiorio, owner of Gourmet Cafe in downtown Brockon, said business was down 35 percent in 2008 compared to the previous year.

If talk of the IRS and Plymouth County district attorneys office moving from downtown is true, Diiorio said losing that lunch crowd is going to be a tougher blow.

Thats how we survive, she said. Its a mistake to take all these agencies away from the city.

These local businesses are far from the only ones hurting.

Although Massachusetts restaurants are projected to see their sales rise to $11.8 billion in 2009 — up 1.8 percent from $11.6 billion in 2008 — that comes with a catch, according to industry leaders.

After those figures are adjusted for inflation, businesses are in fact losing money, according to the National Restaurant Association.

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