The Mystery of the Unloved Restaurant

So I live in an area in Brooklyn that has alot of restaurants. Down the street from me it's like they're popping up new ones every couple months or so. Sometimes they're good. Sometimes they suck. Sometimes they're too cool for school. Sometimes they're too foreign. Sometimes they're too expensive and I don't know what's going on in there. Whatever whatever. I don't eat out all the time or anything-- but I like trying new places and it's fun watching what becomes of all these places.

Sometimes I'll see a restaurant that's always empty. I usually feel badly when I walk by a struggling restaurant and the waiters and owner are standing around all nervous and stuff. It's like you can smell the food going bad in the back. I want to support them but empty restaurants scare me. Too much attention and everyone filling my water every two seconds-- and me sitting there wondering why no one is in there with me. That kind of empty restaurant is sad. But there's another kind of restaurant that pops up once in a while that deserves to be empty....

The unloved restaurant.

It'll usually appear on a corner. In the spot where three other restaurants in a row have come and gone. That "cursed corner". The unloved restaurant will usually be too dark inside with candles or whatever. Sort of half-assed about how it looks. Like it just got out of bed. It'll have a snooty stupid name like Nǜr. And it seems closed alot-- to the point where it seems like it's half out of business half of the time. Then it'll open again with zero fanfare. Only a chalkboard out front featuring a Mango Martini cocktail special for $9.

If you are brave enough to walk in, it feels like you're annoying the people that work there by making them get off the bar stool and actually say hello. They really don't seem to care if anyone comes in or not. It almost seems like they'd prefer nobody eat there. The place will stay open for months or sometimes years. Never bother change the menu. Just a few dirtbags hanging around the bar all night with maybe one table of sad looking out-of-town victims eating a plate of Bluch ala Uch.

It's weird. You'd think the hassle of opening a restaurant would be reserved for people who love the idea of umm... opening a restaurant? But what are these places that open and there never seems to be an owner around-- nor any customers? How does it stay in business for months and months? With no sign of any effort to turn things around?  Like nobody cares? Who pays the bills? Is the chef sad? Is there a chef at all? Sure a place like that might be a 'front' for something. Maybe they're running numbers in the back? Or shipping drugs through there? But why bother to open a public place to do that?! I guess it could be some weird tax shelter thing for some super richie somewhere? Or a pet project for a bored wife who finds out she didn't like the restaurant business after opening a restaurant? Someone's ego or slim shadiness is keeping them open. Somehow somewhere.

It's just really annoying to think about people out there who are saving every cent to open their dream restaurant while these places lay around on a corner pissed at themselves for having to be there in the first place...

ok bye!

tOdd