Recent research from the United States shows that the baby boomers, the hard core of the food and fine dining revolution in that country, are beginning to fade. With a drop off over the past decade in the number of times the average American eats out, aging baby boomers have been given the blame.
The same pattern is appearing in other English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Britain as the pioneers of serious eating out start to tire.
Solutions to this problem are many and various, but at the top of the list must be an attempt by restaurants to revive the midday meal. In France, where restaurant patronage continues to stride along in perfect health, the institution of the large lunch, followed by a dash of sexual satisfaction and a quick kip, has been at the forefront of sustaining restaurant trade. Especially with older customers, who seem to lose interest in the sexual interlude and consequently are happy to dine out in a non-hotel restaurant.
Perhaps it is time for a concerted effort from restaurateurs to encourage senior lunches, with suitably reduced pricing and innovative menus that moderate their influence on aging digestive systems. Tripe could become a much more common menu item under such conditions, along with sweetbreads and brains, a more adventurous visit to the clear soup category by chefs, and even the return of the digestif. This tiny glass of bright coloured, richly alcoholic beverage was once a favourite of the older gourmand in need of something to settle the tummy.
Personally I find nothing unpleasant about the prospect of restaurants selling more Green Chartreuse. At least its supporters should be over the still flexible age of legal alcohol consumption.
Maybe Winston Peters’ imminent return to politics could see the introduction of a senior citizens’ gold dining card that is funded by younger taxpayers who would benefit from restaurants being full at midday, leaving the evenings for parent-free carousing. Given Winston’s age and the extra pressure on political perks, this could be a policy with potential for cross-the-house support in Wellington.
Appropriate ambience could be developed with a little more Mozart in dining rooms, and less Musak. Perhaps there could even be a revival of midday live music, a string quartet, maybe, or given the proclivities of the latest senior generation, a blues singer complete with guitar and harmonica. Judging by the current revival of touring elderly pop stars, today’s live (almost) musicians would probably be of similar age to the diners.
Of course, by maintaining a steady supply of sophisticated palates restaurants would also find increased interest in Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, with corresponding declining sales of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Full restaurants every lunch time could become a new pioneering development that is within the capabilities of all those fading baby boomers, a legacy they could actively support in the best interests of the national hospitality sector, this economy’s largest.
Investing for the future has never sounded so promising.
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Nice point, Keith. It puzzles me that restaurants (and all retailers, actually) go out of their way to alienate customers over 50 who are the most likely spenders (no mortgage; kids left home etc). Advertising agencies, too, seem to think us baby boomers are only interested in funeral plans and retirement homes. all their ads are aimed at hip young things who are broke.