Winter Weather Wimps

Have we become Winter Weather Wimps?

This past week, we had a storm. Armageddon was forecast. Any more in our business, the weather man is our worst enemy. I also noticed that recently the Weather Channel started naming winter storms.Yes, just like hurricanes. I think this scares the living bedjesus out of people. LOOK OUT FOR ROCKY!, as this storm was so named with it's five inches of snow. These are the reasons they give for naming storms.....

• Naming a storm raises awareness.
• Attaching a name makes it much easier to follow a weather system’s progress.
• A storm with a name takes on a personality all its own, which adds to awareness.
• In today’s social media world, a name makes it much easier to reference in communication.
• A named storm is easier to remember and refer to in the future.

Read the full article here, or check out why meteorologists are appalled by the name Nemo.

As I was in an almost empty dining room at noon, the snow had just started an hour earlier. One of my veteran servers started talking about the old days. The winters of '78 & '79 are in her memory bank. As we pondered what has changed since then, she brought up, "In the old days we did not even have four-wheel drive!" This is true, and you would think it would be a big factor.

I am sure that many people have visions of being stick on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago like those pour souls that got stuck a few years ago. I can also understand how we would not get many customers that are traveling a distance. But to not go out in town or travel just from town to town in a storm like we just had is hard for me to comprehend. I also understand the safety concerns that you have when children and schools are involved. If only they could see the effects that closing a school has on my staff and how they have to scramble to adjust it to their routine.

Many businesses close also, mainly the ones that don't really have to compete. If the product or service they sell is a utility, something you need or have to have, and they will just come the next day. Why go out in that weather? In our business, when we lose a sale, it never comes back. Also, I feel sorry for our staff. Most of them being hourly, what hours or tips they lose to a storm they never get back either.

Being open for a winter storm, we usually run at a loss but I feel it is important to be here, open and consistent. Back in the good old days, 15 years ago or longer, a storm day would be 75% of normal. The last few years I would guess more in the range of 25% of normal.

Have we turned into a bunch of winter weather wimps? The next time we have a storm, think of us. Most everyone else will be closed. So if you decide to adventure out for lunch or dinner or even run down here for carry-outs and let every one else stay home, nice and snug by the fire, we will be here. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

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