'Create the place you'd want to go'

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It goes without saying that the restaurant industry has changed a lot in the last few years, along with how consumers choose where and what to eat.

David Manilow has witnessed the ups and downs of it all for nearly three decades. He's the creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award and James Beard Award-winning television series Check, Please! and host of The Dining Table podcast. 

Here, he lets us in on how current food media has affected the industry and his sixth sense for predicting a restaurant’s success.

What do you consider a red flag in a restaurant?

A big "red flag" is when I enter a restaurant and see staffers slouched over, scrolling through their phone, barely noticing we've arrived. It shows me no one's in charge or they simply don't care. First impressions are important.

What do successful restaurants have in common?

Quality, genuineness and making the customer really feel like you want them to be there.

How do you think social media has changed restaurant journalism and media? And is it for the better or to the detriment of restaurants?

Social media has completely changed the landscape—sometimes for the better, often not. It can speak to people and give them ideas and recommendations. However, the bazillion "reviews" also make it more difficult for consumers to weed through them and find folks they can trust. 

My teenage son showed me a TikTok of a newish fast food place where smoke billows out of the burger when you unwrap it. We drove by and there was a line out the door. He looked at me and said, "See Dad, it's gotta be good!" I responded, "Does a line out the door mean it's good or that a bunch of folks just saw the TikTok and were enticed by the smoke and sizzle?" 

Great restaurants resist the urge to create gimmicks to attract customers.

What is your best piece of advice to restaurateurs?

Create the place you'd want to go. Cook the food that's meaningful to you. Be genuine.

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