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What’s the journalistic standard for reporting on restaurants that haven’t even opened yet? Danielle L., St. Louis
St. Louis is blessed with having half a dozen publications that do a decent job reporting on the local restaurant scene. But unfortunately, the standard for announcing proposed restaurants is that there is no standard.
Some publications announce rather definitively that “X restaurant will open” immediately after the owner’s first visit to city hall, before a building has ever been purchased or a lease signed, and before any permits have been issued (to say nothing of a liquor license being secured, which has derailed more than its share of prospective restaurant owners).
What’s worse, such premature reporting can jeopardize any future negotiations—for both parties. A buyer/lessee never wants to appear too eager and a seller/lessor never wants to close the door to what could be a better deal.
There have even been instances when restaurants have been announced when the financing has yet to be secured, a site has yet to be selected, and the concept is still half-baked. At that point, it’s just a report of one person’s ideas, hopes, and dreams for something that may or may not happen.
That’s why most reporters wait until a lease is signed or building sale closed, because at that point, both sides have a contractual obligation, turning a likelihood into a near-certainty (but even after that point, deals fall through).
The real fun begins once both sides have struck a deal. Tenants discover issues that delay or add cost to the project; the approval process can take months longer than anyone ever thought; inspectors cancel appointments, don’t show up at all, or change their minds when they do; promised financing disappears (or money runs out); personal or health issues appear; orders are delayed or arrive wrong or damaged; hiring qualified staff becomes difficult to near-impossible; and key personnel (like chefs or managers) find a better deal and fly the coop before the doors ever open.
Everyone knows that opening a restaurant is difficult. That’s why those of us who report on them should be as responsible and reasonable as possible when doing so.
If you have a question for George, email him at gmahe@stlmag.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @stlmag_dining. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
