Restaurants Deal with Lack of Business After Lunch Hour
By: Marlisa Goldsmith
Updated: January 7, 2013
There are several options to choose from when it comes to eating near the downtown area of Abilene.
During the lunch hour you can catch many downtown employees visiting local restaurants along the south first stretch for a quick bite to eat.
"South First Street and North First Street we catch most customers from lunch from the downtown," says Byron Huang.
Unfortunately, not all of these local businesses are thriving around the clock.
An employee at Sunrise Chinese Restaurant says they rely heavily on the rush they see in the middle of the day.
Stand up: Business is booming for several restaurants near the downtown area in Abilene during lunch time, but when dinner time rolls around it's a different story. The parking lot at Sunrise generally holds 20-30 cars, but tonight, there are only three.
Armando's Mexican Restaurant is facing similar problems with their business.
"We have more customers around 11:30-12 to one," says Jorge Ortiz.
Ortiz says he believes if his business was located in the southwestern portion of town with more shops and perhaps exposure, he would be making much more of a profit.
"It's hard on the night because I think it's too dark outside. It's a fast street so too many people don't know we are here."
The owner of Szechuan Chinese Restaurant has been in business for 16 years and as a former small business owner, he knows how hard it can be to thrive
Huang says, "We compete with not only Chinese restaurants, you compete with all the big chain American restaurant, Mexican restaurant, Italian restaurant."
Which is why he says he makes each customer's visit to his restaurant an experience...
"You let a customer feel they like Szechuan and next time they will come back in," says Huang.
During the lunch hour you can catch many downtown employees visiting local restaurants along the south first stretch for a quick bite to eat.
"South First Street and North First Street we catch most customers from lunch from the downtown," says Byron Huang.
Unfortunately, not all of these local businesses are thriving around the clock.
An employee at Sunrise Chinese Restaurant says they rely heavily on the rush they see in the middle of the day.
Stand up: Business is booming for several restaurants near the downtown area in Abilene during lunch time, but when dinner time rolls around it's a different story. The parking lot at Sunrise generally holds 20-30 cars, but tonight, there are only three.
Armando's Mexican Restaurant is facing similar problems with their business.
"We have more customers around 11:30-12 to one," says Jorge Ortiz.
Ortiz says he believes if his business was located in the southwestern portion of town with more shops and perhaps exposure, he would be making much more of a profit.
"It's hard on the night because I think it's too dark outside. It's a fast street so too many people don't know we are here."
The owner of Szechuan Chinese Restaurant has been in business for 16 years and as a former small business owner, he knows how hard it can be to thrive
Huang says, "We compete with not only Chinese restaurants, you compete with all the big chain American restaurant, Mexican restaurant, Italian restaurant."
Which is why he says he makes each customer's visit to his restaurant an experience...
"You let a customer feel they like Szechuan and next time they will come back in," says Huang.
