Did the Recession End Tues. Night @ the Corner of Madison and 39th?

Did the Recession End Tues. Night @ the Corner of Madison and 39th?

Posted to House Bloggers by Debbie Nigro on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 11:32am

I am a single businesswoman often in NYC, and the restaurant called Salute! on the corner of 39th and Madison Ave is my happy place of choice to go by myself — to eat, drink, and chill out in between or after business.

On Wednesday, with temperatures below bearable, and me wearing earmuffs for the first time since 6th grade, I decided while walking on Madison Ave after a business meeting, to pop in to Salute! for something warm to eat.

I always prefer eating at a bar, and there I like sitting in their big chairs in the bar area because I like the casual but classy buzz of the place. Women alone can feel comfortable doing that at Salute! which is why I keep going there. That and the food and wine and espresso, of course.

Because I know how much energy goes into running a business, I am always amazed at how the owner Jerry (Gennaro Sbarro, yes you know that last name) keeps the whole fabulous thing going at such a high level. Jerry and I have come to a place of great affection for each other and we enjoy entrepreneurial business banter when we see each other.

The place was jam-packed and bustling with conversation and aromas and the usual overly attentive staff. Like it's always been when I have walked in there.

But Jerry let me know different. He shared with me privately that he was "shocked" that people just began coming back in Tuesday night and just kept coming.

Month after month since last September, Jerry's business was trailing off about 25%. That's his difference between making bills and not making bills.

He was wondering how long he could stick it out. He put his expansion plans on hold and had a discussion with his landlord about 'working with him" to no avail. Needless to say, he hasn't been sleeping well. Who has?

Then this past Tuesday night around 8:30, people started walking back in out of nowhere. And they continued coming back in again the next day.

Business was back up to the usual 250-300 people for dinner and the same number arriving for lunch. (See photo from Wednesday)

No one was more surprised than Jerry himself.

I was one of those people who had not been there in a couple of months. I had been off my usual schedule of everything since the holidays and the financial freak-out scenarios. I just haven't been eating out much at all. In fact, I can't believe how much I have been cooking (See Exhibit A in my fridge — a vat of homemade pea soup)

Just this week, I am really getting back up to full speed on all fronts and yesterday, I treated myself to a Salute! lunch break.

Maybe everyone else is starting to do and feel the the same thing.

Maybe once everyone runs out of pea soup and tries acting a little like their old selves again, we can "will" some of the nervous feelings away and re-energize our hopes for getting business back to normal, or at least back upwards.

I've heard many people say that the constant barrage of bad news from the media definitely has an effect how we are all feeling and acting, so I thought I would do my part to share this good news about Salute!.

Always the optimist, if there's one thing I know about surviving the worst of times, it's that you can never lose hope. Seeing Salute! crowded has given me hope.

Attitude is everything!
Debbie