Thousands of people each day go hungry. Many families are unable to make ends meet or even put food on the table. With the economy in the toilet, the restaurant industry is one of many feeling the impacts.
As people save money to pay electricity, water and mortgage payments, they are still looking to save money on other necessities. Thus, people are relying on restaurant specials and happy hours.
Manager of Zayda Buddy, Jocelyn Weigand says a lot of people come in and compare specials they’ve seen elsewhere when deciding where to eat. “We definitely eat earlier and happy hour has definitely become dinner because of the economy,” says Zayda Buddy customer Jennifer Petersen.
http://www.nwcn.com/localnews/consumer/stories/NW_040209CNB-happy-hour-deals-KC.99671b6d.html
Many Mom and Pop’s restaurants are especially feeling the burden of the economy as restaurant owner Eric Green says, “I’m just trying to survive.” Local business owners can’t compete with chain restaurants because Green says, “They get a tremendous discount on food,” whereas, he makes his food from scratch.
Green has advertised by posting a sign that says “Eat here or we’ll both starve” as a symbol of how he feels the impact just like his customers do.
Another restaurant owner Bernard Northran says he notices customer trends relate to the weather. “When it’s sunny and bright and people are joyful, business is up. When it is cold and rainy, it’s down,” says Northran.
One reason for customers choosing chain restaurants could very well be because of advertising. Denny’s for example, had the money to display a 30 second ad during the Super Bowl for a free breakfast special. The ad resulted in approximately two million breakfasts’s given away.
Denny’s CEO Nelson Marchioli said that the funds accompanied with the ad 
helped Denny’s get reacquainted with America by “exposing people to the value its menus have to offer. That’s important in this economy,” says Marchioli.
http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2009/02/04/20090204biz-dennys0204.html
These stories are being handled in an unbiased fashion by including managers, CEOs and customers as a way of informing the public that everyone is in the same boat. By the media reporting on Denny’s attempt to help feed the less fortunate and through the store owners encouragement to save yourself and him from starvation, media outlets are sending the message that although times are tough people are still extending a helping hand.
Such developments are often misreported considering many people are aware of restaurant closures, but they fail to acknowledge that the closure resulted in a fellow American also not being able to pay their bills.
The media frames articles by discussing the restaurants previous losses by quoting statistics, not owners and employees that are now unemployed and starving.
By ignoring the root of the problem (no income) and not providing ideas and motivation on how to turn the economy around the media is doing injustice for its viewers, which quite possibly may lead to their demise too.
