| We just had dinner in our favourite Vietnamese restaurant. It’s closing tomorrow. The rent got too high and the lady who runs it wasn’t taking a wage. It was busy every day. It’s a favourite lunch spot, their bahn mi is the best in town. So they’ll close, and that’s another empty shop front. God knows if anyone will rent it, ever again. There are plenty more empty shops to choose from. This is in the centre of Canberra. The capital of Australia. And why? Because whomever owns the shop owns it as an ‘investment’. So the lovely lady who runs (ran) it needs to not only run a profitable restaurant — pay staff, suppliers, taxes, insurance, take a wage — but she also has to make a profit for the guy who owns the shop. Because his ‘business’ is owning a shop. So he (I’m sorry, I’m just assuming it’s a dude) needs to turn a profit. For owning a building. So she’ll close. --- So restaurants are fucked. They’re all closing. At what point do we think, restaurants are the fabric of society. Cities need restaurants. It’s what makes a city a city. So when do we realise that imposing a condition on a restaurant that not only must they make a profit, but they must make a profit for the owner of the building, who does fucking nothing, is ridiculous? Anyway. I know this is a rant. I just had dinner at a popular restaurant with amazing food with a wonderful owner that’s closing tomorrow so that the landlord can own an empty space. I’m bitter and sad. Thanks for listening. |