FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY REMAINS BIG BUSINESS IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

Is anybody staying home and cooking?

To look at the statistics from eating establishments in Cape Girardeau, it appears not.

And anyone trying to get a table at a Cape Girardeau restaurant on a Friday or Saturday evening probably would agree.

John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, said the statistics are deceiving if you don't take into consideration that Cape Girardeau is a regional hub for shopping and eating. "A lot of our business is imports," he said of the people who travel to Cape Girardeau.

About 300,000 people live within a 45-minute radius of Cape Girardeau. With that many potential customers, $70 million was spent eating and drinking in Cape Girardeau in 1994, according to the chamber.

The service industry (excluding retail services) employs about 7,000 people in Cape Girardeau County, about 1,000 more people than are employed in manufacturing jobs in the county. And those numbers continue to grow.

According to city records, 12 eating establishments opened and seven closed in Cape Girardeau during 1995. Most of the restaurants on the list of closures were actually bought and sold, but the city views those establishments as closing and opening.

Restaurants that opened for the first time in 1995 included Ryan's Family Steak House, The Club House Family Grill & Pub, Hardee's near Wal-Mart, A&W, McDonald's in West Park Mall, Saint Louis Bread Company, Blimpie Subs & Salads, Schlotzsky's and Ruby Tuesday.

Instead of the ratio being 12 to 7 for restaurants opening and closing, the true ratio probably is better than 2 to 1 when considering true openings and closures, according to city staff.

Restaurants like El Chico, China Palace, Dave's Bar-B-Que and Runway Restaurant & Lounge were on the lists for closing and opening, but those restaurants changed names, changed hands or added or subtracted names to the list of owners.

Although it is sometimes hard to believe that Cape Girardeau can support so many restaurants, Mehner said more companies consider eating establishments here because the numbers are right.

"Outback Steakhouse is coming," he said, "and I don't know how many other people come into town looking to build that we don't know about."

One of the restaurant closures that prompted many calls to the chamber was La Bamba's, a downtown Mexican restaurant. The owners decided to move from Cape Girardeau and close the business.

"They had quite a following, and a lot of people didn't want to see them go," Mehner said. "But there was really nothing we could do about it; I think they moved to be close to family."

Other restaurants that closed during 1995 included Chow Time Restaurant at 559 N. Spring and Cafe Cape and Bazaar at 280 S. Mount Auburn Rd.

Despite a few restaurant closures, more restaurants are opening their doors and staying in Cape Girardeau.

"We seem to be in pretty good shape," Mehner said, "and there are plenty of choices."