Published: October 30, 2009 02:28 pm      

Eateries latest economic victims

Crystal Brown

cbrown@weatherforddemocrat.com

Three restaurants on South Main Street have closed their doors to the public in the last few weeks.

Hailey’s Li’l Cafe, Country Kitchen and Golden Corral have all locked up.

“We hate to see businesses close, but unfortunately I think it’s a sign of the times,” Weatherford Economic Development Authority Executive Director Dennis Clayton said. “While we’re at the end of our economic downturn, it’s going to take a long time to recover, too.”

Clayton said he has had no direct contact with any of the businesses. The Golden Corral number is no longer in service and Weatherford Democrat food critic Janice Saunders said her contact for Hailey’s is no longer valid either.

“I think they moved,” she said.

Saunders said restaurants can find themselves in trouble these days because people are watching each dollar they spend and said restaurants have to come up with a gimmick to get people in the door.

“Cater to your customers,” Saunders said. “They are spending their hard earned money and want to get their money’s worth.”

He said people will splurge on a meal if the food is good enough, but warned restaurants against overcharging and driving repeat business away.

“People don’t want to have to pay extra for this and that,” she said. “If they do, they probably won’t be back. They want to feel like they are important. They are who keeps the restaurant in business.”

Saunders also said location is key, but the three most recent shut downs all occurred on one of the most traveled thoroughfares in the city. Clayton said he doesn’t think traffic was an issue with any of them.

For businesses in trouble, Clayton said there are resources in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and at the state level for assistance. He said most of those links are available on their Web site www.weatherfordtxeda.org.

“We would be glad to visit with anyone and help walk them through that,” Clayton said. “It’s unfortunate that any business closes at any time. It is fortunate that we are a full year into this national recession and haven’t had any major closings occur, but I do know it affects each of those individually.”