It’s been a very rough year so far for lakeside’s restaurant sector. A half-dozen establishments have folded just in the last couple of months. Some others are now teetering on the brink.

There are various factors playing into the situation. The most obvious one is simply too much competition in a community of our size and financial capabilities. It’s astonishing how much variety in dining options we have to choose from, and the number of new ones that seem to pop up from week to week. Customers may rush out to try the latest, most interesting place they hear about, only to head for the next bright and shiny spot appearing on the horizon, leaving old favorites in the dust for the interim.

Local business people in general have observed that the area’s high season was not as robust as usual. The snowbird population didn’t flock in for the winter months at the typical rhythm.

The strength of the Mexican peso versus U.S. and Canadian dollars or other currencies also had an impact on spending for many resident expats and foreign visitors. Folks feeling the crunch on disposable income are bound to be more fussy about where the go out for a meal.

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