‘They’ve had to make choices’: Gee and Ursula discuss restaurant cutbacks as Hawaii General Store plans to close

Seattle’s Hawaii General Store plans to close Nov. 23 unless a buyer takes over, with owner Gail Stringer citing rising costs and the demands of running the business. The Wallingford shop opened in 1998 and has served customers seeking Hawaiian food, clothing, and other goods for 28 years.

On “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, co-host Gee Scott argued that affordability and changing dining habits are putting pressure on neighborhood restaurants, while co-host Ursula Reutin pointed to owners’ accounts of rising expenses.

“Have you guys noticed the smaller ma-and-pa restaurants, the ones that have been there for us for 30 years, 35 years, 20-plus years?” Gee said. “People that used to go to these places, maybe they ate out twice a month, three times a month. Now it’s maybe once a quarter. They’ve had to make choices to make sure they keep up with affordability.”

Gee says social media has changed restaurant choices

Gee also noticed that diners are more interested in trying new places than going back to their old favorites.

“I know my wife and her friends. They go to a different restaurant all the time. They don’t go to the same ones,” Gee said. “Before COVID, years ago, a lot of us went to our favorite spot often, all the time. Instagram has changed it. Going places for the vibes has changed it.”

He questioned whether good food alone is enough to attract those customers.

“I would argue that even if your place has really good food, if you don’t have things that are postable for the ’gram or for the vibe, it’s going to be tough,” Gee said. “Because the way people are going to experience restaurants, Ursula, it has changed.”

Stringer also identified keeping up with social media as one of the challenges of operating Hawaii General Store, according to FOX 13.

Ursula points to fewer meals out and higher prices

Ursula connected the conversation to the show’s recent interview with Pam’s Kitchen owner Pam Jacob, who described financial struggles ahead of the restaurant’s planned November closure.

“That’s what the business owner yesterday was telling us, that she would make a lot more money prior to the pandemic, and then after the pandemic, everything changed,” Ursula said. “She was talking about how much her costs had gone up to buy chicken. It was just dramatically increased.”

Ursula discussed how customers might respond when restaurants raise prices to cover expenses.

“At some point, people are saying, ‘Well, if you have to increase your prices that much, I’m just not gonna go,’” she said.

Familiar restaurants remain part of Gee’s routine

Gee contrasted his view of younger diners’ preferences with his own attachment to a restaurant in Tacoma.

“Shout out to Pacific Southern down in Tacoma,” Gee said. “Every first Sunday, that’s where I show up. I love that restaurant. I love the people. I love the service. Those are the things that we loved.”

“I don’t post it on the ’gram, but a lot of the young generation, Ursula, they want to post it to the ’gram,” he added.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.