GMU's Runway Cafe is going to be on TV

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https://www.wyff4.com/article/restaurant-impossible-south-carolina-filming/41514975

People around GMU should be aware of the Runway Cafe (for those who are not, that is the actual name of the cafe, Runway Cafe). It has been selected to be the subject of a Restaurant Impossible episode. Filming will be 10/26 - 10/27.

In the article are links to how you can actually be involved with this, if that sort of thing floats your boat. (lifts your plane...?)
 
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I sure hope Runway Cafe is not teetering on failure. I've been meaning to go back for the pastrami, or was it corned beef....
 
Mahneuvers said:
I sure hope Runway Cafe is not teetering on failure. I've been meaning to go back for the pastrami, or was it corned beef....
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sent u a PM/DM/conversation/whateverthefkthey'recalled
 
guest user said:
https://www.wyff4.com/article/restaurant-impossible-south-carolina-filming/41514975

People around GMU should be aware of the Runway Cafe (for those who are not, that is the actual name of the cafe, Runway Cafe). It has been selected to be the subject of a Restaurant Impossible episode. Filming will be 10/26 - 10/27.

In the article are links to how you can actually be involved with this, if that sort of thing floats your boat. (lifts your plane...?)
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Trips your trigger. Blows your skirt up. Tickles your pickle. Pops your cork………
 
luvflyin said:
...Tickles your pickle…
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The term hookers and blow, for me, is now synonymous w/ this site. Pickle tickling is now in the running as I think this is the third time I've read it here :)
 
I just streamed the restaurant impossible episode. FWIW, I've never been there before so I can't comment of the quality of the food or the clientele. The RI episode portrays the restaurant as overloaded by screaming kids who eat there after playing at the park next door. Robert Irving doesn't seem to like anything on the menu. The burger looked like a decent diner burger to me. He complained that it had no seasoning. My number one complaint is restaurants over seasoning the burger. Either way, it was exactly like every other RI episode, with a little personal drama (although probably less than others), a menu revamp, and an interior update on an absurdly short timeframe.

One of his big financial recommendations was to open for dinner.

The interior updates were fine, although I think they could have maintained some of the original stuff. It's sort of like if you asked someone who's never been to a small airport diner to design the interior of a small airport diner.

The new menu items seemed fine, if not a little out of place. I just looked at the restaurants menu online and they're in there; we'll see if they stick. Fish and steak are definitely requirements for a dinner menu, although it seems they're only open for dinner two nights a week. The dinner menu is not particularly extensive.

So all in all, not bad. Some neat planes on the ramp; a better episode than 97% of the other RI episodes.
 
Interesting. I've only been there once a couple of years ago and I did like the burger - as you said it's just a good 'ol greasy cheesy diner burger. It is what it is.

I hope they make it. When I was working up there extensively a few years ago, I always wished it was open for dinner. It's not exactly easy to get to from the road, though, so you have to make a plan to go there - very little chance of someone stumbling onto it or seeing a sign and saying "oh yeah, we should go there!" on a whim.
 
Brad Z said:
…The RI episode portrays the restaurant as overloaded by screaming kids who eat there after playing at the park next door...
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That was weird. Especially the focus on kids as a target market throughout the episode. I get you want to attract customers, but kids don’t get to an on-airport playground by themselves as was implied throughout the episode.

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End credits stated one of the partners moved on, wonder if that was part of the decision to part ways.
 
***I have not watched the episode***, but I wouldn't put it past the owners to do the show strictly for publicity than for the "OMG we're going out of business, please help!!!" aspect. I don't think I've ever been there on a weekend (the only time I've ever been, I think) that the place wasn't jam packed. food was pretty decent as well, by no means anywhere near "OMG we need a TV show to come and save us because our food is horrible". I'd say same for the decor. although nothing fancy, nothing that really needed business-saving help. I could be way off, but people have done the same thing on shark tank...they didn't actually want or need any help, they just went on the show to get "free air time". regardless of decor, it's always been a great option to fly for food.

***also, I haven't watched ANY of those shows because it's 99% made up drama BS and maybe 1% interesting stuff. and that's probably on the high side.
 
eman1200 said:
***I have not watched the episode***, but I wouldn't put it past the owners to do the show strictly for publicity than for the "OMG we're going out of business, please help!!!" aspect. I don't think I've ever been there on a weekend (the only time I've ever been, I think) that the place wasn't jam packed. food was pretty decent as well, by no means anywhere near "OMG we need a TV show to come and save us because our food is horrible". I'd say same for the decor. although nothing fancy, nothing that really needed business-saving help. I could be way off, but people have done the same thing on shark tank...they didn't actually want or need any help, they just went on the show to get "free air time". regardless of decor, it's always been a great option to fly for food.

***also, I haven't watched ANY of those shows because it's 99% made up drama BS and maybe 1% interesting stuff. and that's probably on the high side.
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Even a jammed packed restaurant can be a hemorrhaging business if the total sales don’t cover rent, food, supplies, utilities, insurance, and wages. That’s hard to do for one meal a day (lunch only) and no alcohol sales.
 
I’ll add, the case of a local airport restaurant. Kay’s/Katie’s At the Airport in Cambridge MD is a good comparison. They were always busy and served both breakfast and lunch. But they were appealing to local clientele with very affordable menu items, which of course was a hit with fly in pilots too. But there’s a break even point where even if you’re operating at 80% occupancy, you might not be selling enough to cover your costs. Restauranteurs hate to raise prices because they’ll hear it from their regulars, but if all of your other expenses are going up, something’s gotta give. It’s a low margin business, you really have to manage your costs or you will fail.

In the case of Katie’s, they didn’t say why they closed but it was reported that they were having difficulty making rent to the airport authority.

There’s a reason MBA grads don’t go into the restaurant business.
 
Brad Z said:
Even a jammed packed restaurant can be a hemorrhaging business if the total sales don’t cover rent, food, supplies, utilities, insurance, and wages. That’s hard to do for one meal a day (lunch only) and no alcohol sales.
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Brad Z said:
I’ll add, the case of a local airport restaurant. Kay’s/Katie’s At the Airport in Cambridge MD is a good comparison. They were always busy and served both breakfast and lunch. But they were appealing to local clientele with very affordable menu items, which of course was a hit with fly in pilots too. But there’s a break even point where even if you’re operating at 80% occupancy, you might not be selling enough to cover your costs. Restauranteurs hate to raise prices because they’ll hear it from their regulars, but if all of your other expenses are going up, something’s gotta give. It’s a low margin business, you really have to manage your costs or you will fail.

In the case of Katie’s, they didn’t say why they closed but it was reported that they were having difficulty making rent to the airport authority.

There’s a reason MBA grads don’t go into the restaurant business.
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no arguments with any of that. I'm just sayin I don't think new wallpaper and one or two different samiches is gonna make a difference. but I also wouldn't blame a business, like this restaurant, for using the TV show as publicity. smart move actually.
 
I've witnessed the failure of two on-airport restaurants, who ultimately succumbed to mediocrity. Jonesy's at KAPC, and the Two Niner Diner at KHAF.

Jonesy's actually used to be pretty decent, then they went downhill. Then down and out. The Two Niner Diner was a little different dynamic. For years, they were the only place in Half Moon Bay that did breakfast so the whole town showed up. It was always crowded during breakfast. Then other places started offering breakfast. Then they weren't crowded during breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. You can take ten steps out the back gate of KHAF and be in the midst of several REALLY F GREAT seafood restaurants.
 
eman1200 said:
no arguments with any of that. I'm just sayin I don't think new wallpaper and one or two different samiches is gonna make a difference. but I also wouldn't blame a business, like this restaurant, for using the TV show as publicity. smart move actually.
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Yep, I agree with you, the new interior isn't gonna do much but maybe some national publicity will attract a few more locals to check the place out.... Of course for publicity, Triple D would be better coverage. I suspect the menu isn't compelling enough to get a Fieri showing.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I've witnessed the failure of two on-airport restaurants, who ultimately succumbed to mediocrity. Jonesy's at KAPC, and the Two Niner Diner at KHAF.

Jonesy's actually used to be pretty decent, then they went downhill. Then down and out. The Two Niner Diner was a little different dynamic. For years, they were the only place in Half Moon Bay that did breakfast so the whole town showed up. It was always crowded during breakfast. Then other places started offering breakfast. Then they weren't crowded during breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. You can take ten steps out the back gate of KHAF and be in the midst of several REALLY F GREAT seafood restaurants.
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In college, I worked at the Red Barron at KOXR.. The owner had a few other locations, I believe there was one in Sacramento, another in San Jose, and one more somewhere else. In my very short tenure there I watched the place go downhill fast as the owner became absentee and kind of lost interest in it. The people he hired to run it were not the best at it.

Now the Way Point Cafe at KCMA, still rocks, but they get a lot of non-flying/airport customers.
 
Ventucky Red said:
In college, I worked at the Red Barron at KOXR.. The owner had a few other locations, I believe there was one in Sacramento, another in San Jose, and one more somewhere else. In my very short tenure there I watched the place go downhill fast as the owner became absentee and kind of lost interest in it. The people he hired to run it were not the best at it.

Now the Way Point Cafe at KCMA, still rocks, but they get a lot of non-flying/airport customers.
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Interesting. KSAC has Aviators, but it apparently used to be the Red Baron prior to that. Before my time, though.
 
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