http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008082805_restaurants310.htmlI don't know about the rest of the country, but it seems as if Seattle is losing restaurants, including top-rated ones, left and right. This article is about the chain operations, but it seems to me that they are all in trouble.
I've noticed that it is really easy these days to get a seat at a restaurant, at least, the smaller ma-and-pa type places that we would tend to frequent--not that we eat out much anymore (used to, when I was working late a lot in the software biz).
One local problem is that restaurant tax is somewhere north of 9%. Between that, gratuities, and shrinking portions (they are getting really stingy), restaurant dining is VERY expensive here.
