Hi, I’m Jason, owner of this little corner of the internet.

Serving Through Storms: How Riverview Bistro Survived a Decade of Industry Upheaval

The restaurant industry has one of the highest failure rates of any business sector, with approximately 60% of new restaurants closing within the first year and 80% within five years. Yet Riverview Bistro has not only survived for 12 years but has become a cornerstone of our downtown dining scene. I sat down with owner and chef Elena Santos to discuss how she’s navigated industry challenges, from the pandemic to delivery apps to rising food costs, and what community members might not understand about the realities of running a restaurant today.

From Corporate Kitchen to Independent Ownership

Jason: Elena, thanks for making time for this conversation. Let’s start at the beginning—what made you leave a secure executive chef position to open Riverview Bistro?

Elena: Thanks for having me, Jason. The decision came down to creative freedom. I was the executive chef at Harborview Hotel for seven years, and while it was a great position with benefits and stability, I was increasingly frustrated by corporate menu constraints and cost-cutting mandates.

I kept a journal of dishes I wanted to create but couldn’t—seasonal plates that celebrated local ingredients but wouldn’t fit the standardized hotel menu approach. Eventually, that journal became my business plan for Riverview.

The final push came when the hotel group was acquired, and the new ownership increased the number of frozen pre-made items they wanted us to use. I knew it was time to bet on myself or forever wonder “what if.”

Jason: Riverview Bistro opened in 2013, well before the pandemic. What was the original vision, and how has it evolved?

Elena: The original concept was “elevated local comfort food”—taking familiar dishes but preparing them with fine dining techniques and local ingredients. We wanted to be approachable enough for a Tuesday night dinner but special enough for anniversaries.

What’s changed most significantly is our business model. We started as a traditional dinner-only restaurant. Now we have multiple revenue streams—a robust takeout program, retail items like our house-made sauces and spice blends, cooking classes, and private events. That diversification saved us during the pandemic and continues to be crucial.

The core culinary philosophy remains the same, though—we’re still focused on local ingredients prepared with care. That’s non-negotiable.

Navigating the Pandemic and Beyond

Jason: The pandemic devastated the restaurant industry. Can you share what that experience was like from the inside?

Elena: [deep breath] Those first few weeks were the most terrifying of my professional life. We lost 85% of our revenue overnight. I had 22 employees who depended on their jobs, fixed expenses that didn’t stop, and a completely uncertain future.

We pivoted to takeout within 48 hours—I was literally in the parking lot with a folding table handling curbside pickup while we figured out a better system. We created “family meal kits” that fed 4-6 people at a lower price point than our regular menu because we knew families were struggling too.

The hardest part was laying off staff, even temporarily. I made personal calls to each employee, and those conversations still haunt me. We were eventually able to bring back about 70% of our team, but some positions were permanently eliminated.

Jason: Beyond the immediate crisis, how has the pandemic permanently changed your business?

Elena: It accelerated changes that were already happening and forced us to make decisions we might have postponed otherwise. Our digital presence became essential rather than supplemental. We invested in our own online ordering system rather than relying exclusively on third-party apps that take substantial commissions.

Our physical space changed too. We reduced indoor seating by 20% to create more space between tables, which customers still appreciate. We winterized our patio with heaters and wind barriers to extend outdoor dining season by several months.

The most significant permanent change is probably our staffing model. We now operate with a smaller, more cross-trained team that’s paid better than industry standard. Everyone from dishwashers to servers now makes at least $20/hour plus benefits, which was unheard of in independent restaurants before. We can do this because we raised prices, simplified some processes, and run with a leaner team.

The Economics of Running a Restaurant Today

Jason: There’s often a disconnect between customer expectations and business realities. What do you wish diners understood about restaurant economics?

Elena: [laughs] Where to start? The biggest misconception is probably about our profit margins. The average restaurant operates on a 3-5% profit margin in normal times. That means on a $100 check, we might make $3-5 in actual profit.

Food costs have increased dramatically—some ingredients are up 40% since 2019. Our payroll costs have increased too, which is necessary and right for our team, but it impacts the bottom line. Overhead like rent, insurance, and utilities keeps climbing.

When we raised prices by about 15% over the past two years, we got some complaints from regular customers. What they didn’t see is that our costs went up by more than 20%, so we actually absorbed some of that increase ourselves.

I also wish people understood the true cost of delivery apps. When you order through them, they take 15-30% of the revenue. If we’re only making 5% profit to begin with, we’re actually losing money on most of those orders. That’s why we now offer incentives for customers to order directly through our website.

Jason: How have staffing challenges affected your business?

Elena: The “labor shortage” narrative doesn’t tell the whole story. What we’ve experienced is more of a reckoning with how the restaurant industry has traditionally treated workers. The pandemic gave people time to reassess, and many decided that irregular schedules, no benefits, and low wages weren’t acceptable anymore.

We’ve had to completely rethink our approach to staffing. We now offer predictable schedules posted three weeks in advance, health insurance for full-time employees, paid sick leave, and higher base wages. We close two days a week to ensure everyone gets time off. We’ve also invested in technology and workflow improvements to reduce the physical toll on our staff.

These changes have increased our labor costs by about 25%, but our turnover has dropped dramatically. I haven’t had a line cook quit in 18 months, which is practically unheard of in this industry. The stability and experience level of our team translates to better food and service, which customers do notice.

Community Support and Business Philosophy

Jason: How has the community supported you through these challenges?

Elena: In ways that still make me emotional when I think about them. During the worst of the pandemic, we had customers buying gift cards they didn’t intend to use, just to provide cash flow. One regular anonymously paid for staff meals for a week when we were temporarily closed.

Our local farmers and suppliers worked with us on payment terms when things were tight. The downtown business association helped us navigate permit requirements for expanded outdoor seating.

The most meaningful support, though, has been the patience and understanding from customers as we’ve adapted. When we reduced menu options to streamline kitchen operations, people understood. When we had to increase prices, most customers recognized it was necessary.

Jason: What business philosophy has guided you through these challenges?

Elena: I believe that a restaurant should nourish everyone it touches—customers, employees, suppliers, and the community. Every decision we make is filtered through that lens.

We’ve turned down opportunities that might have been profitable but didn’t align with our values. For example, we were approached about opening a second location in a new development across town. The numbers looked good, but it would have stretched our team too thin and compromised our quality and work environment.

I’ve learned that sustainable success comes from building relationships, not just transactions. We know our regular customers by name. We know our suppliers personally. We celebrate our staff’s birthdays and achievements outside of work. That relationship-centered approach creates a resilience that helps weather challenges like the ones we’ve faced.

Looking Ahead

Jason: What concerns you most about the future of independent restaurants?

Elena: Consolidation and homogenization. We’re seeing restaurant groups and chains with deeper pockets buy up prime locations as independents close. Each time a unique local restaurant is replaced by a chain or concept from a restaurant group, we lose something special about our local food culture.

I’m also concerned about the disconnect between consumer pricing expectations and the true cost of ethically produced food. If customers aren’t willing to pay what it actually costs to serve high-quality food made by fairly compensated staff, we’ll see more corners cut throughout the industry.

Jason: On a more positive note, what excites you about the future?

Elena: I’m encouraged by growing consumer interest in where food comes from and how it’s produced. More customers are asking questions about our sourcing and are willing to pay a premium for sustainably raised ingredients.

Technology is also creating efficiencies that help small operators like us. Our inventory management system has reduced food waste by 22%, which is good for both our bottom line and the environment.

And I’m incredibly optimistic about the new generation coming into the industry. They’re questioning old norms, bringing fresh perspectives, and demanding better working conditions. That pressure is pushing positive change throughout restaurants.

Jason: Final question—what keeps you going on the toughest days?

Elena: The moments of connection across the table. When I see families celebrating milestones, first dates that turn into engagements years later, old friends reconnecting—that’s what this is all about. Food brings people together in a way nothing else can.

Every night before I leave, I walk through the dining room and listen to the conversation and laughter. That sound—people connecting over meals we’ve prepared—that makes all the challenges worthwhile.

 

Three Generations Strong: The Wilson Family’s Manufacturing Legacy

When you drive down Industrial Parkway, it’s easy to miss the modest building that houses Wilson Precision Manufacturing. Yet behind those walls, three generations of the Wilson family have built components that are found in everything from commercial aircraft to medical devices. I recently sat down with Robert Wilson, current CEO and grandson of founder Harold Wilson, to discuss the company’s 68-year journey and how they’ve managed to thrive while many American manufacturers have disappeared.

From Garage to Global: The Birth of a Manufacturing Legacy

Jason: Your family business is now in its third generation. Can you take us back to the beginning and share what motivated your grandfather to start this manufacturing business?

Robert: It’s quite a story, actually. My grandfather Harold was a machinist at the old Peterson Steel plant during World War II. When the war ended and production scaled back, he was one of hundreds laid off. He had five kids to feed – my dad was the youngest – and instead of looking for another factory job, he decided to bet on himself.

He’d saved enough to buy a used lathe and set it up in his garage. He started making replacement parts for local farm equipment, which was in high demand since many farms had been running their machinery hard during the war years without being able to get new equipment.

Jason: What was the economic and industry landscape like when the company was founded? What need was he filling?

Robert: Post-war America was booming in many ways, but there were also significant shortages. New tractors and farm implements had waiting lists of 6-12 months. Harold realized farmers couldn’t afford to have equipment down that long, so he focused on making replacement parts faster than the big manufacturers could.

He had this philosophy that being small meant being nimble. He could machine a custom part in days when the big companies would take weeks just to process the order. That’s still part of our DNA today.

Jason: Were there any pivotal early decisions that set the foundation for the company’s longevity?

Robert: The biggest one was probably in 1961 when my grandfather invested in one of the first numerically controlled milling machines in the region. It nearly bankrupted the company – he mortgaged everything to buy it. People thought he was crazy to spend that kind of money when hand machining had worked fine.

But that decision put us years ahead of competitors. We could suddenly produce precision parts with consistency that was impossible by hand. It led to our first aerospace contracts, which became the backbone of the business for decades.

My grandfather wasn’t formally educated, but he understood that technology would change manufacturing, and he wanted to be ahead of that curve, not behind it.

From Father to Son to Grandson: The Generational Transitions

Jason: What was the transition like between the first and second generations? And then between the second and your generation?

Robert: [laughs] Neither one was particularly smooth, to be honest. My grandfather didn’t want to retire. He worked until he was 78, and even then, he came to the shop almost every day. He and my father butted heads constantly because my dad wanted to modernize operations and expand into new markets, while my grandfather was more cautious.

When my father took over in 1985, he immediately invested in CNC technology and computer systems for the office. He also pushed us into the medical device industry, which turned out to be brilliant timing as that sector exploded in the ’90s.

My transition was different. I actually left the family business after college and worked for General Electric for seven years. I wanted to learn how the big companies operated. When I came back in 2010, my father was more ready to step back than my grandfather had been. He stayed on as Chairman but gave me operational control much earlier.

Jason: How has the core business evolved from the first generation to now? What has remained consistent?

Robert: The core of making precision metal components has remained, but almost everything else has changed. My grandfather primarily made agricultural and industrial parts. My father shifted focus to aerospace and medical. Under my leadership, we’ve added a significant amount of defense work and specialized in titanium components, which are much more challenging to machine but command higher margins.

What’s stayed consistent is our commitment to quality and precision. My grandfather used to say, “If it has the Wilson name on it, it’s right to the thousandth of an inch.” Today, we’re working to the millionth of an inch on some aerospace components, but that mindset hasn’t changed.

Jason: What values or principles established by the founder are still guiding the business today?

Robert: Three big ones. First, invest in your people – we have machinists who’ve been with us for 30+ years because my grandfather and father prioritized treating employees like family. Second, reinvest in technology – we put about 15% of profits back into new equipment every year, without fail. And third, always answer the phone when a customer calls with a problem – that’s literally a rule in our company handbook.

Weathering Economic Storms as a Family Business

Jason: What do you think would surprise your grandfather most about how the business operates today?

Robert: [smiles] The robots, definitely. We have six automated cells now where parts move from machine to machine with robotic arms. He wouldn’t recognize the shop floor.

But I think he’d also be shocked at the paperwork and regulation. When he started, a handshake was a contract. Now we have a full-time compliance officer just to keep up with regulations from a dozen different agencies.

Jason: How has being a family-owned business specifically helped you weather economic challenges?

Robert: We can make decisions quickly without answering to shareholders or a board. During the 2008 recession, we cut everyone’s hours to 32 per week, including management, rather than laying people off. A public company would never have done that – they’d have cut 20% of the workforce to maintain their stock price.

We also don’t have debt. That’s a non-negotiable principle from my grandfather that both my father and I have maintained. It means we grow slower during good times, but we sleep better during downturns.

Jason: Can you share a story about an early challenge the business faced and how overcoming it shaped your company’s identity?

Robert: In 1973, during the oil crisis, our material costs tripled overnight, and many customers couldn’t afford to place new orders. It nearly broke us. My grandfather gathered everyone together – there were only about 15 employees then – and laid out the situation. Instead of layoffs, everyone agreed to work three days a week until things improved.

To fill the gap, my grandfather started bidding on specialty prototype work that other shops wouldn’t touch because the quantities were too small to be profitable. It turned out those prototypes led to relationships with R&D departments at major companies, which eventually became some of our best long-term customers.

That crisis taught us to diversify and to look for opportunity in specialized work that others avoid. It’s why today about 30% of our business is in low-volume, high-complexity parts that most manufacturers won’t touch.

Looking to the Future

Jason: Looking ahead, what are your thoughts about the fourth generation and the future of family ownership?

Robert: That’s the million-dollar question. I have two children – my daughter is in engineering school and has worked summers here. She seems interested in the business. My son is more focused on the business side and is getting his MBA. I’m not pressuring either of them.

I’ve seen too many family businesses fail because children felt forced into roles they didn’t want. If they choose other paths, we might look at employee ownership or other succession options.

What I do know is that American manufacturing has a future, despite what you might read. It will be more automated, more specialized, and require different skills, but there will always be a need for companies that can make complex parts with absolute precision and reliability. That’s what three generations of Wilsons have built, and I feel good about where we stand for the future.

Wilson Precision Manufacturing employs 87 people and operates from a 65,000 square foot facility. Their components can be found in commercial aircraft, medical imaging equipment, surgical instruments, and defense systems. Learn more at www.wilsonprecision.com.

Join the Conversation

Do you have experience with family business transitions? What questions would you have for Robert about manufacturing in America today? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Local Insights: Sarah Mitchell on Today’s Housing Market Challenges

In this month’s local business spotlight, I sat down with Sarah Mitchell, a real estate broker with 15 years of experience in our community. Sarah has guided hundreds of families through the home buying and selling process, weathering market ups and downs while maintaining one of the highest client satisfaction ratings in the region.

Our conversation explored the realities of today’s housing market, the challenges facing first-time buyers, and what Sarah believes policymakers are missing in the housing affordability debate.

On the Current State of Our Local Housing Market

Jason: Sarah, thanks for making time to chat. Let’s start with the basics – how would you describe our current local housing market to someone trying to understand it?

Sarah: Thanks for having me, Jason. I’d describe our market as a tale of two cities right now. On one hand, we have incredible demand – people want to live here, they love our community. On the other hand, we’re seeing unprecedented challenges with inventory and affordability.

The reality that doesn’t make headlines is that we have about 40% less inventory than we did five years ago. That’s not just a statistic – that’s families staying in homes they’ve outgrown because they can’t find or afford their next step. It’s retirees who want to downsize but can’t find suitable options. The ripple effects touch everyone.

Jason: What’s driving that inventory shortage from your perspective?

Sarah: It’s multi-faceted. We have existing homeowners locked into incredibly low interest rates who don’t want to sell and take on a new mortgage at today’s rates. We have municipalities with restrictive zoning that makes it difficult to build diverse housing types. And we have construction costs that have risen dramatically, making it harder for developers to build affordable new units.

But I think the most underreported factor is the slowdown in building that happened after 2008. We’re still feeling those effects – we simply haven’t built enough homes for over a decade, and that deficit compounds every year.

The Reality for First-Time Buyers

Jason: You work with a lot of first-time buyers. What’s their reality like right now?

Sarah: It’s tough – probably the toughest market for first-time buyers I’ve seen in my career. The traditional path of buying a starter home has almost disappeared in certain price points.

First-time buyers today need to be incredibly prepared. They’re typically making 5-7 offers before securing a home. They’re compromising on location or features in ways previous generations didn’t have to. And they’re often getting financial help from family – about 40% of my first-time buyers under 35 are getting some form of family assistance with their down payment.

But I don’t want to paint it as hopeless. People are still finding homes, but the process requires more patience, flexibility, and financial preparation than ever before.

Jason: What advice are you giving first-time buyers in this environment?

Sarah: Three things consistently: First, start the pre-approval process early and understand exactly what you can afford. Second, be open to neighborhoods you might not have initially considered – some of our traditionally overlooked areas are seeing great community development. And third, don’t waive inspections just to win a bidding war – I’ve seen that lead to major regrets.

I also encourage people to look at condos and townhomes as entry points. The “forever home” is rarely the first home anyway, so focusing on getting into the market sometimes means adjusting expectations.

What Policymakers Are Missing

Jason: You interface with local housing policies regularly. What do you think policymakers are missing?

Sarah: [laughs] How much time do you have?

The biggest disconnect I see is between zoning policies and housing goals. We have municipalities that publicly commit to affordable housing while maintaining zoning that makes it nearly impossible to build multi-family units or smaller homes on smaller lots.

I also think we focus too much on subsidizing demand rather than increasing supply. First-time homebuyer tax credits are popular politically, but without addressing supply, they just drive prices higher.

What we need is a serious conversation about increasing density in appropriate areas, streamlining the permitting process for builders, and incentivizing the construction of “missing middle” housing – duplexes, townhomes, and small multi-family buildings.

Jason: Have you seen any communities get this right?

Sarah: Yes, and that gives me hope. Rochester has made excellent progress by allowing accessory dwelling units by right and reducing minimum lot sizes in certain neighborhoods. They’ve seen about 15% more housing starts year over year, with much of that in the middle price ranges.

Elmwood has created incentives for redeveloping outdated commercial spaces into mixed-use developments. I took buyers through a converted old department store last week that now has retail on the ground floor and 40 condos above it – six of which are priced below market rate. That kind of creative approach is what we need more of.

Final Thoughts

Jason: Before we wrap up, what’s one thing you wish every community member understood about housing in our area?

Sarah: That housing isn’t just about real estate – it’s the foundation of community health. When housing is unaffordable, we lose economic diversity. We lose teachers, first responders, and service workers who can’t afford to live where they work. We see increased commute times, traffic, and environmental impacts. We see kids changing schools when families have to move frequently.

I wish people understood that when they oppose new housing developments or multi-family buildings, there are real human costs to that decision that go beyond property values. The family that can’t find housing here doesn’t disappear – they just move somewhere else, often with significant hardship.

I believe we can create thoughtful development that preserves neighborhood character while evolving to meet our community’s needs. But that requires us all to see housing as infrastructure, not just as an investment or a commodity.

Sarah Mitchell is the broker-owner of Mitchell & Associates Realty. She serves on the county’s Housing Advisory Committee and can be reached through her website at mitchellrealty.com.

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Join the Conversation

What housing challenges are you experiencing in our community? Have questions for Sarah? Share your thoughts in the comments below.