New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-07-20

he has studied his own business an
answer is mathematician terms Of
basis of operating possibilities and
"The cafe receipts at our seaside
hotel on Sunday, July Is, were ST.
BOOTS less than they were on Sun
day, June 20. In town the dis
crepancy was more marked over the
week end, the entire business fall
ing below our weekend normal 60
per cent. By discharging thirty
five walters at our hotel and similar
close figuring we have been able to
reduce our overhead expense 10 per
cent, but our business has fallen
off so per cent.
"Under these conditions we shall
have to reorganize along new lines
or go out of business. The cabaret
must be abandoned, and with it
much of the music Dancing prob
ably will stay, but there will be
less dancing. The attendance now
at our various establishments is
about 40 per cent Of what it was
before July /. There is this diff
ference, however: the customers do
not stay so long, and one drink
around as a rule suffices.
cat present the habitues of caba-
rets are carrying their own liquor
A large number of them have
whiskey TASKS and thermos bot
tie containing cocktails is not an
unusual sight at Broadway cafes,
the suburban roadhouses or the sea-
side hotels. So far as l know we
are not expected to police our Gus
toners. If they order settler or
soda and mix their own drinks we
are assuming that it is none of our
business. This practice will con-
tinue until the authorities find
way to stop it.
There cannot be reasonable
doubt that the ordinary cafe of pre-
prohibition days is done. There is.
a possibility that some substitute
stimulus for liquor will be found,
but I doubt it. We are seeking that
now. But, generally speaking, it
was and is the stimulative effect of
liquor that made the cabaret and
the dance attractive. Not that
sober persons do not dance, but the
difference between those who do and
those who don't means financial
ruin to the average Broadway cafe
with an overhead expense equal, or
nearly SO, to that previous to July
i. 1t costs as much to serve a
lemonade as it does to serve a high
ball. The difference is that while
a highball calls for several drinks
one lemonade usually is enough.
"Our hotel is hit hard, but al
even better example perhaps is thai
Of the Hotel near Times
Square. The bar, which includes
the service bar catering to the sew
eral dining rooms and the roof gar
den of this hotel, did an average
business previous to July l Of So,
200 a day. The net profit on thi
business in the course of a veal
averaged 100000. The same ba
now does between 5000 and $3.50
worth of business daily. The prof
per dollar is less. 1t means thai
the manager Of this hotel, if it
normal earnings are to be main
tanned, must find some way to max,
his 800 rooms account for approx
mately 100000 deficit. Thu
remedy nearest at hand is a rails
of food and room rates. But tn
public will have to be educated t.
that, and the great majority of tn
travelling public believes it is pay
ing enough now.
ITO us the most costly factor o
the present prohibition is that i
really was unexpected. We felt tina
genuine prohibition would not COM
until next January and were plan