If clients have to wait hours for a burger, the existing clientele is gone either way. If you end up folding, the existing clientele is hosed anyway.

And as the original commenter noted, you could put coupons in the local newspaper and the library and whatever else, so the locals have access to burgers at the old price.

Or you have someone whose job it is to stand outside and memorize the names and faces of local patrons and turn away any newcomer who can't present an ID with a local address. You can have a second entrance for everyone else, takeout-only, with an hours-long wait, which plenty of food tourists will happily endure.

I see you are familiar with Berlin nightclubs!

Lots of bars have "regulars" that they give unadvertised discounts too. This isn't an unsolved problem, you don't even need to go as far as coupons.

I think this is the point many people are seemingly missing.

Ask any family restaurant/bar owner in a seasonal tourist destination and they’ll explain why locals must be one of the first considerations before you make drastic changes. Particularly if an important reason for opening was a personal preference to serve locals over tourists in the first place.

It’s incredibly interesting to see how few people understand that someone may open a business with priorities other than massive growth potential.

>It’s incredibly interesting to see how few people understand that someone may open a business with priorities other than massive growth potential.

It really is interesting, but hardly surprising, given the demographics of this forum. :)

Certainly less risk than just closing up shop.

If there's enough demand, then it should be possible to increase capacity.