FUELING STATIONS RESTAURANTS ATTACHED TO MALLS FARE BEST DURING HOLIDAY SEASON.Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer Restaurants and coffee shops were abuzz with business Friday, as holiday shoppers rested their weary legs and refueled for another round of wandering in store aisles. Laurene Loos said her family left the house at 4:30 a.m. and headed straight for Best Buy. A line had already wrapped around the store. She wasn't hungry, but she knew her two children would eventually need a snack. The first break wasn't until 10 a.m. ``Oh, well, we stopped to regain a little energy,'' said Loo as her children sipped hot chocolate. ``This shopping stuff is tiring. Who knows when the next stop will be? Probably lunch.'' The Starbucks in Woodland Hills looked like a triage triage Division of patients for priority of care, usually into three categories: those who will not survive even with treatment; those who will survive without treatment; and those whose survival depends on treatment. center for worn-out shoppers Friday. Several people had their feet up on chairs, bags loaded with clothing and electronics beneath the tables. Chris Tanaka was just finishing the last few sips of her mocha Mocha (mō`kə), town (1990 est. pop. 2,000), S Yemen, a port on the Red Sea. It was noted for the export of the coffee to which it gave its name but declined as a trading port in the late 19th cent. with the rise of Hodeida and Aden. . ``You know, this helps. But I came down here from Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern not to eat but to shop,'' she said. Restaurants that are attached to malls expected more traffic this year. Their predictions were based on an overall increase in restaurant traffic last month, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the National Restaurant Association. ``Restaurant operators reported strong improvements in same-store sales Same-store sales is a business term which refers to the revenue generated by one of a retail chain's specific outlets during a certain period of time (often a fiscal quarter or a particular shopping season), compared to an identical period in the past, usually in the previous year. and customer traffic (in October), and remained solidly optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op about future sales growth,'' Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research and information services See Information Systems. for the association, said in a statement. By 11:30 a.m. the Red Robin at Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga in Canoga Park already had a steady flow of customer traffic. The restaurant's general manager, Christin Sporny, was scarfing down a tuna melt before the midday rush. ``I told all of the servers that this is a big day, especially for us, so put on a smile. The restaurant is having record sales right now. We expect that to continue through December,'' Sporny said. In October, 46 percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in traffic when compared with the same period a year ago. The association's expectations index, which measures restaurant operators' six-month outlook, increased 1.2 percent in October. The October gain marked the fourth consecutive monthly increase. ``We're certainly anticipating a strong year,'' said Jason Horowitz, general manager of Ruby's Diner diner, restaurant resembling the railroad dining car that is its source. In the mid-19th cent., the first dining cars that appeared on trains were nothing more than an empty car with a fastened-down table. George M. in Woodland Hills. ``And most of our restaurants that are next to malls usually perform very well during the holiday season.'' Evan Pondel, (818) 713-3662 evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) At Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga in Canoga Park, the mall's food court is packed on Friday, first day of the holiday shopping season. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion