C-J got its mojo workin'?

I think enough time has passed with Marty at the helm of the invigorated food coverage at the C-J to pose this question:

Is a positive review in the C-J creating a sustained increase in diners at your favorite restaurant? (assuming it has been reviewed)

and

Has this effected the quality of your personal dining experience?

Has the mojo returned to the C-J with the combined coverage of Marty, Sarah and Ron?

[Robin Garr]

Has the mojo returned to the C-J with the combined coverage of Marty, Sarah and Ron?

There is certainly no question that Marty marks a dramatic improvement over his predecessor, although it's worth noting that Sarah has been food editor since the 1980s and Ron has been there for a couple of years, so they're not really new; and the "expanded food section," except for Marty's serious contributions, is really more of an expanded advertising section, much of its content filled with wire-service copy.

Anecdotally, I've heard some stories about Marty's impact on restaurant business that sound like the old days: Seafood Connection was slammed for a week or two after Marty's <i>Friday</I> report on them in "The Dish," for instance; but then, it was also slammed after my reports on LHB and in LEO.

So his arrival has surely made a difference, both in quality and in impact.

But bear in mind that even with this improvement - and it <i>is</i> an improvement - The CJ is still suffering badly both from 20 years of profit taking and deteroriating quality under Gannett, and the reality that print media is fading under competition from television and the Internet. The CJ simply isn't what it used to be, in circulation or quality or impact, and one restaurant column isn't going to change that much.

Is a positive review in the C-J creating a sustained increase in diners at your favorite restaurant? (assuming it has been reviewed)

I was in Havana Rumba a month or two ago and they told us that the huge croud was due to a recent CJ review. The reviews appear to have effects, even on established local favorites.

The CJ is still how a lot of people find new places to eat - The Scene on Saturdays and then they try and eat there Saturday night like the rest of Louisville and CJ readers. Before I found the forum I too looked every Saturday but was smart to wait a week or 2 before venturing out to the new places. I was always disappointed when Reigler revisited an established place(which she did way too frequently for me) rather than a new opening. I was always looking for something new.

Joe

Our reviews in the LEO have an effect. I went in to Blue Mountain a few days after my review. The owners had the LEO on the counter and open to the article. I asked if they were pleased with the review. They said they were trying to narrow down who wrote it and had a couple of people in mind. Also said that several people had come in and specifically mentioned the article.

I did admit to being the author.

And no I didn't get free coffee.

Viva the power of the press.

We drove past La Rouge this weekend and they even had a decent crowd.

I can understand the crowd at La Rouge. I for one want to go in and eat just to see if it really is that bad. I'm sure Saturday there was a "nice" little meeting with everyone at the restaurant to discuss the future of the restaurant. I would think that even a bad review might be good for business in the short term, with people like me wanting to go in and see what is going on. In the long term however it will hurt business with outsiders and people searching for a place to eat seeing the "star system" and deciding against it. If La Rouge is to survive they will have to sit down and figure out thier plan of action to right thier name (if it is deserving).