Posted: Thursday, April 21, 2005 7:00 pm
Apparently, I asked too much of Lincoln diners. I had hoped they would get on board and support Baciami, the new tapas restaurant that opened last June in the Haymarket.
I even wrote as much when Ground Zero featured the eatery shortly after it opened.
But it didn't happen. Baciami will close April 30 after months of struggling to stay in the black.
"It just didn't add up at the end of each month," said Jason Ables, who ran the semi-upscale place with Shannon Raymer. "We would like to keep going, hang in there and make it part of downtown and the Haymarket."
Baciami is the latest locally owned restaurant to shut down in the past six months. Others include El Salvador, Vien Dong, Four Suns, Haggan's Holy Smoked Bar-B-Q and J. Finnegan's, which also operated out of the Haymarket.
The trend is scary and should serve notice to others contemplating food service in a market dominated by sports bars and corporate chains.
Baciami's concept a menu of tapas (appetizers) and entrees was good, but Ables said the name and the menu threw diners. Baciami means "kiss me" in Italian, but the restaurant didn't serve Italian food. And people in Lincoln weren't quite ready for an eatery specializing in appetizers.
He also said the location at the corner of Eighth and Q streets was partly to blame for the downfall. It was too big and in the wrong place.
Instead of starting small say, a 40- to 60-seat restaurant in a strip mall with parking he and Raymer opted for the 115-seater in the Haymarket, which is notorious for its high rent.
A lot can be said for appearances. A "happening" place is 30 diners in a 50-seat restaurant, but put the same number in a bigger place and it raises red flags to patrons.
Parking also is an issue. There is a garage one block away, but getting Lincoln residents to pay to park for something other than a Husker football game is like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip.
And then asking them to walk more than 20 steps to the front door it's just not happening.
In addition, Ables said, they underestimated Lincoln's diners. They figured folks would pay a higher price for a complete dining experience.
Diners in Omaha will, but Omaha restaurants have more people (and people with more money) to draw from.
Lincoln diners prefer large portions at inexpensive prices. Why do you think buffets do so well here?
I know this to be true, having written about restaurants for seven years. When people ask me about dining options, questions about price and quantity immediately follow those about selection.
Baciami plans to go out in a blaze in of glory. The owners are planning a party with live jazz music.
"It's really sad," Ables said. "This is our baby. It's something we thought we could pull off."
He said it's been a learning experience and they may try it again.
"A lot of people love this place," he said.
Just not enough of us.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.