A Few Operational Changes at the Co-op
You may have noticed few changes to the way Black Star Co-op does business over the past couple weeks. We want to address some of these changes here, to provide an explanation for why the changes were necessary.
Firstly, we’ll be closing the pub with kitchen at the same time throughout the week: 11:00pm. Over the past year we’ve tacked a sharp drop in patronage during late-night service, after the kitchen closes. With too few customers coming in between 11:00pm and 1:00am, it made little sense for us to stay open. So while we’re sorry for any inconvenience it may cause patrons who enjoyed late-night drinks on the weekend, it wouldn’t be fiscally responsible of us to stay open past 11:00pm.
Secondly, food prices will no longer be sales tax inclusive. With kitchen expenses rising, we were left with two options to cover those expenses: substantially raise menu item prices, or fall in with the rest of Austin’s restaurants and have sales tax added to your bill’s bottom line.
While these changes constitutes a small change from how we’ve done business in the past, we’re confident that it’s for the best. After all, a positive change to our business and the bottom line, is in turn better for the Members.