Thank God, 2023 is ending, and that's already good news. The end of such a shocking year should probably be celebrated madly, but on the other hand, there are the reasons that made it so bad, and we're still in them.
We live in several consecutive months of struggle between our desire to leave the house for a pastime that includes some routine and sanity and the fact that... How do we say that? It just sucks to go out and have fun while thousands of people are in mourning and so many others fighting for us on the frontlines.
Against the background of all these confusing dilemmas, after more or less two months of a gradual return to routine, in recent weeks restaurateurs and culinary business owners have reached the doorsteps of the almost impossible debate - should we celebrate New Year's Eve?
It just sucks to go out and have a good time, Photo: GettyImages
On the one hand, this is one of the most profitable evenings for restaurants, it is impossible to ignore it, especially at a time like this when every shekel will help. The audience is also aware of this and cooperates, although in some places the prices are a bit disproportionate. These are special evenings that are organized in advance, and it's much more than a meal, it's a closed menu with complex dishes, a DJ and an event that in most places is produced down to the smallest details.
On the other hand, you know, war, who wants to celebrate anyway? How detached and unaware one can be in order to dress fancy, go to a restaurant, get drunk (actually recommended for those who want to disconnect from the news a little) and count from ten to zero.
This dilemma became difficult and complex, both for the restaurateurs and for the diners, and eventually, ahead of the event, we created a wide spectrum of types of events (which you can read about in another article that came up in this section), from restaurateurs who refused to celebrate New Year's Eve explicitly but opened as usual, through restaurants that celebrate but in a way related to the war, to restaurants that chose the "now" agenda and celebrate the New Year in the best tradition. We talked to some of them about the path that led them to decide what they decided.
10% increase in New Year's Eve search
First of all, data. We contacted the restaurant booking platform "Ontopo" and asked for data on this New Year's Eve compared to New Year's Eve of last year, and you are going to be surprised. It turns out that this year, compared to 2022, there is a 10% increase in searches for restaurant and bar activity on December 31. One of the main reasons for this is actually a sharp decline in the number of flights abroad during the same period last year.
From last year's festivities,
Another painful and expected figure concerns the distribution of demand in terms of regions. There is a sharp decline in demand in the south, including 40% less in Ashdod than last year, although there is still a chance that this will change at the 90th minute. The sharpest decline, by the way, is in the opening of "events" for special events on New Year's Eve, i.e. special areas on the site designated for events where you need to book in advance or buy tickets, only 23 events this year, including only one pre-sale event, compared to 143 last year.
Anyone who thinks for a moment that this is a detached decision should stop for a moment
Omri Kauftail, owner of the Mana restaurant, decided that he was celebrating New Year's Eve with all his might. Anyone who for a moment thinks that this is a detached decision by a restaurateur, should stop for a moment and hear how incomprehensible his decision is, after two of his employees were murdered at the Nova party and another employee was injured.
"We open on New Year's Eve because it's a practice that happens every year here," he says. "This year we really debated whether to do something special or leave the evening as usual in light of what we went through in particular and the whole country. However, last year Maya Haim, who was murdered in Nova, celebrated New Year's Eve with us and worked with us. We dedicated this evening to her, she built the playlist and was involved in the production down to the smallest details. We will also celebrate for her and play the playlist she built last year. We will dedicate it to her and Karina who loved to celebrate life and have fun."
Maya Haim and Karina Prittika z"l, photo: courtesy of the restaurant
"Besides, life here is not easy as a restaurateur, I don't renew here for anyone. It's an evening with a lot of traffic that we don't want to give up. People are looking to go out and celebrate, and we, as a place of entertainment that hosts people, need to provide this service. We do a chef's meal with a closed tasting menu - openings, starters, mains, desserts and a glass of sparkling wine at a uniform price per person.
Have you received unusual comments or comments from customers about the decision?
"The responses are good. We are understood and people want it eventually. We're looking to vent, relax, get out of the house and eat dinner with a happy but at the same time respectful atmosphere, and that's what we give and will continue to give."
Still in matters of war, a particularly difficult and complex period is also passing for Nina Bianca restaurant from Bilu Junction - an old, popular and beloved restaurant that, to its horror, its employees and diners discovered that the restaurant's beloved manager, Omer Venkert, who was also at the Nova party, had been kidnapped to Gaza. Since then, between preparing food for the fighters and evacuees of the envelope and donation rooms, they have been trying to return to a routine of work.
An event that is all yellow, photo: PR
Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, the restaurant decided to celebrate the end of the year with a special evening that is entirely yellow, with special yellow dishes in the atmosphere of color that symbolizes the struggle for the return of the hostages. "In previous years there was happy music with a DJ throughout the evening, this year the music will be calm and pleasant," says Lior Naim, the restaurant's owner. "The restaurant employees are very attached to Omer, so coping is not simple, Omar is a leading figure in the restaurant, the staff is very optimistic and prays for his return."
"No special menu, no DJ, damn end of year, good thing..."
On the other side of the barricade, and this side too cannot be judged, of course, are the restaurateurs who simply cannot and do not want to celebrate this event as a festive and special event due to the situation and the general glider. One of them is Bernardo Blachowicz, owner of the "Story Garden Cafe" group.
Bernardo Blachowicz, owner of the "Garden Story Cafe" group, photo: Morag Bitan
"We gradually opened our restaurants by region," he says of the slow return to normal. "The truth is, slowly the numbers are starting to come back. We can see the number of guests each year during this period, there are obviously differences, both in atmosphere and mood but also in average per diner."
"We are sad and our customers are sad. But we are creating some sanity – maybe imaginary, maybe not, but sanity, so that we can deal with the situation we are in as a country and as a people. Our sanity and strength will also affect our heroes who are fighting on the front. If they know that everything is at ease and the routine is maintained, it will add motivation to them."
If routine is more or less back, and we can cope with the situation, why not celebrate the New Year?
"You can't celebrate New Year's Eve with all the celebration around. But the routine needs to be maintained, so we 'mark' the event with very minor specials. No special menu, no DJ, damn end of year, good thing it's over. We will welcome the new year with comfort food in an optimistic atmosphere and hope for quiet days and the return of the hostages."
Adi Barda, Director of the "No Suckers" community, Photo: "Adi Shraga"
Adi Barda, a 31-year-old blogger from Tel Aviv, is the founder and owner of the "No Suckers" community, which engages, among other things, in making the world of leisure, entertainment and culinary accessible under an agenda of wise consumerism. Through it pass quite a few recommendations for businesses and places of entertainment. Through it you can also understand trends.
"On a personal level, already three weeks into the beginning of this madness, I felt I had to get some air," she says. "At first for something calm and pastoral, a coffee cart, and later also for restaurants. I needed it, but I felt that just as I needed it mentally, businesses needed it too. People didn't go out and barely ordered."
"As a Tel Avivian, outwardly there seems to be a return to normal, but it's with mixed feelings. This is also why you can 'feel comfortable' with celebrating New Year's Eve. Let's say, I was sitting in a bar a few days ago, outwardly everything is good and good, hanging out and having fun, and then I discovered by chance that the brother of one of the owners had fallen. Routine exists, but it involves war. A delusional routine of feeling uncomfortable when you go out and have a good time, but on the other hand you also help by going out to businesses that love you and prevent their collapse, and this helps the feelings a little. As a community manager, I encourage people as much as I can to go out, even if it's just to a wine bar or a cup of coffee, especially since many of the businesses belong to reservists or those who have some connection to the war, and that eases the feelings of guilt a bit."
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