There was a time when going out to eat felt like a very special moment. Not just a pause in the day, but something that carried meaning. A little ritual. You dressed up, made a plan, maybe even looked forward to it all week. It wasn’t about convenience. It was about connection. And honestly, I miss that.

These days, dining out feels different. We go because we’re tired, because our schedules are packed, or because cooking feels like a chore. For many, it’s no longer a treat—it’s just part of the routine. And in becoming so familiar, it’s lost something.

When Restaurants Felt Human

What I remember most from the restaurants I grew up with wasn’t the food. It was how they made you feel. The neighborhood spot where the owner waved you in. The elegant restaurants where my dad entertained clients, sometimes allowing me to tag along. Tableside gueridon services with flambéed dishes and second servings. well dressed staff remembering what you ordered last time, and offering it without asking. The feeling of being seen—like you mattered.

You still find places like that. But they’re getting harder to come by. Small, independent restaurants—the kind that quietly anchor a community—are being squeezed out. Rents climb, staffing gets tougher, and chains move in. What survives is often what cab be scaled. It feels strange and uncomfortable. There are more restaurants than ever, yet fewer and fewer feel personal and unique.

From Hospitality to System

As dining became routine, the industry adapted. Menus got templated and digitised. Dining rooms were built to be branded, not warm. What was once a craft turned into a system. And somewhere in that push for efficiency, a lot of the humanity faded out.

Now we order through tablets, and get served by someone who might not be there next week. The experience feels scripted—polite, but detached. I’ve had meals recently that were perfectly fine, and yet I walked out feeling nothing. Not because the food was bad—but because there was no spark. No care.

Designed for the Scroll, Not the Table

Social media’s influence hasn’t helped. Many restaurants today feel built for the camera more than the customer. Beautiful dishes, stylized lighting, catchy wall quotes—all designed to be posted, not savored. And then there’s the increasingly controversial influencer economy. A viral dish can pack a restaurant overnight, even if the food is just average. The algorithm rewards aesthetics, not substance. And when style outweighs care, the experience becomes hollow. We’re dining for the scroll, not the moment.

Dining, Reduced to Transaction

We’ve also blurred the line between dining and delivery. Apps make it easier than ever to eat from restaurants without stepping inside one. But the cost is the experience. Restaurants become vendors, not venues. Food becomes product, not memory. Even when we do dine out, phones sit on the table. Meals are documented more than shared. We no longer expect a restaurant to offer meaning—just availability and speed.

A Few Still Get It Right

That said, some places still remind you why dining out can be special. Places that use technology to support the experience, not replace it. Where service feels human. Where you’re remembered. They’re not always trendy or polished. But they’re real. And real lingers longer than perfect. At Churrasco Phuket Steakhouse, this is at the core of our philosophy and daily efforts. As we keep telling out team over and over again: “We are not about selling food. We are here to make our guests happy”. It seems to work, judging by the long and growing litany of 5-star reviews on Google – and even that slowly dying legacy review site, TripAdvisor.

The Part We Play

It’s tempting to point fingers at the industry. But restaurants reflect and rrespond to demand. If we chase convenience or viral novelty over substance, the message is clear to those who invest in the restaurant business. But if at the same time, we choose the places that feel thoughtful, sincere, and human—if we reward care—we can shift the landscape.

A 2023 OpenTable survey found that nearly 80% of diners ranked “authenticity” above price or even food quality. That appetite for something real? It’s there. We just have to act on it.

And I think that’s worth remembering every time we go out to eat. Don’t you?

Image Credit: https://freepik.com

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Churrasco Phuket Steakhouse serves affordable Wagyu and Black Angus steaks and burgers. We are open daily from 12noon to 11pm at Jungceylon Shopping Center in Patong / Phuket.

We are family-friendly and offer free parking and Wi-Fi for guests. See our menus, reserve your table, find our location, and check all guest reviews here:

https://ChurrascoPhuket.com/

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