Couple of things- focusing one your one theory as to what Worcester or the businesses or the government did wrong missed the big picture.

Every restaurant closing has to do with cost of doing business, current and projected. There are a lot of factors that go into it. Most important is the cost to open your doors- Rent, utilities, food cost. All three of these categories have gone up in the past few years for factors outside of most businesses to control.

You need to be good at what you do to stay open for a long time, and enough of an attraction for return customers. That means you need to have something your competitors don’t have as a hook. A lot of the places that are closing now all had similar menus and atmospheres, and all operated in close proximity to each other. Add in The Mercantile and Ruth Chris Steakhouse opening nearby (both with giant footprints and owned by restaurant groups), and smaller places can’t compete unless customers turn out for them.

If their landlord raised their rent, or they had the opportunity to sell, or they didn’t like the uncertainty of operating near the ballpark, then they saw the chance to get out when they could and get a return on their investment before they ran out of money.

But let’s face it- Worcester has had a lot of restaurants with similar themes open up in the last decade. There will be closings when customers shift to new places, or add another few places to their regular choices. Also, as long time Worcester residents get priced out of housing, their local favorites will suffer when the transplants from the Boston suburbs move here and find their own favorites.

If you want to survive, be unique and good at what you do. Also, own your place if you can, or lock in a long term lease at favorable rates that won’t change when the landlord decides to cash in on the Worcester “Renaissance.”