If you’re like many of us, you probably have a monthly or weekly tradition that involves going out for a bite to eat.
Visiting a restaurant is one of the few luxuries many Americans can justify the cost of — even if the return on investment isn’t exactly spectacular.
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Maybe that’s because dining out is an experience and brings people together.
Unlike many other things in today’s technologically plugged-in world, going out for a meal tends to involve sitting down and actually having a conversation with other humans face to face.
That’s a rare luxury these days, especially when more businesses are hiring robots to do their customer-facing tasks.
In fact, over 50% of Americans reported going out to eat at a restaurant at least once per month in 2025.
That’s a more frequent splurge than other types of consumer discretionary spending. which includes things like clothing or cosmetics. It may even sound like getting into this corner of retail is good business.
But operating a restaurant certainly isn’t exactly a failsafe way to make a mint in today’s modern economy.
There are still plenty of pitfalls associated with running one; they tend to be money pits from the very beginning.
Azteca is closing down one of its longstanding restaurants.
Image source: Getty Images
Restaurants are hard businesses
Anyone who’s been in charge of accounting for a restaurant will tell you that their job was far from easy.
Restaurants require a lot of cash up front to get started. Pricey equipment, high costs of quality food, labor, utilities, licenses, insurance, and perishables are all costly.
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But it’s not just the costs that make running a restaurant hard.
Aside from being notorious money sucks, restaurants are a grind to operate from a people perspective, too.
Reliable labor tends to be hard to find and highly seasonal.
Kitchen and waitstaff are required to work long, inflexible hours during peak seasons like summers and holidays. And it’s really hard to hold on to staff for more than a season or two.
Plus, restaurants are in the business of pleasing customers, whose tastes can be incredibly fickle. All it takes is a few bad online reviews or word of mouth to tank your entire operation before it ever really gets off the ground.
Popular Mexican chain closes restaurant
And sometimes, it can seem like you’re doing everything right but still suffer from hard times.
Such is the case with Azteca, a popular Mexican restaurant located in the Spokane, Wash., area.
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The chain announced that its Northpointe Plaza location in Spokane will close at the end of June, on July 20, 2025, after a 22-year run in the area.
“After 22 incredible years, our Spokane Northpointe Azteca location will be closing on July 20. We’re so grateful to the community for making us part of your celebrations, traditions, and taco nights for over two decades,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook.
It first opened its doors in 2003 and has been hailed as a local favorite for popular dishes like fajitas, award-winning nachos, and margaritas.
“Winner of many awards from both food writers and consumers, Azteca has been acclaimed as ‘Best Overall Restaurant,’ ‘Best Mexican Restaurant,’ ‘Best Ethnic Restaurant,’ and ‘Best Restaurant to Take Kids To,'” the site reads.
Azteca still has over 10 locations in the Pacific Northwest area.