If you’ve read my “About me” section, you know that I do not apologize for going to a restaurant once and then writing my review.  The reason? 

Like Top Chef judge Tom Collichio said in Season Two when a contestant complained why they’re only judged on that one day’s performance (paraphrasing here) — the first impression matters!  Your customers are judging you on the one day they come in so you had better be good!
I read this very interesting blog posting on how a former restauranteur banned himself from going to his favorite restaurant for a year.  While he was a regular going once every week (Thursdays to be precise), he no longer went due to a poorly cooked piece of pork and bad customer service.  He calculated how much this ban would conservatively cost the restaurant:
Each week I spend an average of $52.00 on my Thursday evening dinner. Multiplied by 52 weeks the number was $2704.00. On at least six occasions a year I would entertain another couple at the restaurant for about $200.00 a visit. Another $1200.00. At least once a month I would have dinner on a Saturday night at the restaurant for another $600.00 for a total of $4504.00. Add a 20% gratuity and the total loss to the restaurant was approximately $5400.00.
It’s expensive for restaurants when they lose the regulars…