The next big trend is eating at places you’d never dream of going to, says Paul Mascarenhas, founder of EatLocalNY, an online guide to eating out and dining in New Orleans.
“If you’re a person who doesn’t eat out a lot, you have to be very careful to avoid places like Starbucks, or the restaurants that are more traditional,” Mascareres says.
It can be difficult to find an affordable place to eat.
According to the National Restaurant Association, an industry group representing restaurants, restaurants need to spend at least $300 per meal on food to survive, which is about $6,000 more than a comparable establishment in the Bay Area.
Restaurants in San Francisco are the most expensive in the country, with an average price of $2,946 per person.
When you factor in all the additional expenses and costs associated with being a restaurateur, Mascares says it’s difficult to come up with the kind of money you need to sustain your lifestyle in New Jersey.
Mascarenas, who has been working in New England for the past three years, says his biggest obstacle is that the city is so close.
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There’s not a lot of people in the city who have the skills to be good chefs.”