Rant: Quiet Boycotts vs Restaurants

There are local restaurants which are being boycotted, but it's not an organized movement. The boycotters aren't being vocal about their restaurant opposition. It's a "quiet boycott" where individuals have chosen, on their own, not to patronize certain restaurants. They might discuss that boycott with a very small group of like-minded, close friends, but it's definitely not something they will raise on social media.

What is the effect of these quiet boycotts? That's certainly difficult to ascertain due to its secretive nature, but it seems obvious it has negatively affected some restaurants to a degree. These individuals not only won't dine at those boycotted restaurants, but they also won't be praising them or even mentioning them on social media. That means those restaurants will receive less public attention, which could also lead to less customers. 

Because it's a quiet boycott, restaurants may not even realize that some people are refusing to dine there. How can restaurants determine whether they are a target of a quiet boycott? How can a restaurant counter quiet boycotts?

First, we need to ascertain the reasons for these quiet boycotts. From discussions I've had with some quiet boycotters, it seems based to a large degree on the divisiveness now found in our country. There are people who are intractable in their political and social positions, engaging in frequent ad hominem attacks, insulting anyone who opposes their view. This can sometimes lead to racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and similar insults. 

These divisive people don't debate the issues, they simply embrace their self-righteousness, ignoring any evidence or logic that runs contrary to their personal agenda. They often have friends and followers who support them, helping to attack anyone who dares to dispute the issue at hand. That group attack can get so serious that it can even lead to death threats. Because of this, many people won't get involved in such discussions on social media, to avoid the potential insults and threats. 

Restaurant owners and chefs (and even restaurant publicists) sometimes get involved in these divisive matters, with some owners and chefs insulting those opposed to their ideas. Other times, they support the original proponent of a divisive issue, failing to speak up when the thread turns nasty. Potential customers may see these insulting threads, and refuse to post, but they may still take action. Instead, they may choose to quietly boycott the restaurant, refusing to any longer patronize that place, even if it once was one of their favorite spots. And in the case of restaurant publicists, consumers might even boycott all the restaurants that person represents. 

With the thousands of restaurants available to local consumers, they can easily boycott a handful without any problem. And especially now, with restaurants prices having risen in most places, consumers are being more careful with where they spend their money. Can any restaurant survive by alienating some of their customer base? I know a few restaurants which have publicly claimed they don't care about boycotts, but is that the truth? Most restaurants operate on such a thin profit margin that realistically they cannot tolerate boycotts. 

Does this mean restaurant owners and chefs cannot speak their minds online? No, that's not the case. However, how those views are espoused can make a big difference. If you have to insult others to get your position known, if your reaction to an opposing view is an ad hominem attack, then you're doing something very wrong. It might delight those who already agree with you, but it's sure to alienate many others. There's nothing wrong with debating an issue, but it's very wrong to simply lodge insults rather than properly discuss an issue. 

Even if you contribute to threads where like-minded individuals insult others, but you don't oppose those insults, then some people will assume you agree with the insults. And your restaurant may still become the target of a quiet boycott, even though you didn't make the insults. Your quiet acceptance of those insults though can lead to a quiet boycott too. 

Quiet boycott have probably always existed, but they seem to be more prevalent nowadays, or at least they are privately mentioned much more. Restaurant owners and chefs have the ability to reduce the amount of quiet boycotts, dependent on how they interact online. It's very simple: Stop the insults and ad hominem attacks.