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College Park, Md. Diner Losing Business Due To War
By Philip Dzikiy, TheWorldJournal.com

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The war in Iraq affects business, according to Salvador Paniagua, manager of Plato's Diner in College Park.

Paniagua said it seems that most people don't get out as much during the war, and he loses some business because of it.

"During this war, not as many people have came to the restaurant," Paniagua said. "The same thing happened during the last Gulf War."

Paniagua said that Plato's Diner is in a better situation than most restaurants, though, due to its location at 7150 Baltimore Avenue, next to the University of Maryland at College Park campus. Paniagua said university students have always been a big part of the diner's business, which proves helpful during wartime.

"Students tend to go out to eat more during the war," Paniagua said. "Adults are the ones staying home."

Paniagua said this happens because of money. He said while adults are worried as to what will happen with their money because of the war, students spend money more freely.

Paniagua said he isn't too worried about the lost business, because it won't hurt the diner that much. But he does worry about friends of his who own restaurants in other cities, such as Baltimore and New York. He said their businesses are doing much worse during the war.

According to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the war hasn't affected diners drastically, but certain points in the article tell a different story. For instance, a to-go shop experienced a 20 percent increase, which could be a telling sign that people want to eat at home.

The article in the Inquirer discusses how some restaurants are suffering, and some are not. The economy is also a major factor. But Paniagua has one more theory.
"People aren't only worried about their money," Paniagua said. "They also want to follow the war on TV."

© April 7, 2003

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