Some people are hiring, and others are firing: Zagat laid off sixteen employees yesterday reports MediaBistro.

Zagat recently launched their very own $10 iPhone application, Zagat To Go '09, which is completely different from the paid subscription website. Herewith, we apply Zagat's review methodology, using customer reviews from the iTunes Store:

The "prematurely released" Zagat iPhone application comes off as "cumbersome" and "not intuitive." The "content itself is strong" but "the UI needs polish." It's "horribly slow," and "getting asked about location every time the app loads" is "ridiculous" and "annoying." The "awkward search function" is "debilitating" since "confusingly" "you cannot search for Italian food in Chelsea." The application "crashes quite a bit," and "frustratingly" includes "advertising for other apps." This "royal joke" is "a decent first effort," but most find it "definitely not worth $10" and a "huge waste of money." "Can I get a refund?"

The application so far has gotten a perfectly average rating of 2 1/2 stars from customers. However, that's not the result of an even distribution of rankings across the spectrum. Rather, the app is getting many harsh one-star reviews, punctuated by the occasional suspiciously glowing five-star rating.

Spotted at the Tastings NYC event. I still can't figure out why Zagat thought this might have been a good idea — brand awareness? Or maybe they thought a blogger would see it, take a picture, and then write a post about it. But they're not that savvy.

A hearty WTF.

Admittedly, they've been at this a long time—the Zagat Survey dates back to 1971, so they have a little perspective, having seen the restaurant industry struggle through the 1973 energy crisis, October 1987's Black Monday, and September 11th. Alright, I respect that. But come on — this is their argument: (1) more women have joined the workforce (and therefore aren't cooking); (2) tax laws "continue to favor eating out for business"; (3) the Immigration Act of 1965 "led to a diversification of inexpensive, ethnic cuisines"; and (4), that "for a generation that has grown up on The Food Network, dining out with friends or family in an attractive restaurant has become a source of comfort and entertainment."

This hodgepodge of debate-team tactics (seriously? The immigration act of 1965?!) is squarely at odds with the set of cold, hard data with which the Zagats lead off their editorial:

We've recently surveyed 45,000 restaurant-goers nationwide. One-third told us that they're eating out less, 28% say they're visiting less expensive places, and roughly 20% are cutting back on alcohol, appetizers and dessert. Also, the number of restaurant openings has slowed. This year in New York City, there were 119 openings versus 163 last year. Another grim sign: Companies are limiting entertaining at restaurants. One thing's for sure — Bear Stearns and Lehman aren't giving any holiday parties.

Those numbers sound far more realistic than hoping that WWII finally catches up with us, and women in the workforce drive restaurant cash registers. It might be anecdotal evidence, but I've got friends who are servers, line cooks, and chefs in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, and among all of them the word on the street is that the restaurant business is grinding to a halt.

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