I have been to places where the food is amazing and the service is incredible. The places you always refer people to and they are just as happy to see you. There must be thousands of these establishments across the country, and many of them reference having food that is “homemade”. But why say this? They are making the food right there at the restaurant, not at their home. You would figure the health departments might raise an eyebrow as well. Since we all seem to understand this, why do we have a message so inaccurate yet just accepted by all?
In thinking about this for some time, try this theory on for size or at least an appetizer. There are certain terms that become a cultural slang. Homemade, in the early days, was a warm feeling of comfort and quality. Since you cared and loved your family, all the cooking had the element of love and attention and the times spent eating as a family created great memories. Yes, not all family memories and experiences are grand as the Norman Rockwell image just shared. However this homemade feeling was with a majority, therefore the word was adopted as a feeling or expression. As a feeling and expression of care, it works perfectly. It even may make sense to why people never call a restaurant out for saying they have homemade food and are clearly not. Not all businesses can work within this culture. Making statements that are not the truth or even just semi-accurate is not a good or sound practice. The next time you are having a slice of homemade pie at your local restaurant, take a few moment to see if some of the messages you use in your business ring true to what you are and what you do.
