Emeril: “I have really nowhere to go, other than broke"

Could Emeril Lagasse, one of America’s first food TV celebrities, be going broke? That’s what the famous TV personality and chef implied at a recent promotional event for his new TV show On the Menu. Emeril slammed the president’s mishandling of the economy, and said that between high costs of food, fuel, and rent, successful neighborhood restaurateurs are becoming a rarity.

“I have nowhere to really go other than broke,” he said at the event. “It’s becoming a very challenging industry in which to become a very successful average restaurateur.”

Emeril went on to explain that the state of the food industry is so dire that eventually only fast-food chains and high-end chefs and restaurants will be able to succeed, while the “middle class” restaurants are in danger of being wiped out altogether.

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