Although recent headlines might leave you with a different impression, more new restaurants open each year than old ones close – although in recent years, the margin seems to be narrowing.

With over 1,600 eating establishments in Colorado Springs, there’s no shortage of choices and little chance of anyone with means going hungry. But some recent high-profile closures of beloved places here in town have left many of us a bit nostalgic.

The fact that we eat in a lot more than we eat out explains why we tend to develop emotional attachments to restaurants. We don’t dine out simply because we’re hungry, but also to celebrate a special occasion or person. That correlation adds to the sentimental aspects we develop with certain eateries.

After being temporarily shuttered back in November, Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano at The Promenade Shops at Briargate announced their permanent closure in April. It’s one thing when a declining restaurant throws in the towel, but it’s startling when a seemingly bustling business calls it quits.

The owners cited “extensive and compounding plumbing and soil erosion issues” – a curious combination given the numerous adjacent businesses that seem to be otherwise doing just fine. Biaggi’s was there for 23 years, but they clearly let things go. Whether in your personal life or the restaurant business, anything that isn’t maintained will eventually deteriorate and fall apart.

Speaking to a joint session of Congress in 1962, President John F. Kennedy warned, “Pleasant as it may be to bask in the warmth of recovery, the time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” The problem, of course, is that most of us don’t seem to worry about rain in good weather and find it difficult to work when the storms blow in bad weather.

In May, Mimi’s Cafe closed its last Colorado Springs location on North Academy Boulevard. The company didn’t disclose why, but the establishment was temporarily shut down this past February after failing a health inspection. Inspectors cited 25 violations ranging from spoiled food to dirty floors and walls.

Once more, the closure of Mimi’s Café underscores the importance of routine maintenance and attention to detail. Disaster strikes when you do neither.

Danny Meyer, founder of the Union Square Hospitality Group and creator of Shake Shack, which recently expanded here in Colorado Springs, has long focused on excellence. His burger business started as a simple hot dog cart in New York City. But he refused to serve the same “dirty water dogs” everyone else was selling. Instead, he seasoned the water, insisted on using premium ingredients, and overstaffed so he could overdeliver.

The popularity of the basic hot dog cart eventually led to Shake Shack. “Food may be the product, but hospitality is the business,” he once said. “A good restaurant is like a vacation; it transports you.”

Harry Snyder, who founded the famed In-N-Out Burger chain, was equally fanatical about quality, service, and the tireless maintenance of his restaurants. He didn’t just dictate but also modeled what he wanted done. Harry was known to scrub floors and pick up trash. His motto was timeless and widely applicable to us all: “Do one thing and do it well.”

It’s not accidental that both Shake Shack and In-N-Out are still thriving.

Maintaining excellence is critical, but it’s also important to recognize what the writer of Ecclesiastes alluded to thousands of years ago – and that Danny Meyer has also said to be true: “Restaurants are living things. They have a life span.”

At month’s end, The Broadmoor Hotel will celebrate its 109th anniversary. As the longest-running Forbes Five-Star hotel in the world, they not only appreciate the importance of maintaining the highest quality, but also working fanatically to keep things fresh and new.

I recall being disappointed when the 2014 renovation closed the hotel’s “Charles Court” steakhouse. We celebrated special events with our family there, and it was sad to see it go. It was replaced by the Italian restaurant, “Ristorante del Lago.” The quality and specialness are equal, if not better. New memories have been added to old ones.

Whether running a restaurant, a resort, or navigating your own life, never forget that daily vigilance to detail is vital and should become habitual. Little issues that go unaddressed eventually become fatal flaws. As my friend and Focus on the Family founder, Dr. James Dobson, often said, “Detail, detail, detail!”

Paul J. Batura is a local writer and founder of the 4:8 Media Network. He can be reached via email Paul@PaulBatura.com or on X @PaulBatura.