Business news--2 lunch clubs to close doors

From the business section of today's Tribune

2 Lunch Clubs to Close Doors*

The private clubs in the Wrigley Building and the Prudential Building are closing--merging into the Mid-America Club at the Aon Building.

The move comes at a time when all but the biggest private lunch clubs are struggling. Executives, under pressure to contain costs and time spent at lunch, now can choose from a burgeoning array of dining spots.

"The club business is very tough," said Ron Paul, president of Technomic Inc., a restaurant consultancy. "Two- and three-martini lunches are a thing of the past."

*I'm also fascinated by the headline. Lunch clubs? Not just using the numeral 2 instead of writing it out, but also starting the headline with it? Does it symbolize a casual approach to life that's dooming the business lunch as well? Do I need to spend less time woolgathering and get started brining a turkey? Where did the term "woolgathering" come from anyway? Do you suppose I could Google it?

No one will miss the 410 Club for its food (even though Andy Temmer, their chef, is a talented guy.) The Chicago Association of Direct Marketing held a lot of its meetings there, and for a time I was a member on a really cheap monthly rate they extended to CADM members. Really pretentious old-school ways; those of us "younger" members tried to get a breakfast networking group going which the Club management gave only tepid support to, and the uber-conservative Wrigleys had such annoying policies as no club member news, no table tents to advertise club events, no membership directory for fear of upsetting someone's privacy, etc. So as you'd expect, the standard American fare they served was seasoned, cooked and portioned to the tastes of a clientele that LIKES THINGS JUST THE WAY THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.
>>Brent