what churches can learn from Shoneys

My favorite place to eat growing up was Shoneys. Favorite dish- the "breakfast bar".  We must have ate their 3 nights a week. My family learned to follow the model other church going families set by "not supporting establishments that served alcohol."  I can still remember the first time I met Nicole ( we must have been around 12) after a "sangin" at Shoneys. Unfortunately we lost our Shoneys at least 15 years ago.
    The only place were Shoneys still thrives may be Gatlinburg, TN. area.  Pigeon Forge has 4 within about 10 miles. Why you ask? Because Gatlinburg is where all the" buffet eatin white folks" go for theirr winter vacations. Right? This past week Nicole ate at Shoneys in Montgomery and Columbus 2 consecutive nights. Here is what i noticed and what the church can learn from it.

1. Learn to update and reinvent yourself
Shoneys had a great product lineup and friendly service 20 years ago. Now your likely to get a less than par product from a menu that hasn't changed and a server no longer fits the "family friendly" image. Cracker Barrel has a better and more consistent product and brand recognition. Most Shoneys haven't remodeled their buildings in the last 20 years. Even McDonald's are starting to get more stylish.
Many churches were cutting edge 20 years ago but fell in love with their style and refuse to change or update. Other churches have come along with a better and more relevant style.

One of the reasons churches see decline is they love their model more than the unchurched and unsaved- @AndyStanley


2. Learn the Mall life cycle
Most malls have a life cycle of 20 years until the city moves and updates in a different area. Every major town has the "old mall" that struggles , becomes unsafe and eventually closes down and then gets tore down.
While relocating is expensive, we shouldn't plan to be on the same church campus for 100 plus years. Even Atlanta first Baptist finally moved out of downtown to the growing part of town. Neighborhood churches that were built during the 60-70 are now struggling to survive while the area around the church declines in value and attraction.