For a quarter century, Greg Norman’s Australian Grill in the Myrtle Beach area delivered high‑quality gourmet meals to locals and golf travelers.
It was a staple — a place where visiting players could count on a refined dinner after a day on the fairways.
But after 25 years, it’s closing on September 15, 2026.
And we’re crushed to hear this.
Watch one of our Undercover Jetsetter segments on Greg Norman’s.
But this isn’t just a restaurant shutting its doors. It was a symbol of how even beloved, high‑end establishments are struggling under today’s economic and social pressures.
So, why are closures like this happening? It’s a new world we live in. Here are the numbers:
• Food and labor costs are up ~35% since 2020
• Inflation eroded 8.5% of restaurant profit margins in 2023
• Food costs average 28–35% of revenue for full‑service restaurants
• Labor costs average 35.5% of sales
Margins that used to be 5% have flipped into 24% losses if operators didn’t raise prices aggressively.
We also saw it in Las Vegas. We profiled Social Station in Henderson, NV and less than a year later it too was closed.
Here’s one of segments at Social Station.
It’s a trend that is growing because of Jetsetter diners.
As restaurants had to raise prices, diners — especially travelers — started looking for alternatives.
That led to a new group dynamic: Cooking Together Instead of Dining Out
Undercover Jetsetter saw this shift clearly during our golf group trips to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
Instead of booking restaurants for four nights — which used to be the norm — we cooked for each other.
Not simple meals. High‑quality, gourmet dishes prepared by people who now have the skills, tools, and confidence to cook like pros.
Check out our Top 5 Air Fryers and our Wine Essentials Guide.
Watch the Murrells Inlet segment.
The Jetsetter segment gives you all the reasons why groups are choosing home cooking.
• Restaurants struggle to accommodate large groups without long waits or high costs.
• Home rentals now come with chef‑level kitchens, outdoor grills, and space to gather.
• Cooking together creates intimacy, storytelling, and shared experience — something restaurants can’t always match.
• People have become their own entertainers, curating nights with music, wine, and conversation.
It’s more than a money saving workaround. It’s a cultural shift.
Part of it was due to the Covid Pandemic.
For nearly three years, we became our own restaurants. Here at Undercover Jetsetter, we shifted from travel segments to at-home menu alternatives. We created recipes that could be easy to make and would fit perfectly with binge watching your favorite online TV series.
Here’s a full show we did on many of those recipes.
Besides great and efficient cooks, many of us became home entertainers.
Here’s our Bar Essentials Guide for Jetsetters.
In our segment with the golf group, we not only cooked for each other, but the men created a fashion show.
Granted, it wouldn’t make any runways in New York or Paris.
The data backs up the rise of the at‑home gourmet
• Online food delivery revenue hit $10.9 billion in 2024, showing people are comfortable managing meals outside restaurants.
• 43% of consumers say they order delivery more often than two years ago.
• AI‑driven cooking tutorials, meal kits, and smart appliances have made home cooking easier and more precise.
Sure, restaurants offer atmosphere — but home gatherings offer this:
• Control over the menu
• Control over the pace
• Control over the noise
• Control over the cost
• And most importantly: real connection
For groups, families, and travelers, that intimacy is winning.
The numbers are on display for Restaurant Closures
• 8,171 restaurants closed in the U.S. and Canada in the first half of 2026.
- 4,253 chain locations
• 3,918 independent restaurants• 39% of restaurants closed permanently post‑2023 due to cost pressures and pandemic recovery issues.The costs continue to rise. - Food costs up ~35% since 2020.
• Labor costs up ~35% in five years.
• Inflation for food away from home: 6.6% in 2024.
• Inflation eroded 8.5% of restaurant profit margins in 2023.And it is not just here in the United States. It’s worldwide. - The global foodservice market reached $3.5 trillion in 2023, but growth is uneven and driven mostly by price increases, not volume.
• Europe shows similar patterns: spending rising slower than inflation, meaning real growth is flat.Another factor is technology. There is a quiet revolution inside the restaurant industry.
Restaurants that survive are leaning heavily on technology:
• 31% use AI for demand forecasting.
• 10.3% of POS systems are cloud‑based worldwide.
• AI transcription tools, facial recognition, and automated dining‑room monitoring are being tested to reduce labor strain and improve service.
And this technology also empowers diners — giving them:
• Better recipes
• Smarter appliances
• Delivery options
• Online communities
• Personalized food content
So, what does the future of dining look like? It’s still developing, but here’s what we’re seeing in our Jetsetter crystal ball.
In short, the future of dining is hybrid:
• Restaurants for special moments
• Home cooking for intimacy
• Travel kitchens for shared experiences
• Delivery for convenience
• AI for inspiration
The Undercover Jetsetter Takeaway
Restaurants aren’t dying — they’re being redefined.
Inflation and rising costs have forced operators to rethink everything.
Technology has changed both the kitchen and the customer.
And people — especially travelers and golf groups — have discovered that they can create gourmet experiences themselves.
Greg Norman’s closing shows how even iconic establishments feel the pressure.
Murrells Inlet shows how groups are adapting with creativity and connection.
Undercover Jetsetter will keep covering this shift — because it’s not just about food.
It’s about how we live, travel, gather, and entertain in a changing world.
If you’re entertaining for the holidays, check out our Holiday Essentials.
This post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep bringing you Jetsetter-approved tips, recipes, and sips. Thank you!
John Daly and Susan Anzalone are the Co-Creators and Co-Hosts of Undercover Jetsetter, a show on travel, food, wine, and booze. Join them for tips and hacks on the road, at home, or in the kitchen, and all over the world. Susan is an expert in food and wine since her childhood days in Australia and then Hawaii and the United States, being the daughter of two lifelong employees of Pan Am Airlines. John is also a world traveler starting when he studied in Italy through his alma mater Providence College. John is also a Nevada Hall of Fame Broadcaster during his years as a Las Vegas news anchor at KTNV. He gained international fame as the host of the first all-video news magazine show, Real TV while also securing his bartending and mixology credentials from the Harvard Bartending School. Together, they co-authored the book, The TV Studio In Your Hand: How to Shoot, Edit & Deliver the Easy Way on Your iPhone so you can document your Jetsetting adventures. Follow them on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, and Instagram, and on the free Wingding app.