…and though he doesn’t want to get demonized as a racist or worse, and thus attempts to censor himself, he clearly blames the reality he sees on Obama…

Chef Emeril Lagasse shot to fame as the host of a popular Food Network show that encouraged amateur chefs to try their own hands in the kitchen. But despite being one of the most recognizable celebrity chefs in the country, Lagasse’s outlook on his future as a restaurateur — and the restaurant industry in general — is fairly grim. “I have nowhere to go, really — other than broke,” said Lagasse at a recent event promoting his upcoming TNT reality series On the Menu.

“It’s becoming a very challenging industry to become a very successful average restaurateur,” continued Lagasse. “I can’t charge $300 a person in my restaurant or I would not be in business. Am I using any different ingredients? Not really. Am I using any caliber of service staff? I don’t think so. I think our service is as good or better than most places.”

“And then you add all the Obama nonsense to what it’s become in the last several years. I don’t have anything against Mr. Obama. I’m just saying the way that, you know… the government should stay out of things. […] Pretty soon, they’re going to wipe a lot of the middle restaurateurs and restaurant cooks. […] If it continues, then watch: you’re going to have high-end, and you’re going to have fast food, and you’re going to have chain restaurants.”

We’re not taking this as Lagasse being ready to shut his places down so much as his believing it’s a bad idea to launch any new concepts any time soon.

And when somebody like Lagasse, who can “make a restaurant” better than almost anyone in the business, lacks confidence in his industry – that’s a major problem.

A bit more…

“The one thing that I can say is that I’m pretty connected to America — because I’m a good listener, and I think that’s what makes a great restaurateur, is that you’re a good listener,” he said. “I don’t have the solution. If I did, I could run for president. But I don’t have the solution. All I can tell you is that the balance of the economic cycle is out of whack.”

Remember when Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus said he couldn’t start that company today?

As famous as Lagasse is, he’s still somebody who qualifies as a small businessman. A restaurant which isn’t a chain is a small business. Like Home Depot was when it started.

So now you’re seeing small businesspeople essentially “go Galt.” Maybe they’re not quitting business altogether, but they’re certainly not making moves to grow their business now. And they’re certainly not making moves to start a new business, like a restaurant or a retail store.

There are more small businesses going under than being formed in Obama’s America. That’s a fact. Entrepreneurship is dying, and the family business is dying along with it.

Corporate America might not care; they get to feed off the market share created when the little local business goes under. And the Left, which doesn’t like business and would rather the government run everything anyway, couldn’t care less.

But you should care.