Expert reveals the simple but controversial sign that tells them whether a neighborhood is nice or rough
An author's viral social media post recounting advice from Minnesota restaurateur Phil Roberts has drawn attention for its unusual method of judging neighbourhoods: checking whether nearby houses have proper curtains in their windows. Roberts, best known for founding Buca di Beppo and other Twin Cities restaurant concepts, reportedly used the trick when scouting locations for new restaurants, treating window dressings as a proxy for an area's affluence and stability.
Writer Ann Bauer shared on social media that Roberts would consider locations near houses with curtains, but move on if windows had shades, blinds, sheets or nothing at all. She added that cheap, ill-fitting blinds on an otherwise expensive house was, in Roberts's view, the biggest red flag, suggesting financial trouble such as looming foreclosure. Roberts sold Buca di Beppo to Planet Hollywood International for $28.5 million in 2008, but several of his other ventures have since closed, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rising costs, and Buca di Beppo itself has shrunk from over 100 locations to around 40 after being sold multiple times and going bankrupt.
- Restaurateur Phil Roberts judged neighbourhoods by residents' window curtains
- Curtains signalled a "good" area; blinds, shades or sheets meant "move on"
- Roberts sold Buca di Beppo for $28.5m in 2008; chain has since shrunk sharply
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The neighbourhood "sign" being discussed is not a formal safety measure but an informal, personal rule of thumb that a business owner uses to size up an area at a glance. It has drawn attention because relying on a quick visual cue to judge whether a community is safe touches on wider debates about stereotyping, fairness and how much weight anecdotal impressions should carry.
Philip Roberts, the person at the centre of the story, is a restaurateur associated with the Buca di Beppo chain and operates in Minnesota. His comments matter because they come from someone whose livelihood depends on picking the right locations for new restaurants, so his methods carry practical weight beyond just personal opinion.
The wider debate touches on how businesses decide where to invest, and how casual judgements about neighbourhoods can shape opportunities and perceptions for the communities involved.