What is the Worst (hardest?/most unpleasant?) part of Opening a Restaurant?

Yes, re the rotating - say you get in an order of milk. You bring the older milk to the front and place the fresh in the back. Ditto with eggs and everything else. Besides rotating the food, you need to check the dates. Nothing worse than going to make something and put a 'bad' product in it. And it can be a serious issue if people aren't paying attention to the dates.

Re: location - there were three restaurants I have been to in my old city that rotated every 6 - 12 months. The food was good, the staff was good = they were just doomed locations. I remember remarking to my husband-at-the-time - didn't they check the history (along with the financials) BEFORE they bought the place? I mean, 8 different restaurants in 10 yrs is a BIG problem.

Location is more than just out-of-the way - for example, in the city I live in now, the downtown core is DEAD. It's not like New York or Vancouver or Toronto where they have condos and apartments and people actually LIVE there. Where I am, there is virtually no downtown living and parking is tres expensive, so the chances of a dinner restaurant making it is way less than if it were a lunch custom restaurant. People here don't want to pay for parking as well as the food, so it's basically a no-go. If there were people who lived downtown (as in Vancouver) , it's no problem. But if there isn't that core group who live there and who want to eat out, you may only get 15 diners a night, which is not enough to even pay for the staff. You just have to know your clientele.

Another thing is my city is a big oil and gas city and when the market is down, your prices should reflect your clientele. No more big expense accounts for lunch, for example, so downgrade your food and/or prices to reflect that.

Another thought is whether there are good food reviewers in the area. I know people look at Yelp and similar. Me, I read Jonathan Gold, who has insatiable interest in food of many kinds, tends to haunt hole in the wall places all over creation (LA region) as much as or much more than the plush. He's well respected nationally and a plus from him is... gold. Or if not gold, a fighting chance to make it, because people will drive and find a place to park to try the food he describes, and if they like it, they will be back with friends.

Given how much the state Government has cut and the change of culture where lobbyist money going to catering functions is now seen as unseemly I decided two years ago that downtown Olympia has 20% too many restaurants for the new economy. I thought then that because so many of the restaurants are crap that if I was good then this does not matter. However, during my last few trips downtown the action has been sooooo dead that I now wonder if I was too optimistic. My banker said that he was unwilling to lend for downtown, so that sealed the deal, and now I am glad that I am not there.

Usually no, these places are born on a wing an a prayer, not planning. The next great idea is always going to be the one thing that works when nothing else did. My business plan is one of the best restaurant plans my banker (a 15 year pro) has ever seen, which is why I got a loan when almost no one does for start up restaurants. Most of these doomed places are funded by home loans, credit cards, 401K's , friends and family... and usually are underfunded too, no one who knows what they are doing has ever looked in on the start-up....thus we see a lot of head scratchers.

What makes u think that the public will like your food, Hawkeye ?

Because the public has always liked my food. I am more concerned with having a hot concept here, which was developed over a year and a half with the help of a consultant, but so far the buzz is good. My business plan is 27 pages plus 40 pages of documentation, this is a fully thought out concept( not that I am going to tell you what it is mind you, because some people here I dont trust to not **** with my facebook pages like they did with Agrote).

I remember that. It was egregious
and she got away with it.

Yep, and I really dont need someone with a reading comprehension problem going on my facebook with the false claim that I like to **** little girls and rape women....it would not be good for business. I really am a nice guy who treats most everyone with more kindness than they deserve, have zero sexual interest in little girls, and only beat and rape women who want it, but some A2K'ers are never going to believe that because my ideas are to radical for them to stomach. The warning statement that I gave from the beginning that I am a radical seems to not help, for some delivery of an unwanted message is an unforgivable sin upon the messenger.

I was not even aware of its existence.
I 've never known a socialist like u b4.
Thay don't care much about the rights of the Individual.
That is because socialists r COLLECTIVISTS and AUTHORITARIANS.
That is a radically different mindset
from that of the Founders of this Republic
who relied upon laissez faire free enterprize & personal freedom, at the expense of jurisdiction.





David

I agree that location isn't always a factor but it depends on who you are competing with and if you are competing with anyone with "your" products.

It sounds as if you have something you wish to start that may be a little more unique and consequently people would travel a small distance further to get to that.

Uniqueness in my opinion (in my days it was fine dining but people had money), is something people like, a change, something different without the expense tag.

It's obvious you know it has to taste good too and obvious you have management skills to go with it.

Staff is your biggest problem. It is difficult to create a "family" that work for you, with passion, ensure everything is delivered on time and perfect and with a smile, that there is a drink in their hand at all times, if that is what they want, without that "family" then taking or trying to take advantage of you.. Back up plans with staff on "call" when you establish that particular days/nights are always busy. Sick days out of the blue are common.

A theme, decor are other factors, interesting, enticing...

Can you incorporate Functions of any sorts, clubs on a Monday at a cheap price, can you afford to have an early week night that offers a smaller menu for instance that is cheaper..

Have you budgeted and found a good marketer that can make your marketing catchy, sent out there to be seen.

Ultimately you are the key. You can't get totally stuck in the kitchen, people want to know an owner and feel "special"... recognised...

PS: Reading your last post... I'm pleased. I've never been one to judge but maybe I have, to a degree.

I was talking to a Seattle restaurant equipment dealer and he was telling me that the only places that are doing great in this economy are the better legacy places (been around a long time, are well run, and have a solid returning customer base) and the places that are unique which tap into the current desires of the potential customer base. My concept it designed to be the latter, and the price point is on the low side because our median income has been going down for three years, and there is no relief in sight.

Sounds as if you are researching to the hilt... Which is a good thing...

But honestly, remember, "run well" means you have to be hands on, and the figure, not the Chef...

My fiance is an owner as well, there are 3 of them . He's in the kitchen no one knows him... Fortunately there are two other owners...

We hope to go back into this together in the near future in the country somewhere, small place... My Real Estate will continue till I die so that's easier income..to rely upon in growth.

Are you aiming therefore at the older generation?

Just speaking for myself:
I dissent from that point of vu.
I wanna be ordinary and anonymous.
Sadly, when u like a restaurant and return to it,
after a while your anonymity starts wearing out.





David

That's a valid point.

However, a "good" Manager knows who likes to be "nodded" to in recognition and who wants to be really welcomed through their ego...

Hawk, one thing you don't want to overlook is good suppliers. Suppliers that have a consistently good product and pricing, that will work with you and your schedule and will introduce to new products with a sensitivity to your menu. You also have to decide whether you will do the shopping (time) or have it brought to you (money).
Another thing that nobody ever considers is the delivery guy. If you treat them right, you can get all kinds of deals. In the restaurant industry, many are C.O.D billing only and if they cant pay, the goods get brought back to the shop. Most companies would rather their food not spend the day on a truck and will sell it at lower prices. Offer these guys a cup of coffee and you'd be amazed at how far a little good will can go.

I am going with having a short stock list (relatively) and a menu designed so that I have lots of options for suppliers.

A comfortable thing about going to a new restaurant
is that there is no recognition; thay just bring the food
n I pay them; then in the future, repeat the cycle, if I liked the food.

For ME, the only exception to that is the very unusual situation
when the chef has absolutely BLOWN MY MIND
with extraordinary food and I wanna pay my compliments.





David

Appreciate that, that's a "new restaurant" but we were talking were we not of you not wanting recognition? Thereby repeat attendance?

Mind you when a Chef blows my mind and David's usually in Melbourne we want to meet him:)

There are some really creative Chef's out there including "David" I get the chance to be the apprentice and experience it at home, mind you after all these years I can give him what for and he cleans his plate... I used to be the presenter but now I can cook as well as far as Restaurant quality goes.

17 years + his 2 years of teaching will do that.

Well, u can 't be too fanatical about it,
if u wanna keep eating good food. I am not obsessively shy.
( I used to be a trial lawyer ) but I can keep a low profile in a restaurant
(except in the extraordinary circumstance of rendering KUDOs to the chef).




In fairness, I was only there for about a week in the 1980s,
so I did not have enuf time to find fantastic chefs.


O! Maybe mistaken id. ?

How many Davids r we discussing here??





David