Starting Your Own Restaurant

T&A is a good start...

 

I say all you can eat Vienna Sausages!

 

Im no expert on starting a restaurnat, but I have some background. First off, as the cliche goes Location, Location, Location. Really can not stress this enough. Find a location where you know you can increase sales. Try to find a location as close to the street, freeway, etc. as possible. Since you won't have the luxury of already having a fan base, such as fast food places and such, I would suggest the store is visible from the road.

Next know your clientel. For example if you were opening a store in River Oaks then you could increase your selling price and the sales would not probably take a hit, but if you were opening a store in DeSoto then it would not be wise to have high selling prices.

Also, control, control, control. You have to be able to control everything you can control such as food costs, bills, man hours etc.

The benchmark for a successful restaurant is about 5 years, if the restaurant has made it 5 years and your not in the red then you straight.

 

What exactly do you want to know?

This is my major, so I have a general sense of how to start a restaurant...

 

don't.

not by how you described it.

 

I wouldn't do it.

A good friend of mine got tired of investing money for people and developed this romantic notion that it'd be cool to have his own restaurant. Without getting into all the details, he discovered that it was a 7 day a week job, that there was an unbelievable amount of work involved and long hours, that he had to do tons of things he thought he would have other employees do, that he had invested 6 figures in the enterprise... and that he was forced to close it after 2 years and lost his investment. (and the 2 years)

Sorry for the long sentence, but it was a long and ultimately very unpleasant 2 years for him. I watched this unfold as the concerned good friend who had tried to discourage the whole idea before he did it, but was supportive and even pitched in from time to time... when people didn't show up for work and he needed a hand real bad.

Unless you really know the business well before you start, have deep pockets, are willing to put in long hours, and have the patience to stick it out until it's established and your lucky enough to be successful, then I would pass.

And it would help a lot, if the person can't be dissuaded, if an established restaurant with a strong and loyal clientele is purchased. Just my opinion.

 

Hey I graduated with an HRM degree too. Where you going to school? UH?

 

Uh huh

 

I have noticed that Houston does not have a proportianate amount of Pakistani restaraunts.

 

You're being sarcastic right?

 

Knowing codell, I think he was using (yet) another Seinfeld reference...

 

I also studied restaurant management and would echo those who said it isn't as much fun as one would hope.

I'll add that generally it will take over a million dollars that you are ready to lose. Basicly, you need to have enough cash to cover food costs, labor costs and overhead (renting space, utilities, insurance, etc.) for at least an entire year assuming you make NO money that entire time. In most cases it takes a painfully long time for restaurants to become established and the vast majority of new restaurants end up going bust.

Also, while your are there seven days a week, twelve hours or more a day giving it your all, your employees just want fair compensation for reasonable work and hours and cannot be expected to care as much as you do to make the whole thing happen. Very frustrating.

BUT if you want some sort of "restaurant" your best deal is to pay a little over one million for a McDonald's franchise. It's almost a sure thing. McDonald's carefully researches locations and markets and gives you a complete package with training, pay scales, menu, etc. all ready to go.

 

my only advice would be .............................

Do NOT make it an Eric Montross themed restaurant

 

Cool! Have you had Dr. Ellis yet? I love the guy but he fell asleep during my class presentation! Can't blame him though. He must be at least 90.

Besides I got an A on that presentation.

 

Yeah, I had Ellis. We never did a presentation in the class though. We're talking facilities, right? He lives in my apartment complex, it's kind of funny how he's treated over here. When it's cold, the campus cops always taxi him around campus. Our apartment newsletter just mentioned that the man turned 82 years old just recently.

 

Yeah I had him for Facilities and also something else my second year.

How many semesters do you have left? I'm assuming you haven't done Food2 yet. Good luck.

 

I've got 3 left. I was taking Foods 1 this summer, but I dropped that like a bad habit. I'm going to focus on the hotel side, so I'm not required to take Foods 2. I've heard so many horror stories from both of those classes...

 

<I>Jerry: Babu, you're Pakistani?

Babu: Yes, Pakistani, yes.

Jerry: Babu, may I say something?

Babu: Of course, you're a very smart man, I'll listen.

Jerry: I'm not a restaurateur by any means, but it occurred to me that perhaps you might serve some dishes from your native Pakistan? As opposed to franks and beans for example.

Babu: But there are no Pakistani people here.

Jerry: Doesn't matter. You would have the only authentic Pakistani restaurant in the whole neighborhood.

Babu: Yes, you see everything, don't you?

Jerry: Well, not everything. I do what I can.

Babu: I'll close down today and when I open again it'll be whole Pakistani restaurant. Thank you, thank you very much, you're very special person, very special.
</I>

 

Have you ever seen an all Salmon Restauraunt? Go for it. It'll fly. Salmon goes with everything.