Close -- it will be a restaurant in Montrose. Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. University (Thought for Food) Blue
Well I know a bar is not a restaurant, but my dad was pretty successful with his bars back in the 80's. He used to run the Westheimer Pub, Westwood Pub, and Burlap Barrel Pub. He still runs the Burlap Barrel, but he sold the Westheimer back in the mid-80's and sold the Westwood Pub back in the early 90's. I remember he said the costs were becoming too much because of taxes and stuff. I don't exactly know how he got started with the Barrel, but he has had it for over 30 years. It's almost a Cheers like place with a good core of regulars. The Barrel was the first off of Memorial and I think it was there for almost 20 years. Not a very big place, but it was his first bar. It moved to the Town and Country strip center next to Guadalajara, then it moved to behind the Radisson and a car audio place in front of Town and Country mall just before all of those restaurants. Now he gets regulars from the waiters and waitresses who work all those restaurants who come in after work. Then I think he opened the Westheimer Pub which was on Westheimer and was a piano/big band style bar and he said they used to get some big wigs from around Houston coming in there all the time. That one had great location obviously...right on Westheimer, thats pretty nice. If I remember right that is the bar where the long time girlfriend of Dusty from ZZ Top used to work. I think I was like 4 when they took my mom and day to an Oilers game and had skybox tickets. Then there was the Westwood Pub, which was near Westwood Mall by 59 and the Beltway. I remember the Oilers used to come in there. I met the offensive line...god I remember shaking Mike Munchak's hand when I was like 10 years old. That guy had the largest hands in the freaking world! My stepmom tended bar there and she told me about some crazy times when the Oilers came in. She also said Rudy T, Bill Baezza (I can't remember how to spell his name anymore...the Channel 2 news anchor), Bill Worrell, tons of people from around Houston used to come in. She said Meg Ryan would sometimes call trying to get a hold of Dennis Quaid's mom or dad I can't remember who was a regular there. Business was good there until they started doing all the road construction over there and then he ended up selling it. So they had some celebrities in there too. It's funny...he has had the Burlap Barrel the longest, but it has had the crappiest locations out of all his bars. The place where the Barrel is at now is not really visible from the street and isn't really in a high traffic area, but I think it is mainly doing well from word of mouth from the waiters who come in at night. My dad recently expanded the bar too, so he is making some good sideline cash from it. That's also the other thing...he has the Barrel which is doing good now, but it isn't his primary source of income, so you might want to keep that in mind. Ok well I doubt that helps any, but maybe it will. Hey I am dumb...I just remembered that my dad bought the Burlap Barrel and I think he bought the Westheimer too. Maybe your friend might be better off to buy an already established restuarant with a regular stream of customers established.
My advice: Have enough money to fund everythign yourself. A good friend of mine opened a BBQ place a few years ago. It has been wildy succesful and he now has 3 of them and is openeing up 2 more. But it is only now that banks will take him seriously. Bankers don't liek restaraunts, espcially start-ups. Be prepared to have to sign over everything for your financing. Keys: Location and concept and finding good help. Location has already been discussed but it is the most important. Concept- Goes along with location but if you are openign up a fast food sandwich shop don't do it between a Subway and a Quiznos. Concepts are out there, and right now the quick dinners are very hot (not fast food but the places liek Baja Fresh where you gert a quality mean served quickly). Good help- Even if your friend works there 12 hrs/day 7 days/week she will still need help. If it is a one person operation you will have a very hard time gettng your money back (you have to leverage people to make money in most cases). Don't pay too high of wages but pay enough to get the people you want. More imprtantly get someone with restaraunt management experience to at least consult you on the thing.
There's a little place down the street where I live and they are so successful that they are only open for four hours a day. It's just a little take-out place with no eat-in section. They serve simple, no-nonsense things like hot turkey sandwiches, fish & chips, club sandwich & fries, burgers, etc.. at excellent prices (about $6 for a HUGE portion of turkey, fries, peas, dressing & gravy). They also have a lot of baked goods like cakes, pies and cookies. That little place makes a killing.
