Researching starting a bar/restaurant..help needed

**Fordfan01** · 03-25-2008, 08:39 PM

Well my father and I are entertaining the idea of starting a bar/restaurant and i was wanting to get advise from all u business owners. Just feel free to give me any advise you may have. Ive been doin lots of research and i know how hard it is to do this but i believe that with the location I am looking at and the resources I have, that we can build a great business. Thanks in advance

**ecivon** · 03-25-2008, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by Fordfan01

Well my father and I are entertaining the idea of starting a bar/restaurant and i was wanting to get advise from all u business owners. Just feel free to give me any advise you may have. Ive been doin lots of research and i know how hard it is to do this but i believe that with the location I am looking at and the resources I have, that we can build a great business. Thanks in advance

My grandfather had a restaurant/bar. It wasn't just a job he could just work regular hours and walk away from. Unless you can afford to hire managers to run it, be prepared to be married to it 24/7. When my gfather died my gmother and aunt and uncle took it over. It was alot of long hours for all of them.

If you've got the resources to put it together, have a location selected and know your concept, then to get me and my family and friends to return is good atmosphere, service and cleanliness -- especially cleanliness.

**rockinred** · 03-25-2008, 08:55 PM

Fordfan,

Not to be a pessimist, but I would suggest not to do this.. around this area the liquor licenses are tapped and cost 1/4-1/2 million just for the license... so what I am saying is that is a lot of cash to try and recover and in a hard way... maybe not in your area but here it is badd..

My freind started a bar... another freinds parents each had their own bar and none of them ever made it... reason,,,, sued a whole bunch so insurance will be up the wazoo, also hiring and turn around is a problem... making sure that a good bartender isn't pinching half your earnings.... staying up late, the list goes on...it is a ver hard life to live. Cooks are hard to come by too. the ones that stick around are the franchise names like chile's, applebees, etc... the rest is tough, tough to compete...just my 2 cents... sorry to sound negative about it... but we thought about it too.

on the flip side if you don't do it because of all the negatives then you will never know and that is what has caused many missed opportunities.. so you roll the dice with your cash...lol

**Fordfan01** · 03-25-2008, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by ecivon

My grandfather had a restaurant/bar. It wasn't just a job he could just work regular hours and walk away from. Unless you can afford to hire managers to run it, be prepared to be married to it 24/7. When my gfather died my gmother and aunt and uncle took it over. It was alot of long hours for all of them.

If you've got the resources to put it together, have a location selected and know your concept, then to get me and my family and friends to return is good atmosphere, service and cleanliness -- especially cleanliness.

thanks for the input

Originally Posted by rockinred

Fordfan,

Not to be a pessimist, but I would suggest not to do this.. around this area the liquor licenses are tapped and cost 1/4-1/2 million just for the license... so what I am saying is that is a lot of cash to try and recover and in a hard way... maybe not in your area but here it is badd..

My freind started a bar... another freinds parents each had their own bar and none of them ever made it... reason,,,, sued a whole bunch so insurance will be up the wazoo, also hiring and turn around is a problem... making sure that a good bartender isn't pinching half your earnings.... staying up late, the list goes on...it is a ver hard life to live. Cooks are hard to come by too. the ones that stick around are the franchise names like chile's, applebees, etc... the rest is tough, tough to compete...just my 2 cents... sorry to sound negative about it... but we thought about it too.

on the flip side if you don't do it because of all the negatives then you will never know and that is what has caused many missed opportunities.. so you roll the dice with your cash...lol

thanks red..na licence def aint newhere near that much around here. Yea those are some of the issues ive been trying to process. So many things to think about!!!!!

**Overhaulz** · 03-25-2008, 09:26 PM

Do you have any experience running a restaurant at all, or even a business of your own? I've been a general manager for a restaurant, and also have ran my own franchise of shops in malls.

You're in for a big treat if you've never done it before. "Hard" isn't the word. You need 100% dedication to the business to make it work. The worst part will be finding good people to work for you too. You'll never find anyone that will as hard or harder than you because it's not their business.

Another idea to take in to account is that a huge portion of businesses make little to no money their first year of opening. Will you have those kinds of funds available to you to make almost no money your first year, and be forced to be at your newly opened location (you won't be able to work a 2nd job).

The one thing I learned from all my experience is that when you're in charge of a business, or even own your own business, you don't run that business, it runs YOU.

**MuscleScience** · 03-25-2008, 09:28 PM

What ever you do don't serve this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escolar

Read the effects of consumption part. LOL

**CSAR** · 03-26-2008, 06:27 AM

(Think of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman's voice in Full Metal Jacket when reading...)

Ford! You're not a restaurateur! You're a killer!

Nah, j/k. Seriously though, what happened to your BUD/S plan?

**BITTAPART2** · 03-26-2008, 07:55 AM

run now!!!! I was a chef at many high end resteraunts and ended up owning a very successful one for a few years, it was great, we filled the hosue every night and then after service the bar/lounge would be standing room only packed full of yuppies getting faced off of martinis and the like. Problem was,I was working balls to the wall 90+hrs every week for almost 2 years, a slight change from my 70hrs as a chef. It was all too much, I had a friend that was 35 drop froma heart attack from the stress, and seen a ot of owners getting xanax perscriptions to deal with the nerves and stress. I decided to get out and start a family and havent looked back since. I strongly advise anyone to REALLY do your homework and see if this is for you or not. remember also repairs in a resteraunt are ridiculous also. A thriving business can be put out quickly by repairs.

***El Diablo*** · 03-26-2008, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by BITTAPART2

run now!!!! I was a chef at many high end resteraunts and ended up owning a very successful one for a few years, it was great, we filled the hosue every night and then after service the bar/lounge would be standing room only packed full of yuppies getting faced off of martinis and the like. Problem was,I was working balls to the wall 90+hrs every week for almost 2 years, a slight change from my 70hrs as a chef. It was all too much, I had a friend that was 35 drop froma heart attack from the stress, and seen a ot of owners getting xanax perscriptions to deal with the nerves and stress. I decided to get out and start a family and havent looked back since. I strongly advise anyone to REALLY do your homework and see if this is for you or not. remember also repairs in a resteraunt are ridiculous also. A thriving business can be put out quickly by repairs.

Ur lying again

**soulstealer** · 03-26-2008, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by rockinred

Fordfan,

Not to be a pessimist, but I would suggest not to do this.. around this area the liquor licenses are tapped and cost 1/4-1/2 million just for the license... so what I am saying is that is a lot of cash to try and recover and in a hard way... maybe not in your area but here it is badd..

My freind started a bar... another freinds parents each had their own bar and none of them ever made it... reason,,,, sued a whole bunch so insurance will be up the wazoo, also hiring and turn around is a problem... making sure that a good bartender isn't pinching half your earnings.... staying up late, the list goes on...it is a ver hard life to live. Cooks are hard to come by too. the ones that stick around are the franchise names like chile's, applebees, etc... the rest is tough, tough to compete...just my 2 cents... sorry to sound negative about it... but we thought about it too.

on the flip side if you don't do it because of all the negatives then you will never know and that is what has caused many missed opportunities.. so you roll the dice with your cash...lol

BWAHAHAHA 1/4-1/2 million its like 1.2-1.3million by me... lol

**DSM4Life** · 03-26-2008, 03:35 PM

need any male dancers ?

**Fordfan01** · 03-26-2008, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by CSAR

(Think of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman's voice in Full Metal Jacket when reading...)

Ford! You're not a restaurateur! You're a killer!

Nah, j/k. Seriously though, what happened to your BUD/S plan?

well i thought about it really hard and i believe that i was just in it for the TITLE, not the job. I didnt think i would enjoy it like i was thinking i would. Had to just be realistic with myself.

**Fordfan01** · 03-26-2008, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by BITTAPART2

run now!!!! I was a chef at many high end resteraunts and ended up owning a very successful one for a few years, it was great, we filled the hosue every night and then after service the bar/lounge would be standing room only packed full of yuppies getting faced off of martinis and the like. Problem was,I was working balls to the wall 90+hrs every week for almost 2 years, a slight change from my 70hrs as a chef. It was all too much, I had a friend that was 35 drop froma heart attack from the stress, and seen a ot of owners getting xanax perscriptions to deal with the nerves and stress. I decided to get out and start a family and havent looked back since. I strongly advise anyone to REALLY do your homework and see if this is for you or not. remember also repairs in a resteraunt are ridiculous also. A thriving business can be put out quickly by repairs.

one good thing about this is that i am goin in with my dad and a very close friend of mine. This way we can split the responsiblity and costs.

**StoneGRMI** · 03-26-2008, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by DSM4Life

need any male dancers ?

Lawman looking for work again or somethin?

**wilson9d** · 03-26-2008, 05:37 PM

No one has asked the area and the concept. You can’t get real advice based on personal opinions. What type of are you in what is the concept of the business are you planning on making the restaurant or the bar the primary focus. What types of restaurants do well in your area? If you want to know if your idea is good take a drive every night about 7pm and find out which restaurants are busy and which ones are not. If your concept is in line with those restaurants then it may work with a lot of hard work.