Thread: well that does it.........

Thanks guys.
Yeah, doing soups and sammies is probably the most simple choice and certainly one with the least overhead. I am not thinking about fine dining at all, although I am cutting my chops in that area (they have to make the most with the least).

I'm not aspiring to make millions, I just want something a little more dependable to make a decent living that won't take years off of my life expectancy. Hell, the way I figure it, I shouldn't starve to death owning a "restaurant".

When I do finally get this place up and running, I think that any TTP'er that comes to Chicago stops by and announces their presence, will indeed get a free first meal. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first things first, business plan needs to begin execution......

I am somewhat of a locavore when it comes to what food I bring into my house(when given a choice). I am thinking of the same approach to the product that I want to sell. Everything will be basically from scratch, with a dynamic menu based on the seasonal produce. The prospective neighborhood, where I lived all of my life which is screaming for a place like this, is home to Allen Bros. meats (purveyor of meats to the finest steakhouses in the country).

I constantly have the stat of the restaurant failure rate in my mind. This is why I am choosing a rather simple fundamental (ie. soups sammies) and adding unique qualities of being as locally produced as possible and ever evolving menu, needless to mention all of the hot barely legal little chickens that I will hire from the IIT campus, which will keep interest piqued. If you have any suggestions for successful past flavor profiles/pairings, or even some good vegetarian suggestions would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by ...bigdog...

Originally Posted by hawgballs

possibly and American Bistro (American cuisine, utilizing French techniques).

don't you have to like america to make american food?

Liked it enough to serve...........

How about you?

I run a large restaurant/caterer with revenues exceeding $3,000,000 a year. My #1 recommendation? Find a head chef that doesn't have a degree from a chef school. You are infinitely better off finding someone that can cook well, and has a fair bit of experience than some prima-donna out of chef school. You need someone that is just as comfortable mopping the coolers as he is making demi-glace.

I would be happy to give you some advice, hit me up on PM or here if you wish.

My wife have been in the restaurant industry since high school. She worked her way up from a hostess to Assistant GM. She works 10-13 hours a day and is on her feet the entire time. It is brutal, luckily her stores are doing well and she in compensated properly.

REGULARS, give free shit to people you see a second time. Talk if they want to talk. She always talks about how she comped (gave for free) bottles of nice wine, drinks, free this free that. I was like How do you make money? She replied with "When someone comes in twice a week and we give them a free appetizer here and there, it is an easy decision."

If you have any specific questions I can forward them to her. Good luck!
"Rainy Day Special"
Cup of tomato soup & Grilled Cheese
:9

get with some local businesses and start doing test polls for menu items so you can get a feel of what people would actually want. make the surveys a raffle item as wellso that some would get to come sample the food and bring friends from work... start thinking in those lines . getting your name out there and getting info in. see to many soup sandwhich places come and go in my area...awful economy so make sure you know what your customers will want before getting all the ingediants for what you think they will want

Along the lines of what Gonzo said (BTW, I still am going to get those menus from you ) I never comp a meal for an unhappy customer. All that does is get the out the door to talk bad about your restaurant. They won't come back, and you lost the revenue for the meal they already ate. I will let them pay for their meal, then give the a gift card for an appropriate amount based on what the situation is. Sometimes the gift card will equal the amount the just spent. That way they come back again and hopefully have a better experience and the net cost to us is nothing. We run about a 37% food cost and a 22% labor cost. This means that by making them pay for their food once, I can afford to give it to them a second time and it hasn't cost me a dime.