  Detblue Member Username: Detblue Post Number: 35 Registered: 04-2007 |
I need help/ information to bring my vision of a restaurant Downtown into fruition. Any connects/ information is appreciated. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 2355 Registered: 10-2003 |
Do you have a business plan? If not, the Small Business Administration and Michigan Restaurant Association are two good places to start. If you do have a business plan, I presume you would want to talk to banks as well as the proper permitting authorities. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 198 Registered: 11-2005 |
Also look at the more successful restaurants if you are looking for partners, talk to their owners and present the idea. | ||
Kenp Member Username: Kenp Post Number: 422 Registered: 03-2006 |
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdo cs/michbus.html | ||
Club_boss Member Username: Club_boss Post Number: 48 Registered: 12-2006 |
"Also look at the more successful restaurants if you are looking for partners, talk to their owners and present the idea." This is excellent advise. Can you give any details, such as, full service, bar? Partners are often necessary (and needed) plus will help with all the opening costs that you will incur. Background check every manager and partner, find a good bean-counter that knows the business. | ||
Kenp Member Username: Kenp Post Number: 423 Registered: 03-2006 |
Be prepared to work your butt off. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 313 Registered: 11-2003 |
Nothing in this world happens without hard work. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 804 Registered: 07-2004 |
Come on, guys. There's nothing wrong with asking questions. Don't worry, Detblue. To open a successful restaurant, all you need is years and years of experience, a massive amount of capital, great management skills and tireless energy. If you have what it takes, chances are as high as 5 percent that you'll turn a profit within a year. | ||
Brandon48202 Member Username: Brandon48202 Post Number: 168 Registered: 12-2004 |
Read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1235 Registered: 12-2005 |
If you have a bar, put someone you know and trust (like a family member) to be in charge of the bar and the alcohol stock or you'll be robbed blind. I knew a owner who kept the stock under lock and key, only he or his assistant could get access to the stock. As each case of liquor arrived he took a pencil engraver (the kind you use to mark you drivers lic. # on the back of TVs and stereo equipment)and marked the bottom of each bottle with a unique alpha-numeric code number. If a bartender wanted another fifth of Jack he had to give an empty fifth with the right code number on the bottom. The owner took the empty to the dumpster and broke it. | ||
Zephyrprocess Member Username: Zephyrprocess Post Number: 334 Registered: 08-2006 |
"...and he still lost money" | ||
Club_boss Member Username: Club_boss Post Number: 49 Registered: 12-2006 |
“and marked the bottom of each bottle with a unique alpha-numeric code number. If a bartender wanted another fifth of Jack he had to give an empty fifth with the right code number on the bottom. The owner took the empty to the dumpster and broke it.” This is called "perpetual inventory," I do that when someone is stealing liquor, tedious work. Well, from your handle I assume you are policeman; that may come in handy one night. You as an owner can hire a general manager to run the day-to-day operations; he would hire staff and other manager’s, as the property needs them. Or you could take on a partner, who is (or has been) in the business, and he could run the logistical end of things. Your “vision” may indeed be an original idea that takes off, however, you are still bound by food as well as labor costs. Someone (partner or manager) must know the business from top to bottom, front of the house as well as back of the house. The partners must have the wear-with-all (rainy day account) to withstand dry periods, you can’t go out of business simply because it was slow for a couple of weeks. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 204 Registered: 11-2005 |
http://www.modeldmedia.com/dev elopmentnews/ez_rc9007.aspx This may be of some use. Depending on where the business would be located. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1236 Registered: 12-2005 |
Club_boss--This newbie needs to know that it's a business you are married to, it's not a 9 to 5 kind of thing and that you can't turn your back on any aspect of your operation, nor can you sit at home and expect things to go right (or honestly), you just have to be there, doing, all the time. | ||
Club_boss Member Username: Club_boss Post Number: 50 Registered: 12-2006 |
"This newbie needs to know that it's a business you are married to, it's not a 9 to 5 kind of thing and that you can't turn your back on any aspect of your operation, nor can you sit at home and expect things to go right (or honestly), you just have to be there, doing, all the time." The above statement is realistic and true. Well if he’s married he now has two wives, his “vision” is now his second wife. It’s a tuff business no doubt about it; if a person was looking for a “9-5” job, starting up a restaurant is about as far as it’s gets from that scenario and to suggest that one would be thinking along those lines suggest a fair amount of naiveté. Why does any business fail? 1. Lack of experience—number one reason 2. Insufficient capital---This is a biggie; sufficient capitalization is key. 3. Poor location—location, location, location. | ||
Why Member Username: Why Post Number: 6 Registered: 04-2007 |
I say any potential employees be granted the ability to "background check" this entreprenuer to make sure they're not wasting their time and money as well. Ask for his/her SSN before spending a nickel on gas or bus fare for the interview. Where do they live, how long and why? During the start-up phase do they have sufficient cash-flow to pay your agreed upon wage? Have they tried at this venture and failed before? Do they pay their personal utility bills on time? Do they have ties to Hezbollah that could shatter your reputation for future employment? Check their driving record specifically for DUI's. Most importantly, demand a drug test from your potential employer. Bring a swab to the interview. What's fair is fair. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1061 Registered: 11-2003 |
www.score.org | ||
Auspower Member Username: Auspower Post Number: 13 Registered: 02-2007 |
After opening a business in the City in the last 3 years. All I can say is be prepared to work tireless hours. Have plenty of working capital. When your conservative business plan says you will do this much in sales. Halve that and make sure you have enough capital to get to profitability. And the most important don't believe a word the city tells you. Get everything in writing and be very, very patient. The Departments you will have to deal with are a nightmare. The old saying of the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing is very apparent in the City of Detroit. Be prepared in your business plan for a delay in opening if you are indeed doing a start up. I am not trying to talk you out of it. The city of detroit is a great place to be and own a business. If I had my way I would fire almost everyone in the city Departments. I don't think the problem is with the council, just the under supervised employees who have been working at one Woodward for generations. | ||
Oldredfordette Member Username: Oldredfordette Post Number: 1560 Registered: 02-2004 |
http://www.restaurantguysradio .com/sle/rg/ The Restaurant Guys opened a restaurant in a recovering city in New Jersey, and have made a success of it. Their podcast is a great primer on the business and food and the pitfalls inherent in opening a new business in an old city. |
