opening a restaurant?

We have a Q joint. 8 months now. Here is what I can tell you....
*Get your pricing right the first time. Just use your costs and compare to others in the area for a general idea of what mark-ups are. Be sure you are comparing "Homemade" apple pie and "Homemade" apple pie, not "Homemade" apple pie to one of those nasty little McFried pies. Don't be afraid to charge.
*Do as much as possible YOURSELF. This way you are getting the results YOU want and you are not killing yourself with payroll. Remember.... Owning and operating your own place is ALOT of work-SERIOUSLY! Be honest with yourself on this one, it is no joke! If you think that the money is going roll in while you sit back and reep the rewards while everyone else does the work, you WILL fail...period. You will average 14 hour days EASILY, just be prepared to be THAT dedicated.
*Be consistant. If you are not, people will quit coming. If X place served me the best food that I have ever had the first time I went, then went back with Falmily/Friends and it wasn't the same---you lost all that business.
* Do one thing and do it well! Do not try to run the gammet. It will take away from what you are good at. If it was up to most of us that are in the business our menu would be a scroll 100 feet long. It just cant't be that way.
* Most of all... be nice to people. That in it's self will keep you in business.

Best wishes!
Zeb
Owner/Operator/Maintenance Man/Dishwasher/Floor Mopper/Cook/Cashier of ZEB'S in Arden, NC.

And stop by the Pros forum, at the bottom of the main page, a few owners hang out there.

List to Zeb, he's been a new and welcome member of the forum, who works his @#$ off (based on the stories we hear)

What kind of restaurant, menu, smoker? Give us a little more info.

Critter, listen to what Zeb says. I've heard it again and again on this forum. I once was going to open a place, but I have to humbly admit that I'm not willing to work 60-80 hours a week with no certain guarantee of financial reward.

As an M.B.A., I can only preach the fundamentals. Develop a solid business plan (the S.B.A. is a good resource), have plenty of capitalization money (in other words, have enough money to live on until you can establish your business. This can take a while in the restaurant world. Develop solid financial controls and know what everything on your menu costs (both food and labor). This is a business. Treat it like one.

The average profit from what I've read is around 5% of sales. Can you do the volume to earn what you deserve?

Finally, be the best at what you do. I've done a lot of research, and its apparent that many restaurants that are successful focus on a FEW items, and do them better than anybody else. I'd lean towards the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) approach.

Again, I've never owned a restaurant. I'm just regurgitating what I've read here and other sources of information about restaurants. I read enough to realize it wasn't for me.

I have owned a full service restaurant for five years. I General Managed the same restaurant for 10 years before that and I will tell you that you are in for the best of times and the worst of times. The first time a "paying" customer tells you "that was the best meal I've ever had" your heart will soar only to have it crashed back down to earth by finding out that your walk-in cooler is reading 75 degrees. Be ready for serious work. Not the kind of work that people do when they sit on their duffs all day. That 200 pounds of meat won't crawl into the smoker all by itself.

Location, Location, Location people don't drive 20 miles out of their way for a good meal as often as they used to. You need to be "convenient" in this day and age. Last bit of advice "Sweat the small stuff". I was once told "to watch the pennies and nickels because the dollars tend to take care of themselves."
Just my humble opinion after spending 12 hours at work.

Mark

Thanks Zeb, Okie, Mainly, Mark.Man, you guys have some great input(and it is greatly appreciated) I know it's gonna be hard work but, just like you guys, I love to do it and few things make me happier than puttini' a plate of cue in front of somebody and watchin 'em eat it with a smile on their face. I have to believe that pride will account for 1/2 of the energy and patience I'll need to get me through the beginning. I can't wait to have a space of my own and to be my own boss. If I can make a living , doing what I love....man , you can't ask for much more than that in life! Anymore input or ideas from anybody is ALWAYS appreciated!

Good luck Brother! I've toyed with the idea myself. Had a pizza/sportsbar 12 years ago I inherited so to speak. Figured I could make a go at it and did until I realized I was working way too hard for the profit I made. Ended up selling it twice. Bottom line is Plan on working working working!

We're officially in business now. I am holding a full time job during the week and trying to keep books straight, inspectors happy, lining up events for us, watching inventory for the DREAM!
We don't have a restaurant. We have a trailer and started with competitions, then small events. We want to build a reputation first that we can do great bbq, then that we can do it consistantly.
I agree that a good supply of money is needed because at first all you see is money going out faster than it comes in.
It's kind of fun to learn how to repair things and that you are capable of doing a lot of things that you never thought about doing.
Jack had a teacher when he went through culinary school that told him mopping floors was definitely a part of being a chef. So learn how to mop and wash dishes because you will probably do as much of that as you will cooking.
I learn a lot by talking to our customers. Sometimes what they say you have to mull over, but it's always good input.
Peggy

Critter,
A perfect example. I have been working since 4 bells-AM this morning. I have been home for 20 min. It is now 8:20pm. I have 130 lbs. of Butts, 12 flats(Brisket), 30 Racks of 2-1/4 n' down BB ribs, 30 chicken breasts, 60 leg quarters and 20 lbs. of Turkey breasts to smoke by noon Monday. Right now we are only open 6am-2pm M-F. As of Monday, we are extending our hours out until 7pm. It is myself, my wife and 2 other employees. They work 5am-1pm and 7am-3pm. I will be working from approx. 5am-9pm. M-F.
All Ican say is "you gotta want it--BAD!"
Best of Luck!
Zeb

Sounds like fun to me! Man, that sounds like your joint is doing great! I know it will be hard but isn't being your own boss and owning your own part of the bbq world worth it? And in the end, don't you have control(to a certain financial extent)over how much catering business you take on(I'm assuming alot of that was catering...right or wrong?)? I would like to know how much of your profit comes from catering vs. restaurant traffic. Also, and this goes for everyone....how do you know how much meat to start out with on the smoker before you know how much traffic you'll get initially. As we all know, bbq isn't something you can "throw together" or "hurry"? Thanks!