Restaurant Experience

Discussion in 'Discussion Group' started by Grinder, Sep 23, 2008.

  1. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    Anyone have any experience owning/managing a restaurant? Of any types?

    I have an idea....
     
  2. dgsatman

    dgsatman Well-Known Member

    I've got a place....
     
  3. DAH22

    DAH22 Well-Known Member

    I helped open and run a restaurant.... From start to finish! Met with the food companies, made the menus, and hired everyone. The one I did was like a TGI Fridays, Rock ola type of menu with a bar and bands that played. LOTS OF WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  4. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    grin...i know you do. Just not the location i would need. I wish the building was in a different spot...then it would be perfect.
     
  5. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    Not that my idea is anywhere near this..but what would you estimate your monthly food cost to be?
     
  6. Kelyel

    Kelyel Well-Known Member

    DH grandparents were in the Restaurant biz for years, one of their places in now owned by his uncle & a cousin. 3rd generation - 50+ years. It's a diner up in rural western NY.

    So not here in NC but it is HELL HARD WORK. I think of it like a farm-dairy operation- you must be there all the time, no vacations, no gone for a few days it will be fine, nope never. Uncle is in & out of the place day & night, checking the kitchen, the register, the vendors, the back, the front, the line.

    They are open 24-7. Major busy all the time, they fill the sugar/salt/pepper 3x a day, it's nuts- crazy busy, food moves outta the place.
    They have waiters that have been with them for 20 years or more. A real career and have made good $$$.

    We laugh at how slack most waitress are here, Uncle would kick them outta the diner. Or more likely they will kill over from the rush of the work.

    When we visit up there we always joke that if things get too bad we can get jobs in the Diner! Riiiiiight. Family....
     
  7. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    Ive worked in the restaurant industry before...been a while but have done it.

    My idea is a simple concept but has not been done anywhere near here that i know of. 20 tables, open 5-10..should bring in $140,000 per month easy.

    There are just a few variables i do not know yet like food costs and what the lease cost will be.
     
  8. dgsatman

    dgsatman Well-Known Member

    Been done before.... you forgot to mention the 20 dancers that go on the 20 tables :lol: 8)
     
  9. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    Nah...mine involves midgets.

    My idea has not been done anywhere around here. I would venture to say not even in this state.
     
  10. DAH22

    DAH22 Well-Known Member

    trying to remember... we bought from Sysco but bought the meats from a "hometown" type of grocery store... I will think about it for sure! I can tell you what most restaurants do as in "mark up" in a PM if you like though.
     
  11. roca1216

    roca1216 Well-Known Member

    You would have to run a 30 to 32% food cost. Just take your cost of food and multiply it times 3 this would be the selling price and that would give you your cost %. You would also have to check around the area that the restaurant is located and do a price comparison on items sold at other restaurants. Been in the food business for a while. I would say be careful because the price of food is going up like crazy and the vendors are billing owners a gas charge as well. I have been thinking about doing something myself but I havent broke the nerves to do so.

    Chef Robbie
     
  12. DAH22

    DAH22 Well-Known Member

    You are right on point! Ours was a 33% food cost for all menu items although drinks like tea and soft drinks are closer 100% mark up. (tea is higher)
    Also with the cost of min wage now higher a lot of people had to raise prices too!
     
  13. kaci

    kaci Well-Known Member

    Cool, G gonna have a restaurant:hurray:
     
  14. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    Not yet....but its a thing i have been thinking about and working on for several years. Not the traditional restaurant in the slightest, small menu but special orders can be made ahead of time and each table only gets used once per night.
     
  15. gcoats3

    gcoats3 Well-Known Member

    My initial thought is that to pay for the space and staff it would be an expensive tab if the table is only used once per night. Best wishes for success.
     
  16. dgsatman

    dgsatman Well-Known Member

    $225.00 x20 (tables) =$4500.00 per night x 31 (days in a long month, assuming you're open every night) = $139,500.00 per month. I still think you might need a dancer on those tables to turn those numbers, but I'm with Bucky, Good Luck !!!!
     
  17. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    Thanks much!
     
  18. harleygirl

    harleygirl Well-Known Member


    Gonna be around here or at the beach?
     
  19. Grinder

    Grinder Well-Known Member

    Raleigh-ish is the plan.
     
  20. harleygirl

    harleygirl Well-Known Member

    So you gonna keep everyone in suspense? Spill it!

    You need any waitresses? :mrgreen:
     

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