Would you consider owning a bar or restaurant?

[TastyReuben]

[Mod.Edit: This and next few posts moved to form new topic (MG)]

Did you happen to post your burger recipe? That also looks wonderful. Have you ever thought about opening a side business? I would certainly take your classes. ;-0

That's no recipe, that's just a brat patty, cheese, fried onions, and mustard on a bun.

I have never thought of opening a business. That would last about three days. I wouldn't be able to deal with the public. I'm the guy who, when customers would visit the office, my manager would give me the day off so I wouldn't say something critical to them.

 

[caseydog]

That's no recipe, that's just a brat patty, cheese, fried onions, and mustard on a bun.

I have never thought of opening a business. That would last about three days. I wouldn't be able to deal with the public. I'm the guy who, when customers would visit the office, my manager would give me the day off so I wouldn't say something critical to them.

Welcome to Tasty's Burgers.

Customer: This burger isn't what I ordered.

Tasty: Then make your own %$^&@# burger!!!!

CD

 

[ElizabethB]

That's no recipe, that's just a brat patty, cheese, fried onions, and mustard on a bun.

I have never thought of opening a business. That would last about three days. I wouldn't be able to deal with the public. I'm the guy who, when customers would visit the office, my manager would give me the day off so I wouldn't say something critical to them.

You could start a blog and share not just your recipes but your techniques. No back talk and possible sponsorship. murphyscreek has a great blog. Your sarcasm, quick whit and irreverence would appeal to more people than you think.
An actual restaurant or shop or food truck requires a huge commitment of time and energy. In the late 80's G and a friend opened a bar/restaurant. It was very popular, always full. They lost their butts. G thought his job was to show up every now and then and glad hand the customers. His partner thought her job was to sit at the bar and drink it dry. Neither of them paid attention to inventory versus sales. The cook ordered twice the proteins needed - whole rib eyes, cases of shrimp and fish, bulk, prime ground beef. He stole the excess. The bartenders drank on the job, overpoured and gave away drinks to their friends. A restaurant or bar requires constant vigilance.
Been their, done that. My parents owned 3 Dairy Queen stores. I was the general manager of the three and in store manager of their first store. It was OK with just the one store. I was hands on and eyes on everything and everyone. Three stores were too much. I could not be where I needed to be. After 6 years I quit. There was constant discard between me and Dad. Mom treated the employees like her children instead of employees. Anytime I called an employee down for not following procedures or coming to work with an attitude or intoxicated they would call Mother and cry. It got to be too much stress. Three years after I quit my parents closed all three stores and declared bankruptcy.
George enjoys my cooking thanks to the wonderful things i have learned from all of you. A few months ago he suggested that we get a food truck or open a shop for lunch only. Translation - he would pay for the truck or shop and I would do all of the work. My response would violate the forum rules.
Back to TR - think about a tutorial blog.

 

[caseydog]

You could start a blog and share not just your recipes but your techniques. No back talk and possible sponsorship. murphyscreek has a great blog. Your sarcasm, quick whit and irreverence would appeal to more people than you think.
An actual restaurant or shop or food truck requires a huge commitment of time and energy. In the late 80's G and a friend opened a bar/restaurant. It was very popular, always full. They lost their butts. G thought his job was to show up every now and then and glad hand the customers. His partner thought her job was to sit at the bar and drink it dry. Neither of them paid attention to inventory versus sales. The cook ordered twice the proteins needed - whole rib eyes, cases of shrimp and fish, bulk, prime ground beef. He stole the excess. The bartenders drank on the job, overpoured and gave away drinks to their friends. A restaurant or bar requires constant vigilance.
Been their, done that. My parents owned 3 Dairy Queen stores. I was the general manager of the three and in store manager of their first store. It was OK with just the one store. I was hands on and eyes on everything and everyone. Three stores were too much. I could not be where I needed to be. After 6 years I quit. There was constant discard between me and Dad. Mom treated the employees like her children instead of employees. Anytime I called an employee down for not following procedures or coming to work with an attitude or intoxicated they would call Mother and cry. It got to be too much stress. Three years after I quit my parents closed all three stores and declared bankruptcy.
George enjoys my cooking thanks to the wonderful things i have learned from all of you. A few months ago he suggested that we get a food truck or open a shop for lunch only. Translation - he would pay for the truck or shop and I would do all of the work. My response would violate the forum rules.
Back to TR - think about a tutorial blog.

I have fanaticized about owning a bar/restaurant. I even have some good concepts. But, no way I'd do it, unless I win the lottery and can afford to hire the right people, and lose money for a while until the place gets profitable.

CD

 

[ElizabethB]

I have fanaticized about owning a bar/restaurant. I even have some good concepts. But, no way I'd do it, unless I win the lottery and can afford to hire the right people, and lose money for a while until the place gets profitable.

CD

You have to be present. The pool of possible employees is sketchy at best. My favorite local restaurants are owner supervised. The owner is always there, greeting clients, supervising the kitchen, servers and other employees. They also have sophisticated inventory systems in place for both the kitchen and the bar. I would never do that again. You can not run a successful restaurant or bar unless you are always present. I could tell you horror stories of trusted employees/managers stealing both money and products. Owning a restaurant or bar is a nightmare. When you are not in the store you are having to monitor your books - particularly inventory versus sales. Yes you have a CPA but that is not something they do. The minute you turn your back your most trusted employees will rob you. Ok -I have a negative, non trusting attitude. It comes from experience. Mom and dad had to close their stores because they could not be present all of the time. They were being robbed blind. Mother was crushed when she found out that her most trusted employees were stealing.
My Niece's husband worked as a Line Chef at Brennon's in Houston. Jacob is a very accomplished Chef. He loves to cook. Ask him about working as a Chef in a restaurant his response is "It Sucks". Long hours, low pay, no benefits. When they married he quit and went to work for an oil field support company. He still loves to cook. He has won many local cooking competitions. We share recipes and techniques. He is talented enough to own a restaurant. He swears he would never do it. The time, the stress, the time away from his family is not worth it.

 

[Burt Blank]

Mother was crushed when she found out that her most trusted employees were stealing.

Liz Mate,That must have been a huge blow. My partners and I would have crushed rather than been crushed. I made money so I could enjoy myself, I never saw the logic of making money by helping other enjoy themselves to the detriment of my enjoyment.

 

[mjd]

ElizabethB, you are so right. My mother opened a business back when we were kids. It grew to several locations and she gave back quite a bit to the communities (hiring people that others wouldn't hire, on the job training, college funds, etc.). Come to find out, her accountant and 2nd in charge started an affair and were robbing the place blind. All told, she didn't have to file bankruptcy but she almost went to prison over what they did. The kicker is the 2nd in charge was her best friend and the accountant was highly recommended by one of her closest business associates.

I think people are impressed by the "glamor" of owning a business (ie tons of money, making the rules, make your own hours, etc.) but don't see the hard work (many hours managing inventory and books, employee turnover, recruiting, training, etc.). Without the right people (and those are diamonds in the rough) experiences like your parents and mine are more common than uncommon.

 

[TastyReuben]

I've known one professional chef - world-class, trained in Europe, highly successful. You know you see pictures of famous rock stars, and their walls are covered with gold records? His was covered with award-winning menus he developed and created.

What was he doing when we met? Managing a hotel. Granted, it was a large hotel, a nice hotel, but he wasn't doing anything related to cooking. Why? The stress and the time away from home, plain and simple.

In a dream world, I'd own a combination pizza joint/burlesque theatre. I'd make pizza and work in the house band.

 

[Morning Glory]

n a dream world, I'd own a combination pizza joint/burlesque theatre. I'd make pizza and work in the house band.

The burlesque pizza - that has a ring to it. I can see it catching on as a cult pizza. Not sure what the toppings would be...

 

[Hemulen]

- - - I made money so I could enjoy myself, I never saw the logic of making money by helping other enjoy themselves to the detriment of my enjoyment.

Yeah, when you make business, you aim at profit. That's nothing to disapprove of - if conducted within relative law, order and decency. When you've made profit, you can provide community service and focus on volunteer work. Restaurant business is sadly one of the hardest lines of business.

I could never ever run any business (although I'm thinking of starting a new business in design ). My current design work (along with further studies) is basically amateur grapevine busy work within a small circle of acquaintances. I focus on insignificant things, contemplate way too much and work so accurately and intensely that I loose sleep (and count on working hours), have a lousy memory, indicate a deep distrust towards everybody (including my family, peers, friends and potential clients) possess rude an childish manners when I'm on a bad mood (~24/7) and have absolutely no tendency or interest in making profit. Welcome to my bistro. Not.

My mother-in-law ran a tiny grocery kiosk with lottery, candies, dry food/ingredients (no veggies, fruit or meat) and a small variety of bakery products and dairy products for decades. She didn't have employees (except my husband, her only child - often working for free during his teens). Her daily working hours were from 07:00 to 21:00 (9:00 pm), starting from a trip to the wholesale market and ending in mounting the safety shelters for the night. I look up to her work ethic; I'd never bother.

 

[Hemulen]

- - -
In a dream world, I'd own a combination pizza joint/burlesque theatre. I'd make pizza and work in the house band.

A bit like Tarantino's "From Dusk Till Dawn" - only (some of the) booze replaced with pizza?

 

[TastyReuben]

The burlesque pizza - that has a ring to it. I can see it catching on as a cult pizza. Not sure what the toppings would be...

The Burlesque Pie would be....drumroll...clam, melon, and because this is the 21st century and I'd embrace diversity in my performers...sausage!

To quote Burt Blank - "I'll get my coat."

 

[CookieMonster]

if you want to own a bar and/or restaurant - you can pick one up dirt cheap nowadays.....
I would never, in fact you could not pay me enough to do that . . . . but whatever....

 

[Burt Blank]

My mother-in-law ran a tiny grocery kiosk with lottery, candies, dry food/ingredients (no veggies, fruit or meat) and a small variety of bakery products and dairy products for decades. She didn't have employees (except my husband, her only child - often working for free during his teens). Her daily working hours were from 07:00 to 21:00 (9:00 pm), starting from a trip to the wholesale market and ending in mounting the safety shelters for the night. I look up to her work ethic; I'd never bother.

That's because you have other interests to fill the void. I stopped my "normal" work at 55/56. I involved myself with the project that were fun and made money. Back in the day I learned a vital lesson from my Dad. It was Saturday, he came over to see a house I had bought. I was young and fit, I was up a ladder painting the wooden framed windows. He got out of his car in the drive and told me to get off the f'ing ladder. He asked me what I made an hour. I told him. He laughed and said that must be the worst and most expensive decorating job I have seen. Don't waste your talents and energies trying to save coppers, pay someone.

 

[ElizabethB]

Four or five years ago Baby Sister and BIL had to change their air-conditioner. Since the house was 20 years old they also changed the duct work. They had to empty the attic which was full of furniture that they had collected over the years from garage sales and estate sales. Sis decided to upscale the furniture by refinishing and painting. She rented a space in an antique mall and started selling her pieces. Her first space was only 10' x 12'. As space become available she moved to larger spaces. Prior to Covid she had a premium spot in the front window of the store. She had regular clients, several were designers. While the shop was closed she sold her pieces on line. A favorite was a chest of drawers that BIL paid $5 at a garage sale. Sis worked her magic and sold it for $175. Sis buys only solid wood pieces. She knows what sells and is skilled enough to complete three pieces in a day. Does she really make money? Not much. After buying the pieces, paying for her equipment, material and rents she averages $10 to $15 per hour for her time. She says it pays for her health insurance. She is not old enough for Medicare so her medical insurance is stupid expensive. She does it for the joy of it. There are a few perks. When she visits her daughters in Houston and Dallas she makes a point of going to estate sales so her mileage is deductible as a business expense. She also deducts her work space and her office. She says that she wants to quit but she can't resist a garage sale or an estate.