tdschafer
Well-Known Member
Slice,
My brother and I own a restaurant in Port Jefferson, NY.
There are several things to consider and some have already been mentioned. I will pass along my insights.
The primary thing is Location, can't stress that enough. I am a physical therapist by trade but, my brother has been in this business for more that 20 years. I have frequented all of his establishments and saw first hand that location will dictate clientele. You may have a beautiful place but, if it's in sh!tsville your client base will primarily be turds.
All of your employees will eventually burn out or become apathetic, even the good ones. You must be hands on! We have over 16 cameras installed with all of the registers integrated so not only can we see what is served but what is rang on the registers. The check appears super-imposed on the camera. We also have a system that scans peoples ID as we are in a touristy area with several bars which makes it an ideal area for young people to come down and bar hop. This is a good thing. The cameras just keep the honest people honest. We have uncovered several company policy violations that have led to immediate dismissals. The cameras are accessible from home and we do this frequently and call down to discuss something that we see. This lets all know that we are always watching. I can't stress to you enough how important these are in a high cash business.
Know your target clientelle and establish your restaurant accordingly. And just so you know, the more booze you can sell , the better. That is our biggest money maker and the easiest to inventory and calculate percentages on.
This is definitely NOT a hands off type business. Customers want to see you there and buying rounds here and there is good for business!
Well, that's all that comes to mind right now, snow fatigue is setting in. I hope it wasn't too winded but I was waiting a while before I decided to jump in here.
Good Luck with whatever you choose. I wish you well.
My brother and I own a restaurant in Port Jefferson, NY.
There are several things to consider and some have already been mentioned. I will pass along my insights.
The primary thing is Location, can't stress that enough. I am a physical therapist by trade but, my brother has been in this business for more that 20 years. I have frequented all of his establishments and saw first hand that location will dictate clientele. You may have a beautiful place but, if it's in sh!tsville your client base will primarily be turds.
All of your employees will eventually burn out or become apathetic, even the good ones. You must be hands on! We have over 16 cameras installed with all of the registers integrated so not only can we see what is served but what is rang on the registers. The check appears super-imposed on the camera. We also have a system that scans peoples ID as we are in a touristy area with several bars which makes it an ideal area for young people to come down and bar hop. This is a good thing. The cameras just keep the honest people honest. We have uncovered several company policy violations that have led to immediate dismissals. The cameras are accessible from home and we do this frequently and call down to discuss something that we see. This lets all know that we are always watching. I can't stress to you enough how important these are in a high cash business.
Know your target clientelle and establish your restaurant accordingly. And just so you know, the more booze you can sell , the better. That is our biggest money maker and the easiest to inventory and calculate percentages on.
This is definitely NOT a hands off type business. Customers want to see you there and buying rounds here and there is good for business!
Well, that's all that comes to mind right now, snow fatigue is setting in. I hope it wasn't too winded but I was waiting a while before I decided to jump in here.
Good Luck with whatever you choose. I wish you well.
