Tuesday, May 20, 2008

SO, YOU WANT TO OWN A RESTAURANT...


These are just some thought that ran through my head when I spoke with someone in the not so distant past about the restaurant biz. Their comment was, in summary, I am going to buy a restaurant because I want to have fun. (And this person did just that, buy a restaurant that is). First and foremost, don't get into, at least not the ownership end, the restaurant business "TO Have Fun"...It's not! Don't get me wrong, there are fun days, and fun moments. You get to meet alot of interesting people, you get to share with people some of their happiest moments, you are thrust into a spotlight at times. Now, that being said.....you will give up basically every holiday, you will work long hours, usually 7 day's a week, you will work every weekend, you will miss important family times. There are NO sick days. You will be relentlessly abused by the public telling you everything you did wrong, why should they wait, why do you do things THAT way, you should do it THIS way. It was too cold in the dining room and I think you should comp our dinner. This is not risotto, I belong to a cooking club and I know risotto, this is not risotto. It was too warm in the dining room and I think you should comp our dinner. I don't like peanut butter but I will try the peanut butter pie for dessert.....I didn't like it and don't want to pay for it. People will steal every and anything they can from the restaurant. They will do un-mentionable things to the bathrooms, drink too much and throw up at their table (this HAS happened),in corners, in foyers, or anywhere else. The music sucks. There are parents who allow their children free range of the restaurant, screaming, running around, throwing food. You will literally be attacked by the local PTA's, the Tricky Tray people, every local, state, regional, national, international, and universal charity and be expected to donate to each and every one and if you don't, it is promised that they will bad mouth you as loud as they possibly can to anyone that will listen. Anyway, I could probably go on for day's about this kind of stuff.....but getting back to my point, DON"T get into the restaurant business to have fun. Be in it because in spite of all of that stuff you love it. And in some sick and twisted way you actually love all of that stuff as well..I didn't get into this business to have fun, but man do I have fun! So "Thank You" to all of you crazy people that make my life fun, that have kept me in this biz for the past 28 years......SO, YOU WANT TO OWN A RESTAURANT? "LOL"

b.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree with your post. The restaurant industry is probably one of the toughest and tiring industries. That being said, I'm still interested in operating a restaurant. Obviously not for the "fun" factor, but for other reasons. I'm curious though... do you know how I could go about buying a restaurant? Or where I could browse to see what's available in my area?