Sims 2 (PC) OpenForBusiness How do I operate a restaurant and a hotel?

Question

I want to run them as 2 separate businesses but how do I hire a chef and how would I manage a hotel? Any ideas, experiences, advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

There are three main types of businesses in The Sims 2: Open for Business--retail, service, and venue. There is a well-tested formula for a successful restaurant (which is a service), and the below tips should give you a great start on creating a high-ranking dining establishment. A hotel would have to be started as a venue business type, as it would not fit into either of the other two categories.

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****Restaurants****

There are certain objects required to run a restaurant. Here is the list:

* At least one host podium (either the "Gastronomique" Restaurant Podium or the Podium of Bonnappitizon). The Podium has the same game mechanics as the Cash Register--customer wait in line at the podium to be seated just as if they were paying for a retail item.
* A food service stove (Tempest Cooktop from Cuas)
* At least one dining table or counter space
* At least one chair placed at the table or one stool at the counter (make sure chairs and barstools are facing the right direction--which can sometimes be tricky with stools)

Of course, the proper restaurant objects, by themselves, do not make the restaurant. Your staff will be the crew that helps make or break your dining establishment. You can assign your staff to fill any of the following roles by using the "Management... Assign" interaction or the "Assign [insert job title here]" option when clicking on the Podium or Stove. Here is a list of required staff:

* Host (this sim mans the Podium and is responsible for seating customers once they decide on dining at the restaurant). Hosts with a high Sales Talent Badge perform well at this task.
* Server (this sim waits on customers once they are seated, taking the orders, giving the orders to the Chef, and bringing the food to the customers). Servers with a high Body skill are less likely to drop food on customers.
* Chef (this sim mans the Stove, ready to quickly prepare an ordered meal). Meal preparation speed is determined by the Cooking skill. A Chef with a high Cooking skill is critical to a high-level restaurant.
* Greeter (this sim "sales" the restaurant menu to customers and try to persuade them to dine at the eating establishment). There is no official option to assign a Greeter, so this will have to be done by a controllable sim. The Greeter uses sales socials and the "Show Menu to..." interaction to get customer to eat at the restaurant. Greeters with a high Sales Talent Badge perform better.

***Restaurant Notes***

Until your restaurant gets to be at a high level, it is best to have one controllable sim (preferably the one with the higher Sales Talent Badge level) be both the Host and the Greeter. This will save money by reducing the number of hired employees, as your customer count will definitely be small enough for your lone sim to handle. Once the restaurant become more popular, you can assign an employee as Host while your sim acts as Greeter.

Be sure to only put items on the restaurant's menu that the Chef can normally cook. This will reduce the chance for burnt food (which the Server will still serve to the customer) and a decrease in Customer Loyalty.

Both restaurants and venues (see below) are the only restaurant types that cannot be on a Residential Lot, because the items required are not available to buy.

****Venues****

There is only one required object for a venue: the Electrono Ticket Machine. These Machines charge customers a certain amount of simoleons per hour (you set the price).

You would probably only need one employee for the venue at the lower business levels. This sim can perform sales socials on customers waiting at the Ticket Machine, interact with customers once they purchased a ticket, and clean up around the place if necessary.

Sims cannot sleep on beds on Commercial Lots, though they can "Relax" and, once doing so, possibly "Woohoo". Because of this, customers are technically buying access to a place to relax and (depending on what other objects you place at the hotel) have fun. You could put other items in the hotel, like a Bar (which could be manned by a sim if there are customers "browsing" the selection) and some Fun-filling object.

I assume that you are wanting to run both businesses on the same lot. If so, your task will be a little more difficult, as you must be sure both businesses (restaurant and hotel) are in separate, unconnecting buildings. The tricky part of a multi-business setup is that customers, after conducting their "purchases" at one of the businesses, usually leave the lot--and thus your other business. Things get a little better when your business ranking is high, but it is still not as good as a one-business lot.

***Venue Note***

Most simoleon-earning objects do not increase your earnings if placed in a venue. The only exception to this is the Bar. If customers purchase a beverage at the Bar, your household gets the simoleons for both the Bar (you set the price) *and* the hourly venue price. Pretty nifty.

*****Basic Business Notes*****

Always be sure to have an employee break area. This area should have a very comfortable couch, an expensive TV for quick fun, at least one toilet, a shower, a coffee or expresso machine, and an outdoor area for a grill. This will allow weary employees take a break and fulfill their Motives, then return to work in a timely manner. Be sure to lock all access to this break area from customers (click on the doors and choose "Lock... For Household and Employees").

Likewise, always have a customer restroom with at least one toilet (the ones in stalls work well) and a sink.

Always reset your employees' wages after they rise in a Talent Badge level. You could eventually find that you are underpaying your staff (since they will quit).

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Well, that's the basics of running a restaurant and venue. Largely, a successful business is hit-and-miss--you try something out and change it up if it doesn't seem to be working.

I highly recommend you get the Prima Official Game Guide to The Sims 2: Open for Business. It goes into great details about the ins-and-outs of running a business.

Happy Simming!

Answer 2

o i think i can remember...u hav 2 buy like a lot or run a buisness at ur house and then like purchase this food cooking thing for chiefs, (i think it's under maculus or something) and u also hav 2 buy a hostess pedistal thing and u also need 2 hire ppl.. buy i think phoning them and also some sim will try and apply for working in ur buisness..but i dont think u can manage a hotel, i kno u can hav ur own shop and sell stuff, or hav like a resterant, i kno it's confusing at first but hav you ever tried 2 read the booklet that came with the expansion pack?? i hope that helped, cuzz i haven't played on it for a while lol but it took me a while 2 figure it out 2.. lol