Opening a Restaurant?

Question

My husband is finishing at culinary school, we have lined up some prospective investors. He also has management expirience. We were wondering what kind of restruant to start, and are there some classes that would be benificial to us? We live in WA, north of Seattle.

Answer 1

I'm not sure whether or not any "business" classes are part of the culinary school curriculum; but if you or your husband haven't taken any restaurant management classes, it might be wise to see if a college or university in your area offers classes in that specific area.

See, managing a restaurant tends to be a bit different than running other types of business and it would behoove you to understand the specific issues that might confront someone running a restaurant.

For instance, how do you deal with the fact that food tastes best when it's fresh....but fresh food spoils really fast? Do you work with your suppliers to guarantee a steady supply of fresh-from-the-field ingredients? Or, do you invest in larger refrigerators and freezers and sacrafice some freshness...and quality? How do you quantify the difference in possible return on capital?

...that sort of thing...

If you feel like you already have a handle on those "restaurant specific" issues, one thing I'd definitely consider doing is attending an entrepreneurship class at a college or university. A good one will help teach you the "ins and outs" of actually running a business.

See, just having management experience doesn't equate very well to running a business. Sure, the whole "supervising people" thing is important...but what about managing a profit/loss statement? What about managing cash-flow? What about working with vendors? What about advertising and marketing?

Really, without knowing your background, the best advice I can give you or your husband is to plan for everything to cost three times more than you originally anticipate...and to plan for everything to take three times longer to pay off than you originally expect.

Best of luck to you both!!!

Answer 2

well....first i would say why do you want to do this? this business is very difficult, with long hours. you usually work all holidays, and the stress is unbeleivable. i have never been a fan of culinary schools. they get you in there and fill your head with these grandios ideas of becoming the next Emeril, but it is very difficult, and years of hard work. how much experience does he have....what is the back up plan? what if things dont work out, which probably will happen....80%of all new restaurants fail withing one year of opening. how old is he? these are all really important things to consider...i would find a mentor, an older chef, and business owner who can guide you and your husband and help you make good decisions....i wish you luck

Answer 3

Well if he went to school for this and its his dream to open a restruant then he should, BUT please be aware that it is true about the first year in business of anykind, you will not be please of your income. I started 3 diffrent business and one one has came out good. Also my cusin opened a Beef O' Bradys here in Boca Raton, FL (very well know chain) and after 8 months he went bankrupt.

So please becarefull and always have something as a back-up.