Help, advice, pointers...

Hello to everyone. Sorry I haven't posted for a while. The holidays have been hectic, to say the least. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

My wife and I are going to start our own restaurant within the next couple of years and are looking for tips, advice, help of any kind on both FOH and BOH. We have both waited tables and I currently work as a line cook in an upscale restaurant. We know what we want and what we don't want.

Some people have told us to forget it, it's not worth the hassle, we don't know what we're getting ourselves into, etc. The simple fact is, this is our dream and we won't be talked out of it. We know we have a lot to learn, which is why we are starting early. Any help in FOH and/or BOH will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[shroomgirl]

Welcome and we need more specific info on what your wanting....

We are seeking info on ordering, food costing, cutting shrinkage, management techniques for both FOH and BOH, POS system suggestions, licensing, taxes, just about anything anyone can give us. We have our own ideas about how the place is to be run but welcome any insight into keeping employees happy as well as the customers. We know that we like to be treated with kindness and respect by our employers and plan to carry this over into our venture.

We are planning to make this a rather upscale kind of place since the area is full of doctors, lawyers, and a wide variety of medical specialists.

Have patience.

Keep a professional journal, together.

Learn as much as you can from everything you see.

Try not to bring professional issues home.

Luckily, my wife and I have worked together before and we know when to back down on work-related issues. We actually love doing pretty much everything together.

I am trying to absorb as much info as I can, not only from the restaurant but the management team at my full-time job as well. I check out things at other restaurants, good and bad, and try to visualize where everything will or won't fit into my plans. I know I have left this open to a broad spectrum of responses but that is what I want, whatever you all can throw at me. Success stories and what you think made them a success, horror stories and why things went bad.

Btw... woohooo, I finally made cook!!

One thing about owning your own restaurant , this will not be a job but it will be a way of life . Have patience and learn from every owner that you can before you start your biz . Look at one thing though , how many restaurants do you drive by in a day and how long have they been opened under the same ownership ? How many are closed or for sale ? It is an extremely
tough biz . I wish you luck and no matter what keep cookin .

[judy]

I started a restaurant with the same dreams and ideal you have and the satisfaction of running your own place is great. Just a couple of pointers, do not go in under financed, money worrys when you start are bad.Talk everything through together it is the biggest strain on personal relationships. You can not switch off as you work all the time, after hours you have to keep a very tight rein on your books, all waste is out of your pocket remember. Keep the staff happy, if you have a problem take the issue up after service not before. Nothing is worse that a staff member working who has just been told!! They work for you respect that and try not to employ friends. Good luck you will have some great times.