Hi, I am planning to start my own restaurant. Need your suggestions on interior designing, buying commercial kitchen appliances etc…
You need to hire a Professional Kitchen Designer that operates in, or knows, the local regulations that you intend to operate in. As much as you think you may know, there is even more that you don’t, and the internet won’t fix that.
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Good luck on your new endeavor but why would you ask this question on a home inspection forum?
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OR… purchasing Used or Reconditioned.
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Yep, due to the high failure/turnover rate of restaurants, there is a ton of used equipment on the market. Search craigslist or look for local auctions.
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Probably should not be opening a restaurant if asking this question. Some experience required.
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Restaurants are probably the only industry that has a higher failure rate than home inspectors. Every time I hear of someone planning to start a restaurant, I always warn them that it’s a BUSINESS and going into it only because you are passionate about food (with no relevant business skills) pretty much guarantees failure.
Just like in our industry: so many people are blissfully naive about how difficult it is to break into home inspections and that it’s a marketing and people business first, not a trade where you just hang a sign and watch the cash roll in.
Edit to add: I was able to successful talk a close relative out of pursuing a franchise restaurant. They had a $100K job and zero relevant experience and were all but guaranteed to fall flat on their face. My Uncle started a small hamburger place in the 1980s and it failed miserably, only lasting a few months.
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Gas stoves and ovens are more efficient than electric, at least in my area, and depending on the type of food (I like Mexican and Chinese, Indian is really good too) you plan on serving should be the deciding factors on your interior design.
Best of luck to you.
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I agree. I hope the OP is not in California!
In a former life, I developed, opened and operated several successful restaurants. My job was to put my competitors out of business by filling my seats first and they could have the overflow. There is a simple formula for success, it looks something like this:
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I just wanted to ask.Thats it
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Thank you… I just thought of getting more advice from people
And I just wanted to give you a straight forward and honest answer, without all the ‘non-offensive, make you feel good about your choices’ BS!
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My only other career before getting into inspections was working restaurants and it’s a REALLY tough biz these day. I started washing dishes, then busboy, prep cook, then all line cook positions for several years. The money in the kitchen is comparatively less than “front of the house” (tipped) positions so I managed to get away from the kitchen and waited tables and bartended for about 12 years.
As much as I enjoyed my time in restaurants I’d never dream of owning one. Too much competition, low-skilled employees that lack any work ethic (and I’m sure this one hasn’t gotten any better since I left 20 years ago), rising costs, ridiculous amount of regulations, labor laws, taxes, etc. Several of my closest friends never got out of the biz and are paying the price now. At our ages (50-60) they still work 50+ hours a week and it’s a really tough haul.
Anyway, not sure I’m much help to OP. I guess my initial advice would be not to do it. Especially if you’re looking to a group of HIs to design. But, if you must, I agree with the others to look for used equipment. Commercial equipment is generally very high quality and readily available due to so many failing businesses.
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Being able to close a sale guarantees at least a shot at success.
“Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. ” ― Edna St. Vincent Millay
One of the first things to accomplish in a restaurant is consistency. Why does McDonalds and Little Caesar’s stay in business? Very very consistent product. Even though we all know it taste like shit.
The business is labor and management intensive, requires strict rules and intense oversight. The simpler the product the easier it is to manage. Hence why these companies produce their food off-site in controlled environments, subsequently to be only heated and served locally.
Owners run themselves into the ground trying to produce consistent product with inconsistent staff, product and equipment. All for 10% profit. Nightmare.
Pull it off, with enough number of seats and volume, you can make a lot of money. Or die trying.
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I don’t know much about Little Caesar’s but McDonald’s is a real estate holding company.
Just saying.
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Interesting. I think they are both just commissaries selling their food to franchisees at fixed prices for a profit, all the while raking in franchise fees. Pretty smart business model.
I remember hearing about this years ago. They hold all the good properties and sell off (or, according to this article, rent) the bad ones as franchises.
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