Opening a restaurant

A

austintexas

Guest
Say you wanted to open a BBQ joint, where would you start? Small business loan, business plan, lease vs. purchase of facility, etc? No, my name is not Mueller.

EDIT: Oops, sorry, I thought I was on Horn Depot.
 
You'll need capital, of some form to procure a loan. Unless you have prior business dealings with them, almost no bank will touch start-up food service loans w/o it being secured by a sizable margin.

I bought 2 existing restaurants my 1st time out, worth roughly 175K combined. I had to pledge almost 75% of the loan's value in stocks.

Banks are reaaal wary about restaurant investments.
 
F that, rent a trailer and set up in a lot, like Torchy's.

Low overhead and good food is all you need.
 
You know how to end up with a million dollars in the restaurant game?

Well, you start with TWO million dollars...

Good luck on it - probably one of the higher risk biz ventures to pursue.
 
My family owned a BBQ restaurant for about 10 years. It's very rewarding, but a ton of incredibly hard work, 7 days per week. We eventually sold the restaurant, and suffice to say my parents DID NOT retire as fabulously wealthy entrepreneurs as a result of it. But, we ate a lot of great Q and had a lot of fun anyway.
smile.gif


I'm sure you've heard it before, but the three rules in the restaurant business are location, location, location. As has been mentioned before, it's pretty tough to secure a loan for a restaurant, since they are considered to be one of the riskiest investments around. Usually, restaurant investments are made from your personal monies, or at least the loans will be secured by your personal holdings.

But even if you're not trying to secure a loan, you should write up a business plan. It will help you organize your ideas and crystallize your plans. Be as realistic as you possibly can-- it's going to take a while to break-even, and your revenue is probably not going to "hockey-stick" any time soon.

Good luck, it's a tough industry, but a fun one.
 
just tossing an idea around. it's just beyond me some of the corners of this great state that don't have a single BBQ joint within miles.

maybe one day...
 
Of ALL the businesses I could ever imagine being involved in OWNING, I'd have to say a restaurant is probably the last one.

I am a freak about not wanting to do a whole lot in the way of inventory control. On my roofing jobs, I make the crew buy their own nails (which they're paid for in wages)... I don't want to ***** over one nail down the drain & since I have worked in restaurants of all quality levels, I'd be bitching & complaining over every french fry eaten or dropped on the floor.

texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
 
Yup, inventory management in the restaurant (or bar) business is among the toughest of all. The shrinkage is large, and it's difficult to determine when it is related to poor or inefficient processes, and when you're being stolen from (which is pretty much inevitable).
 
In 28 years, there hasn't been on where I am talking about. If Hard 8 BBQ in Brady can make it there (God-awful bbq), then a joint down here can thrive.
 
You should make a play on your political background.

how cool woudl it be to do a "congressional BBQ" in D.C.?

You could paint half the floor red and half blue with a big white line in the middle. Server only the right side of the meat to right wingers and only the left side of the meat for left leaning folks. Of course for Brisket it wouldn't matter, but it woudl be funny as hell to have Left and Right wing wings....

You could keep a tally board to see which you sell more of, it woudl be funny to see the sides "compete" against each other.
 
The late Lee Atwater (former political consultant), who was a good blues guitar player, opened a BBQ place near Rosslyn VA called Red Hot and Blue. He also record an album by the same name.
 
great idea Summer. But I'm thinking about South Padre Island. In 25 years, I don't think there has been a q joint. Nov-Jan, winter Texans fill up the place. May-August, summer folks. March-spring break. Cold beer, bay view, my unbelievably good brisket....$$
 
This is a bit simple but I see two kinds of BBQ Joints:

The big fancy ones selling ok to crappy ‘que cooked on the big rotisseries. Usually in a big fancy building in the city and have big staffs. The BBQ is over priced, over rated and over cooked.
pukey.gif


The old time hole in the wall places selling ‘que that has been slow cooked on a real pit using real wood. They can’t afford big fancy building but usually turn out better BBQ. Be sure to clean up your spot after you eat.
cow.gif


If I had to choose one to run myself, I'd go low budget, hole in the wall and make good 'que (but not necessarily a lot of money)
smokin.gif


SuckleBuster
 
SPI is sort of weird. However if it was me that is your dream buy some land at teh North end of the Island, the locals are Pushing hard for another causeway on the North End of the Isalne near the new Sea Side Style community on the bay side of the road. Then pay on it and pray they ope up the second access point to the island.

Though I still think you could sell a lot of wings in DC keeping a running tally of the number of left wings versus the number of right wings eaten.
 
The best place to open a Bar BQ restaurant are the places that don't have one. I've lived here in Utah for over a year now and still haven't found a good BBQ joint.

The Best BBQ place here is Famous Dave's and that is only slightly better than Bill Miller's.
 
The easy way would be to ask the City Council for $750K and convince them that your restaurant will one day become an Austin icon and that because of that you really deserve the loan to be forgivable!

Seriously though, good luck. The restaurant business is hard and I have all the respect in the world for the folks that can make it.
 
Being successful in the restaurant business is rediculous. There is so much red tape, ******** and overhead involved that it is an instant nightmare. The margins are THIN. Obviously there is money to be made but it's one of the hardest and most time and energy consuming ventures you can imagine. Running a kitchen, dealing with server/service industry types and maintaining the bar/keeping on the up and up with the LCBO is a monumental task. One of the most daunting things about it is the number of people you need to employ and manage, even for a small operation - not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to work 7 days a week, 12-15 hours a day and see your capital evaporate at the very beginning.

Wasatch horn is right - a bbq joint in austin has a slim chance at survival in a market as saturated as austin, and with consumers as picky and ornery.. However, if you want to peddle middle eastern food or maybe even fusion...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top