Opening a restaurant - advice on the little things

baskets are cheaper and harder to brake but harder to keep looking new. Plates cost more, brake, but will stay newer looking longer. I like the metal baskets myself. have you ever ran, worked in or owned a restaurant? if you are that close to 2 colleges don't out price your market, but don't be the cheep place. I would get some smaples of the food out on football days. if it is good people will start to order whole butts and full slabs for there tail gate.

If the choice is between plates and baskets, I would go with plates. They are easier to clean. I am using pie tins with a deli paper. They are cheap and were something different. There are also granite ware plates out there that would be durable. Do you have a budget in mind for dinnerware? I am looking for a link on the granite ware.

I sure don't like the baskets, to me, they scream cheap food. I realize that plates have drawbacks, but, that is where you can get creative, maybe. When I see baskets and paper, I think there is no pride in the presentation of the food.

For BBQ, if the desire is to minimize table ware, then go with paper and claim you are doing it Texas style.

Close your eyes and imagine your restaurant. Go through every detail and you will answer your own question. If you don't already know what it's going to look like and how the food is going to look on the tables, figure it out now.

I have no idea what the costs are, but there's a restaurant here that are using 1/4 sheet pans (I think that's the size anyways) with paper on top. I think that look would work well at a BBQ joint, without the worry about plate breakage.

I would go with baskets, the liners are cheap, and easy to switch out. It will cut you dish load down more than you can imagine. Plus the down crumble when they hit the floor. I actually always liked BB on metal trays. You can serve your sides in metal cups. I just always liked the looka nd feel of it. It really depends on the feel you are going for. What the rest of the restaurant looks like. If you will be offering anything like steaks, chops, or something, use a plate for that.

http://galvanizedpail.com/index.php...ducts_id=103&zenid=5inetsmdqhonkvh77t7nrne2u7

I have been in the restaurant industry for many years, and if you buy anything, buy a POS system. I know they are very expensive, but worth every penny.

Use atleast 3 food venders. Make sure they all show up around the same time, allowing a little overlap between them so the reps see each other. The reps have more control over pricing than you would think, and this keep them competitive. If yuo feel like one company is taking you for a ride, use the other company for everything for a couple weeks. The will feel the burn, trust me.

Make a detailed excel spreadsheet with par levels for your food orders. That way every time you are doing inventory for your food order, you will know what your par is, then all you have to do is keep track of what is on hand, and you will know what you need to order. This sheet needs to have everything down to napkin rings, and tooth picks on it. Never guess when filling it out, ALWAYS put eywes on your stock when filling it out.

If you will have liquor, you NEED cameras that you can log into at home, or form your cell. Trust me on this. It is all money, but it will be money saved.

Keep track of community events (concerts, marathons, anything going on in the area) and run specials. I would highly recommend running something with Groupon. Where I live we have one called Deal Chicken. If they have it where you are, use it.

My biggest advice is be the face of the restaurant, make people want to come back and see you. Spoil your serving staff, because they are what makes or breaks a restaurant. Don't run out of anything!!! With BQQ that can be tricky, so make sure to specify on the meanu that ribs are while supplies last. Have a board insude the door that says right off the bat that you are out of ribs, or brisket.

Best of luck to you.

I just saw above that you will be serving beer. If you have the ability, keep your beer selection rotating. Get a good beer supplier that has a unique selection. They will be a great asset. Don't just stick to Bud, Coors, and Miller. Have some fun with the beer. I am sure there is a craft beer club in the area. Throw them some food to help you pair beer with your menu. People love that.

cpw said:

I have no idea what the costs are, but there's a restaurant here that are using 1/4 sheet pans (I think that's the size anyways) with paper on top. I think that look would work well at a BBQ joint, without the worry about plate breakage.

Click to expand...

Snap a picture with your phone next time you are in there and post it here.

WhatHappened said:

I would go with baskets, the liners are cheap, and easy to switch out. It will cut you dish load down more than you can imagine. Plus the down crumble when they hit the floor. I actually always liked BB on metal trays. You can serve your sides in metal cups. I just always liked the looka nd feel of it. It really depends on the feel you are going for. What the rest of the restaurant looks like. If you will be offering anything like steaks, chops, or something, use a plate for that.

http://galvanizedpail.com/index.php...ducts_id=103&zenid=5inetsmdqhonkvh77t7nrne2u7

Make a detailed excel spreadsheet with par levels for your food orders. That way every time you are doing inventory for your food order, you will know what your par is, then all you have to do is keep track of what is on hand, and you will know what you need to order. This sheet needs to have everything down to napkin rings, and tooth picks on it. Never guess when filling it out, ALWAYS put eywes on your stock when filling it out.

Click to expand...

What do you mean "par levels"
sorry, i understand your post completely except for this.
Thanks for your posts!

Have you thought about tin pie plates? I have eaten off of them in BBQ joints before.
Also there is a restaurant at Lake of the Ozarks that serves all kid meals on a frisbee. Another one serves kids meals like fries, chicken strips, mini corn-dogs in a small plastic bucket w/shovel


http://www.katom.com/225-41110.html?zmam=29342707&zmas=1&zmac=32&zmap=225-41110&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=Adword&utm_campaign=CSE&CID=pla&kw={keyword}&gclid=CIvd-8is1bkCFeIRMwodJkIAHg


something like this, but they were a little more rustic.

I pulled this off of their website.

Par level is how much you want on hand. Lets says you want 3 cases of brisket on hand. 3 Cases would be your par level. So when you are taking your order, you would mark down that you have 1 case on hand. Does that make sense? Some food venders will help you set up your par levels, and they will just go into you kitchen, and make your order based off of the par levels you have set. I highly recommend against this.

cpw said:

I pulled this off of their website.

Click to expand...

We used these trays at one of my restaurants, and they were great. Dixie makes a liner that fits them. Sysco carries he liners. You can have servers put the liners, and stack them ahead of time. They line just has to grab them, and plate them.

This is how we do it. This does very well and were semi upscale.