Catering/Restaurant Inclinations

i have done all of the above

Have done all, and it's PAST TENSE. No thanks. To do it well it's a labor of love. For me, it's just not worth the long hours for the very little money.

Been there. Done that. I've since had the tattoo removed.

I cook Tuesday thru Saturday in Troy MO unless I'm at a comp or catering.

I get three out of four, Eric. You need to make your categories mutually exclusive or enable multiple selections.

(MUST. STOP. THINKING. LIKE. PROGRAMMER! ARGGHH!)

I have vended(no more), I cater, and I consult with restaurants...

I cook a few times a month and I am currently building a BBQ joint to cook on fridays and saturdays a couple times a month when not competing

Kind of a confusing poll...I have worked in a restaurant and currently cater...no desire to open my own place...:becky:

I have also worked in restaurants, catered and vended...An can think of no greater Horror then to ever have to do it again...so last option was perfect!

I am a restaurant Pitmaster, caterer, vendor & comp cooker.

Livin the dream my arse. :thumb:

It's hard work....

I currently own a few restaurants, cater, vend a few events & cook about 15 comps a year. Restaurants are hard, which is why you have to hold out for a sweet heart scenario that fits into the lifestyle that you want. Most that I have met are already talking about number two and lose sight of doing one well.

I had zero food business experience before I started a restaurant, but the terms were so good that I left a great paying software job. It's on a college campus and it allows me to take the month of December off and 2.5 months in the summer to do what I like. I now own three restaurants within 500 yards of each other...1. Bar & Grille 2. 50's Diner 3. BBQ Joint & Tavern. It is hard work, which is why I wouldn't do it unless I was operating in "fantasy land" and the money was top notch. With that being said...it is really nice operating in "fantasy land".

My best advice is know what you want and have an exit strategy. As my grandfather once told me...they are made to be sold, not bought. Don't expect to get rich and do expect to put in more work than you think.

It isn't fun if you aren't making money!!!

Done all of the above. Owning a restaurant is a labor of love, BBQ is labor intensive, Making good home cooked sides takes time. your employees will take short cuts on you, changes recipes. They do not have the same, sense of Quality that you want your customers to experience. Your food has to have the same taste all the time, replete business, time after time. Taste and quality, Lets not forget customer service. Then you got to cook. got to keep books, payroll. I could keep on. I love it, a lot of work, not a fast way to get rich. Sometimes great satisfaction. Someday you might make the cover of Southern Living
Good Luck

I am currently the GM at a neighborhood Tex-Mex restaurant. Never vended before. I have tons of catering experience.
Would I love to own and operate my own place....absolutely!

Own a Cafe and Tea Room and am open from 11 to 2 Monday thru Saturday. Open for afternoon tea from 3 to 5 with reservations. We do not serve bbq but instead ladies soups salads and sandwiches. That being said we cater with a mix of bbq and other finger foods. No experience 6 years ago (retired electrical engineer and only thing I knew about restaurats was eating in them) until I bought but keeping on top of the cooks for quality and repeatability are a challange. Books and other little cost control items sometimes get in the way of competition but, we are having fun and the comp season for us starts next week in Stillwater OK. CU there.

Own a successful catering and vending business. Contemplating bricks and mortar.....