What would you do????

Bossmanbbq

Bossmanbbq

is Blowin Smoke!
Joined
Dec 3, 2005
Messages
1,096
Reaction score
45
Points
0
Location
Colorado
Went to a chamber of commerce lunch where we received our plaque for becoming a member. We got to advertise our catering business and tell a little about our awards from competitions this season.Made some good contacts and was able to pass out our business card:-D

At the end the manager of the golf course/country club talked with my wife and me and told us that he has no one in his restaurant and would love to get something in it.

Long and short of it he's offering the restaurant with all equipment and materials it has, its pretty much ready to go and do business, plus they would run the bar and give us a percentage of the sales from the restaurant. He wanting a $1000 a month for the lease of it but said it could be negotiated with the board so they can get something in the club..

Here is my dilemma, I'm looking at another 6 years and I can retire. But I don't want to pass up a good opportunity either. I was thinking of seeing if it’s something we could do a couple of weekends a month to see how it goes and go from there, If it takes off I may have to rethink retirement.
But I figure it being a country club on a golf course it should do fairly well...

Any thoughts, suggestions and advice you have would be appreciated, were looking at scheduling a meeting with them within a few days!
 
Bossman working in the golf industry I can tell you this, most golf course country clubs especially are hurting right now so keep that in mind. Something to keep in mind if you do a few "experimental" weekends there is that in the northern states, ie. Colorado the golf season has died down for the year so it may be hard to judge the amount of business you would be getting. All in all seems like a good opportunity if you can find the time to do it and have enough traffic to make it worth your time.
 
I can tell you this, my buddy has a place in a golf club and he said the restaurant sucks. He is downs almost 70%. He told me to keep people at the club they took away the monthy food minimum. He does not pay rent, he only pays for food and gives a small percentage to the club. He said the positive of the country club is the amount of catering you will get out of it. DO NOT PAY RENT! GOod luck.
 
I have a friend who is trying to make a go of this now, he has run three successful resto's in the past 30 years and the golf course is killing him. He also has the bar and he says if he didn't have that, he would have thrown in the towel. His BBQ side of the biz is doing great, but, the snack bar and restaurant are killing that profit. He does get good catering gigs, but, he says the drag of the dining room needs to be addressed.

He says he would not do the deal again, even with the bar.
 
Bossmanbbq said:
Long and short of it he's offering the restaurant with all equipment and materials it has, its pretty much ready to go and do business, plus they would run the bar and give us a percentage of the sales from the restaurant. He wanting a $1000 a month for the lease of it but said it could be negotiated with the board so they can get something in the club..
Click to expand...

Without the bar this is a loser, even with the bar it's iffy at best. Maybe if you went in (bar and restaurant) and they got a percentage of your sales, but, Like OCPA said, don't agree to pay any rent.
 
that it is empty is a good indication ---- tell him he can hire you to come do special events for the next year and he can be responsible for charging members or golf course customers that way you are protected.
 
Run. Run fast. Run far. Literally, I'm not joking, they should pay you $1,000 each
month to do it for them. You should get 100% of the receipts. Even then you'll
probably go broke.
 
I would hear what the board has to say before your run. Don't get over excited about the deal, let them feel like they need you more than you need them. See if at first you can have theme nights and pre sell tickets, no ala carte at first. For example friday night surf and turf party, pre sell tickets with no refund. You will have an exact number and it may make you some extra money. You may want to get this deal, but make sure it is advantage YOU!
 
Last edited:
CB said:
that it is empty is a good indication ---- tell him he can hire you to come do special events for the next year and he can be responsible for charging members or golf course customers that way you are protected.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replys so far, I'm planning on meeting with them like I said in the next few days. I'm trying to contact them to use the facility for a Christmas party of 65 people, I know they will make money on the bar with this , which is fine.
I like the idea of doing the speacial events and going that route so I'm not out anything. Things are going well for our catering business and if I can get the facilty to even for a small fee it would be worth it.
 
I agree with all of the above. Golf course restaurants are very seasonal at best. Simply not enough volume. Take away the bar and add rent ... you're getting boinked! Hold on to those retirement plans and run like hell. Maybe you could agree to cater weddings, parties and such from his facility to be negotiated as you go. Be the boinker not the boinkee.
 
in addition to all the other great advice and experience, be sure to factor in any health benefits etc. you currently get.

Good luck Bossman.
 
i wouldn't pay rent thats for sure. if it were that lucrative, then why is it empty? at MOST i would offer a percentage of net profit. that way if business is down so is the "rent". maybe offer that for a winter time thing and renegotiate after the spring thaw.
of course if they were to guarantee business, well then that's a whole different ballgame.
 
Decided to use the facility for catering events we have that are looking for a location to have them at. Going to work out the details and offer to cater events for the golf course should they contact us. Thank for the advice and helping me with this!
 
Best of luck, and this sounds like a very good approach. Rent, nowadays, with where
the economy is, and at a country club with limited appeal, I was thinking NO WAY IN....
Again, best of luck!!!!
 
I would look at it this way, if you can use the kitchen space for your current caterings and then help them build the business at the golf coarse then you both win. I would not offer to payt any rent and tell the board a used restaurant attracts customers better than a dark empty one.

I work as a contract caterer for a golf coarse and when weather is good business goes crazy but when its dark and gray no one is there. I would go in and let them know that you can atract events such as holiday parties and weddings this will help showcase the facility and everyone wins.

Big Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
What to do with beef rib (lifter, wedge, blade) muscle
Replies
2
Views
369
Jordan5
J
S
Do you let your neighbors throw something on?
Replies
9
Views
3K
WilliamKY
WilliamKY
S
Hello from Delaware
Replies
6
Views
200
cowgirl
cowgirl
Harbormaster
What are you cooking for your Christmas gathering?
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
ModelMaker
ModelMaker
J
My Annual Deer Grind.......
Replies
18
Views
646
SmokeOCD
S
Back
Top