bam
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2008
- Location
- Philly, PA
Alcohol!! Restaurants that serve alcohol have a better chance of making it.
Yes Ray - we are paying our bills & saving a bit. Thanks to the state of health care in this country, I have not had health insurance since I left the corporate world 15 years ago. As we spend pretty much all our time at the joint - we find it less necessary to have "spending" money but yes- we do have that as well.
Point is Ray - we're making a living on our own terms with our own business with very little debt. That - to us - is far more important than making a lot of money or even "buying the wife a little something". She'd probably gut you with a carving knife for that incredibly sexist statement.
Actually Bam - alcohol IS a great margin point but adds about 1000 times more headaches & money sucks to the business. Major among them is the insurance costs. You carry a MUCH greater insurance load with alcohol than with a simple Q joint. You also need a larger place - & staff - to serve alcohol which then gets back to why so many restaurants fail.
Buzz - sorry but I have to disagree. The Dr. has not offered anything other than HE failed ONCE & the absolutely absurd advice: "You have to start big & rack up a huge debt. You can't start small using your own capital & grow as your business grows." I know of no credible business adviser who would tell anyone they should not start small & manageable. As such, I can't put much weight into anything he has to say about opening a Q joint. Though perhaps he is right when it comes to opening a restaurant.
Yes Ray - we are paying our bills & saving a bit. Thanks to the state of health care in this country, I have not had health insurance since I left the corporate world 15 years ago. As we spend pretty much all our time at the joint - we find it less necessary to have "spending" money but yes- we do have that as well.
Point is Ray - we're making a living on our own terms with our own business with very little debt. That - to us - is far more important than making a lot of money or even "buying the wife a little something". She'd probably gut you with a carving knife for that incredibly sexist statement.
Actually Bam - alcohol IS a great margin point but adds about 1000 times more headaches & money sucks to the business. Major among them is the insurance costs. You carry a MUCH greater insurance load with alcohol than with a simple Q joint. You also need a larger place - & staff - to serve alcohol which then gets back to why so many restaurants fail.
Buzz - sorry but I have to disagree. The Dr. has not offered anything other than HE failed ONCE & the absolutely absurd advice: "You have to start big & rack up a huge debt. You can't start small using your own capital & grow as your business grows." I know of no credible business adviser who would tell anyone they should not start small & manageable. As such, I can't put much weight into anything he has to say about opening a Q joint. Though perhaps he is right when it comes to opening a restaurant.
Yes Ray - we are paying our bills & saving a bit. Thanks to the state of health care in this country, I have not had health insurance since I left the corporate world 15 years ago. As we spend pretty much all our time at the joint - we find it less necessary to have "spending" money but yes- we do have that as well.
Point is Ray - we're making a living on our own terms with our own business with very little debt. That - to us - is far more important than making a lot of money or even "buying the wife a little something". She'd probably gut you with a carving knife for that incredibly sexist statement.
Actually Bam - alcohol IS a great margin point but adds about 1000 times more headaches & money sucks to the business. Major among them is the insurance costs. You carry a MUCH greater insurance load with alcohol than with a simple Q joint. You also need a larger place - & staff - to serve alcohol which then gets back to why so many restaurants fail.
Buzz - sorry but I have to disagree. The Dr. has not offered anything other than HE failed ONCE & the absolutely absurd advice: "You have to start big & rack up a huge debt. You can't start small using your own capital & grow as your business grows." I know of no credible business adviser who would tell anyone they should not start small & manageable. As such, I can't put much weight into anything he has to say about opening a Q joint. Though perhaps he is right when it comes to opening a restaurant.
As many have said "Listen To The Dr."
Hey Cha Cha,
I think there is a lot of good information for you in this thread. Personally, I would print it out and look through each comment and make notes of the good things and bad. That should give you a good basis on which to develop a plan or strategy for your new venture. Good luck.
Sorry Dr BBQ I've always enjoyed watching you on TV but to attack someone who came here to offer advice on how to open a q joint seems a little petty.
I don't agree with the "Start small" or the "Grab and go" strategy. You need to do what the customers want, not what you want. IMO people won't take you seriously if you have short hours, no tables, and a limited menu. If I was going to start a business I'd be looking to make a lot of money. You can't do that with a small, carry out only, limited hours joint.
Yes I know there are exceptions. Good luck with that.
:idea:Hawgs, I think you meant to post that towards Marietta SMoker.
Cha Cha already has a business up and running.
MS was the original poster.
But still.. it is GOOD ADVICE. :-D
My baby girl hasn't got one but but I don't argue with her either as she always wins for some reason. :wink:Advice and comments are like belly buttons, everyone has one - But there is no standard for excellence in either an "innie" or an "outie".
Many times what you're trying to convey isn't received in the same manner. To be honest, and I don't have a dawg in this fight, what you said came across with a condenscending tone and glazed with a bit of arrogance. I'm not saying you intended that but when I read it that's how it come across to me. It came across as if it ticked you off that someone skinned a cat in a way that you said failed more times than it worked.
Regarding him "misquoting you". Though you didn't say that explicitly. By you saying the bolded text below by default you were saying exactly what he called you out on. I mean, read what you typed. If you dont' agree with going small, and limiting your menu in order to keep cost down then by default what are you agreeing to or saying is the right way to do it?
Do you realize that your tone is that of a mother scolding a child?