So, a couple of back-end updates since I have a little time before hitting the sack and starting another grueling week.
Month to date we've had about 1,600 transactions. Average transaction is 1.8 people. So, not counting all the bulk orders and catering, we've served close to 3,000 people this month. Not too shabby considering Niles only has a population of about 11,000, so it's clear there are a lot of people making a trip out here to stop in.
One interesting thing is that I think word has gotten out about the brisket. It has become the best seller, which is totally what I wasn't expecting since up this far north it's all about pork and ribs and most people don't even know what brisket is. Brisket, in all forms, makes up 25% of total sales. Hell, I think last week I went through 600 pounds of brisket and that wasn't even enough come Sunday.
The other somewhat interesting thing is sales throughout the day. Obviously there's a lunch and dinner rush, but even between 2-4pm business is decent. Especially considering we're out in the middle of BFE and most people will have a relatively lengthy drive to come in.
All in all, at the three month mark things have exceeded my wildest dreams. I only envisioned this tiny little restaurant in the middle of nowhere to see a few dozen people a day and I would be happy to just be able to pay the bills by cooking BBQ. Little did I know I'd be creating a monster.
Instead, I'm feeding thousands every month, have regulars who come in almost daily and treat us like a home away from home, and I've already made some lifelong friends because of this venture. It's still surreal.
Those who have read the entire thread know how long and painful the startup process was, and there were many times I thought about throwing in the towel. But I'll tell you this; even with the incredibly long hours, hard work, and exhaustion, every morning when I wake up I can't farking wait to get to the restaurant. It doesn't matter if I'm trimming ribs at 7:30 in the morning or just doing paperwork, I can't wait to do it.
And that is priceless, even with all the stress and financial struggles.