Open a BBQ restaurant, they said. It will be fun, they said - Page 122

Neil · 05-15-2014, 03:11 PM

Are you going to be at the Brews, Blues, and BBQ festival in St. Joseph this Saturday?

marubozo · 05-15-2014, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

Are you going to be at the Brews, Blues, and BBQ festival in St. Joseph this Saturday?

I won't be there, but I'll be cooking at the niles craft brew festival in July.

mchar69 · 05-15-2014, 08:32 PM

Quote:

How long will the pickles last in a fridge?

Months. Except mine are eaten way before.

Neil · 05-16-2014, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marubozo

I won't be there, but I'll be cooking at the niles craft brew festival in July.

When in July and where in Niles?

jtrai491 · 05-16-2014, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

When in July and where in Niles?

here's the link

http://www.nilesmi.com/craft-beer-wi...t-july-25.html

ejmiller · 05-18-2014, 11:46 AM

I love the updates (especially now that it's going well) and my wife loves the pickles. I finally made them a few days ago.

marubozo · 05-19-2014, 11:40 AM

So, I've reached the point of being open for a full quarter, so I guess it's time to get a summary of what's happened, what I've learned, and what the future holds.

Most surprising to me is already being into six figures in sales. What we did in three months is just a little shy of what I had originally projected for annual sales.

And while you'd think that would mean making a lot of money, what they say about the restaurant industry is true. Margins are incredibly thin. It's still far better than the alternative of having little business and losing money every month in a futile effort to keep the doors open. But you really learn how to count every last penny when you see just how little the profit margin is.

Time. Again, what everyone warns you about is entirely true. The business becomes your life. 12-16 hours are the norm, not the exception. It gets better over time as you begin to delegate and trust things to go smoothly without you, but you never truly get away. If you're not at the store, you're probably at the bank, meeting with a vendor, paying bills, or balancing the books. It is quite a lifestyle adjustment.

Consistency is more important than anything else. If your food tastes different than it did another time a customer came in, they WILL tell you. My ribs weren't as tender this time. The pickles were too spicy. Last time I got a bigger piece of corn bread. The potato salad needed more salt this time. And on and on. Learning how to maintain a high level of consistency is a challenge, especially when you reach a point where you've got many people involved and the volume becomes high.

Being a people person. I'm not a people person at all, but you have no choice in this business. Grin and bear it or GTFO. People want to be your friend. They want to talk to you. Constantly. And people will say horrible things about you, your food, or your staff and you've just got to nod, smile, apologize, and move on. And people are often downright rude and will make you want to punch them in the face. But you just have to be polite and give the highest level of service you can. It's hard, and it's the least enjoyable aspect of the business for me.

On the other hand I'm not going to lie, but it's pretty cool to almost feel like a rock star around town. People recognize you in public, they go out of their way to come say high, they gush about you and your food, you get free stuff and discounts, etc. People want to invest in the restaurant. They want to buy a franchise, become a partner, or otherwise be involved. People want to take you out on the town and party, they want you to come to whatever event they are putting on, and so on. Not that anybody has time for all that, but it does feel good to have your ego stroked.

This business also puts you in a position to help others. One thing it's allowed me to do is donate a lot of money to some local charities and give back to the community. Through monetary contributions to sponsorships to giving food to the local food bank to feed the homeless, it's stuff that's harder to do on your own, but is a lot easier with the business behind you.

So what does the future hold? For starters, just doing what we've been doing and try to sell out every day. If we can continue doing that, then there's a lot of continued upside when the new smoker and holding capacity comes later this summer. That in turn will help me branch off the catering side of the business. I've got enough catering requests right now that catering alone could be just as big of a business, but it's just not feasible given current equipment.

Speaking of lack of capacity, since we have people daily asking for jars of pickles and bottles of sauce, I want to put that product out there. Problem is, we can't spare the time or have the equipment to do that. So, there's a commercial kitchen around here you can rent so we're in the process of setting up something to be able to produce large quantities of product to not only sell at the restaurant, but put in the area farmers markets and small grocery stores.

I've had to learn a lot in a very short amount of time, but it's been totally worth it. Whether this is ultimately a success or failure, it's been a hell of a ride and I've learned a lot about myself along the way. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

NeilH · 05-19-2014, 11:50 AM

Well CONGRATS on the first quarter of doing business!! Sounds like you still have your priorities straight. Good Luck!

Bperkins01 · 05-19-2014, 11:54 AM

Thank you for the fantastic update.. We all love this thread and appreciate you taking the time!

Icetech · 05-19-2014, 11:54 AM

Its awesome that you are doing so well.. i didnt read the whole thread (havn't been on here in about 2 years) But i will say i hope you kept the carpet, a friend of mine owns 2 places, 1 with carpet and one without.. the one without is VERY loud and annoying to eat at. Like a cafeteria.. The one with carpet is more warm and nice to visit. just my 2 cents although its too late now:)

And growing that business in michigan should be cake.. i'm up by utica michigan and people here LOVVEEE Bad Brads and its easily the worst bbq i have ever had. I would even consider it worse than cooks that i fell asleep on and destroyed. Anyway.. if they can get big you should have zero issue. Good luck:)

P.S. went back and read a bit.. great story :)

sliding_billy · 05-19-2014, 12:04 PM

And just think... summer hasn't even hit yet.

Crakaveli · 05-19-2014, 12:20 PM

where do you see the business in 5 years? a 2nd location or bigger restaurant?

Guando · 05-19-2014, 12:35 PM

marubozo,

Thank you for this thread. It is like reading a story that I hope never ends. Thank you also for the pickle recipe. Made my fist batch last week and I love them! So did my family. Keep up the great work.

Bama91 · 05-19-2014, 07:41 PM

This is such a great story! Thank you. I was wondering if you expect your margins to grow with volume? I have a friend that owns a joint that did 1.2 mil last year and he turned about 30 %.

Memphis Que · 05-19-2014, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama91

I have a friend that owns a joint that did 1.2 mil last year and he turned about 30 %.

Do you mean his net profit was 30%?

05-15-2014, 03:11 PM	#1816
Neil Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-04-04 Location: St. Joseph, MI	Are you going to be at the Brews, Blues, and BBQ festival in St. Joseph this Saturday? __________________ "You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime you just might find you get what you need" Mange Bene Viva Bene! Old Country Over/Under, Weber: 18.5" WSM, 22.5" WSM, Weber Performer(Col. Steve Austin Mod), Two 22.5" Kettles, & a Smokey Joe; Old Country 36" griddle, Luhr-Jensen Big Chief, Turkey Fryer, Rocky Mountain Camp Stove and a UDS.

05-19-2014, 11:40 AM	#1822
marubozo is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 06-25-11 Location: Mishawaka, IN Name/Nickname : Jeremy	So, I've reached the point of being open for a full quarter, so I guess it's time to get a summary of what's happened, what I've learned, and what the future holds. Most surprising to me is already being into six figures in sales. What we did in three months is just a little shy of what I had originally projected for annual sales. And while you'd think that would mean making a lot of money, what they say about the restaurant industry is true. Margins are incredibly thin. It's still far better than the alternative of having little business and losing money every month in a futile effort to keep the doors open. But you really learn how to count every last penny when you see just how little the profit margin is. Time. Again, what everyone warns you about is entirely true. The business becomes your life. 12-16 hours are the norm, not the exception. It gets better over time as you begin to delegate and trust things to go smoothly without you, but you never truly get away. If you're not at the store, you're probably at the bank, meeting with a vendor, paying bills, or balancing the books. It is quite a lifestyle adjustment. Consistency is more important than anything else. If your food tastes different than it did another time a customer came in, they WILL tell you. My ribs weren't as tender this time. The pickles were too spicy. Last time I got a bigger piece of corn bread. The potato salad needed more salt this time. And on and on. Learning how to maintain a high level of consistency is a challenge, especially when you reach a point where you've got many people involved and the volume becomes high. Being a people person. I'm not a people person at all, but you have no choice in this business. Grin and bear it or GTFO. People want to be your friend. They want to talk to you. Constantly. And people will say horrible things about you, your food, or your staff and you've just got to nod, smile, apologize, and move on. And people are often downright rude and will make you want to punch them in the face. But you just have to be polite and give the highest level of service you can. It's hard, and it's the least enjoyable aspect of the business for me. On the other hand I'm not going to lie, but it's pretty cool to almost feel like a rock star around town. People recognize you in public, they go out of their way to come say high, they gush about you and your food, you get free stuff and discounts, etc. People want to invest in the restaurant. They want to buy a franchise, become a partner, or otherwise be involved. People want to take you out on the town and party, they want you to come to whatever event they are putting on, and so on. Not that anybody has time for all that, but it does feel good to have your ego stroked. This business also puts you in a position to help others. One thing it's allowed me to do is donate a lot of money to some local charities and give back to the community. Through monetary contributions to sponsorships to giving food to the local food bank to feed the homeless, it's stuff that's harder to do on your own, but is a lot easier with the business behind you. So what does the future hold? For starters, just doing what we've been doing and try to sell out every day. If we can continue doing that, then there's a lot of continued upside when the new smoker and holding capacity comes later this summer. That in turn will help me branch off the catering side of the business. I've got enough catering requests right now that catering alone could be just as big of a business, but it's just not feasible given current equipment. Speaking of lack of capacity, since we have people daily asking for jars of pickles and bottles of sauce, I want to put that product out there. Problem is, we can't spare the time or have the equipment to do that. So, there's a commercial kitchen around here you can rent so we're in the process of setting up something to be able to produce large quantities of product to not only sell at the restaurant, but put in the area farmers markets and small grocery stores. I've had to learn a lot in a very short amount of time, but it's been totally worth it. Whether this is ultimately a success or failure, it's been a hell of a ride and I've learned a lot about myself along the way. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.
	3 members found this post helpful.

05-19-2014, 11:54 AM	#1824
Bperkins01 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-07-13 Location: Mass	Thank you for the fantastic update.. We all love this thread and appreciate you taking the time! __________________ Humphrey's Down East Beast / Weber Kettle Grill / Weber Genesis / CyberQ Wifi

05-19-2014, 12:04 PM	#1826
sliding_billy somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-27-13 Location: Princeton, TX Name/Nickname : )	And just think... summer hasn't even hit yet. __________________ Custom Offset/GMG Davy Crockett/Vision Kamado/Blackstone 36"/Weber 22" "redhead"/WSM 14.5" X2/Jumbo Joe/Pit Boss Copperhead/KCBS

05-19-2014, 12:35 PM	#1828
Guando Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-09-13 Location: Branford, CT	marubozo, Thank you for this thread. It is like reading a story that I hope never ends. Thank you also for the pickle recipe. Made my fist batch last week and I love them! So did my family. Keep up the great work. __________________ Yoder Smokers YS1500, Weber Genesis Gasser

05-18-2014, 11:46 AM	#1821
ejmiller Got Wood. Join Date: 07-27-09 Location: Asheville, NC	I love the updates (especially now that it's going well) and my wife loves the pickles. I finally made them a few days ago.

05-19-2014, 11:50 AM	#1823
NeilH is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 01-13-13 Location: Eastern NC	Well CONGRATS on the first quarter of doing business!! Sounds like you still have your priorities straight. Good Luck!

05-19-2014, 11:54 AM	#1825
Icetech On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-17-10 Location: Detroit, mi	Its awesome that you are doing so well.. i didnt read the whole thread (havn't been on here in about 2 years) But i will say i hope you kept the carpet, a friend of mine owns 2 places, 1 with carpet and one without.. the one without is VERY loud and annoying to eat at. Like a cafeteria.. The one with carpet is more warm and nice to visit. just my 2 cents although its too late now:) And growing that business in michigan should be cake.. i'm up by utica michigan and people here LOVVEEE Bad Brads and its easily the worst bbq i have ever had. I would even consider it worse than cooks that i fell asleep on and destroyed. Anyway.. if they can get big you should have zero issue. Good luck:) P.S. went back and read a bit.. great story :)

05-19-2014, 12:20 PM	#1827
Crakaveli Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-21-10 Location: Hendersonville, TN	where do you see the business in 5 years? a 2nd location or bigger restaurant?

05-19-2014, 07:41 PM	#1829
Bama91 Wandering around with a bag of matchlight, looking for a match. Join Date: 04-29-14 Location: Jacksonville, Florida	This is such a great story! Thank you. I was wondering if you expect your margins to grow with volume? I have a friend that owns a joint that did 1.2 mil last year and he turned about 30 %.