I would love to open a BBQ restaurant but..

Dr_KY

Dr_KY

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..I have no game plan and funding is as limited as it gets.

Over here as far as i can see the best place would be in town center (that would be like an outdoor strip mall for most of you) because that is where all the business is. On any given Friday and Saturday night the place is chock blocked with people spending big cash the the ten plus bars and night clubs and there are several kebab and burger vans that make a killing.

On the main strip there is a Burger King that closed down for whatever reason and would make the perfect home for a Smokehouse/restaurant with very little work what so ever. There is easy access to and all of the traffic is on foot and busy seven days a week. As most of you know BBQ is not something that happens here and I see a corner in the market that needs to be filled.


I need a plan financial, equipment and otherwise wise. I'm wondering if I can get a loan Jobie for being a foreigner?


Where do I start is the question and all advice is welcome.
 
Instead of a restaurant it sounds like a small vending set up would work good and be much less money. Not sure if a small outdoor stand is allowable were you are though.
 
i think what you said in yer smoke ring thread is a good start... taking yer fare down to the local pub, assuming the pub management is ok with that. once you get the locals hooked on q, you have them! if the kebob stands are making a killing, why not a bbq van as well?

unless of course you are looking to jump in head first and go huge right off the bat.
 
Yes they are allowed as all the kebab vans are mobile.

turkish_kebabshop_ali.jpg


Normally in a 14ft catering trailer
 
What's the availability of good smoking wood? Would you benefit better by using a pellet cooker?

Menu ideas? Ribs and chicken would be less time consuming, maybe a pork loin sammich....
 
Thanks Rick and yes I ws thinking all in head first and realising that is a very bad idea .....but man the location is perfect.
 
As far as I know and without any research as of yet smoking wood is not easy to come by in bulk. I'll have a flip through the book and do some on line searching. I do think that apple wood should be plentiful as trees grow wild around here.

I would have thought a pellet cooker (have to be imported) would be a great idea. Starting with say three UDS would be the cheapest and easiest way to cook in bulk at home then transport the finished goods. I wouldn't want to have a pit sat outdoors from 8 PM to 4 AM with teenagers or adults full of beer wondering about nor do I think the city would allow it.


BTW my wife just came upstairs , saw what I was asking and slapped me in the back of the head while saying ,'I told you and it's about time so listen to you friends.'' What can I say I'm inspired by fear.
 
Your wife sounds fantastic and supportive. When my wife heard that I had accepted a catering gig for a friends Daughters wedding, she slapped me in the back of the head and said "What the hell we're you thinking"... I ended up passing on the opportunity due to.... let's just say....pressure from a higher authority.....
 
i agree with Rick, hook up with the owner of the local pub and share your food passion with him then if he agrees have a bbq special for like the weekend and see what happens

best of luck brother
 
Thanks Todd
She also said with a smile that she wouldn't work with me as a joke so I replied all she had to do was sit home keep up with the books and wait till the Stroker gave her further instructions.


I want this guys and it's about time I got off my backside. I may not be the best cook in the world but I am the greatest in this and surrounding areas when it comes to BBQ.

Browser, Carbon what do the two of you think about the idea. You both see the target patrons and know what I'm up against regarding the market area and town center customers.
 
fnnm358 said:
i agree with Rick, hook up with the owner of the local pub and share your food passion with him then if he agrees have a BBQ special for like the weekend and see what happens

best of luck brother
Click to expand...
Yup I'm there already. I have been cooking during the summer at the local pub for a few years now . They even decided it was a good idea to build a BBQ for 'people ' to use. Would have been great to of had a hand in the design but it was a great sentiment and I make due and turn out some great food on it. I have free run of the kitchen there also so I use it when preparing for family party's etc.

As of yet the only time I have ever charged for food was in the form of donations to go to charity. Pub goers are very tight and accustomed to visiting the local curry house ( we have three on this street) , chip shop where they also do Chinese food, and the kebab van up the street.

The pub at one time use to do a lunch menu but it wasn't profitable.
 
on the other hand... there have been a whole lotta folks that have sold everything and started with nothing but a fire and a hunk o meat, so if you really, really want it... GO FOR IT!

how's that for wishywashy :roll:

i'm planning on something similar once i retire and using my friend's established bar/restaurant as a launching pad :idea:
 
The trailer in my avatar was $30,000 - complete. Health compliant, fridge, etc. Much less than a restaurant. We hooked up with a local petrol ststion and vend off of his lot. His family gets free food, we get a nice big lot and a 8,000 / day car count within 3 kilomters of 3000 factory workers.
 
I like the "vend" start up option myself. I can't tell you how many great mexican restaurants there are in California that I go to regularly, many of them started up with the owners selling burritos and tacos from carts and mobile kitchens at the side of the road.

The percentage of restaurants that fail in the first year or so is so high. Get them hooked on the food and then go big.
 
Brilliant I suspect I would only need or be able to use 2/3's of the space.


...for now.

Fox- You guys are right I need to start smaller. Rib Girl (my wife)just brought to my attenion that a friend of mine Jay who hails from Frisco has a burrito stand here in town that i frequent several times a month and that I should try and make an offer on going in with him for a start.
 
We actually started with a trailer mounted cooker that was much smaller. Took us the first year to save the profits and buy the $30,000 trailer. We are now expanding our catering business and doing a commercial kitchen as part of a major home remodel. We have approached it in stages so as not to adversely impact family cash flow.
 
Dr_KY said:
I have to get this done. I'm sick of wondering about it and thiking ..some day.

The wife and I are heading over to the pub in a few to have a little chat with the landlord. Keep fireing the ideas this direction guys.

I also found this link..
http://www.teneric.co.uk/restaurant-business-plan.html
Click to expand...
It's only £29.95 so if it stinks, it's not the end of the world . . .

BUT - I will agree that, if you are serious about this (and it sounds as if you are), you will need financial backing from someone to make it all fly. Sure, you can start with a fire and a hunk of meat - that's true - but if you'd like to generate enough revenues to live on, you need to start up a few notches from there.

Getting a business plan together was the best thing I did back in the mid-1990's for the business I was running. All of the points that the advertisement above covers are true and truly are needed when heading off to the bank (or whoever).

This is going to take commitment and time - LOTS of TIME - maybe ALL of your TIME at first - to make it all work. Concentration, focus and studying how to be best at your game . . . plus learning how to advertise to the people on the square . . . all this takes time and huge amounts of effort.

But I'm here to tell you as the voice of experience - it CAN be done!

Good luck and HAVE FUN!
 
Rick's Tropical Delight said:
on the other hand... there have been a whole lotta folks that have sold everything and started with nothing but a fire and a hunk o meat, so if you really, really want it... GO FOR IT!

how's that for wishywashy :roll:
Click to expand...

I don't want to pee on your fire, but 90% of those folks were out of business within a year. Good restaurants just don't happen, they takes lots of planning and double the money you think they would.
 
My "little" catering ventures netted me about $15k last year. That's not nearly enough to call 40 hrs a week over. When I can pull 150% of my salary for a couple of years, I'll consider it then. Weigh this out carefully, friend.
 
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