Open a restaurant or no? THAT is the question

:clap2: Great advice Ford.

Ford said:

Wow. Miss a couple of days reading and miss lots. OK so I do cook and vend BBQ for a living now. At least I hope I'll break even this year maybe. And that doesn't mean paying the bills at home. But I am turning the corner. It's hard work, there are huge ups and downs but it beats the corporate grind for me.

But if you want to open a restaurant and have never run a small business before and never cooked in a restaurant and never dealt with employees and issues with attendance, etc. then maybe you need to do a lot more research than here.

Step 1 - talk with an accountant you trust. Most everybody has a friend that is in the accounting business. Let them quote you the facts on what it costs, how you lose or break even the first year or 2, how so many go under.

Yes it can be a great life and yes you can make money but believe me you will be in the minority. Just think about all the restaurant buildings in your area that have changed hands or sat vacant for months. I know some that change hands every couple of years and a newby says I can make a go when others can't.

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jbrink01 said:

We've resisted the urge. We've run the numbers a bunch. Our catering business thrives, while I keep my real job with all the benefits. Biggest reason we don't? Im not willing to work 80 hours a week at it, risk several hundred thousand dollars, or try and make a $12000 a MONTH nut before direct food costs.

We just bought our 3rd pit / trailer and 2nd tow / catering vehicle. We paid cash for it, and choose to grow slowly and commensutrately with our efforts.

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This is the way I have chosen to do things as well. Cash = less risk. I would suggest looking into catering. If you can do that for a year or so and still feel like you should open up a sit down shop have at. This takes a few less hours and you get way more days off, and allows for a LOT more mistakes.

very interesting read.
something i was considering was roadside. strictly legal of course. there is ALOT of trucking business in a very condensed area where i live. i was thinking there would be a good steady customer base there, plus a strong word of mouth exposure opportunity. pork ribs only. maybe a brisket or pork sandwich special now and then.

i then did some quick math.
WSM 22.5 can safely cook well @ 8 racks of st. louis ribs per 4 hours.
say 8 bucks per rack(estimate from RD case prices, i forget exactly)
say 10 bucks in charcoal(again RD RO lump)per cook.
say 10 bucks in sauce and rub ingredients per 8 racks(this might be high, but still) my recipes use some HQ spices, etc.
say 5 bucks serving supplies.
thats $90 per cook for 8 racks. over $11 dollars a rack cost.
sell for $16 per rack. might be low, but this is would be a guy on the side of the road.
that's $32 net.
obviously the number could increase somewhat with a larger cooker but still, the numbers are clear.
you gotta sell ALOT of food.
i'd say 80 racks a day minimum to be successful.

but, i am still contemplating...clearly need hard, not soft, numbers.

i love to cook barbeque.

TIME-The one thing you can't buy with all the money you make in a successful BBQ outing.

I cater part time and had a very successful roadside gig. However, long hours, no vacation and dragging my hobby into a drudgery are the reasons I uit doing roadside for now. I know I can do it again, but time with my family was a price I pad the first time.

If you are lucky enough to be able to get help, or have an open schedule, I say go for it. You will never know unless you try, just don't lose sight of things that really matter.

Good Luck.