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yup that's the old saying :
know how to make a small fortune in (insert business) ?
Start with a large one.
Profit?
Better Call Saul
- Thread starter Shonuff
- Start date
know how to make a small fortune in (insert business) ?
Start with a large one.
Profit?
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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There's a million stories like this. Restaurants are one of those businesses that people think they can run with no experience or just because they're good at cooking for dinner parties with their friends. Restaurants are complex, low margin businesses where you have to be good at about 10 different things just to stay alive so these tourists usually fail badly.
There's a whole chapter about this in "Kitchen Confidential". BTW, farming and ranching have the same kind of appeal to amateurs and a similar number of them fail.
There's a whole chapter about this in "Kitchen Confidential". BTW, farming and ranching have the same kind of appeal to amateurs and a similar number of them fail.
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Jimbolini
Semi-pro Monopoly player
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I am a successful restaurant owner and will confirm this. I guarantee I make less than anyone here, and I would not recommend starting one unless you are ready to struggle.
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I've also seen similar things with trades people. I had an electrical contractors license in the south but only because of NC's 100 counties and all of them wanting their own 'city card' and not recognizing others (Ashville being the absolute worst) so fuck them , I had a state license they had to accept. I wasn't in business for myself and when I had enough time in trade I was a qualifier on the company unlimited license. But peeps think 'I can do electrical work' and have no idea of cost/profit/what do you do when the wire quote is only good until 5PM and they wait 3 days to tell you to start etc.
I told my wife multiple times I didn't go into business for myself because I work too damn hard as is.
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BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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I like to cook and I love food and I have to confess I've had many daydreams about having my own restaurant but I know it's way harder than you would imagine. I have seen so many places with good food fail quickly so I just stick to visiting other people's restaurants.
Jimbolini
Semi-pro Monopoly player
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I don't want to derail, but I will say at 54 years old there is a freedom to what my wife and I have built. We spent years climbing the corporate world only to be fucked off during Covid.
Our little 50 seat restaurant opened five years ago last month, and grosses just over 1 million per year. We said goodbye to family, friends, Holidays, etc. (Even my response here is on my laptop in the restaurant)
We didn't seek this life out, but I wish I would have done it sooner. But again, say goodbye to money...lol....
Basically, if your going to do it...do it...and no half measures.
TED talk is over, sorry... lol
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BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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I get it. I'm a 49 year old cattle rancher on a multi-generational place and it's a lot of work and not a lot of free time and not a lot of money but having something to do every day that you're passionate about can be better than money and free time. My restaurant daydreams are just about what I would do in the case the ranch thing blew up somehow. It isn't likely at all, but it's still kind of fun to think about what I would do if I found myself starting over. I did one life reset already when I left my engineering job in California and moved back to the ranch at 31.