I need advice on managing and preparing meals for a burger and fries place I am preparing to open up. Any suggestions, tips, or advice regarding recipes will be appreciated. Thanks.
By aliza hosein from Trinidad
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
Go to -topsecretrecipes, a lot of info there, good luck.
I worked in restaurants for 15 years, mostly in a small family business, which was run very well, of the owner's own design, ie, not a franchise. My father also was a small businessman/inventor who had a small factory in his garage for many years, which he ran on a cash basis from the beginning and built from complete and utter scratch. NO loans.
If you would like to email me personally, and tell me how much cooking/restaurant experience you are beginning with, and what you have in mind, I can give you tips.
Let me be upfront, I am not into the modern business concepts where one borrows almost all the money, and is sold on "concepts" and "image". Business, and especially the restaurant business is very hard work.
24/7, if the place is yours.
Are you serious have you ever owned or managed a restaurant? You are in for quite a ride. Be prepared for long days doing everything from toilet management to customer service horrors.
Let me just say good luck. I would think the trick is to have something people want that isn't sold anywhere else. For example. There was a little semi fast food restaurant in Milford Connecticut that was famous for it's Pastrami Nightmare. People loved it, the place was always occupied. The setting was simple and clean and no one else could touch the menu. Success.
I had friends with a wonderful diner in Inwood WV. A 50's theme with a juke box. They had hand dipped icecream, made all their food fresh and had very reasonable prices. The didn't last a year. And with any business location, location, location. Hopefully you already knew that.
But again I would think what is going to make or break you is whether you have foods different from everyone one around you and at a reasonable price.
Another thing that was popular with a restaurant in Inwood. They had a brown bag special every weekday. They provided a menu at the start of the month with what the special was each day. I worked in the area and my friends hit that place often because they could call ahead for the special, walk in and pick it up and get back to the job site with time to eat it comfortably. Sometimes, ut not often, they would sit down in the restaurant and eat. The key was the food was made by the time they showed up. And those lunches had a lot for a low price, usually a can drink, a small sandwich and a big side of fries or chips or onion rings , etc. And a pickle, they always had a stupid pickle (sorry, I hate pickles).
Consider offering healthy foods. Such as a Turkey burger on a wheat bun. Since hubby and I are diabetic and are eating healthier, we cannot go to restaurants. :-(
Usually restaurants of that kind serve cole slaw. Usually it is disgusting. Think about it. How many times have you tasted terrible cole slaw? And sometimes it isn't even cold. I have worked in restaurants. I have cooked in them and the hot food needs to be hot and the cold food needs to be cold and the slaw needs to taste great. You can order it or make your own but if you make your own use it all the same day.
Use 100 percent hamburger. Of course you'll have to charge accordingly. If you use 100 percent hamburger from a local butcher house people will come back. If you grill them instead of fry them they'll be healthier. Always use fresh food. Nothing kills restaurant business like stale food.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
