Thanks for all the advice fellas. This is the kind of feeback i was looking for. I like the point that stogieshogies made...all the people with jobs say no way, small business owners say heel yes.
As for me, i'm unemployed. got terminated by the man for rather wishy washy reasons. but that's another story.
So for me, what have i got to lose?!?!
I'm looking to open a small bistro/deli/catering business with the positive plan of turning it into a full blown restaurant when the time is right. I live in a rural ohio county of about 35000 people. The only restaurants to speak of are about 15 pizza joints, a chinese buffet, every fast food option available to mankind, a hand full of greezy spoons that fry just about everything and a very low end franchise steakhouse (Dakota's steakhouse) and it's not very good. There's one mom and pop diner that makes down home meat and potatoe dishes, but it's a far cry from gourmet or upscale. It's literally mashed potatoes and meat loaf. I've got a base of several hundred people that know how i cook and what i can cook that would be happy as can be to have an a decent alternative. as it is, to get a good fresh made meal, not from a franchise restaurant, you have to drive about an hour.
My food is somewhat gourmet, but i'm certainly not looking to open a gourmet restaurant. i just want to provide and alternative, and a very good one at that, to the people with discerning tastes.
The immediate plan is to open a lunch time bistro with some deli offerings (potatoe salad, cole slaw, mac n cheese, baked beans, etc) as side dishes. i do great panini type sandwiches (turkey, fresh roasted red pepper and goat cheese on fresh crusted bread for example). Grilled pesto, shrimp and chorizo flatbread for example. vodka sauce margherita flatbread for example. just a couple of examples, but hopefully you get the idea. i also plan to offer lunch time staples like pulled pork, brisket, hamburgers, various salads.
I also plan to do catering. i've done several small (less than 20 people) dinner parties with much success.
I also plan to do take home dinners for the working families that don't have time to cook but want a fresh cooked meal. I give them several options to choose from and they place an order, give an approximate time of pickup and then i have their food ready and waiting for them to take home, dish out, and eat. and if that takes off, once i have a customer base for that end of things, i could really do custom orders for anybody...they tell me what they want that week and i make it.
I'm gonna be talking to a loca buy who runs the downtown small business association this week. they actually can provide financing for people wanting to start a business in our downtown area...part of a revitalization. THis guy will walk me through the entire process of starting a business; building a business p;lan, looking for other financing, etc.
THe wife and i are kinda excited aobut the possibilities. people have been telling me for years i should open a restarant, and i'm kinda hoping that the timing will be right for me. THis kinda fits right into the whole economic state we're in...the fed wants banks to make loans and if i play my cards right and get all my ducks in a row, they should be eager to give a loan.
we'll see. we've been praying about it.
