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Restaurant business
#306849 05/17/10 08:52 AM
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mpyw Offline OP
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My wife & I are pondering if we should start a business offering healthy cuisine restaurant or not.

She's studying for a nutritious diploma now and she loves cooking (and delicious too :p).

Would the business be viable as more & more people are getting towards healthy food now?

Start up cost should not be that much over here (around $20000) and we can ask for government aide for small start up assistants grant (subsidies of 2 years rental)

I think maybe I could sell some hi-fi along the restaurant biz, while people eat, playing some nice music for them....haha

Re: Restaurant business
mpyw #306858 05/17/10 01:46 PM
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There is a definite risk moreso than other types of businesses with the restaurant world. Profit margins on the food aspect are not all that good. Do you plan to serve alcohol at your restaurant? This is were restaurants make their money but it is the food and service which brings them back, food being the most important.

My advice is invest in your kitchen (equipment) and your kitchen staff. Hire competent workers especially in your head/sous chef and line cooks, even if you have to pay them a little more. Hire someone that has a connection with multiple food suppliers that can get good prices. Suppliers are flexible with pricing. Maybe a Sous Chef?

Having a worker(s) dedicated on inventory control is very important. Organized clean fridges and freezers will help drastically with inventory counts, minimzing spoilage and not running out of products. Sounds easy?

Since with the "healthy aspect" you will be purchasing lots of vegetables, fish and othe fresh food perishables so you will have to use a "just-in-time" inventory strategy for plenty of products (having reliable suppliers are key). Food costs can spiral out of control very easily and kill your margins. Have targets set for food costs relative to profits. Offer incentives to employees for meeting targets set.

You seem like you would be an excellent choice as the kitchen manager and head of house dealing with the customers and wait staff while your wife does the magic in the kitchen.






I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Re: Restaurant business
BlueJays1 #306868 05/17/10 03:16 PM
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Mmmmm. Ratatouille.

Re: Restaurant business
BlueJays1 #306977 05/18/10 12:17 AM
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mpyw Offline OP
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Thanks for the tips & advise Dr. House.
My wife always like to cook and I always like to eat .. LOL
Chinese style cooking would not be needing a Sous Chef for a small restaurant, maybe 2-3 kitchen helper (we call it "2nd Chef" & "Trainee") and 2 front desk service guys/gals
The only problem is my lady do not have experience in large amount of cooking, it might get messy at the beginning and it's the most important thing during the beginning as we try to built up some customers' feed back and recommendation from them...

Re: Restaurant business
mpyw #306988 05/18/10 01:35 AM
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 Originally Posted By: mpyw
Thanks for the tips & advise Dr. House.
My wife always like to cook and I always like to eat .. LOL
Chinese style cooking would not be needing a Sous Chef for a small restaurant, maybe 2-3 kitchen helper (we call it "2nd Chef" & "Trainee") and 2 front desk service guys/gals
The only problem is my lady do not have experience in large amount of cooking, it might get messy at the beginning and it's the most important thing during the beginning as we try to built up some customers' feed back and recommendation from them...


Large scale cooking is very difficult due to the time contraints involved. Restaurants wouldn't survive if they were ran like airlines ;\) .

Staffing will be very important for a small restaurant. Surround yourself with a well experienced second chef as your first priority. You two will need a day off sometime. ;\) He/she will be able to add value.


I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Re: Restaurant business
BlueJays1 #307078 05/18/10 05:05 PM
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Does your wife ever make Dim Sum mpyw? That is one of my favorite Chinese specialties... yum yum!


I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Re: Restaurant business
BlueJays1 #308067 05/25/10 06:31 PM
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axiomite
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Do you go all the way and add chicken feet?


With great power comes Awesome irresponsibility.
Re: Restaurant business
Murph #308148 05/26/10 08:56 AM
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mpyw Offline OP
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the chicken feet in dim sum is yummy
unfortunately my wife does not make dim sum, but we do always eat dim sum though.
Did you guys ever take pig liver, chicken lung, duck's tongue etc.? It's super yummy


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