Read this blog for a preface about Pinkberry.
If you have seen me recently, I am getting fat. Swimming at YMCA yesterday, I can see my beer belly protruding. Looking like I swallowed a football, I recently contemplated about get an ab belt. Watching late night television, I have seen a few ab belts. “Put it on, set it, and forget it.” Later, I find out that many of these infomercials products are bogus. Similarly, Pinkberry, aka “Crackberry” settled in a lawsuit against bogus claims that their “all natural” products were misleading. (Pinkberry Lawsuit Article-click here). The Pinkberry craze has also frustrated neighbors with increasing traffic. (New York Time article on traffic). Actually, Pinkberry uses this to their advertising advantage. When I was in Los Angeles three weeks ago, I saw that Pinkberry will be opening one on 3rd St. Promenade. A sign flaunts that Pinkberry has been the cause of the parking crises. The reason for this post is for aspiring restaurant owners to understand that opening an eatery is a business. Think Britney Spears. She is not a musician, but instead a business women who performs music.
As a former restaurant marketing manager, I remember the countless hours working with lawyers. Yes, they do charge a lot of bling bling. So be prepared, and have an overall view of the business. Starting a restaurant requires you to have an overview.
Food: know your audience/demographics/age group/time of busy traffic/consistency
Law: register your name/know your workers compensation laws/union laws/American Disability Act (meaning make sure your restaurant is accessible, you may pay a big fat fine)
Restrictions: you may want to open an ice cream store in Italian district of North Beach. Know your zoning restrictions. You may not be alowed to build two stories. Consult a restaurant architect and engineer.
Marketing: you serve great food but who knows about your store. if you’re bootstrapping, create relationships with food bloggers for exposure, create web applications on Facebook, hire a publicist,
Tech: plays a important role in efficiency. help you keep track on the bank roll, create time sheets and payroll
Accounting: “if you don’t manage your business, your business will manage you” AP (account payable, $$ owe suppliers) AR (account receivable, $$ you need to receive from vendors). hire an account who stays organized
Food inventory: are you going to shop for your own goods? or open an account with big distributions like Sysco who delivers the food?
Inhale.Exhale. Don’t be overwhelmed. My point is that it takes more than serving good food. Comparing opening a restaurant to finding your lifetime mate. Aside from looks, you need to examine character, life long vision, cultural background, kids, in laws, the entire enchilada. The goal is to take care of your operations so that you can focus on core points: serving great food and building relationships with customers. The good new, the food industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in American. So if you run your operations like a rock star, you will have a fat piggy bank. If you don’t, be prepared to pull out your hair.
If you have question or need advise, feel free to send your comments my way.
