Does anyone here have own their own restaurant?

The reason why I ask is because I want to open my own restaurant but it's terrifying to do so and it also seems a bit overwhelming.

This is something that I really want to do though.

So if anyone here is willing to be kind enough to be my guide book on opening a restaurant such as startup cost, menu's, renovations etc., i'll be eternally grateful and my restaurant door will always be open to you.

Also input from everyone else would be greatly appreciated.

What kind of restaurant are you thinking of? What general location?

It would be a soul food restaurant. I actually want to have open it with in the neighborhood of flatbush.

I know that that isn't PH but I plan to offer great food at a reasonable price. Hopefully that would enough to have some people from your neighborhood travel to my restaurant in to support it.

You haven't had Honey BBQ chicken until you've had my sisters as well as her other dishes.

Keep the questions coming.

The New School offers some crash courses in the restaurant biz. Might be worth checking out.

You could be an awesome cook, but if you don't have the business aspect of it down, the place is destined to fail.

Carnivore wrote: You could be an awesome cook, but if you don't have the business aspect of it down, the place is destined to fail.

Beat me to it, but in the world of business a good product doesn't automatically mean you'll survive.

My philosophy is that if you have good cooking skills already, just think about the logistics of doing it on a larger scale. And concentrate on the business side of things and even get someone else to focus on that for you.

And I'm no expert, but lots of the neighborhood local development groups might be able to point you in the right direction. I would even consider talking to people at a place like the Park Slope Food Co-Op and see if there's anyone who could talk to you about what's up. The co-op often has small classes and talks put on by members for anyone who wants to attend that focus on small business and related skills. Non-members are welcome and the main way you can find out about it is to swing by the co-op and picking up a copy of the "Linewaiter's Gazzette" and checking the schedule.

Thank you all for your help.

Carnivore wrote: You could be an awesome cook, but if you don't have the business aspect of it down, the place is destined to fail.

On that note as well ... This book gives really great insight on what it really means to start a small business:

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to do About it, by Michael Gerber

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0887307280/104-6632821-6766357?v=glance