start your own business

[GMScud]

The restaurant industry is really tough. My boss and his brother started a bar/grill right after college and it failed. Set them back a few years financially. Fortunately now we are both working for a fantastic restaurant group that is killing it right now, but it's established - nearly 12 years in the DC area.

I love the industry, but I don't know if I would want to open up my own restaurant/bar. Getting any small business started is a 7 day a week job for a long time till you're fully on your feet. Plus the failure rate is so high. I would do it if I was one of a handful of investors and I didn't have all of my eggs in the basket so to speak. Plus the concept would have to be unique and powerful. In a town so diluted with restaurants and bars like DC, you've got to stand out or you're done.

I actually almost started a car detailing business a few years back, but decided against it. For now. It's still something I may venture into a few years down the road. I have some great ideas for it I think.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by GMScud

The restaurant industry is really tough. My boss and his brother started a bar/grill right after college and it failed. Set them back a few years financially. Fortunately now we are both working for a fantastic restaurant group that is killing it right now, but it's established - nearly 12 years in the DC area.

I love the industry, but I don't know if I would want to open up my own restaurant/bar. Getting any small business started is a 7 day a week job for a long time till you're fully on your feet. Plus the failure rate is so high. I would do it if it was one of a handful of investors and I didn't have all of my eggs in the basket so to speak. Plus the concept would have to be unique and powerful. In a town so diluted with restuarants and bars like DC, you've got to stand out or you're done.

I actually almost started a car detailing business a few years back, but decided against it. For now. It's still something I may venture into a few years down the road. I have some great ideas for it I think.

I am glad you chimed in I remeber you work in the industry as well.

If I had to guess where you worked from reading your past post.

I would pick in this order:

Capital Grill
Morton's
Ruth Chris's
Daily Grill

I know if it is not one of them they are your competition.

One last guess, Great American Restaurant Group.

You don't have to say which one just a simple yae or nah.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by mredskins

I am glad you chimed in I remeber you work in the industry as well.

If I had to guess where you worked from reading your past post.

I would pick in this order:

Capital Grill
Morton's
Ruth Chris's
Daily Grill

I know if it is not one of them they are your competition.

One last guess, Great American Restaurant Group.

You don't have to say which one just a simple yae or nah.

No, it's none of those. All of our locations are in the Washingtonian top 100 though, which we're thrilled about. I'd rather not say where I work. I love my job and I'm proud of it, but I'd rather keep it to myself on this board.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by GMScud

No, it's none of those. All of our locations are in the Washingtonian top 100 though, which we're thrilled about. I'd rather not say where I work. I love my job and I'm proud of it, but I'd rather keep it to myself on this board.

I hear you no worries.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by GMScud

The restaurant industry is really tough. My boss and his brother started a bar/grill right after college and it failed. Set them back a few years financially. Fortunately now we are both working for a fantastic restaurant group that is killing it right now, but it's established - nearly 12 years in the DC area.

I love the industry, but I don't know if I would want to open up my own restaurant/bar. Getting any small business started is a 7 day a week job for a long time till you're fully on your feet. Plus the failure rate is so high. I would do it if I was one of a handful of investors and I didn't have all of my eggs in the basket so to speak. Plus the concept would have to be unique and powerful. In a town so diluted with restaurants and bars like DC, you've got to stand out or you're done.

I actually almost started a car detailing business a few years back, but decided against it. For now. It's still something I may venture into a few years down the road. I have some great ideas for it I think.

I almost think the key may be to try to be a big fish in a little pond, rather than opening a place in a saturated area. My parents ran a successful small town bar/restaurant and my Grandparents on both sides did as well.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

That's the best way to do it. The town I live in is small and basically it's a college town with both Washington and Lee and VMI. What I hate about living here is that the people coming into town (most retirees from the north) open up the most idiotic business ventures ever and they all fold within two years because their fortune they made in NYC dried up.

OK, basically my community is made up of college kids and retirees, and just recently opened are three new banks, a freaking SMOOTHIE stand and a dog bakery. How many of those do you think are going to work out? I'll let you guess, only the banks are still standing right now.

Basically, just give the students or retirees what they want... booze.

If someone were to come in here and open up an actual sport's bar that doesn't get taken over by the town white trash and have student specials, trivia, kind of like a Buffalo Wild Wings, they would easily make a profit within the first two years.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

That's the best way to do it. The town I live in is small and basically it's a college town with both Washington and Lee and VMI. What I hate about living here is that the people coming into town (most retirees from the north) open up the most idiotic business ventures ever and they all fold within two years because their fortune they made in NYC dried up.

OK, basically my community is made up of college kids and retirees, and just recently opened are three new banks, a freaking SMOOTHIE stand and a dog bakery. How many of those do you think are going to work out? I'll let you guess, only the banks are still standing right now.

Basically, just give the students or retirees what they want... booze.

If someone were to come in here and open up an actual sport's bar that doesn't get taken over by the town white trash and have student specials, trivia, kind of like a Buffalo Wild Wings, they would easily make a profit within the first two years.

smoothie stand near a college failed? that sucks, usually those are big in the college crowd

I know a guy who bought a few of those smoothie and food carts (think the ones that do icees, smoothies, coffee, bbq/hotdogs, etc) and put them in grocery store parking lots, etc and does pretty well with them.