Advice for Opening a Bistro

[Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 22:00
Last edited 23/02/2018 - 20:34 by 1 other user

What should I be aware of, watch out for or account for that I may have easily overlooked before opening a bistro? I have a business plan, liability insurance and all tickets required by legislation. I’m looking for the hidden costs or clauses I may have missed or not accounted for. We open in one week.

Update: We opened today, reached the expected number of customers and were complimented on our food, prices and speed of service. I can now tell you we are The Grosvenor Bistro at The Grosvenor Hotel. Thank you for all of your advice and well wishes.

Financial

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 22:25
    +1

    Congratulations. Where are you Opening and what type of food are you selling?

    • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 22:34
      +4

      We are leasing a pub bistro and serving standard pub fare to start with, steak, Parma, fish n chips etc. it is very exciting for us.

      • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 23:03
        +3

        Sounds good, I hope it goes very well for you!!

  • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 22:27
    +1

    My cousin worked as the head chef/manager at a bistro when we lived together and she talked a lot about how expensive food stock was to buy and if it wasn’t for alcohol sales they would struggle but that was a strange type of restaurant in Alice springs

    • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 22:40
      +1

      We don’t run the beverage, and are beholden to a budget menu, so stock price seems enormous, not to mention kitchenware, the last tenants took everything that used to be part of the kitchen, no cutlery even. We are hoping to gain favour and profit from a tight menu and turnover not markup.

    • railspider on 22/02/2018 - 21:18
      +2

      Hmm jeffgee, are you sure the bistro didn't suffer because a big fellow with an appetite kept showing up and eating all the prawns?

      • [Deactivated] on 22/02/2018 - 22:42

        You little creep lol

  • wordplay on 16/02/2018 - 22:33
    +2

    be aware of cocky chefs who blag their way to the top, rodents and cockroaches (both in terms of vermin and business associates) are always a problem.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 22:36

      I agree completely, my chef is my son, and he has worked under this type, and suffered. We are lucky enough to be very good friends and a cook and a chef, he heeds my word, and I honour his training.

  • spackbace on 17/02/2018 - 01:14
    +3

    Family business, there's problem #1

    See it time and time again, 1 kid fks up and parents brush it off. Or kid has an ego because management are his family. Or any worker that isn't part of the family gets trodden on in favour of family members.

    Just watch 99% of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - majority families that can't communicate, and don't have defined roles (and I've worked in family run cafes too)

    Tread carefully

    • airzone on 17/02/2018 - 10:53
      +1

      My inlaws extended family run a business. They all hate each other.

    • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 10:53
      +1

      Family run is the only way we can do this to begin with, I am hoping it doesn’t cause trouble with our dynamic, we have a lot of respect for each other.

  • myusername on 17/02/2018 - 09:44

    do you have any experience in the hospitality industry?

    if so what experience do you have?

    • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 10:57
      +3

      I am a qualified cook who has run small carnival kitchens, event food stalls and charity kitchens alone, and my son is a chef with 5 years experience in fine dining in Sydney. This is a big risk and we are very aware, I am trying to address every contingency within the business plan, hence throwing it in the OzB forum for some hard truths.

  • monkeybusiness on 17/02/2018 - 10:31
    +1

    Where is the bistro?

    Does it have sufficient foot traffic?

    • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 10:59

      It is in a pub who’s kitchen has been poorly managed by previous tenants, the last with a menu too pricey for the demographic, the previous to that with too many quality shortcuts taken. The foot traffic is there, lots of it, but the reputation needs reviving.

  • Steptoe on 17/02/2018 - 16:51
    +2

    Make sure you’ve budgeted to change the fryer oil regularly. Chips can make or break.

    Good Luck 🥩 🍟

    • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 17:35

      I have, but oil disposal is not dealt with yet. I am looking for a recycler. (People who collect the oil to make other products, ie: bio-diesel)

  • ctd on 17/02/2018 - 17:41
    +4

    Account for being ozbargain'd on any particularly generous special offers. ;)

    • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 18:27

      For sure. I am trying to develop and everyday special for Ozbargain and FBAS to save the trouble of being dogpiled on an a single offer.

  • Quantumcat on 17/02/2018 - 19:31
    +1

    Name it "Tom's Bistro"

  • eggboi on 18/02/2018 - 00:28

    Finish the game ‘Overcooked’ in co-op mode and if you still love each other, it’ll be okay.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/02/2018 - 07:32
      +1

      Sadly I feel our gaming life is over for the next 6-12 months. We both suspended all our gaming subscriptions and cleared all time wasting apps from our devices. We got to choose one game each to keep on PC. I choose Railway Empire, he chose Godeater 2. It’s a good idea though ^.^

      We gave ourselves a choice of Spotify, Netflix or YoutubeRed to keep and chose YouTubeRed, it has music and entertainment. The belt is tightening, I hope it doesn’t hurt too much. The consolation is, if we go broke, we can still eat.

      • eggboi on 18/02/2018 - 09:35

        All jokes aside, having that plan in place for what to do if you go broke will help reduce the stress of turning a profit asap. Good on you for chasing a difficult goal you really want to achive. I took a leap and became a freelance photographer instead of working a 9-5 that i would hate. The only issue for me is I have no employment history (apart from working at coles) and have not worked as an employee in 10 years. Might be a little hard to get a job later if i ever need/want one haha.

        • [Deactivated] on 18/02/2018 - 10:00
          +1

          Maybe you don't have an illustrious work history because you weren't doing what you love. I hope your photography business takes off or you at least enjoy every minute of it. The work involved in the Bistro does not intimidate me or my son, we both love what we do. I have been cooking for large groups of people since I was 8, as I am the eldest daughter in a family of 7 (i wasn't a slave, i just cooked better than my mum, the family preferred my meals). It's what I do, getting paid for it is usually a bonus and the only downfall is unjustifiably irate customers.

        • eggboi on 18/02/2018 - 11:12

          @stormii: thanks! I wish you guys every success. In case nobody has mentioned it yet - set aside a budget for marketing, and figure out a modest but effective way to market yourselves. This includes having a decent logo/branding, good looking menu (maybe photos), potentially facebook ads, local flyers. That kind of thing. Feel free to add a photo and bio of yourselves to the flyers / back of the menu, and tell your story. People will happily get behind a local family-run restaurant when they realise the owners have similare hopes, dreams and fears to themselves.

        • [Deactivated] on 18/02/2018 - 12:02

          @bohdud: I have been making the materials myself. This poster I call: Do I make you hungry baby? https://imgur.com/a/a8cuE

  • Oz8argain on 19/02/2018 - 09:59

    watch a lot of gordon ramsay kitchen nightmares before you start

    • [Deactivated] on 20/02/2018 - 05:48

      No time for tv, we open Friday :D

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