Is running a small cafe or restaurant as "scary" as Kitchen Nightmares?

[icemanliddell]

Is it really as scary as what we see in kitchen nightmares?

 

[Nights1515]

It's all show, Ramsay has extremely high standards that I would imagine most small business owners could afford. The show it just for entertainment value don't look too into it.

 

[odog]

I saw that show for the first time the other day. I think that every single place he "helped" in season 2 is now closed.

 

[hohner]

It is a hell of a lot of work, so if you are afraid of working long hard hours it is probably pretty scary.

 

[Randy Marsh]

It is a hell of a lot of work, so if you are afraid of working long hard hours it is probably pretty scary.

This.

I know a few people who own restaurants and they work extremely long hours and their restaurant is essentially their life. Also, you will need a good amount in savings to float you through the first year as you shouldn't really expect to get a return on investment for quite some time. At least that's usually the case.

If you're looking for a business, where as a owner, you don't have to put in a lot of work, then the restaurant biz is definitely not for you.

Also, you should be passionate about food, not just thinking it's a good way to make a profit.

 

[herbertderbert]

My parents owned a restaurant for 25 years and almost never took a day off. 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week, and they only closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The majority of my summers and weekends from middle school through high school were spent helping out there. They/we, but mostly they, busted their asses in that place day in and day out, but in they end were able to retire at the ripe old age of 47.

 

[DoctorTaco]

Yes. Read Anthony bourdain's first book, "kitchen confidential" he covers this very subject with the perspective and experience of a 30 year restaurant worker and chef.

 

[ShackleMeNot]

it can be. i've worked in some places that were as bad as some depicted on the show, and I managed one that the owner drove into the ground. I'd assume most places aren't really that bad, but some definitely are.

 

[icemanliddell]

Does anybody remember Amy's Baking Company? I've seen their reviews at Yelp lately and they seem to be redeeming themselves. They've changed their menu and they look good. I think they're not as worse as the TV show portrayed them to be.

What do you think?

 

[BEER]

If you want to own a restaurant without dealing with that kind of shit, go the franchise route, honestly. You'll likely still have to work long hours for a few years before you can back off, but an established name and product base gives you a built-in customer base. If you're passionate about your chef skills [or other related skills], I'd say it's worth it if you can keep your nose to the proverbial grindstone.

 

[Kamishiro Yuu]

It depends. Asian (well, at least Japanese) restaurants can have very limited day-to-day interaction with the owners, but they still have the final say on most things. It all kind of depends on the staff you hire and how you as a boss would run it, bro.

 

[AgonyandIrony]

Yes. Read Anthony bourdain's first book, "kitchen confidential" he covers this very subject with the perspective and experience of a 30 year restaurant worker and chef.

You mean junkie. Good book and all but that's like not being a punk and watching SLC punk and thinking that's the life.

 

[Rhood]

It depends on where you live.
Places like NYC, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Orlando, Denver, Las Vegas, Atlanta, San Diego, and New Orleans are places where you could be crushed by the competition.

You might do better in a smaller town with a limited variety.

 

[AggieBoy]

It depends on where you live.
Places like NYC, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Orlando, Denver, Las Vegas, Atlanta, San Diego, and New Orleans are places where you could be crushed by the competition.

You might do better in a smaller town with a limited variety.

I would think the number of restaurants scales pretty much linearly with the population but people probably eat out more in large cities because the grocery store is less convenient.

Opening a cafe or restaurant just seems like a great way to destroy your credit and waste a few years of your life. There are a number of ways to destroy your credit and waste years of your life that are least going to be tons of fun in the process.

 

[Bob Gray]

You mean junkie. Good book and all but that's like not being a punk and watching SLC punk and thinking that's the life.

That is the life. You drink and party or something and then think you're accomplishing more than you actually are because you're not "part of the system, man". And complain about some previously unknown band that's getting too popular.I've been around the punk scene literally my entire life. They take themselves far too seriously and take great offense when they're portrayed fairly accurately. As if movies/shows cut out all the times they're having chess tournaments and discussing quantum physics. The scene isn't particularly deep and what you see is generally what you get. I'm obviously generalizing quite a bit, but I think I did literally just about everything portrayed in that movie save dye my hair blue, as did everyone I knew.

 

[Gomi1977]

Does anybody remember Amy's Baking Company? I've seen their reviews at Yelp lately and they seem to be redeeming themselves. They've changed their menu and they look good. I think they're not as worse as the TV show portrayed them to be.

What do you think?

Is that you Amy? Yeah, they're doing great, when the husband isn't try to kill his customers.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news...-baking-company-knife-incident-abrk/16400137/

OT: It's not so much scary, as a lot of work. I worked in bars, clubs and restaurants for almost ten years, the latter half mostly as a manager, and the hours are long; 12-14 hours day, 6-7 days a week are the norm. "Proper" restaurants are harder to run, the more gastronomical, the harder it gets, partly due to most decent chefs being certifiably insane (to work with). But there's also opening, cleaning, prepping, grocery shopping, setting the menus, and so on.
A diner/ lunch bar/ whatever they're called nowadays is your best bet at 1) some sort of a personal life/ time, especially when located in a business district (weekends off, opened along business hours) and 2) getting a relatively quick return on investement (6-18 months when done right).
If you're willing to work hard, are able to maintain high standards (both in hygiene and food quality), and can get a good location (location, location!), you can make a decent living and have a reasonale personal/ social life. Even though your social life will undoubtedly revolve around the business and the people you meet through your business. Which is why I chose a different career (but sometimes still regret that decision, as it is a fun way to make a living).

 

[Toastytoy]

unless you love it, horrible idea

 

[v.kevin]

I've thought of opening a restaurant or a food truck/barbecue stand but when I started thinking about the actual time and effort it would take to be successful, it was nopenopenope. It just isn't as easy as it would seem.

Just because you like to cook and people like your food, doesn't mean you could run a successful restaurant.

 

[ajwbjj87]

My parents owned a restaurant for 25 years and almost never took a day off. 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week, and they only closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The majority of my summers and weekends from middle school through high school were spent helping out there. They/we, but mostly they, busted their asses in that place day in and day out, but in they end were able to retire at the ripe old age of 47.

What type of restaurant did they have I'm just curious

 

[Diamond Jim]

My Uncle turned a successful caf