The Opening Diary: Part 4

Welcome back! If you’re new here, a quick summary: I’m opening a restaurant and this is the diary. Great, you’re all caught up.

I googled ‘How to open a restaurant’ today. This process often has me feeling like a drowning fish. I decided to see what sage wisdom the internet could provide. The first thing that pops up is a list that features the following 10 steps in order to open a restaurant:

1. Define your restaurant concept.
2. Create a business plan.

3. Research funding options.

4. Obtain licenses and permits needed to open a restaurant.

5. Register your business.

6. Select the right location.

7. Order restaurant equipment.

8. Hire the right staff.

9. Create a menu.

10. Create a marketing plan.

If only life worked in such simple bullet points. Let’s focus on point 6, the location. Not only do you have to pick a location, which might mean looking at 40+ spaces, you also have to get the location looked at by an architect and general contractor. But this means that you already need an architect and general contractor, but they don’t really care about you until you have a space. A classic catch 22. Just like how you need…