Читать книгу Start & Run a Restaurant Business - Brian Cooper - Страница 17

It’s important that you invest valuable time in choosing your business structure and partners. Harmony will prevail only if each member has a role or purpose. Choose your partners or investors based on what they can bring to the group. If one member is expert at running the kitchen (often known as “the back of the house,” and sometimes as “the heart of the house”), that person should participate as an expert in developing and training the employees under his or her direction. You will also need someone to specialize in running the “front of the house” — that part of your establishment that is visible to your customers. This person would be responsible for the service standards, and for developing a personality or feel for the area outside the kitchen. Usually, in a small restaurant, this would be one of the owners (possibly you).

The front of the house and the back of the house must work together to create the harmony and balance of the food, wine, and ambiance in the restaurant. The front-of-the-house person must have a finger on the pulse or heartbeat of the operation. He or she should be adept at training and developing the service staff, including wait staff and bartenders. Wine is becoming important to complete a dining experience. If you intend to feature a wine menu in your restaurant, the front-of-the-house person should be willing to expand his or her knowledge in this area. The chef and the front-of-the-house person should be able to suggest particular wines to complement the menu items and, in turn, the wait staff can be trained to do the same.

Similarly, one member of your team should deal with the investment and/or legal side of the business. The “numbers” person must communicate with the other partners at all times so the project remains financially viable. Regular meetings should be held to ensure that all parties work together.

The team should be on board early in the planning stage. Complement your abilities by hiring professionals who are strong in areas where you are weak. Often the partners do not bring a chef or kitchen manager on board early enough to prevent major design errors. Once you have drafted your menu, it is time to hire that kitchen manager/chef to help design your kitchen (and to begin putting his or her imprint on the menu). Not allowing for an essential piece of kitchen equipment can create major problems and expense later on. Building an oversized kitchen can cost you floor space that otherwise could be used to seat customers.

Another reason for putting your team together early is so that when you go to lending institutions for financing, your loan application will be supported by your choice of partners or team members. You will be able to profile their successes and their competencies in the field, which, together with your business plan, should help convince the lenders that you are a “good risk.”

The downside of putting the team together early is that they may not be available when the actual restaurant opens unless you are prepared to offer them a share of the business. If they don’t have a vested interest in the project, it may be hard for you to sustain their enthusiasm, given the time between conception of your restaurant and its actual opening. In addition, few people can afford to go without a salary during this period. However, the lenders will want some assurances that the team you present in the application for your loan will actually be there when you open!