As any restaurateur already knows, opening a restaurant is no easy feat.
Between coming up with a solid business plan and scouring the best location, there’s a lot to get done. But despite all these hoops and hurdles to open a restaurant, there’s over a whopping 1 million restaurant locations in the United States alone.
So what’s the draw to starting a business that requires so much effort just to open, and a constant eye on things like inventory and staffing?
In short...why did you open?
Aside from opening up shop in a lucrative $800 billion dollar industry, restaurant owners are oftentimes fueled by universal goals and passions:
- Garnering a strong sense of community with their business.
- Providing for their families.
- Creating new opportunities.
As I mentioned above, the constant rush of day-to-day activities like labor reporting, managing public relations, and handling restaurant finances makes the life of a business owner a chaotic one.
To understand our customers in the restaurant world better, we wanted to know what fueled their decision to embark on the journey towards opening a restaurant. These restaurant owners took a moment to sit and reflect with us on how their passion has shaped their careers.
We call this "I Opened Because...", and we'll be highlighting our favorite inspiring stories on our social media pages over the next month.
Now, it's your turn to join the conversation! Comment here with your story, and follow us on social media @toasttab on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to post your #IOpenedBecause story and to see more videos from the restaurants using Toast!
I Opened Because....
RESOURCE
Restaurant Success Report
This industry report collects data from restaurant professionals and guests to help you understand what it takes to create a successful restaurant experience from start to finish.
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1) Opportunity
312 Beef and Sausage, Freeport, Illinois
“I opened because I have always had a passion for the restaurant industry and saw a void in the market that I thought I could fill.”
– Adam Talbert, Owner
Lucky Slice, Utah
“I opened because I was an upstart kid that worked in restaurants my whole life and was convinced I could do it better.”
– Nick VanArsdell, Owner
2) Family
Bernie O’s, North Muskegon, Michigan
“I opened because I wanted to build a legacy for my family.”
– Addam Oliver, Co-Owner
(swah-rey), St. Petersburg, Florida
“I opened because I couldn’t find my wife good chocolate cake, and trust me, I looked hard.”
– Gregg Ciccone, Co-Owner
3) Community
1894 Lodge, New Washington, Indiana
“I opened because I wanted to bring something to my community that they would be proud of.”
– Logan Hostettler, General Manager
The Corner Q, Lorton, Virginia
“I opened because I wanted to introduce and share delicious Filipino cuisine to everyone in our community. My daughter has been in the restaurant business for many, many years and I thought it would be great to use her talent and skills managing our own full-service restaurant.”
– Teresita Herradura, Owner
Costa Vida, Various Locations
“My partners and I opened our first restaurant because we love food and serving people. We love the fast pace of a restaurant. We saw it as an opportunity to earn a living doing what we love.”
– Jeff Jacobson, COO
Sutton Legion, Sutton, Nebraska
“I opened because there was a need in my community to keep the American Legion Ball open and my wife and I are good at this business. It provided an opportunity to become part of our new community, as well as create jobs for it.”
– Brian Bonnell, Owner
Koehn Bakery, Butler, Montana
“I opened because I was looking for a local opportunity to make people smile!”
– Kim Wilhelmson, Owner
Share Your #IOpenedBecause Story
We know that opening a restaurant isn’t a walk in the park, and because everyone is a food critic now, sometimes it can seem like a thankless job.
As an owner, we encourage you to look back and remember exactly why this journey is so important to you. We hope that some of the answers from these passionate restaurateurs resonate with you, so that you can keep the fire inside you (and your kitchen!) burning.
No matter what your reason for opening is, Toast invites you to be a part of our restaurant community by sharing your unique story with us.
Follow @ToastTab on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and use #IOpenedBecause to join the conversation!
