How to Make a Family Restaurant Work
Bringing family together to break bread is one of the highlights of any gathering. However, bringing family together to toast bread, wash dishes, cook meal after meal after meal, listen to customer complaints, and cover payroll, utilities, and taxes can tear a family apart faster than a slice of whole wheat can be divided in two.
And yet, the thrill of an overflowing dining room on a Saturday night suddenly alleviates the pain of an empty dining room on a Tuesday. The rollercoaster ride of the restaurant business is better -- for those who have the endurance to withstand the g-force stress -- than any other experience in the business world.
When you're ready to take your family's restaurant idea from the initial exploration to the implementation stage, get the key players together for some serious planning. There's no secret recipe for a successful restaurant, but there are some things that a family should do before going into business together. It'll make a better business and a smoother-running family restaurant:
- Develop a plan and stick to it. Chose one person -- the most organized -- to outline the plan and develop a time and action sheet. And delegate the responsibilities of that plan to each member of the family.
- Assign tasks and positions to each member, but make sure to leave the titles off. I have seen more families and restaurants fail because of squabbles over fancy titles, ties, and chef's coats.
- Check the egos at the door. Everyone will have a chance to clean the filthy, urine-stained, vomit-filled bathroom after a busy weekend night. Don't fight over it.
- Before you can clean a bathroom, you need one. Is this a casual mom-and-pop cafe, or are we envisioning a more upscale affair? Make sure there is a clear vision on the type of restaurant you want to develop and operate. Everyone should agree on this point.
- Secure financing. Make sure everyone is fully aware they may lose their money. Make sure everyone is fully aware they may work for free. Make sure everyone is aware there are going to be some rough roads ahead. Do not think you will open, become wealthy, and start dividing up profits. That may never happen.
- Get a time commitment from each member of the family for hours available and how many months or years they will be able to endure the struggle.
- Develop a strategy for opening. Assign menu development, competitive research in the neighborhood, and concept design. Put a plan together for each one of these topics and have a leader in charge of the project. Ask for a written report to discuss the various task results.
- Set your staffing. Often it is difficult to intertwine staff with family. And, once that happens, remember who is family and who is staff. Frequently in a family run restaurant we have a tendency to cross the line and let everyone think of themselves, including employees, as family. This only works in a very few restaurant environments. Especially in today's world.
- Build a team. Family is extremely important but it can erode a business. Take your family and use each of their talents to build a team. By looking at the business in that way you can attract other team members who are not family members. Remember, a team works together to win the game. Some families drink out of the milk bottle. The last thing anyone needs in the restaurant business is everyone drinking out of the same bottle.
- Establish rules. There can only be one boss, one manager, and one chain of command. Cautiously toss your hat into the ring and take the giant step. It is a great endeavor and if you have the right attitude and work ethic you will be successful. This will lead to other locations and that will entice family members to endure the stress when they see the room for growth.
Bonus Tip: Put one of those great travel brochures on your office wall. You may never get to go, but it is always nice to once in a while sit back in your old office chair, put your feet on your desk, and dream of what might happen if you could just increase business by a mere ten percent.
