Once Bitten Twice Shy

[illdecide]

Very important that it is closed for a few weeks, re-decorated and opened under a new name, this is the quickest way to let all know that changes are being made and you will get an initial rush with the re-opening

thats not an option...as it's name is the only thing that will get it going again although i agree with u that a re-decoration and a revamp of the menu is a must.

[Tony Baloney]

Very important that it is closed for a few weeks, re-decorated and opened under a new name, this is the quickest way to let all know that changes are being made and you will get an initial rush with the re-opening

thats not an option...as it's name is the only thing that will get it going again although i agree with u that a re-decoration and a revamp of the menu is a must.

Why place so much stock in the name if people are avoiding the place like the plague. I'd be more inclined to return if there was wholesale change.

[mylestheslasher]

Sounds like you are planning to take over a business that got a bade reputation. Personally, I'd give it a go under new ownship. However, the new owners would need to

1- Make a big deal out of the new opening and promote themselves positively
2- Quality must be of the highest standard for at least the start. Anyone getting a bad feed would be thinking "more of the same"

[Puckoon]

Doesn't hurt to publicise "Under new management" as much as you can either.

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

Remember that wee place in Queen's Arcade where a live rat fell on little old ladies eating their Belfast baps on a Saturday afternoon? It re-opened under new management and has a long tail of punters outside it.

[bcarrier]

dont catch a falling knife.

[trileacman]

All I know is a restaurant/ cafe business is one I would never, ever, ever take on.

[muppet]

dont catch a falling knife.

Even if you are standing under it?

[illdecide]

All I know is a restaurant/ cafe business is one I would never, ever, ever take on.

Why?

[Niall Quinn]

All I know is a restaurant/ cafe business is one I would never, ever, ever take on.

Why?

He's maybe an anorexic.

[muppet]

All I know is a restaurant/ cafe business is one I would never, ever, ever take on.

Why?

He's maybe an anorexic.

Or maybe the clue is in the name. Treacle-man?

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

All I know is a restaurant/ cafe business is one I would never, ever, ever take on.

Massive profit margins in food, but notoriously difficult to keep open after the initial first year, as there always seems to be somewhere new always opening in this business area.
You'd need to keep updating and refreshing on a regular basis, a ot of work, but the benefits if it works out are fantastic.
Best of luck Illdecide if youse decide to go ahead with it.

[Croí na hÉireann]

A lot of good advice here, would strongly advise changing the name though. It will help to emphasise that it's a new restaurant/cafe and more people will give it another shot. Then it'll be mainly down to keeping the quality of the food high and your costs and prices low. Be prepared for a few years of very hard graft, best of luck with it.

[Bingo]

Maybe retain the name but vary it slightly. Eg Good Food becomes Good Food 2 or The Main Street cafe becomes the New Main Street Cafe.

Massive fuss of opening/relaunch.
Getting it right from the start ie 100% on food quality.
Getting pricing right at start - seen a few places open with cheap menus, 2 months later the prices go up - puts people off "Main St cafe is getting dear".
Don't put all eggs in basket at the start - hold some stuff back to introduce over the months if business starts to drift eg full menu at start with no room for expansion (introduce some lines), specials from the start that will disappear in future.

As someone said, great margins in food but its all about getting volumes out and cutting out wastage. In my experience, places with good value menus that don't try to cover every food work. They can focus on what they are doing well, places that try to serve everything can lack quality and have to rely on cheaper/frozen stock to keep costs down.

[AZOffaly]

Maybe retain the name but vary it slightly. Eg Good Food becomes Good Food 2 or The Main Street cafe becomes the New Main Street Cafe.

Massive fuss of opening/relaunch.
Getting it right from the start ie 100% on food quality.
Getting pricing right at start - seen a few places open with cheap menus, 2 months later the prices go up - puts people off "Main St cafe is getting dear".
Don't put all eggs in basket at the start - hold some stuff back to introduce over the months if business starts to drift eg full menu at start with no room for expansion (introduce some lines), specials from the start that will disappear in future.

As someone said, great margins in food but its all about getting volumes out and cutting out wastage. In my experience, places with good value menus that don't try to cover every food work. They can focus on what they are doing well, places that try to serve everything can lack quality and have to rely on cheaper/frozen stock to keep costs down.

Yeah, or the Continuity Café.

Good point about the menu though. I find the same. Places that focus on a smaller menu with decent value are usually better quality than places with a huge menu that also try to give value. They spread themselves too thin essentially.