Guide to Starting a Restaurant Business November 23, 2009 by Leo 287 Views Leave a Comment Ask a restaurant consultant about opening a restaurant and you’re likely to get a succinct answer: “Don’t!” The failure rate is high, the costs can soar out of control and the hours are brutal. If you remain convinced that you are really want to be successful with this kind of business, put on your toque, brush up on your knife skills and forge ahead. When you start your own restaurant business you will never be bored. There are constantly new challenges to face, but they are usually good ones, like how to juggle a reception dinner while at the same time feeding your regular Saturday night crowd. Unlike being a chef, you do not have to go to school or take any specialized training to own a restaurant. However, to ensure your restaurant is a success it helps to know as much as possible about the industry. People love to eat. We find the social environment of restaurants the perfect break from cooking, and relish the adventure of tasting new menus. If you’re seeking the life of haute cuisine, and are wondering how to start a restaurant, we’ve listed our resources and tools that will help you effectively write a restaurant business plan and get your business cooking. Consider the following list before starting: 1. Clarify your concept and put all the proposed details–from decor to dessert choices–in writing. If you can’t write about them, they need more thought. 2. Investigate the regulatory requirements, both city and state. Prepare for a plethora of paperwork, including byzantine building codes with regulations covering everything from kitchen exhaust systems to interior finish requirements. 3. Find an ideal location. Do a demographic study of the surrounding area. Research the amount of foot traffic and the availability of easy parking. Then negotiate a lease you can afford. 4. Plan your menu early in the game. Kitchen layout and equipment purchases depend on it. Reduce your equipment costs either by purchasing used equipment or leasing new. 5. Find the funds. Write a detailed business plan and consider forming a small private corporation or starting a limited partnership. However much money you think you need, raise more. Many restaurant consultants blame the high rate of new restaurant failures on undercapitalization. 6. Allocate the available space. Remember that in addition to dining and kitchen areas you’ll need room for dishwashing, storage, bathrooms and administrative work. 7. Plan the layout for the dining area. Remember to balance your desire for the maximum number of seats with your future customers’ desire to shun tables crammed into awkward corners. Also avoid locating tables in the middle of the room like woebegone little islands. Nestle tables–particularly two-tops–against low divider walls or other architectural features. 8. Keep the kitchen layout focused on efficient, safe food preparation. Ensure that there is sufficient light and ventilation, as well as enough space so that cooks, servers and dishwashers are not bumping into one another at the busiest times. 9. Don’t neglect the graphics. From the exterior signage to the look of the menus, graphic design plays an important part in a restaurant’s overall look. 10. Pay attention to lighting design. Focus dramatic light onto the tables to highlight the food, and complement it with glowing atmospheric light to make the customers look good. 11. Research and develop the menu. Taste-test the recipes repeatedly until the kitchen can achieve consistency. Remember that the food also has to look good on the plate. Plot out your menu pricing strategy. Have the final menu proofread before sending it to the printer. 12. Decide whether to offer full bar service. Apply for a wine and/or liquor license. 13. Investigate insurance needs thoroughly. Restaurants are simmering stockpots of potential accidents–from fires to floods to food poisoning and a hundred other potential horrors. 14. Select and train the staff. Look for enthusiasm as well as experience. Allow ample training time before the restaurant opens. Remember that the person running the front of the house is as important as the person running the kitchen, and great service is as important a factor in winning customer loyalty as great food. 15. Set up a bookkeeping and accounting system. Establish control over the meal checks. There are dozens of scams that dishonest servers and cashiers can pull; get some expert advice on how to prevent them. 16. Designate a core of trusted employees to supervise storage areas carefully. Stress that they must check in all deliveries and audit the food inventory frequently. 17. Pass your opening inspection by a food safety specialist with your local health department, along with a plumbing inspection. You’ll receive a permit to operate, which will be reviewed yearly. 18. Open your doors and welcome hungry diners. Next read: How to Start a Restaurant Business ehow.com, www.fabjob.com, photo from asianfoodfanatic.com How to Make Lamayong Bangus November 23, 2009 by Leo 214 Views Leave a Comment Ingredients: • 200-250 grams Bangus (split) • 80° Salometer brine (composed of J57.W grams of salt per liter or water) Pickling solution: • 66 ml vinegar • 33 ml water • 25 grams sugar • 1.5 cloves garlic • 1.1 grams ground pepper Garnishing: • onions • red pepper • tomatoes Procedure 1. Split down the dorsal side of the fish. Turn knife flat and cut from the tail to the head by running the edge of the knife along the backbone 2. Lay fish open like a butterfly fillet. Then, remove gills and viscera. 3. Remove the backbone by holding the knife horizontally and cutting with the tip of the blade along the backbone from head to tail. 4. Remove the cut backbone. Wash fish in running water. 5. With the aid of a forcep , pull out the rib bones which have not been cut away. Make a superficial slit along the dent of the dorsal muscles and pull out the intermuscular spines embedded between the muscles from the head to the tail. 6. Remove spines in the ventral side in the same manner. Remove filamentous Y-shaped spines along the lateral lines, i.e., the junction of the dorsal and ventral muscles. 7. Wash deboned bangus in clean water. Drain 8. Soak in 80° Salometer brine for 12 hours Drain off and wash briefly. 9. Soak in pickling solution. 10. Remove from marinade, drain and pack in plastic bags. 11. Decorate with slices of onions and red pepper 12. To serve, fry and add tomatoes. Click image to enlarge source: DA, Agricultural Training Institute How to Make Solid Perfume November 23, 2009 by Leo 284 Views 2 Comments Because it’s easy to make, solid perfume opens the door to experimentation, creativity and individuality. Whether you’re looking to set yourself apart with a unique scent or you’re not so fond of the alcoholic undertones in most liquid perfumes, these instructions will show you how to create an inexpensive alternative. Though cologne and body spray are the preferred forms of perfume in the country because of the hot weather, producers of organic personal care products are now producing solid perfume in a much lower price than the high-end brands’. Huang says the product has a lot of potential as long as it is marketed well. Solid perfume is light, does not spill, long-wearing and not greasy. It is also alcohol-free, which makes it good for people who have sensitive skin. Plus, the sweet almond oil ingredient has health benefits. It is known as an effective emollient which improves complexion and adds glow to dull skin. Applying sweet almond oil also provides instant relief from muscle pain. Entrepreneurs who are already into the business of personal care products or giveaways may add this to their menu. Solid perfume may be packaged as wedding, birthday, debut or anniversary giveaway. Ingredients and Equipments: • 1 tablespoon beeswax (available at most craft shops) or petroleum jelly • 1 tablespoon almond oil (or jojoba oil or vitamin E – available at natural foods/health stores) • 8-15 drops essential oil (available from most health food stores.) • 1 container (preferably glass, ceramic or stone but plastic is acceptable) • 1 straw (or similar object) • 1 small glass jar or Pyrex bowl for mixing • 1 saucepan Procedure 1. Measure out the wax and almond oil into the small glass jar or Pyrex bowl. 2. Melt the wax. Put about an inch of water in a small saucepan, then put the jar or bowl (with the wax and oil in) in the water. Bring the water around it to a boil. The wax will melt gradually. 3. Remove the wax from heat when the wax is 100% liquid. 4. Stir in the essential oil with something long and thin. A thin stirring stick is used because the wax will start to form solid on whatever you do your stirring with — your goal should be to find something that has as little surface area as possible so you lose less of the end product, and also something disposable so you don’t have to clean it off. Mix thoroughly. 5. Pour the liquid wax into your final container. In about 30 minutes, it will be cooled, solid and ready to use. Will yield about one half ounce (by volume) of solid perfume. Tips • The only ingredient that can be expensive is the essential oils, especially if you make a complex scent blend requiring an initial investment in many different oils. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with picking a single pleasant scent.