Most restaurants operate on a razor thin budget…. And 500% profits is a fucking dream. 10% is more like it.
(Yes, some chains do better… and maybe if you’re a celebrity chef…. But there are no celebrity chefs in my town)
Truth is, if you decided to open a restaurant today, you would likely need to lease the place… and have the Capitol to build inside to your specs. Commercial property owners usually make you put up your house as collateral in case you crash and burn.
There used to be a popular Italian restaurant in the falls here, the Casa D’oro, near Clifton hill. After about a 40 or 50 year run, the building deteriorated, and owners let it go. I looked into leasing it with a partner. $20G a month was the rent they wanted.The building was a complete gut down to the studs. (It’s a paid parking lot now)
It’s the landlords making the real money, not the restaurant.
Then…. Odds are someone in you staff is a thief. They see nothing wrong with bringing home a few chicken breast, steaks, or blocks of cheese with them. Cooks constantly eating on the line. Plus, your inventory expires.
A hair salon can keep hair gel and paste on the shelf for years. A restaurant has meat and veggies expire in days. You are counting on the staff to understand that, and get it right every time….



…. Yeah, that happens.
I will never again go back to that industry… in that capacity anyways.