New York SBDC Research Network

In today's fast-paced world, eating out at restaurants has become a normal aspect of life, with convenience a main factor in choosing where to eat. According to Dun & Bradstreet's Million Dollar Total, there are over 30,000 eating places in New York State. With so many restaurants, is it a feasible option to choose a restaurant as the business that you want to start? In one word, yes. If you can fill a need or create a new and exciting option for locals to eat at, a restaurant can be a very viable business idea. Below are resources to help you start your restaurant. How to Start a Restaurant (Entrepreneur Start-up Guide) How to Run a Restaurant - Start-up Costs (Forbes) Evaluating Restaurant Opportunities (University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Wisconsin Main Street Program of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce) Food Services and Drinking Places Industry Snapshot (2007 Census) The National Restaurant Association

I'm not sure how many of y'all read Entrepreneur magazine, but here's an article from their April issue that describes how GPS is used as a money-saving device. Bar owners use it to keep track of just how their inventory is being used. Those with vehicle fleets use it to track how efficiently their sales & maintenance calls are being run. Restaurants use it to maintain proper portion sizes. Companies exist that provide this service to businesses, and they have found a niche that seems to be growing. It might be worth looking into for some of our clients.

We've received the latest edition of the Restaurant Industry Operations Report 2007-2008 as well as the 2008 Restaurant Industry Forecast which includes sales projections for various restaurant formats, restaurateur outlook for 2008, spending priorities, online marketing, green trends, hot categories, and the demographic outlook for consumers. It also includes statistics on the frequency of purchases by age report, foodservice occupational outlook and projected sales and employment by state. These are on our shelves along with the new Federal Yellow Book, The Lifestyle Market Analyst and the 2007 HOST Study. The 2006 SRDS Lifestyle Market Analyst book and the RMA Annual Statement Studies for 2004-05 have been de-accesioned and are up for grabs if any of your centers are interested in them.

Maybe it's because it's nearing Friday night, or maybe because restaurants are easily the top source of requests for our library. Or maybe it's because I'm hungry. Regardless, to continue from Josee's recent post, here's a story on this website which describes the results of a recent survey from Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research. It's called "A Consumer’s View of Restaurant Reservations Policies," and it's an ideal read for clients with sit-down restaurants who want to get a better handle on what patrons expect from a reservations policy. (While reading it, I couldn't help but think of this "Seinfeld" episode. I know I'm not alone in doing so." There's a link link to the full report, but it requires (free) registration to get at it. If you're waiting for a table over the weekend, bring your laptop, log in, and give it a read.

Special Report April 16, 2007, 2:14PM EST text size: TT The Restaurant-Failure Myth Research shows that some popular perceptions about the rate of failure in the restaurant industry are just not true by Kerry Miller The author investigates the much-quoted 90% failure rates of restaurants to see if there is any truth to it. This is interesting since for a long, long time we have had in our packet on restaurants an article that says as much. So, have a look at this one for a more encouraging view and to perhaps kill off an urban legend.

We're members of the National Restaurant Association (though the only things we cook around here are leftovers at lunch). As such, I get emails from this organization, linking to stories that represent current trends in the industry. Today's email cited a recent story in the Providence Journal (you might - MIGHT - have to register [for free] to read this) as to the trend of naming restaurants after their location. Restaurants rely heavily on word-of-mouth, and if its name includes all or part of its address, then industry insiders feel that these owners have a great advantage. The article cautions against possible trademark infringement, as well as taking care not to create a name that sounds more like a union chapter than a place to eat. However, keep this advice in mind for your restaurant clients who are still debating what they should call their place. (NOTE: There are quotes in this piece that infer that a number-in-the-name strategy is an advantage for people who loo