"Jay Honeck" wrote:
IMHO, a restaurant with those two items, reasonably
priced and served fresh, would make a mint in this goofy town.

A good friend has been in the restaurant business for a couple of
decades and has had two small, successful restaurants during that time.
She said aside from having A LOT of time and energy and the obvious
issues -- an adequate-but-not-overwhelming menu with fair prices,
reliable cooks that prepare consistently good meals, *consistently*
friendly and efficient service, hours that meet the demand, and an
environment that is clean and comfortable -- the biggest key to making
it a success is knowing how to ORDER. I think someone else early in this
thread said it, too -- knowing how much to order so that perishable food
lasts but does not spoil and your next order is received before you run
out, and even your garnishes (lettuce, tomatoes, parsley, etc.) are
fresh and edible and don't look like they're one step away from being
rotten. One quote of hers that we've all experienced: "It's okay if
people have to wait a few minutes to sit down, but NEVER make anyone
*wait* to pay once they're full and ready to leave!" Lastly, NEVER be
cited in a health inspection as that kind news is never forgotten.

Good luck! I've always thought that despite the long hours and hard
work, it could be rewarding and fun, especially with a theme that you
and your customers love.