OT - Anyone here own a restaurant?

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
So the land adjacent to the inn is for sale, and we want to put an
aviation themed restaurant on the site. It'll be the perfect fly-in
restaurant, with breakfast all day, decent prices, ugly waitresses, and
a 2nd-floor patio over-looking the airport. We want to call it "the
Tower", and it'll have a great view of the runways!

Jay,

It sounds like a winner just to buy the land if the traffic around it is
going to increase a lot.

As far as a great aviation-themed restaurant goes, check out the Hnagar
Bar & Grill in Rochester, MN. It is off-airport, but the FBO will shuttle
you over.

Al

Jay needs to schedule a survey flight. In California, I'd recommend
the restaurants at Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Carlos (open
for breakfast and lunch only), and Petaluma. Any others?

In Oregon, there was Salishan, but I don't know how that is these
days.

Don

El Monte, California (EMT) has a nice restaurant on the field. Fairly
new, surprisingly good.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

One other thing... I have noticed that many of the basic hotels I've been
around have no restaurant attached to them, but are built in an area that
has lots of separate basic restaurants nearby. I'll bet there's a reason
for this.

That's what we are now. In fact, within 1 mile of the inn, there are
currently over 50 restaurants. Six of them are within walking distance.

It's a university town. Unemployment is non-existent, everyone works for
the Gummint, and there are lots of underworked, over-paid people that have
time on their hands, yet eat out every meal.

Unfortunately, most nearby restaurants are either "bottom feeders"
(McDonalds/Wendy's/KFC/etc.), or "top feeders" (fru-fru restaurants with
tiny portions and over-sized prices). There are no "middle of the road"
restaurants, which (IMHO) presents an opportunity.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Yep, I fly at C29, not far from LNR

Ah, Picadilly Lilly's, home of "hubcap pancakes", ugly waitresses, and
sticky bathroom floors.

How I love the place! We go there whenever we can.

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

If you are going to depend on the pilot community - be careful what
you deem a fly-in restaurant. When I think fly-in food, places that
are across the street or down the street, do not jump to mind.

One thing I've learned from 3+ years of operating an aviation-themed, fly-in
hotel, is that you cannot count on the pilot community for business --
period. I wish it were otherwise, but dem's da facts -- there just aren't
enough of us.

Maybe in places like Kalifonia and Arizona you can get enough fly-in
business (although I doubt it), but certainly not in the Midwest. Our
aviation theme is a lot of fun, and it serves as a great "hook" for a great
many people -- but 95% of those people are NOT pilots.

No, the restaurant would be for the city folks (and our guests) to come
watch the planes -- not the other way 'round.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

As long as the resturaunt is easily accesible for the non-aviation folks.

Yep, that's the strength of our hotel -- and that would also be the strength
of this restaurant.

It's also the strength of our airport, BTW -- it's located less than 1 mile
from downtown, the university, and dozens of restaurants.

Of course, that very proximity to town is what will ultimately kill our
airport, too.

:-(
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Call it ....Doolittles Air Cafe - I know where there's a big neon sign
soon to be available. g
http://www.doolittlesaircafe.com/giftcards/

Yeah -- I wonder if they want to recycle their restaurant down by us?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Just a thought about those hubcap sized pancakes... when something is very
cheap to make, make them big or give the customer a huge helping.... I
often hear reports of different restaurants having a huge this or a huge
that and people go back time after time, almost as a novelty attraction.

Now the potato plug....you'd be amazed how many restaurant
owners/operators/cooks come buy potatoes from us yet fail to realize how
cheap they are.... the typical 8 oz baked potato that comes with a steak
dinner wholesales for less than $0.08 yes eight cents. You can give the
customer a 16 oz potato for $0.15 and really WOW them. ( a 16oz potato is
about the size of a man's hand ) Fresh mashed potatoes or hashbrowns can be
made from cheaper potatoes yet, about $0.05 per lb

Jim





"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:b9fxf.480305$084.65089@attbi_s22...
Yep, I fly at C29, not far from LNR

Ah, Picadilly Lilly's, home of "hubcap pancakes", ugly waitresses, and
sticky bathroom floors.

How I love the place! We go there whenever we can.

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

There is a resturant on the field at Norman, OK. I believe it to be
successful because the University of Oklahoma is right nearby. We go for
the $100. breakfast. They serve lots of greasy breakfast food for not
much money. Fun place to fly.

There is one at Fayetteville (AR) Drake field that seems to struggle and
is not open on Sundays.

I always think these things should be open both weekend days.

I also have a friend that owns a marina, has a airport at the marina,
and a resturant. He is always complaining about the cost of running the
resturant, but it is there for the marina and airplane folks.

Good luck

Jay Honeck wrote:
So the land adjacent to the inn is for sale, and we want to put an
aviation themed restaurant on the site. It'll be the perfect fly-in
restaurant, with breakfast all day, decent prices, ugly waitresses, and
a 2nd-floor patio over-looking the airport. We want to call it "the
Tower", and it'll have a great view of the runways!

Trouble of it is, we don't know *anything* about running a restaurant.
Now, this never stopped us before -- we didn't know anything about
hotels, either -- but, hey, this sounds WAY more complicated, from my
uneducated standpoint.

Anyone here own/operate/manage a restaurant? Got any words of advice?
Any advice on finding someone who DOES know something about
restaurants?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"