Airport Cafe

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 04:09:07 GMT, john smith wrote:

A friend of mine just "retired" from running the Barnstormer Restaurant
at KOSU/Don Scott Field, The Ohio State University Airport.
He took over the operation after two previous operators, experienced in
the restaurant business locally, declined to renew their operating lease
with the airport.

Hi John,

Appreciate your input!

Decide what hours you are going to be open.
Breakfast (for the corporates and GA), lunch (for the GA crowd), or
dinner (aviation and general public)?

I want to cater to GA. Corporate would only be a "bonus".

Like Jay said in another post, the airport must be easily accessible to the
public and both airports in mind are very easy, MBO being much easier.
Plenty of morning regulars come in for their morning coffee.

Is this to be a "mom & pop" place?

Mom and pop place. I would envision regulars coming in and pilots being
the secondary though I would cater to pilots as best as possible. I want
it to be personable, and relaxed. My wife makes a mean bread pudding and
peach cobbler *smile*, and pastries. I have to watch my weight and
balances if I am not too careful

Who is going to take over if mom and/or pop get sick or have to take
care of something else?

It's not my primary income, so I won't be depending on the income. Like
Jay said, it's for the love of doing what I want to do.

If we can't make it, then the "closed sign" goes up. With my wife and my
work history in our current jobs, that sign won't be up too often.

This is a business that requires long hours. Don't count on having time
to get away to go flying.

Breakfast and lunch is all I am looking at. Nothing more, nothing less.
I'd envision breakfast foods more then lunch foods, as I am like Jay, I am
a morning warrior, and rather eat a good breakfast.

Allen

Location, naturally is everything. If I look at HKS (Class D airport),
they average the following per airnav.com

This is one reason we have considered a restaurant to be an essential part
of our long term plans, even though we know NOTHING of the restaurant
business. (Of course, ignorance didn't stop us from buying an old hotel!
:-)

The Iowa City airport is unique in that it is within walking distance of the
city proper. (Of course, that will probably lead to its ultimate demise,
but let's hope that's far in the future...) Since the key to a successful
airport restaurant is that it MUST be able to draw non-pilots, the airport
location is simply outstanding.

Anyone interested in Iowa City as a restaurant location? It would be a
natural with our inn.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

Anyone interested in Iowa City as a restaurant location? It would be a
natural with our inn.

You might see if one of the Katrina evacuees is interested. Perhaps you could
partner with an experienced restauranteer.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

john smith wrote:

I don't know what the business situation is where you live, but here in
Central Ohio, 50% of the new restaurants don't last one year.

I don't know if this is a factor in the situation in Ohio, but it used to be the
case that immigrants would open restaurants as a first step. As businesses go,
they require little capital investment; they are more labor intensive. The owner
would usually put his whole family to work and save the profits. In a
surprisingly short time, he would have enough to open up the business he really
wanted to have. Then the restaurant would either close or change hands.

I saw a lot of this in Atlanta right after Vietnam fell. Many merchants were
relocated there. There were lots of "Chinese" restaurants for a while.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

My biggest disappointment for my $100 burger runs, is that most cafes are
closed on weekends. I hope to change that in my corner of the world, when
my turn comes.

My biggest disappointment is that most of them stop serving breakfast too
damned early.

That's why we (and many others) LOVE Janesville -- they serve breakfast till
3 PM on Sundays...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Cool story Jay...but are you sure it just wasn't Montblack in disguise?
I'm thinking unshaven, disheveled hair...yep, that could be him.
Check the scars :-)


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

Cool story Jay...but are you sure it just wasn't Montblack in disguise?
I'm thinking unshaven, disheveled hair...yep, that could be him. Check the
scars :-)

Nah -- although they were about the same height, I just can't picture
Montblack doing a hand-stand!

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

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
Nah -- although they were about the same height, I just can't picture
Montblack doing a hand-stand!


JPEG -- Rotate 90 degrees.
repeat


Montblack

("Jack Allison" wrote)
Cool story Jay...but are you sure it just wasn't Montblack in disguise?
I'm thinking unshaven, disheveled hair...yep, that could be him.


Hey! You forgot endearing!!!

"As such, his eccentricities could be overlooked, his unshaven, disheveled
appearance
ignored, and his habit of talking to anyone and everyone became endearing."

"...his easy demeanor with the waitress..." - Guilty.

"...with a bit of egg yolk stuck in the corner of his mouth." - This too.


Check the scars :-)

I asked specificaly for the "SpeedO cut" but they went longitudinal once I
was out. g


Montblack
"Sizing us up from across the dining room, the old man quickly took a shine
to us,"

"...his easy demeanor with the waitress..." - Guilty.

"...with a bit of egg yolk stuck in the corner of his mouth." This too.

Dang! I never realized that Rudy was actually living your future -- but,
you know, you could do worse in life than to grow old and become an airport
bum driving a cool old car...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"