OT - Anyone here own a restaurant?

"Jay Honeck" wrote

Iowa City is like the "anti-Iowa" in many ways. It's got dozens of
"fru-fru" restaurants (a rarity in the rest of Iowa), thanks to the
University crowd, all of which serve tiny portions at outrageous prices.
You can get excellent Indian, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, Japanese, French,
and California (whatever *that* is) cuisine -- but you CAN'T get a decent
burger or breakfast served all day for less than $15 per person.

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

I see a need for a dual restaurant. One, with a low profit margin, going
with the cheep burger and breakfast all day, more like a grill. Another
"fine food" with the killer atmosphere and fancy food, to suit the high
rollers that fly in for a fantasy weekend. Also, the people around town
that want to spend for the suite and/or a great meal, anniversary dinner, or
whatever have their night spot, and you get a higher profit margin.

The advantage of having a place to stay that has food on site has great
appeal. Having a grill for breakfast and lunch, then a 5 star meal at night
is a real draw, I think.

Will it be possible to have the plane parking for hotel use, also? That
sounds like another winner. A heated and AC walkway attached to the hotel
would be another plus.

As I see it, you need to purchase that land. There is no other buy that can
give you the possibilities like attached land can give you. For that plot,
all you can say is location, location, location! g, and it does not come
available, every day.

Sorry for rambling. Just a few thoughts.
--
Jim in NC

I see a need for a dual restaurant. One, with a low profit margin, going
with the cheep burger and breakfast all day, more like a grill. Another
"fine food" with the killer atmosphere and fancy food, to suit the high
rollers that fly in for a fantasy weekend. Also, the people around town
that want to spend for the suite and/or a great meal, anniversary dinner,
or whatever have their night spot, and you get a higher profit margin.

We also want to make the first floor available for banquets. Banquet halls
are in very short supply in Iowa City, for some reason.

As I see it, you need to purchase that land. There is no other buy that
can give you the possibilities like attached land can give you. For that
plot, all you can say is location, location, location! g, and it does
not come available, every day.

Absolutely. I see that land as key to our future business -- to the point
where if we DON'T get the land, we may as well close up shop. (Depending on
what would be built there, of course...)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Just curious Jay, I have no idea what the economy in IA is like, what
kind of money are we talking about?

The Monk

("Flyingmonk" wrote)
Just curious Jay, I have no idea what the economy in IA is like, what
kind of money are we talking about?


One example:

http://www.quadcommunitypress.com/main.asp?SectionID=8&subsectionID=9&articleID=1971
"Aviation-themed restaurant eyed for airport"
[Info and numbers for a new cafe and event center being built at (ANE)
Anoka-Blaine Airport, MN]

http://www.flightlineltd.com/
The "new" company putting it all together. Stock available at $1.00/share.

Craig Schiller has run Golden Wings Museum/Banqutes business for 6 years and
helped organized the National Air Tour in 2003, along with being involved
(usually in charge) of many other aviation related endeavors - organizing
the Collings Foundation (B-17, B-24) at ANE, getting four Tri-Motors over to
Oshkosh in '05, President of 'Discover Aviation Days Open House' at ANE,
etc.

He also works for/manages:
http://www.historicaviation.com
Historic Aviation publication

www.AircraftOwner.com
"Place your Classified ad or Photo Listing in Aircraft Owner"


Montblack

Thank you Montblack. Have you ever eatten at 94th Aerosquadron?
There's one in College Park Airport near DC. Great aviation
theme(WWII) restaurant.

The Monk
""There is pleasure when a sore is scratched,
But to be without sores is more pleasurable still.
Just so, there are pleasures in worldly desires,
But to be without desires is more pleasurable still."

Thank you Montblack. Have you ever eatten at 94th Aerosquadron?
There's one in College Park Airport near DC. Great aviation

I know the standard response is. google it, but does anyone know if
Talichet (sic) still owns the chain?

("Flyingmonk" wrote)
Thank you Montblack. Have you ever eatten at 94th Aerosquadron? There's
one in College Park Airport near DC. Great aviation theme(WWII)
restaurant.


Nope to DC.

Downtown St Paul, MN (Holman Field - KSTP) had a restaurant on the field
that I used to eat at, in the early 80's. Neat old building.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?L1222167C
"This castle-like building served as the headquarters of Northwest Airlines
during the 1930's and 40's."

http://www.weisman.umn.edu/exhibits/Cap/holmanbg.gif
National Register of Historic Places - added to the list in 1991.


Montblack

Is the food any good, could n't tell from the picture because the
parking lot was empty.

The food at 94th Aero Squadron is very good, not the best, but great
for the money. I used to work near there and that's where I'd have
lunch with my customers and vendors.

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/CGS94th/ ---- The one in College Park.
http://www.94thaerosquadron.signonsandiego.com/ ---- The one in San
Diego.
http://www.visitvalleyofthestars.org...o_squadron.htm
---- The one in Va Nuys.

Must be a franchise. They have realistic looking full size WWII era
planes parked at the entrance, I thumped on them and found that they
are fiberglass nonflying displays.

Great place to eat, great lunch buffet with live chef at the buffet to
cook your pasta.

The Monk

Jay Honeck wrote:

We also want to make the first floor available for banquets. Banquet halls
are in very short supply in Iowa City, for some reason.

In that case, you might collaborate with some local organization. Here, many
fraternal orgs (like the Knights of Columbus) rent out their meeting halls as
banquet halls. Perhaps you could do the reverse.

There's also a diner in Edison, NJ (called "The Pines" for some reason not
involving trees that I can see) that does exactly what you have in mind. Most of
the money comes from being a typical New Jersey diner, but they have room for
banquet hosting.

Jersey diners are real phenomenae. Large meals, lots of selections, reasonable
prices, and open long hours. Don't know how they do it.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

George Patterson wrote:
Jay Honeck wrote:

We also want to make the first floor available for banquets. Banquet
halls are in very short supply in Iowa City, for some reason.


In that case, you might collaborate with some local organization. Here,
many fraternal orgs (like the Knights of Columbus) rent out their
meeting halls as banquet halls. Perhaps you could do the reverse.

There's also a diner in Edison, NJ (called "The Pines" for some reason
not involving trees that I can see) that does exactly what you have in
mind. Most of the money comes from being a typical New Jersey diner, but
they have room for banquet hosting.

Jersey diners are real phenomenae. Large meals, lots of selections,
reasonable prices, and open long hours. Don't know how they do it.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.
That's what he should open!! A real, New Jersey Diner! Start thinking
stainless steel, greek flair to everything (read stuffed grape leaves on
the salad bar), good burgers, long hours, a bar helps. Open 24 hours.
Market to the grad school crowd, they have some $$, stay up at all hours
and will be a good base. Add a party room (book the room and the hotel,
get as smashed as you want, walk to your room). It would be great.

Margy