RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

If you go with the BBQ be sure to serve smoked collard greens !
These are simple to prepare and always get raves , especially from Southern diners . All you have to do is put a large pot of cleaned raw collards into the smoker while bbqing the meats . Particles of fat will deposit onto the greens and season them for you as they smoke . The greens will always come out tender and delicious . [8D]

When I lived in Californica collards were hard to find , and good collards were nearly impossible to find . BBQ pretty much originated in the South , so this always puzzled me . For the health consious diner these greens are low in calories and carbs , and will have only a negligible amount of fat . They are also loaded with iron and several vitamins .

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

I got a kicker for ya:

FATTEN UP FRIDAYS. All you can eat BBQ for X amount of dollars.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Taste is important.

Wait staff is important.

Uniqueness is important.

price is important.

Menu selection is important.

If you are targeting tourists you will be targeting a group that is not large on repeat visits.

You will need to attract them from the road. Sell them on the place before they are past. Advertise at the campgrounds. BUT I hate to see the touristy places that are screaming,"stop here! stop HERE!" That to me is always a turnoff. You have to hit the right combination of advertizing without seeming like a 60's era tourist trap.

So ATTRACT them. Good food will make them rave, but ya got to get them inside first!

1. Nice big parking lot. You will need room for those motorhomes.

2. As mentioned, hit them with some music as they get out of the vehicles. Don't put speakers out in the lot on poles or such. Put the speakers by (on) the restaurant pointing towards the lot. Get good speakers. If it sounds tinny or has scratchy static.... remember, FIRST IMPRESSIONS!

3. If possible, get that BBQ smell OUTSIDE into that lot if at all possible. They will be coming through the front door with a gleam in their eye and fangs sprouting!

4. Also, if you do everything right and you are getting lines outside. Good music, good benches, and BBQ SMELL will keep them there! Maybe have one of your (cutest, bounciest) waitresses take out some cold ones for 'em. They will stay.

5. You will be targeting tourists... They tend to ask people where a good place to eat is.... the people they tend to ask are locals and PARK RANGERS... hmmmmm.... park rangers.... how can you get them into your place and keep 'em coming back for my finger-lickin' food...

6. It's been a while since I was at Yosemite. If you have a good view from your restaurant, USE IT! Remember, tourist are just out sightseeing for a few weeks. They wanna see beautiful nature... show 'em your scenery.

7. (see #6) If you have beautiful scenery, maybe you should open up the restaurant in that direction and have a semi-open air restaurant...

8. I love seeing that grill at work with chickens, pigs, steaks are sizzling and smoking away... Food should always have a visual appeal. Plus, an open grill out in the dining area will give your place "Atmosphere".

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

All very good advice.

the tourists here are of 2 ditinct groups....

1st is international (japan, italy, germany..ect..) and those from several states away...those would be the least likely to be repeat or even 1st time customers (unless word of mouth/advertisement at hotels caught their eye/ear)...

the 2nd and larger group is folks from within California and they are for the most part those that have permanent Summer palces up here or make it a yearly/bi-yearly custome to vacation here...they tend to visit regularly in the spring and summer for the lakes, weather and of course Yosemite and in the fall and winter for the skiing...these are the ones that will most definately be repeat cutomers looking for the good food with a local feel.

no need to worry about it being an 'tourist trap' that is not at all the direction that i am going with this....the business would fail if that were the focus not to mention that the employees would be seasonal for the most part with too much turn over and that would result in folks working for me that really couldn't care less about how well they are doing their jobs....

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

one other hint. I used to order a burger for lunch everyday at a local bar and grill. The meat came freshly ground at 10 am from the butcher 2 blocks away. but I always told the barmaid,or tender to hold the potatoe salad and cole slaw. It was commercialy made and came in buckets. Wasn't that bad, but after a great burger, why spoil it. So maybe some fresh homemade salads are in order. Or potatoe chips that aren't stale. Salt will get them drinking more beverages and after all , thats where the $'s at.:)

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Yup, Got the homemade salad thing going!

Mom's Potato Salad, Mom's Macaroni Salad and Old Fashioned Sweet Coleslaw...All are family recipes and delicious...

I will even be making the dressings for the green salads from scratch...again from family recipes....

My mom is a great cook and every mac or potato salad that I have ever had in any restaurant/deli has just been dissapointing to say the least (some were just ineddible!)...too much this, too little of that or just processed tasting....so in my place it will be all about good food that tastes great and not about making it convenient for me or my staff by getting bulk made stuff shipped to me from God knows where.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Mike I sent that e-mail to you.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Thanks!

I thought that it might be from you but I didn't recognize the email address.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

ok.

i just emailed my dad with the restaurant idea.......i am completely stressed out!!!!

[&:]

i found a great loccation and if things work out i will be able to attract lots of locals and high schools students and teachers as well as the tourists.

i have a local guy that has offered to be an investor and if my pop goes for this then it will really happen....if not then it is going to banks for business loans and things which will make this happen much later and by then the property may be gone.........

stressed and freaking out!!!!!! :eek:


send up some prayers for me......if this works then my wife can quit her teaching job and be home with our children and i can stop working for other people and making almost no money..........God I Hope this really works out!!!!!!!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Mike, let us know how it's progressing.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Just talked to my Pop.......HE is into the whole idea of a BBQ Restaurant and will be helping me to open it!!!!!!!

He really like the ideas and suggestions that you guys made and thinks that it will be a real money maker!!!!

Thanks to each and every one of you!!!!

I will keep you all posted on how thing are coming with this...as of now it should be openning around this time next year!!!!


Thanks Again!!!!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Try this simple dessert at home and you may want to use at your resturant in larger portions.

Peach Cobbler.

Melt 1 stick of butter in a casserole dish.
Add 1 cup of milk.
1 cup of sugar.
1 cup of flour.
Add one can of fresh peaches.
Bake until golden brown.

Um-Um Good!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

crap, i just gained 3 pounds from reading that cobbler recipe.

Oh my god does that look good

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

That is really a dutch oven recipe for camping, but after I fixed it camping I just can't quit. It is so easy and SO good.
It will cook up and around the peaches so they arn't clumped together in one place. You need to try it. My Mother-in-law gave it to me.
You should try her pies!

I gotta go eat now!:D

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Hey Michael What I would suggest if you ever have an all you can eat ribs offered at anytime, to make sure that you keep bringing those ribs on and make sure they arent what all those other places try to serve you the second time around. My wife and I have ordered ribs twice this month at two pretty popular restaurants here in CA, and let me tell you the first batch a ribs were incredible but when you order the second, they werent worth the time to eat. I will never eat at those two places again just because of the quality of ribs they tried serving us the second order but the first order was great. Also My wife and I have traveled to Yosemite a few times and will be traveling there soon hopefully we will get to eat at your new restaurant. What atracts us is also the exterior and interior of a restaurant. For some reason my wife and I stop at a restaraunt near Yosemite evertime we go there just because of the interior decaration of the restarant. This one was located right of the road that goes to bass lake. They have a whole outdoor theme inside the place and we just enjoy being inside. Wish you best of luck.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Thanks for the advice.....sounds like they were trying to get rid of old ribs on the all you can eat thing.....

I am thinking of doing an all you can eat buffet once a month but it will be a whole smoked hog with all the trimmings. I am going to try to work something out with the local 4H and FFA so that I can get 12 kids to raise the hogs for me.

It sounds like you are describing the Mountain House Restaurant.....I haven't been there to eat yet but they have just about one of the best locations around here and a great reputation as well.

I won't be opening until this time next year but you all will hear about it when I do!!!

Thanks again!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

By the way, where are you?
Are you in Calif.?
Your ID says Connellsville, PA.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

ok.

been away for a while...with work, the kids and putting this restaurant together i have had almost no time to do anything else...

but, i have perfected my 'king daddy's fire wings sauce'...everyone that has tried it has loved it and last night i served it to some customers, on their hot wings, where i work and they went nuts for it....they even asked if i sold it in bottles so they could buy some and then asked me to open my place up in alaska, where they live, so they could eat it regularly....what a great compliment!!!

just an update for those watching this...

i can't wait to open my place!!! word of mouth alone has made this place super popular already (my reputation seems to have preceded me) and i think it is really going to take off when we open next year!!! YEAH!!!

:D

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Nothing but good luck to you. :) Sounds like your off to a good start.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Michael,

I've read all the post for your restaurant (BBQ), and did not see the first one recommending Brunswick Stew to go with your bbq meat. I live in south Ga and grew up eating BBQ Pork and brunswick stew.

Brunswick stew can be found in just about any bbq restaurant in Ga, particularly if it's run by a Georgian. It goes good with any type bbq, pork, beef, chicken, etc., or by its' self served with some type of cracker such as a plain old Saltine cracker. The old folks (my parents and older) used to make it with a hog head, by boiling off all the meat, and this type can't be beat, but it's to time comsuming. The easiest way is to make it with a boston butt. If you look it up in Websters New Collegiate Dictionary it states; brunswick stew is usually made with two meats as in, chicken and squirrel). Trust me, this is not a southern dish, also some make it with ground beef and chicken, etc., slop, slop, slop, need I say more. "USE NOTHING BUT PORK".

My father is gone now and my mother can't remember how she made it, time has taken it's toll. However, one of my aunts' still makes it and the following is her recipe.

Brusnwick Stew:

3 lbs. of Boston Butt meat (best if cooked on grill with charcoal or oak or hickory coals) My father always ground his bbq meat up to make his stew, I like my chopped up.

2 cans of dice or stewed tomatoes (15 oz) Note: all cans will be 15 oz. size.
2 cans of cream corn
2 cans of garden peas, small type ( I personally prefer Lesueur early peas)
l small bottle of Katchup , 24 oz.
6 medium irish potatos'
3 large onions.
Her recipe does not inculde Frenchs' mustard but I add a tablespoon heaping.
Cook meat, cool and drain, chop fine or grind. Cook potatos and onions together (boiling). Now the recipe calls for mashing the potatos and onions after cooking, I like to have my potatos in small diced chunks/pieces. Add tomatoes, corn, out of the can, then add katchup, and meat, cook slow bringing it to a slow boil ( you must be careful here or you will scorch it, so you need to stir it occasionally).

Add salt, pepper , and some red pepper to taste. When served, put some type of hot sauce, such as tobasco, on the table so customers can make it hotter, which is how I like it.

Cook about one hour, makes about 6 quarts.

To make more, just double or triple the recipe.


Mike I personally make about two gallons for my personal consumption, I put it in containers the size needed for a meal and freeze. All you have to do is microwave it when you want some. You could do this at the restaurant and heat it when ordered. Also saves time and you would only have to enough to last a certain number of days.

Trust me, they will come, and they will eat it.

dog1

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

i have heard of brunswick stew but never in association with bbq...

it sounds very good and i will be trying your recipe....i am hoping to do a once a month whole hog bbq (slow smoked) / all you can eat buffet and this would be a perfect menu item for the smoked hog's head....it is funny because i was just trying to figure out how to serve it without the more squeamish folks being turned off and this recipe seems to fit the bill just perfectly.....thank you!!!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

well....

my boss and i are going to have a booth at the local 'peddler's fair' up in Oakhurst...it was pretty 'iffy' about getting a spot for the Spring fair but someone dropped out and we got their spot (we will be there in the Fall, too)...what great luck (God's Grace)!!! i had thought about it ...but he was the one that came and asked me about whether i would be interested and of course i was...3 days later we are in!!! he wants to promote my place and make some extra $$$ at th same time...now the money is nice and we should each walk away with some profit but i am there simply to promote my place and introduce the locals to what is coming next Spring...it is a great opportunity and it just fell into my lap...God has to be making things easy on me....

if you are in the area and at the fair look for a booth selling 'King Daddy's Fire Wings' and introduce yourself...ask for michael...i will set you up the best that i can (i have a partner here so i have to consider him with prices and freebees)...

hope to see and meet at least 1 or 2 folks from this board!!!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

have home made bbq sauce

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

well,

this last weekend was 'the peddler's fair' up here and we threw together a booth that sold chicken wings with my sauces (fire wings sauce, hot wings sauce, jamaican jerk sauce and citrus glaze sauce) on them .....we also sold iced tea, lemonade, sodas and water...

friday...amy's cousin, darcy, came up to help at the fair (thank God because we would have had a terrible time without her)...she didn't get up here until late afternoon...i spent the entire day with dave (my partner) getting the booth, tables, etc out of storage and the restaurant and getting them set up at our spot at the fair...darcy got up here a little after we were done and by that time i was home making the last batches of my sauces...then we all stayed up very late making signs and banners for the booth...i went to bed after 1 am and amy & darcy turned in about one and a half to 2 hours later....

saturday....up just after dawn darcy and i "carny upped" (our twist on 'cowboy up') and headed out to pick up the sauces and last minute stuff and then went to the booth....we got set up and waited for the customers to start buying....it didn't really happen and we were all disappointed...until the end of the day when lots of the other 'carnys'/vendors came to my booth saying that they had heard that i had the best wings...we made almost as much in the last hour as we had all day...we couldn't figure out what was wrong...so we decided that the words 'fire wings' must be scaring the potential customers away....

we made new signs that night....it was another very late night and then up and out by 7 am...

sunday...armed with new signs and some samples...we really sold a lot of wings...people went nuts for them....heck, the vendor next to me bought nearly 100 wings for himself during the 2 days....my sauces were a hit!!! lots and lots of people asked if was going to bottle them and sell them and were very happy that i am planning on opening a bbq restaurant up here...we got invites to a couple of other events scheduled for later this summer and in the fall (we are currently planning to do 2 more for sure and considering 3-4 others..).....in the end we managed to make enough to pay for all of our expenses and make a little profit (something many of the vendors near me didn't do)...all in all it was a great, fun and learning experience...

if you are in the market for a turkey fryer then i have to suggest checking out the bass pro shops fryer/steamer combo...it was only around 80 bucks and came with everything and then some...looks good and cooks beautifully!!! and above all is extremely stable...almost no way to trip it over or knock the pot off....i am really impressed with it!!!

my new slogan is ' Hey, let's talk sauce!!!'
...it got lot's of folks to come and try my wings and really helped the sales...

can't wait to do this again!!!



Michael...AKA King Daddy...

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Congratulations ! Isn't the last minute "tweaking" fun? Have y'all thought about coming in July for the West get together???? :)

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

tweaking is what it is all about....i had a GREAT time and can't wait to do it again!!!

i am not on here as often as i used to be...too many children...too much work...etc....

when and where is this get together? i haven't heard anything about it...

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

I'm a bit late to the party, but here is my .02. I have been in the pest managment business for over twenty years. Whatever you do, DO NOT SKIMP ON CLEANLINESS OR MAINTENANCE! I am not speaking of areas where your customers will see, although those are important. I am speaking of your prep areas, cooking line, coolers, drains, ice machines, dishwashers, etc. In the long term, your customers will thank you by returning, and you will have far fewer issues with your local health department.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

i have had both great and horrible experiences in the restaurants that i have worked in....rest assured that mine will be well beyond clean...

my wife, then girlfriend, actually had to be rushed to the hospitol because of food poisoning from a reataurant that I used to work at...too much to explain but she spent 6-8 hours hooked to I.V.s and the next week or so on medication...needless to say i reported it to the local authorities and the place was hit hard with fines and had to clean up bigtime...it was a horrible place to work and too gross to describe...it actually made me stop working as a cook for several years...it bothered me so much....

i am 'anal' about cleanliness and cross contamination...no need to worry there...

thanks for the advice!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

go to Off Season and look under Get Together in the West. It will be July 30- Aug 1 in ID. Hope you can make it. :)It should be a blast.

I have a hank'ern for BBQ now thanks[&:] There isn't anywhere around here that makes or even knows what good BBQ is.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

The thing that does it for me, is to make sure the aroma of the smoking pit can be smelled in the resturant. Mand when I walk through the door that odor just knocks me for a loop and pretty much garuntees that I'll drop about $50 for a meal. Good Luck to you I wish I had the cahonies to open my own pit. Way to Go:D[8D]

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

I love all the extra stuff. For example, Outback Steak House, everything there is BIG, the salads are big, the silverware is big, glass of beer is big - everything is big! Also, the service is outstanding, the waitress/waiters are friendly and outgoing. I remember one time my wife and I ordered a blooming onion, it took about 10 mins to get it (I didn't think that was to bad), they gave it to us for free, because they felt we had to wait to long for it - it's those little things you don't forget!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Good slaw and beans are essential to good BBQ.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

My parents have a very successful steakhouse adn bbq place. They have simple rules for their business. Treat people better than they expect to be treated. Give them more than they can eat. Post a sign that says if you leave here hungry it your own damn fault.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Thats the kicker , if enough people ask about the sauces you can bottle & sell them too.
Saw a piece on the food network where a guy made more money selling his sauces then he did at the restaruant. Glass jars & labels made off his PC. DO you plan on doing briskett as well ? No BBQ is complete w/out a briskett. As far as the "towelettes" go , use hot wash cloth size towels instead. Best BBQ place I was ever in ( mississippi ) used the hot towels.

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

i agree with all the advice given.........

i am hoping to have at least 3 different types of beans to choose from (classic BBQ, chili and portuguese ranch beans - known as Papa's beans in my family)

i have a killer old fashoned sweet cole slaw recipe but also have a couple of others that will be used on specials on occasion.

portions will definately be very large and include (on dinners and lunches) your choice of beans (above), choice of potato salad, macaroni salad or slaw, greens (collard, kale etc. cooked up with ham hocks) and garlic bread....am considering adding a half ear of corn on the cob and dessert (simple stuff...peach cobbler & ice cream)....also considering brunswick stew...the last 3 will definately be on the menu but am not sure if they be included in a lunch/dinner plate most like just served as sides along with several other things like hot wings, garlic fries, Texas toothpicks, ect.....

i like that sign and have been trying to come up with one like it for a while...i think that i will just use yours....very good sign!!!

we are going to be starting as small as possible so to start with there will be no servers...depending on how it goes and how much business i get will decide when we are ready for a staff of waitresses...i figure that is about 1 year after opening but that will change if it really takes off...

i have already had mutiple people ask me about selling my sauces (and i will bottle and sell them at some point) but for now i am just focussing on getting this thing going and successful...

i catered a wedding reception this last weekend and my Q sauce was a huge hit....i know it is a killer sauce but it still blows me away how people react to it and how much they like it....will be doing another peddler's fair this fall and with all that i learned from the last time it should be very proffitable...

i am entering the crunch time for a late winter/early spring opening and the 2 places that i have been considering as a location just came up for lease this week...so i have lots of work to do right now and in the next 6 months...both excited and nervous!!!

send some prayers up for me and my place!!!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

I have to agree with dog1 about the Brunswick Stew. It's found in a lot of BBQ restaurants in VA, NC, and GA. While I won't start the old argument with dog1 about the origin of Brunswick Stew (GA vs. VA), I must concur that it is a must in any BBQ restaurant. Good luck!

RE: Openning my own place and need advice
 

Hey MJW!

I can tell you that here in Missouri and over in the western part of Tennesse, slaw is always offered. It should be a creamy-sweet type slaw IMO. It should be juicy so it kinda moistens up the bun.

Sauce is always basted in Memphis style BBQ. It is also offered on the side, warm, for dipping. Do yourself a favor and get your ribs from the smaller type hogs, not those great big sow-belly ribs.

One thing they do around here that I like: Most places have wooden floors, and they give you buckets of peanuts in the hull to eat while you wait for your food to arrive. Most folks appreciate the peanuts and the places around here just tell you to throw the hulls in the floor. To be honest, i kinda like eating peanuts just so i can throw 'em in the floor;).

The thing about different type sauces is a good idea as well. Some folks like a spicy, sauce with lots of pepper and others like a sticky-sweet sauce. Dry rubs are good too.
Pulled pork is a must, but don't forget sliced as well......


Good luck!

GH