Idea for a Restaurant/Bar

[Typhoid]

There's a place called speakeasy here that's pretty cool.


Anyways, those are two pretty opposite ideas. One is family centric, the other being a lounge-bar.


Personally I'm not a fan of the 'family mega eatery' thing, even if it's mixed with a bar. Those places are everywhere. It's good because you maximize the types of people who would probably come into your place, but you also run the risk of just being 'some other place for dinner'. I'm not trying to shit all over your idea, those places just seem to be everywhere, and they all seem to be relatively the same. soft light, family setting, safe for kids, good food and drink at reasonable prices, a token fireplace, dark colours on the walls, deep coloured carpets and hardwood.

After working in "the industry", the types of things I noticed that are starting to make a comeback, or just get big in general are lounges. Just little places where groups of people can relax, maybe watch a game (if that place has a TV), appropriate music playing in the background be it over speakers or a live band, high-class food, cocktails and beers.

One of the places I worked at that had it down really well was a tapas restaurant/lounge, and on weekend nights it was for 19+. Meaning only booze and a DJ or band. The bartender there was top notch with cocktails. He's one of the best in the world at creating new cocktails, and he taught me more than going to school did for me. So if you have a place that works mainly on cocktails, I do highly suggest while sticking with classics, make sure you hire someone that not only knows their asshole from their elbow, but is able to - and wants to create new flavours all the time.

My advice to you would be to get away from 'traditional' decoration styles, and food styles. Lots of places do the 'homecooked meal' type thing, and there are a lot of steakhouses that all look, smell, and taste the same as the last one. You have to offer more than one thing that sets you miles apart considering you're not part of a chain.

To specifically address the "password" thing, that idea I think will end tragically from a marketing standpoint. The idea to have a password is different, I'll give you that - but not only would you have to constantly employ a bouncer for all hours on that one specific door, that would also discourage people who were just walking by and never heard of the place from entering. If two people walk by and try to get in, get asked the password, then get confused and walk away/not even allowed to enter, you've just lost 2 customers. I think that would keep more people from entering, than actually getting them through the door.

But, hope whatever you come up with works for the best.

[Professor S]

The password is only for the VIP section, not the main bar. Good points all around, though. My thoughts are that if there are a ton of similar style restaurants all over the place, there is usually a reason: people like them.

My goal is to try and do something that is familiar, but put my own spin on it. That way people are curious and drawn in but not put-off. It is a delicate balance, I think. I'd hate to be completely original and also out of business

[Vampyr]

Ale at room temperature? D: I thought you were supposed to serve it at least 40 degrees or something.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Ale at room temperature? D: I thought you were supposed to serve it at least 40 degrees or something.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer#Serving_temperature

The temperature of a beer has an influence on a drinker's experience; warmer temperatures reveal the range of flavours in a beer but cooler temperatures are more refreshing. Most drinkers prefer pale lager to be served chilled, a low- or medium-strength pale ale to be served cool, while a strong barley wine or imperial stout to be served at room temperature.[120]

Beer writer Michael Jackson proposed a five-level scale for serving temperatures: well chilled (7 °C/45 °F) for "light" beers (pale lagers); chilled (8 °C/46 °F) for Berliner Weisse and other wheat beers; lightly chilled (9 °C/48 °F) for all dark lagers, altbier and German wheat beers; cellar temperature (13 °C/55 °F) for regular British ale, stout and most Belgian specialities; and room temperature (15.5 °C/59.9 °F) for strong dark ales (especially trappist beer) and barley wine.[121]

Drinking chilled beer is a social trend that began with the development of artificial refrigeration and by the 1870s, was spread in those countries that concentrated on brewing pale lager.[122] Chilling below 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) starts to reduce taste awareness[123] and reduces it significantly below 10 °C (50 °F);[124] while this is acceptable for beers without an appreciable aroma or taste profile, beers brewed with more than basic refreshment in mind reveal their flavours more when served unchilled—either cool or at room temperature.[125] Cask Marque, a non-profit UK beer organisation, has set a temperature standard range of 12°-14°C (53°-57°F) for cask ales to be served.[126]

[TheSlyMoogle]

Take it from someone who worked in Cracker Barrel for 5 years, family restaurants cannot serve alcohol. You lose more customer base than you gain usually. I would say over 40% of the customers at cracker barrel come there because we don't serve alcohol.