to own a bar? (long)

[monolayth]

Ok, I stated in another thread that I have the dream of opening my own bar. I have started the steps, although baby at this point, of doing this.

I am so tired of working for someone else. I want to be able to tell the sucky customer to leave. I want to be the one deciding my future.

I have given it a lot of thought the past two years. I know what I want.

I have just e-mailed the state asking for a checklist of grants and assistance programs for starting a bar in this state. The state website says they will give me a personal checklist of the things I need to do as well.

I think that my ideas need a little tweaking. first thing i shall do for you guys is give you an idea what our city is like.

Omaha, is the largest city in Nebraska. it is off a river and is quite large and keeps sprawling out. there are more resturants here per person than any other city in the country. Our nightlife keeps expanding witht he city. I read today at another nightclub opening. yay for them. lol. We have a handful of big nighclubs and about double that for medium one. the neighborhood bar is seen everywhere.

What I am wanting to open is a classy yet confortable place. I like the look of a place set for people to dress to impress. I also do not want it to be snotty. I want the feel that everyone that walks in is special and a regular. My friends and half the ciry seems to love karaoke. So I wish to incorporate that into the bar as well. I want some dance.

Now here is the unique part. I want a cafe off to the side. I know that every night denny's gets filled up with the people from the bar wanting a place to socilaze and sober up. Why not have it at the bar so you dont drive drunk to the place to sober up? I would have it to where we can have doors that close off the bar so after bar time the bar can close.

I want tables that people can order food at and a loungeish area for people to hang out and drink coffee instead of beer. Basically give something good for the neglected afterhours crowd.

What is your guys take on this?

[Greenday]

Honestly, the coolest thing I have ever seen, was when I was in Washington D.C. My sister's father owned a restaurant, with a night club underneath it. And it wasn't some scummy place either, it was REALLY nice. It'd kick ass to have a place like that.

[Lil Bunny]

Heh my marketing class I did a proposal on opening my own bar/nightclub/cafe! The upstairs would be a jazz/kareoke lounge (depending on the night), downstairs dancing and next door was a Cajun eatery.

So I'm biased when I say that would be awesome!!!

[d962831]

epic win. As I'm only turning 18 in a few weeks though, I'd have to wait before I could work and legally serve alcohol, but I would not hesitate to move somewhere, if only for a temporary job, where I could tell people to get lost if they're being a sucky customer.

[powerboy]

I hope that your plans works out for you.

[Greenday]

epic win. As I'm only turning 18 in a few weeks though, I'd have to wait before I could work and legally serve alcohol, but I would not hesitate to move somewhere, if only for a temporary job, where I could tell people to get lost if they're being a sucky customer.

I don't know about Iowa, but in New Jersey, you only have to be 18 to serve.

[Becks]

I don't know about Iowa, but in New Jersey, you only have to be 18 to serve.

The same in WI...at least a few years back.

[NightAngel]

While I'm sure that your idea is a 'cash cow' I personally wouldn't want to own a bar.

Why would I want to take the world's SC's, liqour them up so they're even stupider/ruder/meaner and then have to clean up their vomit?

But then- I'm a touch jaded...

I've always liked the idea of owning a Cafe though. :)

[Jester]

As I have mentioned from time to time here on the boards, I too want to one day open up my own bar, either in Phoenix or Mexico. (For numerous reasons, most of them financial, I would never want to own a bar in Key West.) But there would be two things I would need to do so.

1. Financial backers that agree to be silent, i.e., let me run it the way I want to run it. Mind you, I would not expect them to just sit there and do nothing if the bar is bleeding money, but I would have some kind of plan in place that they would sign on to and they would agree to let me do it my way, up to the point where they felt like the losses were too much. I would also have a plan in place wherein, assuming the bar was doing well, they would slowly get their initial investment back, plus extra, until the point where they were paid off (and then some) and it would be my bar. That would be a multi-year plan.

2. A partner. I can do a lot when it comes to running a bar and/or restaurant, but there is a lot I could NOT do. The business end of it, the number crunching, the payroll.....the nuts and bolts if you will. Partner would take care of the business end, I would take care of the staff/entertainment end, if that makes sense. We would be equal partners. Thought my friend PJ was going to do that, but he has since faded from that picture. Don't really have any solid replacement in mind, but then I don't have a business plan, any solid idea of where I am going to do this or what it would be, and sadly, don't yet have any financial backers. But before I got THEM, I would need to do all of the above. The cart before the horse and all that.

I DO know that I don't want to build a bar from the ground up. Construction is expensive. I DO want to take over an existing establishment and make it our own. Change a lot. And I have a great name already picked out. (No, not "Jester's.") The only way we WOULDN'T go with said name is if we took over one of the premier spots in the particular part of Mexico I am considering. Places that are established for so long under one name....you leave that name alone. :lol:

(Okay, so I HAVE done a little research into the Mexico thing, and have talked here and there with one of the guys down there who helps buy and sell these places....but nothing more than just some poking around.)

I have lots of ideas for "my bar," but it seems you have gotten much further with your idea than I have with mine. Good luck to you!

As I'm only turning 18 in a few weeks though, I'd have to wait before I could work and legally serve alcohol...

Well, maybe. Most states the legal age for serving alcohol is 21, but some vary. In my home state of Arizona it is 19. (Don't ask why...I don't know.) Here in Florida it is only 18. As others have said, other States have similar variances.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Better do some serious marketing reseach before you start investing any money. A lot of people open bars and restaurants because it's always been a dream of theirs, ofen putting up retirement money and and such, only to lose their shirt when cold, hard reality hits. You may have a wonderful vision about what would make a great bar, but without any serious know how, either by you or a partner, you're going to run into trouble.

That's not to say you can't do it, mind. A friend of mine, who is now a very well known business woman in the area, opened a chain of wildly successful upscale Chinese restaurants here in town inside of about 15 years. So it's doable. Not because she can cook, but because she's a business woman who knows how to sell her product.

I dont' want to dampen your dream. I want to encourage your dream to be successful. Learn all you can about the bar business before you put up a single penny.

[Jester]

Kink has a very valid point. In Phoenix 20 years ago (when it was big but not as big as it is now) a restaurant or bar closed EVERY DAY. Every single day, some dining or drinking establishment was going out of business. Often more than one.

So make sure you know what you are getting into and what the risks are before you do this.

And this very thing is why I am going to have trouble finding financial backers for MY place. :lol:

[monolayth]

Thank you all for your imput. and especially jester and kink. I appriciate the advice. I know that it will be a headaceh doing this. and I also know that I have polled my friends and they all love the idea. And my friends are the clientelle I want to reach. I think I might just have a Dj or two lined up and its only been a day since I decided I was sure this was the thing to do.

I know all the risks involved. I have am idea how hard this will be.


now that I am off, for the day, my real job I get to start doing my job of getting this bar started. yay!.

[d962831]

good luck to you monolayth, from the sounds of it you've got everything well at hand. And so everone knows, here in Iowa, you have to be 21 to serve alcohol, but you only have to 16 to sell it(in a grocery store). It's weird, but hey, it's America.

[monolayth]

Nebraska you have to be 19 to serve the stuff.


And an update!


I have someone who will dj the club for me. I also have an art grad student willing to help me with design. YAY!.

I will be calling the small business administration in the morning. I will be getting them to help me write up a business plan and get financing.

[Jester]

If you need/want any advice from someone who has been in the industry for 21 years, and has been a waiter, bartender, cook, DJ, and magician, just drop me a PM. I have opinions on EVERYTHING. (I know, that's not really news.....)

[Rapscallion]

How much experience have you in the bar trade? Working as a bartender or manager? How are you going to promote the bar? Have you managed people before? Do you know local and federal employment laws?

If the answers to the above are 'no' or 'don't know' then be very careful. There are plenty of managers on here, so you'll have a great source of information.

I'm not trying to break your dream - I just want you to be aware of pitfalls that could threaten it.

Rapscallion

[monolayth]

honestly no one is breaking my dream honey, and i have had 5 years in food service, working bars and waitressing and while not actually the title of manager i acted as one for 2 years. and yes i have bartended. while 5 years might not seem like a lot remember i am only 25.


I am actually welcoming questions like your raps. thanks.

[Primer]

Do you know anything about the accounting laws in your area? Many years ago, I set up and kept the books for the brother-in-law's place, but that did not keep him from "forgetting" to file, and pay his taxes. He also had a problem with the employees drinking up the stock, and giving friends free shots. It was by the skin of my teeth that I was not called to testify against him and several of his cronies. Sorry, just being realistic.

[monolayth]

i plan on hiring an accountant and actually listening to them.