How Not to Screw Up Your Restaurant Opening (Part IV)

You are so, so close. It’s most likely taken a little longer to get here than you expected, maybe even far longer. Along the way there has been a slew of people and issues that may or may not have come and go. You’ve tested your friendships and relationships by having uncomfortable yet necessary discussions about money and ownership. Shady landlords have tried to bend the lease terms their way — you can’t entirely blame them. You’ve gone back and forth on whether your palace is a Cowboy bar or a tropical-themed restaurant. Diva designers have insisted that you need the imported Egyptian marble bar top, contractors have told you about all the delays and unforeseen issues with the building that have popped up and ultimately cost you time and money. You’ve most likely spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars building out your dream. But the next stage is the toughest step of all: Opening, or more accurately, the preparation for opening.