Sneak Peak @ A Dream Of Mine

[Scalliwag]

Anybody who ever seen me know I love to eat. Those that know me know I love to cook and drink and..... well all kinds of shit actually. Some very good long time friends of mine and I have talked about me opening a bar and restaurant for several years know. Usually when they are over and we are eating and drinking and drinking.
The talks have been getting more frequent to the point some have offered to put up or shut up when it comes to helping by investing if the time ever come.
About a year ago the perfect place became available and now some of them won't shut up about it. They think they'll eat and drink for free all the time I think.

I am really torn on this one. It will take a lot of work and money.

The pros and cons:
Pro: I can pick the place up for a steal. Con: even a "steal" is a lot of money
Pro: it's only 3 miles from my house Con: I'll never be home
Pro: there is a lot of rooms and the layout is perfect. Con: there is some repair work to be done
Pro: a huge kitchen Con: no equipment
Pro: two big walkin freezers and fridges already there Con: no other equipment
Pro: a nice area for doing projects Con: I can't really think of one for that angle
Pro: excellent overflow parking Con: nothing there either
Pro: I can have a bar!!! Con: I cannot have more than 31% alcohol sales
Pro: I can have a restaurant Con: I have to have a restaurant to have a bar and equipment is high
Pro: I won't have to go far for a Shiner Con: < see the pro
Pro: A really big covered patio outside Cons: my crazyass friends will have the neighbor pissed at me from day one if I let the out there!
Pro: if there was ever going to be a good time to do it, it will be now. Con: STRESS STRESS STRESS
Pro: I have some really unbelievably cool friends. One is a GM at a big club in downtown Ft. Worth. I'll rely heavily on her. She knows all the ropes, all the vendors, all the laws, excellent source for good peeps to work the bar/restaurant area.
Con: I don't have a lot of faith I could do this without her, but I have a couple of others that are damn close. I swear this girl could juggle three city buses and a yacht while riding a unicycle. Unbelievably organized and everybody loves her.

Well, check out the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8gCkZuHROg The back area was too dark to vid but it's huge back there. The place is real deep compared to frontage. My dumbass also forgot to vid the deck area.
Tell me what ya think guys. It may or may not happen and right now I am right in the middle of the fence on it. A lot more pros and cons but as Mush could tell everybody there is a helluva lot more to it than meets the eye.

[SuburbanSmoker]

The layout is friggin sweet. nuff said. i cant imagine how it would look if you did go through withit but im sure everyone on the forum would approve.

[Scalliwag]

The layout is friggin sweet. nuff said. i cant imagine how it would look if you did go through withit but im sure everyone on the forum would approve.

I'm sure most would like the scantilly clad young ladies in pirate wench outfits serving them ARRRRRRRR!!!! Ms. Scalli doesn't care as long as it makes money
To start off I could have appetizers, hookahs and BYOB. Maybe the hookah shop but I would not expect a huge draw there.
Oh, I probably have 100 or so local musicians and bands so entertainment is not a problem. The con with that is you better pay them in cash and not alcohol

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

if you go to a car forum and ask if you should add a turbo system or supercharger..no one is going to tell you no, so the same has on a hookah forum were all going to say yes do it..lol its every hookah smokers dream..or atleast 95% of hookah smokers..

[Sylren]

If you have a dream go for it, now is your chance and you don't want to end up regretting not doing it when you had the opportunity!

[cotsi95]

If theres one think ive learned from my friends who are 25 and own 2 businesses, if you dont take the risk youll be stuck in the rat race all your life...





DO IT!!!

[inino]

if you go to a car forum and ask if you should add a turbo system or supercharger..no one is going to tell you no, so the same has on a hookah forum were all going to say yes do it..lol its every hookah smokers dream..or atleast 95% of hookah smokers..

I would be the first guy to tell you no if this was a car forum. adding a turbo or supercharger will cause long term damage if you dont build up internals, bottom end, other various shit.

that being said, i think you have a great idea scalli, it would be fun and profitable for any person to own their own business especially if you are passionate about cooking and drinking. Getting a liquor serving liscense is very hard and costly right now though. also the amount of capital you would need to put up would probably be very high too, seeing as you said there is no equipment. You may be able to get your buddies to work for free when you start up, but bills from other stuff will add up very quickly.

If your area is in need of a place as the one you want to create, by all means it would be a very good idea, but if there are alot of other bar pubs with highly reputable names it might not be so good.

good luck though, any way you go.

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

if you go to a car forum and ask if you should add a turbo system or supercharger..no one is going to tell you no, so the same has on a hookah forum were all going to say yes do it..lol its every hookah smokers dream..or atleast 95% of hookah smokers..

I would be the first guy to tell you no if this was a car forum. adding a turbo or supercharger will cause long term damage if you dont build up internals, bottom end, other various shit.

that being said, i think you have a great idea scalli, it would be fun and profitable for any person to own their own business especially if you are passionate about cooking and drinking. Getting a liquor serving liscense is very hard and costly right now though. also the amount of capital you would need to put up would probably be very high too, seeing as you said there is no equipment. You may be able to get your buddies to work for free when you start up, but bills from other stuff will add up very quickly.

If your area is in need of a place as the one you want to create, by all means it would be a very good idea, but if there are alot of other bar pubs with highly reputable names it might not be so good.

good luck though, any way you go.

i know i was just trying to make a point..lol

[Stuie]

Can I give some suggestions:

Partnerships can severely ruin everything unless structured properly. There needs to be one person that has the final say. Ideal a non-partnership with employees with a stake in the company works best. That's just from Personal experience and a lot of my former small biz owner friends.

Make sure your wife's onboard, if she's not one day you will have to choose.

Take some time off every now and then so not to loose you passion. Don't burn out.

Give me the address so I can program it into my GPS!!!!!!!

[SimplexCoda]

scali,
This is a huge coincidence. Me and a buddy of mine from way back in the day have been wanting to open a place that had a bar, hookah lounge, and resturant (and in the back an area for us to play our tabletop games, ya were nerds). Guess what else, we also wanted to call ours simply, The Tavern. So basically what im sayin is your dream is almost exactly like our dream. The only thing that is different is we would make a special place to play tabletop games instead of a place to work on projects. I mean everything else is the same including the wench servers.

Where im headed with all this is right here: The only thing that has kept my buddy and I from persuing this is that we have no money for it, we dont have any friends with enough money to invest in it. I say if you have one of those options, DO IT. We have been trying and trying to find a way to get investors in on our plan. I mean im talkin to a person here on the forum about a place that is perfect for a hookah lounge here in town, but honestly it would be his place and i would basically be the guy who found it unless he chose to hire me, this is all of course if he decides its something he wants to persue.

Scali, I will just say that i am truely envious that you have the oportunity to create basically what has been the dream of my buddy and I for years.

If you open it, i promise if you let me know in enough time, i will gather my buddy up with me and we will drive from Portales New Mexico down to your home (from what i remember, the metroplex area, correct?) and we will be the first in line to check your place out.

[Scalliwag]

if you go to a car forum and ask if you should add a turbo system or supercharger..no one is going to tell you no, so the same has on a hookah forum were all going to say yes do it..lol its every hookah smokers dream..or atleast 95% of hookah smokers..

I understand what you are saying and I fully expect a lot of that. But people can surprise you and sometimes you kinda throw it out there and see if there's any diamonds in the dirt. Plus it's fun and I want to share the idea since I am seriously kicking it around

If you have a dream go for it, now is your chance and you don't want to end up regretting not doing it when you had the opportunity!

Custer dreamed of kickin those Indians asses though! hehe. But I know what you mean. You just can't throw caution to the wind with so much riding on it

If theres one think ive learned from my friends who are 25 and own 2 businesses, if you dont take the risk youll be stuck in the rat race all your life...





DO IT!!!

Haha!!! Well I'm nearly as old as both of them put together so I guess I've had enough rest

if you go to a car forum and ask if you should add a turbo system or supercharger..no one is going to tell you no, so the same has on a hookah forum were all going to say yes do it..lol its every hookah smokers dream..or atleast 95% of hookah smokers..

I would be the first guy to tell you no if this was a car forum. adding a turbo or supercharger will cause long term damage if you dont build up internals, bottom end, other various shit.

that being said, i think you have a great idea scalli, it would be fun and profitable for any person to own their own business especially if you are passionate about cooking and drinking. Getting a liquor serving liscense is very hard and costly right now though. also the amount of capital you would need to put up would probably be very high too, seeing as you said there is no equipment. You may be able to get your buddies to work for free when you start up, but bills from other stuff will add up very quickly.

If your area is in need of a place as the one you want to create, by all means it would be a very good idea, but if there are alot of other bar pubs with highly reputable names it might not be so good.

good luck though, any way you go.

The licensing will not be real tough because of peeps I know that can get that going and me not having any arrest records let alone felonies. Getting the friends to work for free or cheap even won't happen. The main friends I have that really come into play are set more in the finacial department anyways. Getting things going, making payroll for a certain amount of time and then them getting their investment back with interest if things panned out. Which could make this even more stressful and the reason I would rather if I do it at all not try to get every aspect of the business spun up at once.
The ideal goal really is a restaurant, tavern, microbrewery, hookah lounge, hookah/cigar shop and place to make stuff like the shisha or whatever. But like you said the equipment and all it takes to get to the ideal dream is a big number.
Even if the backers would go that far it is too much to juggle. I figure set a practical set of priorities to get it off the ground and then make those systems the best around. Then as resources permit proceed to other priorities.

Oh and there is not shit within 5 miles other than Hooter's with any above the norm things going on. There are some decent restaurants but none you would hit for a beer and definately not a hookah. Cafe' Medi is close but really small... and no scantilly clad pirate wenches... what's up with that?

[K1024]

and no scantilly clad pirate wenches... what's up with that?

for some reason i hear jerry seinfeld saying this in my head right now....

scalli its an awesome idea, just plan it out and do it right.

[indian_villager]

As stuie said you need to structure your partnerships well.

But other than that good shi* man! I need the address ASAP!

[Scalliwag]

Can I give some suggestions:

Partnerships can severely ruin everything unless structured properly. There needs to be one person that has the final say. Ideal a non-partnership with employees with a stake in the company works best. That's just from Personal experience and a lot of my former small biz owner friends.

Make sure your wife's onboard, if she's not one day you will have to choose.

Take some time off every now and then so not to loose you passion. Don't burn out.

Give me the address so I can program it into my GPS!!!!!!!

You are right about that. That is why there will not be any partners and I really want to limit investors for the same reasons. They would not spend money they could not afford to lose but there is a huge matter of principle and the fact that guilt does not sit too well with me. To be honest failure does not either. I'm not good at shrugging things off, even some that should.
When you come over we'll drive over there. I can't remember the addy off the top of my head. It is on Denton Hwy.

scali,
This is a huge coincidence. Me and a buddy of mine from way back in the day have been wanting to open a place that had a bar, hookah lounge, and resturant (and in the back an area for us to play our tabletop games, ya were nerds). Guess what else, we also wanted to call ours simply, The Tavern. So basically what im sayin is your dream is almost exactly like our dream. The only thing that is different is we would make a special place to play tabletop games instead of a place to work on projects. I mean everything else is the same including the wench servers.

Where im headed with all this is right here: The only thing that has kept my buddy and I from persuing this is that we have no money for it, we dont have any friends with enough money to invest in it. I say if you have one of those options, DO IT. We have been trying and trying to find a way to get investors in on our plan. I mean im talkin to a person here on the forum about a place that is perfect for a hookah lounge here in town, but honestly it would be his place and i would basically be the guy who found it unless he chose to hire me, this is all of course if he decides its something he wants to persue.

Scali, I will just say that i am truely envious that you have the oportunity to create basically what has been the dream of my buddy and I for years.

If you open it, i promise if you let me know in enough time, i will gather my buddy up with me and we will drive from Portales New Mexico down to your home (from what i remember, the metroplex area, correct?) and we will be the first in line to check your place out.

That is really cool. A lot of similarities. Pirate wenches are the shit!!!! How far are you from Jemez Springs? (I think Shiner asked you this once ) That is where I wanna retire to. Maybe we can make "Scalliwag's II" there!

and no scantilly clad pirate wenches... what's up with that?

for some reason i hear jerry seinfeld saying this in my head right now....

scalli its an awesome idea, just plan it out and do it right.

I'd like to see Elaine in wench garb!!!! Sorry, I can't seem to shake that thought right now

As stuie said you need to structure your partnerships well.

But other than that good shi* man! I need the address ASAP!

Lemme find the addy guys

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

im all with you on sharing the idea bud, i really hope you go thru with this and makeit happen..i like seeing stuff come together and it really encourages myself into trying has well..goodluck with everything..

[Stuie]

When you come over we'll drive over there. I can't remember the addy off the top of my head. It is on Denton Hwy.

Cool mind if a buddy of mine tags along?

[Rani]

Anybody who ever seen me know I love to eat. Those that know me know I love to cook and drink and..... well all kinds of shit actually. Some very good long time friends of mine and I have talked about me opening a bar and restaurant for several years know. Usually when they are over and we are eating and drinking and drinking.
The talks have been getting more frequent to the point some have offered to put up or shut up when it comes to helping by investing if the time ever come.
About a year ago the perfect place became available and now some of them won't shut up about it. They think they'll eat and drink for free all the time I think.

I am really torn on this one. It will take a lot of work and money.

The pros and cons:
Pro: I can pick the place up for a steal. Con: even a "steal" is a lot of money
Pro: it's only 3 miles from my house Con: I'll never be home
Pro: there is a lot of rooms and the layout is perfect. Con: there is some repair work to be done
Pro: a huge kitchen Con: no equipment
Pro: two big walkin freezers and fridges already there Con: no other equipment
Pro: a nice area for doing projects Con: I can't really think of one for that angle
Pro: excellent overflow parking Con: nothing there either
Pro: I can have a bar!!! Con: I cannot have more than 31% alcohol sales
Pro: I can have a restaurant Con: I have to have a restaurant to have a bar and equipment is high
Pro: I won't have to go far for a Shiner Con: < see the pro
Pro: A really big covered patio outside Cons: my crazyass friends will have the neighbor pissed at me from day one if I let the out there!
Pro: if there was ever going to be a good time to do it, it will be now. Con: STRESS STRESS STRESS
Pro: I have some really unbelievably cool friends. One is a GM at a big club in downtown Ft. Worth. I'll rely heavily on her. She knows all the ropes, all the vendors, all the laws, excellent source for good peeps to work the bar/restaurant area.
Con: I don't have a lot of faith I could do this without her, but I have a couple of others that are damn close. I swear this girl could juggle three city buses and a yacht while riding a unicycle. Unbelievably organized and everybody loves her.

Well, check out the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8gCkZuHROg The back area was too dark to vid but it's huge back there. The place is real deep compared to frontage. My dumbass also forgot to vid the deck area.
Tell me what ya think guys. It may or may not happen and right now I am right in the middle of the fence on it. A lot more pros and cons but as Mush could tell everybody there is a helluva lot more to it than meets the eye.

Scalli, go to www.hulu.com and watch all the episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. If you haven't seen it, it's Chef Gordon Ramsey's other show in which he goes into failing restaurants and turns them around. Gordon Ramsey is currently the most successful restauranteur in the world with 13 successful and lucrative restaurants all over the world so you can't argue with his business sense. Watching the Kitchen Nightmares shouldn't discourage you, but it will show you the mistakes people make on their own and how Ramsey fixed them to turn their places around - so you avoid making the mistakes in the first place. After that..... Take a deep breath and plunge. Remember - Fortune favors the bold. You don't really want to lie on your death bed thinking about the restaurant you could have owned but were afraid to try, do you?

'Rani

[ColibriDon]

Kitchen Nightmares is a great show! I love Gordon Ramsey.

I can't give you any advice other than what has been said here. I wish I could but...hell, I'm still in college and not a business major. haha

What I can say, however, is that it is better to take the risk and hope than not take it and dream.

Hell, a friend of mine and I have been considering opening up a lounge when we get out of college/graduate school so seeing someone else go into this and succeed will only encourage me.

As far as the actual place is concerned, it's pretty nice. It's huge and that shop area would be wonderful, I can just imagine that place lined with hookahs, coals, and shisha. Awesome.

Good luck on making the choice and good luck on getting the project off and running!

[Scalliwag]

When you come over we'll drive over there. I can't remember the addy off the top of my head. It is on Denton Hwy.

Cool mind if a buddy of mine tags along?

sure bro! Any bro of Stuie's is a bro of mine!

[MechAnt]

Man scalli, that place looks amazing. If I were older and had a nice chunk of capital, I'd dump some in!

There are a few things I have in mind though.

Only hire friends if you can fire them (not firing a lazy friend cause he's a friend)
Liquor Licenses are expensive and worth a lot. They can be worth upwards of $250,000. At least in Cali.
The logistics behind an endeavor such as this is insane. Especially running a restaurant.

Gordon Ramsay is a sham. Want world's greatest restaurateur? Check out Stephen Starr. Over 26 restaurants under his name and group of Starr Restaurants.

[Scalliwag]

Scalli, go to www.hulu.com and watch all the episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. If you haven't seen it, it's Chef Gordon Ramsey's other show in which he goes into failing restaurants and turns them around. Gordon Ramsey is currently the most successful restauranteur in the world with 13 successful and lucrative restaurants all over the world so you can't argue with his business sense. Watching the Kitchen Nightmares shouldn't discourage you, but it will show you the mistakes people make on their own and how Ramsey fixed them to turn their places around - so you avoid making the mistakes in the first place. After that..... Take a deep breath and plunge. Remember - Fortune favors the bold. You don't really want to lie on your death bed thinking about the restaurant you could have owned but were afraid to try, do you?

'Rani

You can't argue with his success. But he does not seem like a very happy person. He's always pissed about something.

Kitchen Nightmares is a great show! I love Gordon Ramsey.

I can't give you any advice other than what has been said here. I wish I could but...hell, I'm still in college and not a business major. haha

What I can say, however, is that it is better to take the risk and hope than not take it and dream.

Hell, a friend of mine and I have been considering opening up a lounge when we get out of college/graduate school so seeing someone else go into this and succeed will only encourage me.

As far as the actual place is concerned, it's pretty nice. It's huge and that shop area would be wonderful, I can just imagine that place lined with hookahs, coals, and shisha. Awesome.

Good luck on making the choice and good luck on getting the project off and running!

I think Mushrat and Eric (Tangiers) makes for a better role models because they took it by the horns and did it already. Hell I even followed Erics brilliant phunnel idea with the mod so I'm used following these guys. Follow the guys that are already showing success my friend. You can hang with me on my wildass ride though! ARRRRRRR!!!!!

[Scalliwag]

Man scalli, that place looks amazing. If I were older and had a nice chunk of capital, I'd dump some in!

There are a few things I have in mind though.

Only hire friends if you can fire them (not firing a lazy friend cause he's a friend)
Liquor Licenses are expensive and worth a lot. They can be worth upwards of $250,000. At least in Cali.
The logistics behind an endeavor such as this is insane. Especially running a restaurant.

Gordon Ramsay is a sham. Want world's greatest restaurateur? Check out Stephen Starr. Over 26 restaurants under his name and group of Starr Restaurants.

Thanks Mechy. I used to have a welding company in the 90's so I have some experience and supervisor/foreman positions.
The only friends I would hire are those I know that have worked their asses off even for places that did not appreciate them. They do their best regardless of the situation. I have friends that if they ask me for a job I'll straight up tell them hell no.
They are fun as hell but lazy an un-dependable. If they have balls enuff to ask for a job I have balls enough to give them a honest evaluation. Hell I can take the truth even when it's not pleasant as long as it's either true or the person has a reason to think that. People tell me I'm crazy as hell, I talk too much, I need a haircut, I'm built like a pot-bellied pig... I agree and laugh. Never be honest just to be mean though. That's bullshit people use as an excuse to be mean. They usually just need to get laid.
I try to be honest with my friends and my really good ones usually are with me. There are those I'll hire and those I won't if it gets to that point. Either you have work ethic or ya don't. It won't disqualify a person from being a friend but it will an employee. I'm not patient with laziness in a work environment.

You can still have fun and work your ass off ARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

[SimplexCoda]

Unfortunately im over 5 hours from Jemez Springs. If you know where Lubbock (home of texas tech) is, then im about 1 hour 45 minutes north west of Lubbock.

[Scalliwag]

Unfortunately im over 5 hours from Jemez Springs. If you know where Lubbock (home of texas tech) is, then im about 1 hour 45 minutes north west of Lubbock.

What is the terrain like there? I wanna be in the middle of BFE when I retire or at least have a second home there. The New Mexico mountains to me are like the last frontier. I love getting some seclusion at times and unwinding. That and it gives everybody else around me a break

Here is a picture from the side to give you guys an idea how far back this place goes. The red line indicates the back wall where the downstairs video stops. To the right of that is the kitchen area, then the freezer/storage/ project area and office. Over half the square footage is not on the video.
Christian got to check it out so he can chime in his thoughts of the place. The deck is badass.

[SimplexCoda]

Unfortunately im over 5 hours from Jemez Springs. If you know where Lubbock (home of texas tech) is, then im about 1 hour 45 minutes north west of Lubbock.

What is the terrain like there? I wanna be in the middle of BFE when I retire or at least have a second home there. The New Mexico mountains to me are like the last frontier. I love getting some seclusion at times and unwinding. That and it gives everybody else around me a break

Ya i doubt youll like the terrain here. Its the middle to high plains. Its flat, ugly and ugly. But the mountains of Ruidoso are only an hour 45 from here. Ya man, im prolly not gonna stay here after i graduate. But that is unless i had a reason to stay here.