[Sca-cooks] Medieval restaurant, a few more thoughts... (and an introduction)

[Decker, Terry D.]

Welcome aboard.

> I hate being a party pooper, and I must point out a few
> things...  First,
> my understanding is that restaurants didn't exist at that
> time, which, if
> you're interested in keeping it real, defeats the purpose :-)
> (that's not a
> real argument, just a vague passing thought)

Restaurants as we know them didn't exist.  Fast food take out, however, is a
Roman invention and establishments providing food and lodging turn up,
usually in urban settings where there is trade and travel.

>
> The real issue to think about is that of funding.  Given that 50% of
> restaurants that open, go broke within a year, banks tend to
> be extremely
> reluctant to loan money for restaurants or foodservice
> operations.

Which is why it is common for a wealthy individual or a syndicate to
bankroll an experienced restauranteur, then obtain loans on the basis of the
business plan.  You're also more likely to get funding from insurance
companies and investment banks than you are from a commercial bank, which
need to be more conservative in their investments.

Then, if you are the restauranteur, you have to watch out for your backers
cutting you out if the business is successful.

>
> Alas!  Restaurants, in the end, really aren't about food!

True enough, they are an exercise in logistics and customer relations.
Every so often, some of my friends ask why I don't open a restaurant and I
get to patiently explain that running one is among the most brutal forms of
labor there is and that more depends on purchasing, pricing and service than
on the cooking.

> It is interesting that a lot of restaurants with *great* food
> fail, because
> the people who opened it can cook your socks off, yet didn't
> understand
> that cooking in a restaurant involves many, many different things than
> cooking at home, or even preparing Feast once in a while.

IIRC, most restaurants fail from undercapitalization and the owners
diverting cash flow from the business to themselves before it is adequate.
Restaurants live and die on the cash flow.

Feasts on the otherhand are one shot catering experiences which don't
necessarily need to turn a profit.  Even if one approaches them as a
business venture with profit as a objective, the overhead is limited and
good estimating and purchasing reduces the probability of failure.  A
restaurant has higher overhead and with daily business, a greater
probability of a lapse in judgement.

>
> Anyway, I could go on and on on this topic.  I did not mean
> to be negative
> and put down the thought...  Just thinking that a dose of reality is
> important before going carried away in plans that could spell
> disaster :-/
>
> Muiredach seòlta mac Loloig
> aka
> Nicolas Steenhout

You're not being negative, just realistic.

Bear