Thread: Ask a restaurant lifer anything....

Hey guys, while some of you know me as a "photographer," my actual career is Restaurant/Bar management. I've been working in the restaurant/bar industry for well over a decade now, and now manage one of the biggest restaurant groups in NYC, with restaurants in NY, LA, Vegas, Rio Di Janeiro, Tel Aviv, etc. I've seen it all, heard it all, and would love to bust or confirm some questions anyone has in regards to the culinary world. Could be a fun thread!

So, ask away!

Great thread, thanks for answering our questions...a few questions I have:

1) What are some of the permits/process one must go through in order to open up a restaurant/bar?
2) How is a liquor license obtained? avg costs (LA or NYC)


Thanks again!

Originally Posted by fixedupw203

Great thread, thanks for answering our questions...a few questions I have:

1) What are some of the permits/process one must go through in order to open up a restaurant/bar?
2) How is a liquor license obtained? avg costs (LA or NYC)


Thanks again!

This will not be useful to everyone (as laws are not only state specific, but also city, county, and even BLOCK specific,) but....

1)For a restaurant (no liquor of any kind) it's a matter of

a)The building itself. Is it a standalone, or does it have tenants above it? If it's a standalone building, you need to get all systems up to code, and off you go. If it's a residential building, things get more complicated. If there was a previous restaurant in the location before it, then you just need to get all systems to code, and go. If not, you will need to petition the building, the tenants, modify all their leases (noise ordinances and such), etc. This of course, all comes out of your pocket. In NY/LA, this is usually not a problem, since the location that you would want a restaurant probably had one there before you anyways.

2)Liquor licenses. NY has 2 different licenses from the NY Liquor Authority, which are then broken down into 21 different specific licenses. One is a beer and wine license, another is a full out Liquor license. The following is ONLY for NYC more specifically, Manhattan, as I am not sure about liquor laws anywhere else.

a)The petitioner must not have ANY criminal record.
b)Outside of Manhattan, you have to be at least a certain distance from any high/elementary school. That distance varies by neighborhood.
c)Outside of Manhattan, they will only allow a certain amount of liquor licenses per square mile. This law often gets bent for restaurants, but for bars, it's pretty strict. This is a reason why many "bars" serve food. Although the profit margin on food is rather small (compared to liquior) the food allows you to open your business, and actually allows customers to continue drinking.
d)Unlike LA, the license is given to a person, not to a business. In NY, if you move your business, you can take the license to the new location. In LA, the license is stuck at the location. If you move, you need a new license.

The current cost a liquor license (full liquor) in NY with all associated costs is approximately $250,000. Some can be less, some more (depending on location) but that's a pretty average number.

Originally Posted by NFRs2000NYC

Hey guys, while some of you know me as a "photographer," my actual career is Restaurant/Bar management. I've been working in the restaurant/bar industry for well over a decade now, and now manage one of the biggest restaurant groups in NYC, with restaurants in NY, LA, Vegas, Rio Di Janeiro, Tel Aviv, etc. I've seen it all, heard it all, and would love to bust or confirm some questions anyone has in regards to the culinary world. Could be a fun thread!

So, ask away!

I like your blog post up the link you have some funny stories!

What's the craziest stories you've ever seen or heard a customer say in order to try to weasel themselves from having to pay for their meal?

Hell, any crazy stories involving an idiot customer will do!

What is the highest bill you have seen in your days?

How about the biggest tip?

Originally Posted by Rockfreak300

What's the craziest stories you've ever seen or heard a customer say in order to try to weasel themselves from having to pay for their meal?

Hell, any crazy stories involving an idiot customer will do!

The best IMHO was actually only two weeks ago. I had a couple sitting at a table, they had wine, dinner, dessert, and coffee. The girl decided the guy was a loser or something, and left him (she told him she'll be right back, she's going to make a phone call.) When it came time to pay the bill, the guy didn't want to pay, and here was his reason....

"I was invited here for dinner by her. She is an art dealer, and I'm an artist. She was supposed to give me a check for my art. I don't think I should pay since I was screwed. She invited me."

After I explained to him, the law works that the last one at the table gets stuck with the bill, he just kept repeating the story. The check was $95, so I made a deal with him for $70, which was all the money he had.

There are lots of reasons people give me, but that one was pretty tops in my book.

Originally Posted by CLS

I like your blog post up the link you have some funny stories!

I will post up my blog...if mods have a problem with it, feel free to remove it. There are no ads, no sales, nothing on it, just reading.

http://www.amanagerstale.com

I haven't posted in a little while, but will update lots of stories on Sunday night. Stay tuned to my "How I stopped terrorism in NYC" post...should be good.

Originally Posted by secure

What is the highest bill you have seen in your days?

How about the biggest tip?

The highest I've personally seen was my cousin from Israel (works for Deutsch Bank.) He took out some clients for dinner, the check was $42,000, with an $8000 tip. They had stupid amounts of ridiculous wine, and almost every entree on the menu.

Originally Posted by NFRs2000NYC

$42,000, with an $8000 tip.

Andre 3000 ($0.03) should take notes .


And that's another question. I can understand if you can't answer, but have you ever encountered any dead beat 'celebrities'?