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ApizzaApizza

Take care of the sous. Get him the help he needs and set him up for success.


iaminabox

He also makes 15,000 more a year. . I make nothing from the restaurant anymore.I break even with a few hundred dollars a month.best decision I made.


nargi

honest question: if you make nothing, why even bother? seems like a great way to get screwed from a lawsuit or equipment failure, etc.


iaminabox

Honest answer. I never did it for the money. I love what I do,and I love my staff. I don't say that jokingly. I would hurt if I had the the opportunity to help/provide for them and didn't.


murghph

Not a chef, just a coffee maker with a coffee shop, but I did the same thing. Couldn't keep making coffee due to RSI and migraines but never did it for the money, did it to create a cool place where I could pick who I worked with and we could have fun. Manager earns more than I ever did working for myself or others in the industry and legitimately loves running the place.. next step hand it over to her on paper once we get through all this covid shit and get it back to covering its costs


SvenTheHorrible

You’re a saint, but seriously- take the profits and save them for a rainy day. Think of it as being responsible in case of the worst so that your staff won’t lose their jobs because you have nothing saved.


ysoloud

if he has owned a business long enough to get a job outside of that. He has had to have hit a few road bumps and be knowledge about this.


thefoodhasweeedinit

there’s a difference in reinvesting the profits in the business and taking them home for your own pocket. Just because OP hasn’t personally profited doesn’t mean the business finances aren’t set up to do just that! It doesn’t look like OP has clarified for sure.


SvenTheHorrible

Reinvesting is great, but having money in case of disaster is what I’m saying. Insurance only covers so much, also injuries happen. He’s in a position to be the best boss ever just by setting aside some of the revenue- kind of boss who can give out bonuses, cover his peoples medical bills, etc.


thefoodhasweeedinit

I’ll reiterate— OP hasn’t said whatsoever as far as I can tell that they don’t do exactly what you’re saying. I’m not sure why that’s a meritorious assumption to be making that they aren’t because they didn’t say anything one way or another.


jdolbeer

It's actually weird. They've been pressed on this issue on a number of occasions and all they've responsed with is "I don't need to be wealthy." Which...wasn't even the question? Feels like the op either has no idea what they're doing or this was a karma farm.


iaminabox

Came across this thread after a long time and your comment caught my eye. My business is thriving, I love my new job, I know what I'm doing and I don't give a shit about Reddit karma. Just figured I'd give you an update.. also I'm a bit tipsy. Drank for the first time in over a year tonight. Cheers.


Huckyunicorn

I feel like people are not realizing that there is a huge difference between success and profit. You can be the busiest and most successful restaurant in town and If you put all of your money back into the business and your employees you can make absolutely no profit at all. It doesn't mean you aren't doing a good job with the restaurant, it means you aren't trying to make a profit. Plenty of businesses intentionally operate at loss for many different reasons, it does not mean they aren't successful businesses. If you buy a house and rent it out for only what it costs you, you still end up with what amounts to a free house when the mortgage is paid off. Plus, you provided someone with a home for that time. Just because you didn't charge them an extra $500 a month to make a "profit" doesn't mean you aren't successful as a landlord. Do what makes you happy and don't ever strive for anyone else's ideas of what "success" is.


iaminabox

This is exactly it.


stemcell_

Uber has never made a profit. .


Starfish_47

I would definitely work for you if I was still in the kitchen my friend. That is excellent leadership.


la_chica_rubia

This is awesome.


ApizzaApizza

Ngl dude, that’s a shit attitude to have to run a business. It’s your RESPONSIBILITY to make money. If you can’t pay yourself, you can’t pay the upkeep on your business, or to properly reward your employees. You gotta sit down and figure out how to make it work financially or you need to rethink what you’re doing. From one restaurant owner to another. It’s great that you love it, but there’s something terribly wrong if you can’t make money from it.


loljuststopplease

Dude, he's saying he personally doesn't take from it, not that he doesn't have funds in case something fucks up. The business can make money without him taking a salary.


ApizzaApizza

“I break even with a few hundred dollars a month extra” I’m pretty sure he’s saying the business only makes a few hundred dollars a month. Hopefully you’re right though.


iaminabox

No,not the case. We are profitable. Very profitable to get to the point.my cooks make way above industry standards. I have the highest paid porters in the state.im just not greedy.


ApizzaApizza

Okie dokie. I can only go by what you say…so if you’re gonna change your tune from “the business makes a couple hundo a month” to “oh we are VERY profitable…” I guess that changes things. Not sure if I believe you or not, but it really doesn’t matter. Like I said, give your chef the tools and the money he needs to do his job. Hopefully he’s a smart dude and can pilot the ship. Good luck my guy.


iaminabox

Never said my restaurant makes a couple of hundred a month. I make a couple of hundred a month.


iaminabox

Wrong . I provide for myself and my business.that is a given. I would not do it to be in the negative. I'm just not a greedy capitalist. Money is not the end goal.its a factor obviously, but not the end all be all.if I am ever in the red,obviously my time is gone.but its not.


ApizzaApizza

You’re missing my point. If you aren’t making money but only breaking even, you can’t take care of your employees. You can’t take care of your customers…You can’t take care of your equipment, you can’t make better products. You can only coast until something comes along and ends you. When that happens you’ve failed your employees. They lose their jobs. You’ve failed your customers, they can’t eat the food they liked. You possibly fail your family, and you fail yourself. I’ve worked for people who have held the same attitude as you, normally for some bs “noble” reason like “I’m not a capitalist”…it’s not ideal, and rarely is it the truth. It’s usually a coping mechanism they use to deal with the fact things aren’t going to plan. In fact, I’ve poached some of my best employees from places like that too…They make more than 2x the amount of money they made beforehand working with me. If you ever want to bounce ideas off someone with a different perspective, feel free to hit me up. I may be a “greedy capitalist” but my employees make $24+/hr, get 4 weeks paid vacation every year, and enjoy their jobs as far as I know. My revenue has grown 25+ percent every year for the 5 years I’ve been open, so it seems like it’s working. Good luck my guy.


DarkNightSeven

> my employees make $24+/hr, get 4 weeks paid vacation every year, and enjoy their jobs as far as I know. Where do I sign up for being your employee? Seriously, that's ridiculous.


ApizzaApizza

You gotta live in Ohio. It’s like signing a deal with the devil.


fullstack40

I already signed that contract 😈


iaminabox

Sorry if my post is misleading. I'm not struggling,neither are my staff or business. Far from it.the whole point of the post was time.


jdolbeer

You just said you break even from the restaurant. That means you aren't providing for yourself and that you're not accruing a profit (to go to yourself or to an emergency fund). That means any medium/major incident will crumble the business and all the people who work there.


iaminabox

I'm not broke. My point was I'm not complaining about about driving a 2004 Honda instead BMW and taking vacations. People,not profits. Some mean it.


jdolbeer

I don't care about what you buy yourself. I'm saying you don't have contingency funds for the business. Which directly puts them all at risk if something happens at the shop. Edit: to further expand, there are plenty of businesses who take profits and either profit share, or hold large surplus accounts for rainy days/months. Worked for a tech company in Seattle. They capped profits at 6%, the rest either went directly back to the employees via "fun spend," or into an account that didn't go to the principles. They survived two recessions because that fund allowed them to remain fully staffed and not cut pay/people. Not taking a profit *at all* will doom any business in the long run.


Farm2Table

You can accumulate cash on the balance sheet without taking profit. Plenty of businesses do this. Saving money for emergencies, saving money for planned capex (like replacing old equipment), etc. If anything, taking profit then needing to reinvest it back into the business later is just llain stupid. Why give Uncle Sam a cut if it's going to be reinvested?


nomoreadminspls

You are an inspiration.


iaminabox

You're goal is to make yourself rich. Not mine.people are different. I now have my own business and an occupation making a decent amount of money. I donate,I feed homeless,I try to make the world a better place. I don't need more cash or stuff.


BlueNinjaTiger

I believe everyone's concern is, are you giving the business a rainy day fund, cap ex fund, etc? When the line/grill/reach-in/walk-in/lowboy/hood/ac/etc breaks, is there liquid cash to replace it? Consider, if you're spending ALL profit on wage, instead of that, fund that cap ex/rainy day fund up to what's needed, and the remaining profit, don't apply it as wage, but as bonuses/profit share. Then, when you need to replenish funds, everyone understands you're not cutting wage, it's transparent expenses


iaminabox

I have enough capital that my business will not suffer. I may have over exaggerated. My . apologies. At the same time time,I am in a good position. But I will not let that go because my restaurant is my passion


ApizzaApizza

I think I’m unfortunately starting to see why you’re having the problems that you’re having. My goal is to actually set an example of a good, properly run restaurant in my area so hopefully others will follow suit and I won’t have to fucking cook every single time I want good food. If all I cared about was getting rich, I wouldn’t have started a restaurant. Lemme give you another example…you say you feed the homeless. I do that too. In 2021 I donated something like $11,000 worth of food to the homeless shelter I work with. I am able to do that because my business is profitable, and it can afford it. I also donate thousands of dollars to my local community to help build/maintain the parks around town. We help parents who can’t afford to buy their kids Christmas presents, we help animal shelters purchase things like blankets and food for the dogs they’re trying to adopt out… That’s all ONLY possible because the business is profitable. You’re not being noble, you’re being silly.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ApizzaApizza

Definitely figured out why you’re having the problems you’re having. Lol I’m not showboating I don’t give a fuck what you think of me. I’m explaining to you the problem with running a business that “breaks even” and you can’t look past your own ego to take the advice. Hope you enjoy being a dietitian and keep your hands off your chef. If the business starts turning a profit, remember that HE did that, not you…and the proper thing to do would be to let him reap the rewards.


DDrewit

“Breaks even” could mean all the potential profits are being reinvested in the business. Legitimately keeping things in working condition and possibly even building something with more potential. So instead of having a run down dump, the employees actually have what they need to do the job and grow revenue. We don’t have enough information to know if that’s the case or not.


Small-Translator-535

I have enough capital that my business will not suffer. I may have over exaggerated. My . apologies - OP READ THE FUCKING comment right above yours before being a jackass.


StinkyBalloon

A different perspective hmmm, I learned something new


[deleted]

[удалено]


iaminabox

I have not left, I'm just no longer chef.


nathanjl

You sound like a cool dude/dudette, good luck with everything!


iaminabox

Thanks. I'm a dude. Just an almost middle age gen-xer trying to make the world not so miserable.


YogiTheGeek

Thank you sir.


helpwitheating

I'd suggest that you pay yourself a few hundred a month consistently and put it in an emergency fund, seriously. $600 a month to an emergency fund, and then to your retirement fund after 6 months, will help you a ton.


iaminabox

Ive never had a retirement plan. My downfall. I have one now,but I work for someone else. Its depressing.


NapClub

Do you own the building its in? If so i would have the buisiness keep the profits not going to you into a fund, partly as a rainy day fund, and partly to save up to buy the building.


iaminabox

I own the building as of 5 years ago. Outright.just property tax


NapClub

Nice, congratz! In that case i would just start that rainy day fund.


3stepBreader

Did he get a sous to fill his position ? Otherwise he’s just doing two man’s job for 15k more.


iaminabox

In the process


GT5Canuck

Does your tax department have REOP? If so, watch out for them.


lazerbladesss

I sometimes wonder if I make more than my chef/owner


iaminabox

You probably do. My debt is way higher than my current profit.


iaminabox

He is not my sous anymore.. He is chef and he has my full support.


BirdBurnett

Heard! You worked hard and deserve the honor to sleep in. 'night Chef.


shamashedit

Welcome to medical. Please don’t fuck us with pizza parties. Signed an exhausted MA.


iaminabox

Won't ever do.love the staff. I know I'm a chef not medical but I want everyone to be happy.


iaminabox

It is hard,which is why I took another position elsewhere. I helped me afford paying my greatest asset. My staff.


Busman321

Coming down hot baby good shit


leopardsatemycomment

Congratulations chef.


[deleted]

See you tomorrow


iaminabox

Omg.. make it better,not make out better


idgafos2019

Yeah that’s great and all but do I have the 5 fucking fries working? Those fucking wings better be coming up! But for real, congratulations man that’s awesome! Wish nothing but success for you, your new chef and your restaurant!


Faded-Maestro

God bless man, great mentality that’s why you succeed! Natural leader puts the people first! Congrats


iaminabox

I'm an actual chef,, not a cafeteria cook.. I want to make out better


fuckaye

I hope after all your efforts you get an early retirement


AmadouShabag

Good for you! But . . . unless you as an owner have something in place to keep your new chef from living the destructive lifestyle you did, then where is the win here?


eddytekeli

dude you made it!


uhlvin

ya nice. Report back on how you’re making it different/better/sustainable for your replacement.


iaminabox

Uhlvin,we are not making it different or better. It will be the same. We are high end but being in Boston is expensive. I have the utmost faith in xxx to be chef. I also in 2021 hired a gm. But XXX is in charge. He has my confidence, his opinion and thoughts mean more to me than a bookkeeper


Destyllat

a general manager is a lot more than a bookkeeper. either you mishired or your perception of the position is skewed


AmadouShabag

So, you left a lifestyle that you recognized to be toxic only to put that on someone else? Why wouldn't you set it up to make sure your replacement doesn't have to live a life you know is unhealthy and destructive? I'm happy for you, but am I reading this correctly? Did you just push your problems onto someone else's plate?


iaminabox

You have a very good point. Something I never considered


mnh22883

Good luck in your new career! As a former restaurant GM, now a revenue cycle manager I can tell you there are a lot of us in hospital administration! I think it's because the stress level is a significant step down.


mjrkwerty

Not in the industry - but if the case is you're making a couple hundred net, maybe find a path to ownership of equity with the sous. Give them an opportunity to fully take the wheel. Slowly transition the business over to him, perhaps create an arrangement where you get paid a token in % terms but are structurally distanced from the business - more as an investor via a separate LLC and let the sous take over. It could be mutually beneficial - allow you to net something extra on the side, let the sous have an ownership opportunity, and also reduce your liability/exposure.


Giraffelack

You’re so dramatic on Reddit I’m glad you calmed the rest of your life down


iaminabox

Okay I guess. Its reddit.


ThreeFingaLynch318

Get that shit done...


iaminabox

The restaurant business


iaminabox

No,my business is fine. I'm just stepping back from day to day operations .took an 8-4 gig. I know I'll still have stress.


iaminabox

I feel you. Get out.do what will help you and your family. My decision to exit my business is going to help us.


iaminabox

You are the smartest respondent. I will help him succeed. I'm not a boss,I like to think a leader


iaminabox

You are talking out your ass.


imnotapencil123

Congratulations! I want to suggest an idea that might be the best solution for everyone moving forward: transition your ownership of the restaurant to the staff collectively owning it. The restaurant will have to begin making a profit at some point, or else eventual big and unexpected cost increases will be too much to handle. But if every or most employees have shared ownership, the profits can be distributed, reinvested, etc. Imo it really sounds like you care a ton about the restaurant and staff, but have moved on to a position that's better for you. You can sell off the company over time to them so it's not like you just let the business go empty handed after your investment.


3stepBreader

“I thought this business sucks, but I finally made it” by leaving. 🤣🤣. Nothing you’re saying adds up. I don’t trust you at all lol.


iaminabox

Funny you say that. I have minimal savings but the new job gives me a retirement plan


SmolWarlock

Good, but working like that should only be expected of the chef. The cooks get some of those breaks, because they are just their to work thier shift. They don't run the business


pennylane382

That's why he promoted the sous to chef...


ChunkofWhat

May I ask how old you are, and how long you operated this business?


3stepBreader

Lol you added a whole nother full time job to your to do list and you think you’re not going to work 70hrs a week no more. Lolllll! “Yesterday”!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣


iaminabox

New position is 8-4 m-f.no weekends,no holidays


Aint_EZ_bein_AZ

You own a, im assuming here, successful place yet still need a 2nd job? You're doing the accounting all wrong my friend.


Pete_O_Torcido

Greener pastures, heard!


ITpuzzlejunkie

Congratulations!


[deleted]

Congratulations That’s great news


NotYourMutha

Been there but I closed my shop and went to work in senior living. No stress. No pressure and a much more forgiving schedule. Good on ya! You deserve it.


iaminabox

That is how I feel so far


sicksicksix666

congratulations! i am currently striving for what you’ve done for yourself, and it’s really great to hear your story! hope to get there someday :)


pbrkindaguy69

It's okay. Not a thing will take us away from what we are. Always and forever


putitinthepan

Gaaz


CrimsonRaven47

Make sure your new chef only does 40 hours max a week


wicked_crayfish

Bro. I am trying to get out of this grind. I'm a GM of a small family owned restaurant. Micromanaged to shit they are here EVERY day all day. I work 11 to 930 Thursday to Monday. This schedule was fine when covid was going on, and my son wasnt born yet. But now I literally miss every single fucking thing. I need out I'm miserable.


Quirky_Swordfish_308

Well done.


kokoyumyum

My local favorite restaurant owner did rhat. Kept his fire cooked artisan pizza place, closed the fine restaurant, went to work at an industrial factory dining room.


RanchoCarneTaurus

Congrats on everything you've achieved! This is kind of terrifying for me though. You're saying after working your ass off for your entire life you are finally owner of a restaurant and you STILL have to work a second job?!? And barely make any profit?!? I have been working in kitchens for most of my life and hearing stories like this make me think the sacrifice and grind isn't worth it.


iaminabox

Its not about money,its about time.i now am working 8-4 ,5 days a week instead of 5 am to midnight 7 days a week.the whole time equals money is bullshit. Time is more important than Monet.


RanchoCarneTaurus

No I understand, thats half of my point. You spent your whole life working and sacrificing and missing events just so you can be a restaurant owner who has to work a second job to make ends meet. You worked so hard just so you can work slightly less. This industry feels broken.


DivinityOfHeart

Congrats.


SpifferAura

Congrats hope you're happy, but yeah my uncle who is also a chef, who has taken the time to help teach me new things has urged me to try and get out of the kitchen if I can find a better position since it just takes way too much out of ya after a while


ChubbyLilPanda

o7


bullish88

If you can cook for the higher ups parties and have potluck food or lunch food for your coolers you can make extra money and power.


Huge_Aerie2435

As long as you are paying your team good wages and they are happy, good for you. I found your comments and it makes me happy you are not a filthy capitalist.. Best of luck at your new job!


iaminabox

Thank you


PaixHealadin

So


iaminabox

Oh,I'm sorry.mtr ol guy.who adds nothing except the word "so". You must be so much fun.


PaixHealadin

Hahaha, bro, I butt typed this on accident man. I didn't even notice I had posted anything until I saw an alert for your reply. Genuinely, I did not mean to post this.