Focus on Strengths, Avoid Weaknesses
Now You’re Cooking
“So, you want to open up a restaurant?”
“Yep,” answered the man opposite my desk. He was tall and thin, his face round, his jowls floppy. It was hard to picture him in an apron, much less being a cook.
“I’ve got the perfect place picked out too,” he said. “It’s got a great location, and better yet, the rent includes all the equipment.”
“Do you have all the little things most people don’t think about? You know, place settings, table cloths, salt and pepper shakers?”
He nodded. “It’s all included. The last place went out of business and left everything. You couldn’t ask for a better deal than this.”
“Ever run a restaurant before?”
“No, but how hard can it be? My cousin’s worked at a restaurant for five years. He says he’ll help me with whatever I need.”
“I see . . .” I scanned his financial statements again. Everything seemed to be in order; enough cash, location, equipment, supplies. Even though he didn’t have any experience, if he worked hard, he’d be okay. I’d seen worse do better. Something didn’t sit right with me though. I couldn’t figure it out. “Let’s go over this one more time.”
The man’s eyes rolled. “Okay, but I think we’ve got everything covered.”
“You’re probably correct, but we need to make sure we’re getting this right. I’d hate for us to make some mistake we should have caught. Ninety-five percent of all restaurants fail, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah, but this one’s a sure thing. I just know it.”
“Tell me then,” I said, “What is going to make this restaurant succeed where others fail?”
“It’s in the food. Our food will all be homemade ““ from scratch, with huge portions. I’ve got my mother’s recipes. Their guaranteed to pack “˜em in.”
“And what about the overhead? You’ll have some pretty high expenses to clear until it catches on, you know.”
“That’s the great part. My wife will cook and run the place in the beginning. She’ll work for free until we start making money. I’ll keep my day job so we can keep things going until things take off. We’ll only have to hire two part time waiters at first. I’ll come in every day after work to handle the dinner shift and close.”
“Sounds like you’ve got everything in line.” I drummed my fingers on the desk. “I’ve just got one last question,” I spoke almost as if it were a joke, but it suddenly came to me and I just said it. “Can your wife cook?”
The man opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. After a few seconds he said, “You know, we might have a problem. She’s a lousy cook.”
I closed the folder and hesitated a moment before speaking. “Maybe you should reconsider this restaurant idea. The first rule in starting any business is to play to your strengths, not your weaknesses. Just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for you.”
A month later the man and his wife opened up a fun little ice cream parlor. No cooking required.
