The Location for Less: No Money, No Problems

The Location for Less: No Money, No Problems

Author: Kara Restaurant Group May 31, 2023 Duration: 11:25

You’ve got the vision and the drive, but you’ve got no budget - how the hell do you open your dream venue? Be it a bar or a restaurant, there are some design corners you can cut and some menu adjustments you just have to make when you’re trying to launch your new location. Peter, Leah, and George are debating how to debut a hospitality venue with no money in the bank and discussing questions including:

  • Does it cost $100,000 to open a new restaurant?
  • Do you need to renovate completely before opening your new location?
  • Can you open a new location for less than 20k?
  • Can you count on your current regulars to follow you when you open your own place?
  • How the hell do I get started when it comes to launching a hospitality venue?

Behind every great meal is a story that’s often messy, chaotic, and surprisingly funny. Restaurant Punk is that story, told straight from the trenches by the team behind Kara Restaurant Group. This isn't a polished, corporate guide. It's the raw, unfiltered conversation that happens after hours, where decades of hard-won experience collide with the absurd reality of running restaurants. You'll hear the kind of hilarious, cringe-worthy anecdotes that only come from a life spent in hospitality, paired with genuinely humbling advice on building a business that actually treats people well-staff and guests alike. Each episode feels like pulling up a stool next to veterans who have seen it all, offering a necessary release valve for the industry's daily pressures and a spark of inspiration for entrepreneurs brave enough to try it themselves. It’s a blend of business savvy, artistic struggle, and comedic relief, all served up without the pretense. Tune into this podcast for a unique mix of lessons learned the hard way and the unvarnished truth about creating a place where people want to be, all delivered with the kind of energy that keeps the kitchen-and the conversation-moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 219

Restaurant Punk
Podcast Episodes
Battle of the Sexes: Who Runs the Restaurant? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:29
Yianni, Noelle, and Pete are back with a brand-new episode that may or may not end with Pete’s funeral. Meanwhile, Noelle’s eye twitch raises some eyebrows, and some interesting topics, including:What new venues are on t…
Managers: Good, Bad, or Necessary Evil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:04
Peter Karapanagiotis aka The Y.B. makes his debut on Restaurant Punk, reflecting on the fact that Kara Restaurant Group has never hired formal managers. Looking ahead to the opening of a few new BYOBs in 2023, Peter asks…
The Sh*t Show: The Business of Bathrooms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:00
Join Yianni, Nikos, George, and Noelle as they cut the sh*t and answer this week’s steaming hot questions, including:What adjectives come to mind when you think about a restaurant bathroom?Have you ever had sex in a rest…
The Pros and Costs of Splitting Checks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:18
When dining out, it may seem like ‘no big deal’ when you ask your server to split the check 2-3-10 different ways, but what are the actual impacts on the business? Yes, it’s a pain in the a**, but it also comes with adde…
Bar Boundaries: Careless Colleagues and Creepy Customers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:58
They say that how you do anything is how you do everything in life.Careless Colleagues When there’s a lot going on in life – or when you just got too high before your shift – it’s easy to become careless when it comes to…
Just the Tip: When You Should Add Gratuity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:54
Yianni, Leah, and Liz are going deep into the question on everyone's mind: when should I leave a tip? When you sit down at a restaurant to eat, the answer is clear, and the same can usually be said when you pull a stool…
Not All Bars Are Built The Same [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:13
Join Leah, Liz, and Noelle as they revisit their careers working at every type of bar you can imagine, including speakeasy-type destinations, sports bars, nightclubs, and everything in between. The ladies of Restaurant P…