Chef Jet Tila Question 1: Where did you get your start? “I come from a restaurant family, so food was always a big influence in my life. My parents owned restaurants in Thailand and opened a few more in Southern California when we moved here in the 70’s. You could say I grew up inFIND OUT MORE |

Photo Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons   One of the most difficult parts of opening a restaurant is hiring. You have to hire a range of employees from bartenders to servers to kitchen staff. You obviously want all of your employees to be qualified, but what does this mean, especially when it comes to yourFIND OUT MORE |

(Source: Flickr)   If you look at a restaurant’s website or even menu, chances are you’ll see something like this in small print: “catering and event services available, please inquire”. Many restaurants offer catering services for parties, weddings, or events as a way to buffer sales and create more business to make use of theirFIND OUT MORE |

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(Source: Flickr) Before you open a restaurant, before you secure investments, before you even come up with a business plan, you’re going to need a restaurant concept. Basically, this is your decision about what type of restaurant you’d like to open, whether it’s a neighborhood dive joint, a classy establishment with a whisky-tasting menu, aFIND OUT MORE |

(Source: Flickr) It’s hard to know what to expect when opening a new restaurant. Even if you’ve been involved with opening restaurants in the past, every establishment has a different story and unique process. While some experiences offer more smooth sailing than others, most journeys to opening a restaurant will include a road block (orFIND OUT MORE |

(Source: Flickr) It’s a simple fact: opening a restaurant is an expensive prospect. This is particularly true when a complete buildout is required, but even smaller-scale renovations and basic opening costs can add up quickly. Many costs associated with opening a restaurant are simply unavoidable–you need to pay rent, buy equipment and fixtures, and hireFIND OUT MORE |

Photo Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons When you have dreams of opening a restaurant, you probably don’t think about the damage one person can do to tarnish your reputation, but if you’re not careful, that’s what can happen with online reviews.  

Photo Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons Owning a restaurant can be a roller coaster ride when it comes to finances. While you can predict with some success when you’ll busy versus when you’ll be slow and prepare yourself, sometimes things slow down for no reason. Before you stress out and imagine the worst case scenario,FIND OUT MORE |

  Question 1: Where did you get your start? “I grew up in a Middle Eastern family where breakfast talk was about lunch and lunch was about dinner. We lived and breathed going to the open air market in Alexandria, Egypt to shop. It was an experience that ignited all the senses! That is whereFIND OUT MORE |