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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 |

(Source: Flickr) When you go to a restaurant, do you always try the trend of the moment, or do you stick to tried-and-true dishes? If you prefer to stick with the standards, you’re not alone: while trendy specials can be tempting, ultimately most restaurant sales are comprised of classic dishes like salads, burgers, and ofFIND OUT MORE |

(Source: Flickr) Introduction: Trends can come and go in all aspects of life, but they can move particularly fast in the restaurant industry. The fusion cuisine combinations and trendy new ingredient that seemed to become all the rage overnight are gone just as fast; one day they’re hot, one day they’re not.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons Creating your menu can be one of the most fun and exciting parts of opening your restaurant. While you may think your actual menu is not important, you can hurt your business by not putting some thought into how your guests will see it. Read on to learn whatFIND OUT MORE |