Nyc Bar Start Up

[MILOH]

Hi there! Can someone PLEASE give me some real information on how to get started on this life-long dream? I want to start my own bar in New York City.

Does anyone have a basic outline of what I need to do first? What are the immediate requirements? Who should I contact first regarding this? What agencies should I be callling for information? Do you have the number? I am starting from scratch. I have good credit (and a very helpful dad who can assist with some of the start-up costs). I also have DETERMINATION and a DREAM that won't go away. Thanks for all your help.

[dreone73]

Do you want to open a bar or a nightclub?

[MILOH]

I am looking to start a bar.

Also, what is your take on the proposal to ban smoking at bars, pool halls, etc.?

The government is already taking almost 1/2 of our paychecks on taxes, now they want to take our rights away?

Is my bar dream doomed for failure? What do you think?

Drinking without smoking to a lot of people is just like sex w/o the foreplay.

[dreone73]

Don't worry about the cigarette thing, People are NOT going to stop going out, just look at California.

Anyway, you need to start with a good SLA Lawyer, a great real estate person, and some kind of concept as to why people will go to your bar when they can go to any of the other thousand bars in NYC.

[happybaboon]

How about the rights of healthy, non-smoking drinkers NOT to have to breathe your deadly fumes :o

I don't mind though... Just thought I'd point it out...

Keep in mind that a bar most likely won't spin much of a profit, whereas a good bar & nightclub is just about as good as a licence to print money.

Because of this, you might find it easier to get finance for a nightclub.

[dreone73]

NYC is a completely different scenario than opening a club anywhere. Opening a club in NYC is one of the hardest things to do and the failure rate is high.

[RichieRich]

I am currently writing a book and I will admit my writing skills are kind of shitty but I have quite a past in the NYC Club scene. It is the hardest place to start up and let me tell you I can guide you to your dream. I did it myself and I can help you too.

RESTAURANT TO NIGHTCLUB

You begin by basically stating your niche. What will give your restaurant a certain difference from the rest of them? What will create the buzz around your place that will not only have people taking a chance on a night out but also keep them coming back? A first idea which I suggest but most people don’t have the time to do, is basic research. Ask around the area, goddamn it these are the people that will be dining in your enterprise why not check them out. Then you should understand that location is key, depending on the area whether a rural, suburban type area of course. The top reasons why restaurants fail are due to weak management. Leaders who have no idea what they are doing. Commonly they don’t put their foot down when they need to. A good manager will be on top of everything. Maintaining all elements of the business from book works to menu ideas. I can give you an example of a restaurant I worked at while in college. The place had just opened up and was originally a popular restaurant, which was run successfully. The location was slightly isolated since it wasn’t directly on the main avenue of an affluent town, but rather on a side street somewhat hidden. The previous owners handed down everything but the use of the restaurant name and menu titles. They gave them the chefs, waiters, cleaners, distribution networks, everything. The previous owners were connected people and demanded a certain amount of money for the place regardless of how weak business is. It was a deal with some mobsters and the owners were apparently confident in of to do it. They were soft guys and didn’t ever yell at anybody. They didn’t listen to workers ideas and they just managed the business into shit. The location is still sadly vacant and ruined by this weak management. There is a possibility certain customers may have been sent to purposely destroy the place but either way it all fell apart.

1. You need a good chef with solid experience and possibly a publicist to spread the news and maybe even someone who knows a lot of people that would be willing to dine at your new establishment.
2. You have to tell your workers that they have to be extra polite to customers. The bottom line is if you make a person feel special and grant them a comfortable and lucious dining experience they will love you. Hire an even amount of men and women and make sure they look good because appearance is important. Train them thoroughly and set up a system. Have a headwaiter who overviews all the other waiters and assures that all customers are always taken care of, i.e. in enough water, wine, utensils everything.
3. Always have a host or hostess who is organized and on point. A person who is absolutely charming and of course good looking. You don’t want someone walking in hungry only to see some ugly idiot guiding them to their seats.
4. Make sure your Executive Chef is on top of his inventory you should never be 86’ing anything.
5. Give bonuses to waiters who sell the most, let them compete but not all the time or they may get overly aggressive and annoy the customers.
6. The reality is most likely your waiters and bartenders are robbing you it’s just the business **** anyone who tells you otherwise. That's how it is in New York anyway. Remember fear is a stronger emotion always have the upper hand. Let them know there are serious consequences if they keep robbing you. For example I once approached a bartender who I really liked as a guy, he was smooth and very quick with his drinks but I could smell he was stealing, you see you can’t bullshit the bullshiter. I was watching him with out him even suspecting and I confronted him rather calmly. I told him “I knew he was stealing, and I thought he was a piece of low class shit for doing it, but I didn’t have to keep believing that. I gave him a second chance and told him if he keeps an eye on all the sticky hands of the rest of the bartenders and reports back to me. I’ll give him a nice little tip in turn. But if I ever catch him again, I’ll take him in the back and beat him senseless. Go ahead say you’ll sue me ****er, guess what I got enough money to hire the top lawyer what are you gonna do, Jacoby and Meyers yeah you’ll lose and I’ll win and it will be toilet paper money for me and life savings cash for you. Yeah that’s right toilet paper money the type I wipe my ass with. Let me tell you he never stole again, I tested him many times and he saved me thousands by reporting on other scumbag bartenders. He became my inside man and that’s just the kind of operation I ran.

7. Always have specials and keep it printed inside the menu so you’re bartender doesn’t have to waste time memorizing it and then have to keep walking back and forth to ask the chefs over and over. Plus people especially old ones will keep forgetting and you have to realize time is money so let them see with their own eyes the specials and details of the specials.

8. When it comes to desert don’t ever give them a list, or have the waiter sing it to them. Come around with a beautiful silver tray and have them already laid out. People can’t really want something unless they see it and trust me the group of people who say no dessert for me tonight will change once you walk around them with a tray in their face.

9. Once you have established a serious restaurant operation. You can begin to contemplate the idea of opening a nightclub. You would have to clear out the place and set up a nice sound system, lighting, a well-known DJ, and a good promotional team. It takes money to make money so don’t worry once you can get the people in and liking the place you can fire anyone who costs to much and hire cheaper ones. My suggestion if you know enough beautiful people and maybe if you know enough people who trust you period you can set up an elite party where only selected few can join. But you better throw a damn good party, I mean it has to be something so taboo that these people will be telling everyone. They’ll have people shitting themselves to get in and before you know it the place is a hot spot. I know a tight place in the Meat Packing District that you can only get in if you know a certain list name that each party is given individually. The place was fabulous and the women were just gorgeous. Everyone was having a good time. In Manhattan there are so many corny yuppies that crowd the place with their suits and khakis. But they spend their Ivy League dollars like nothing. These people like a good party so treat them right regardless of how much you will begin to detest them.

10. Once you have established a serious hot spot you have to start to cater to high rollers. Entertainment, Government, Business people, anybody with vast amounts of money looking to party. If you can feel around and you see that they are up for it always have a couple "good night girls" around. Basically in short these are hookers but very attractive ones that make the “high roller” end up having a good night. Now you have to understand, make sure these people are worthy because if not you’re going to be spending some money on these chicks, they’re not cheap. If he’s married or a very private individual, throw him in the Red room; give him a private booth. He’ll be getting blowjobs and buying thousands of dollars worth of bottles and drinks. Trust me he’ll come back and fatten up the night’s revenue. For example...

One night a very famous rapper came into the club. I had been tipped of that he was coming in so I was prepared. I did my research and these guys didn’t get chicks as often as you would imagine, so I sent over a couple girls and next thing you know they spent a couple grand in like two hours. I also knew that they loved to come back from a night of partying and eat fried chicken. So we got crafty and asked them if they wanted any food and they joked with the server and asked for fried chicken, he walked away without saying anything and returned with a whole setup of fried chicken. These guys were totally shocked but let me tell you they had a better night at my place then anywhere else in the city, hell maybe in the entire world. Least that’s what they told me when I finally introduced myself as they left.

Still don’t forget the little guys and make sure your doorman is not a total dick. This will only piss off people. Everyone once and a while I'll have some girls go out in front and if the line looks worthy have them talk on their cell phones and fake a conversation. Trust me you may think that’s pathetic but it works. You have two or three hot chicks say on their phone “ Oh my god you have to get down here it is off the hook, I am having such a good time, I gotta get back in.” Trust me the people outside in the line will be dying to get in at that point. And next thing you know their talking on their cellphones telling people to come down.

8. Never serve underage kids alcohol, they will fine you and shut you down if you’re caught out. It’s not worth it plus young kids have a tendency to do something stupid like load up on drugs and die on the dance floor. Not a good look. Make sure you train the doorguys to read IDs and not accept fake ones. Threaten them that if they let someone in with a fake ID you'll fire them.

9. Watch your books, keep an eye on your financial statements. If your clueless on this stuff just buy a book or a program for the PC it’s really quite easy. But it’s so important to watch your expenses and make sure you’re not spending too much or losing too much. You have to watch the workers, watch the books, watch the crowd, and watch the kitchen. It can be overwhelming but it’s not for everybody only people like you and me. We live the nightlife so we know what it’s like.

The basic bloodline of a clubs success is the women then comes the music. If there are a lot of hot girls and decent looking guys plus good music. There’s the party. The fact is girls go where there are more hot girls and of course where rich guys hang out too.

With a combination restaurant turned nightclub at night you have double income. Your putting the property to its full use. But with double income comes double work.

[Brooklynd]

hey ralph, i was looking for a guy to lead a tony orlando cover band ... too bad this forum is supposed to be about nightclubs.

and mr richierich, did you actually do this whole restaurant-to-nightclub conversion in NYC or were you just 'brainstorming'? cuz what i wanna know is, what do you do about obtaining those elusive 'cabaret licenses' that have been wreaking havoc on clubs in the city? if you don't have one, then your patrons will have to sit politely for the DJ.

seems to be a little bar would be easier to achieve in NYC than a big bumpin nightclub, but most successful bars work because they attract the people who live right near it. the reason that so many bars exist here is because there's so many damn people!