The final countdown.

As the cliche song plays in my head, a bit of underlying fear begins to brew. I remember this feeling from when I decided to change career paths. I know that with hard work determination and a little help from friends and family we will continue to push on.
I have started looking at continued education and have found a bachelor's degree program for culinary science. I think this is the path I was chosen to follow. I can't wait to begin my trip back east.
Plans at this point are hinging on a transfer from my current position to another restaurant in the Landry's Chain Group. But none the less I will find an awesome place to work when I return to Maryland.
I contacted Stratford University in Baltimore about the Bachelors degree program and they are sending me a education package. I was thrilled to see the offer a master's program as well. So hopefully I can take advantage of the programs and prepare myself for a promising career as a Professional Chef.

Here's to chasing the first Pint! Bottoms Up!

As school ends the new journey begins.

For the past fifteen months I have enjoyed making new friends and learning a new career. My dreams of owning my own Bar seem closer now than ever before. I have learned so much while attending Oregon Culinary Institute. The training and chefs were superb. I felt I had a good grasp on making my way through the kitchen before I came here but I can honestly say I learned something new and exciting each and every day. While not a traditional school, OCI has instilled time tested methodology that provides results every time. We may not all graduate top of our class (Thomas) but we will be Kitchen Ninjas and rise to what ever the kitchen can throw at us.
I have made life long friends here in Portland. Some who I will miss more than others and some friends I can say will be even cooler from the other side of the country...Doug! Just kidding Marine don't get you skivvies in a bunch. But in all seriousness I don't know what I would do without my crew from OCI. I may have washed out somewhere around Brophy's yield project without the constant battle for top spot with Talena VanSword, Devon Wardle and Thomas Peace. I can taste the air of the east coast now with only months left in Portland and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way.
I can't wait to get started with planning the next step I'm my journey and I hope to find as many awesome friends in the years to come.

Here's to a lifetime of friendship! When I open my first place my classmates will enjoy there first round on me. CHEERS!

Geared up for the flop.

St. Patrick's Day 2014, the event that has been in planning mode for the last year. All hands are required to work. Black Out day for everyone no exceptions. These were warnings enough to know that this day was going to be one for the record books. Last year Jakes did huge numbers and record setting covers.
I was set to work prep, with additional responsibilities of keeping the holiday food items stocked in the event tent and on the kitchen line. We had, roasted lamb stew, corned beef pasties,  and corn beef and cabbage as some of our holiday fair. In the last few day leading up to the event the mad dash to prep mass amounts of holiday food and normal menu items was intense. We had everything in place and we're ready for the mega-rush.
When I clocked in at 2pm we begin getting things in place for the event. All indications were that the major rush would begin after 5pm. 4 prep cooks were on duty and the race to beat the rush was on.
From 2pm to 5pm we were head down, proper portion control, prep machines. We had the prep list finished, the walk-in was stocked to the max and the tent and line were fully stocked. Now it was time to race around to keep everyone going during the rush. 5-6pm slow standard weekend night crowds, with 550 on the books we should be rocking right now. 6-7pm slow and no more than 6 or 7 tickets at a time on the line. What's going on!!!! Our St. Paddys Day Monday was an Epic Flop! We did business, made money and turned profits but it was nothing of what it was hyped up to be.
Just as last night ended I will end this with a lack of climax.

Here's to chasing the first pint. Bottoms Up!

Great service saved the day.

Last night we had dinner at Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom. I was absolutely blown away by the service I received. Before I get carried away will all the things I thought were amazing let's set the mood with a play by play.

It was around 530, screaming child in tow we were all hangry.  Yep, so hungry we were angry. So with our attitudes aligned for disaster we picked the first thing we saw off of NW Cornell. Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom, pizza for the almost 4 year old and beer for the adults. We were greeted at the door in what seemed like the blink of an eye and shuffled right to a comfy booth with a view of three TV's. Two with the local sports games on and one with cartoons to keep the wee one entertained until the pizza arrived.
The service was fast and the kids menu was amazing. Not your standard menu, this had pictures with lines breaking off in different directions with all of the side options and color coated drink menu. We didn't have to ask my daughter what she wanted she knew, she politely interrupted the server while we were ordering beers and said "I want some pizza please and a pink root beer (Shirley Temple) and carrots thank you." Without missing a beat the server wrote down her order and thanked my daughter for being so polite by saying please and thank you. Then quickly turned back to us took our order and headed for out drinks. Sure as I write this none of this really seems out of the ordinary for most places, but somehow our without much effort our moods had improved and our hangryness was beginning to mellow out.
Drinks were out in a flash. I wasn't to pleased by my choice in brew and made a silly face to my wife. From across the room our server came over asked if there was an issue with my drink. I said nothing was wrong but she said she wanted me to try the new IPA and that if I wanted to swap it would be no charge. So I took it. The IPA was fantastic and with a packed house I thought it would take a lifetime to get another drink and food. To our surprise the waitress made eye contact from across the bar made the "another round" signal with her fingers in the air, and with a nod she was off.
She was Johnny on the  spot with those drinks and the food followed in tow with a food runner. The night at this point had been salvaged.
Kiddos pizza was warm not hot and the plate was able to be touched with little fingers. This is rare in most places. My calzone was perfect and my wife's calzone was made just as she asked special toppings and extras spot on.
I have never had service like that in my life. Even in a packed house with hundreds of people I felt as if I had the place to myself. The service was impeccable and I can't wait to head back again in the future.

So, I have ranted about how amazing my trip to Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom was and I can't stop telling people about it. I just hope that I can find staff that can read, adjust service, and exceed expectations the way our server did last night. BEST dinner out in four years hands down!

Here's to chasing the first pint. Bottoms Up!

SBA.gov, 20 Questions to answer before opening a new business.

So there will be piles of paperwork to swim through in the process to opening a bar. I have started with SBA.gov an awesome resource for starting a new business. My first step was to read the 20 Questions Before Starting a Business page and see if I qualified as ready to open a business.

Here is my trip through the 20 questions.


1.Why am I starting a business? I want a location to showcase my talents as a professional and make a living for myself and family.
2. What kind of business do I want? I want to own/operate a small bar with a small local menu.
3. Who is my ideal customer? 21-45 yo. customers looking for a casual bar to sit back and enjoy drinks and food with friends and associates.
4. What products or services will my business provide? beer, custom cocktails, light bar food, commission free retail wall space for local artist.
5. Am I prepared to spend the time and money needed to get my business started? Absolutely, to make money you have to spend money.
6. What differentiates my business idea and the products or services I will provide from others in the market? Most other bars and restaurants lack the community feel and relaxing environment that I wish to have. Most other establishments have loud, over crowded, mashed themed spaces that don't really invite people to sit down and enjoy each others company.  
7. Where will my business be located? Undecided.
8. How many employees will I need? I will need 2 Bar Managers, 8-10 servers/bartender, 2 buss boys, 4 line cooks, and 2 dishwashers.
9. What types of suppliers do I need? Food and Beverage, Glassware and Stemware.
10. How much money do I need to get started? This is undecided at this point because I have not nailed down a size or location at this point.
11. Will I need to get a loan? I am sure i will need to secure some form of loan or line of credit.
12. How soon will it take before my products or services are available? Again undecided until a location can be found. but the goal is to be open within the next 5 years.
13. How long do I have until I start making a profit? My goal is to turn a profit within the first year. I know that if I get the concept off the ground that the money will follow shortly after.
14. Who is my competition? Until a location is found the competition cannot be judged.
15. How will I price my product compared to my competition? I plan to have a fair pricing plan. I want affordable food and drinks but still maintain a level of perceived value and comparable market pricing.
16. How will I set up the legal structure of my business? I plan to source this out to a company and pay a monthly payment to maintain legal structure.
17. What taxes do I need to pay? Lots of them! County, State and Federal, employee withholding.
18. What kind of insurance do I need? I am not sure this will take some research.
19. How will I manage my business? I will be a hands on owner operator. I plan to manage day to day operations with the assistance of a business mentor that can be found on SBA.gov.
20. How will I advertise my business? Social Media, Radio, Web Page, Flyer's, Mailers and Print Ads in local papers and hopefully partner with some local community based organizations that will assist in promotions.

So after the 20 questions, I see that I have a few areas to focus on. I will continue to do research on my areas that lack detailed responses.

Here's to chasing that first pint!, Bottoms Up!

Food for thought.

Lets talk about what fuels our nights out. Yes, alcohol makes it more interesting but food is what fuels us. What kind of bar food is a must and what can I make that will let me stand out from the crowds?

Some of the givens that I know will have to be on the menu.

Chips and Salsa, always a crowd pleaser and with homemade salsa. You can't go wrong. What are you waiting for, order these and keep the vultures at bay.
Basket of Fries or Tots, nothing screams building a base for a good night of drinking like a basket of fries between friends. Top them off with chili, cheese, sour cream, and green onion if you're looking for something substantial.
Nacho's, no explanation needed, EVER! cheese, meat (chicken, beef or shrimp), jalapeno, salsa, guacamole, green onion, and sour cream in any combination you want. Pay by the layer, Single, Double or Triple!
Hummus Plate, Veggies and pita bread with homemade hummus. Something for the healthy drinkers.
Wings, if there is a game on you have to have wings. Your choice of flavored sauces. Hella Hot!, Smokin*, Spicy BBQ, BBQ, Sweet and Sour, and Naked. No breading on these wings. We will keep these treats Gluten FREE!
Bruschetta, Simply dressed and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. A quick bite for the casual person stopping for a drink and a snack before heading home.

The Items that will need the most work will be the entrees.

The Bar Burger, the style, meat, the toppings will all have to be worked on until the right combo can be made and it will have to also fit the bar. I know that I hate it when I go to a bar and order a bar burger and I get a frozen mechanically processed patty with the standard lettuce, tomato and onion. Don't get me wrong, in the right place and at the right time that is what everyone has craved but it says nothing about the bar. If you have a Bar Burger it needs to be original and super tasty. So the jury will be out until some test runs can be performed.
Meat and Potatoes, 8oz. NY strip and garlic mash with seasonal vegetables.
Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine, need I say more.
Skinny Wrap, Homemade hummus on a flour tortilla, with mixed greens, pickled onions and white balsamic vinaigrette. your choice of side, Mixed seasonal veggies or fries. Go gluten-free and put this on GF bread.
Baked Mac&Cheese, Homemade three-cheese M&C topped with herbed bread crumbs and baked golden brown.
(Needs A Name), BBQ chicken breast on a toasted brioche bun with mayo, lettuce, tomato, fried sweet onion straws, fried pickle chips and melted swiss and cheddar cheese. Its a heart stopper for sure but the flavor is enough to blow you mind!

All of these are standard items I think would have appearing on my menu possibly at different points through the seasons. I am still working on nailing down solid recipes and additional items for a great menu. If you think I missed something that is a must have I would love to hear about it.

Here's to chasing the first pint! Bottoms Up!

First Pint On ME!

So, I am working out some details to fast-track a local tap room bar in Silver Spring, MD. I know I will have to wait on a liquor license, but a tap room license is very affordable and easy to get. So I think my initial plan of attack will be to find and affordable store front space with a small kitchen and decent size walk-in and lay it on the line with some home-built furnishing and a reclaimed bar top. I want to see where this could take me and renovate when the money starts to flow.  My concept has changed at this point and I will give you all the skinny on it now!

At this point I think the décor will be simple, some basic dark stained wood frames around the space with local art and photography to fill them. We won't charge a commission on the artwork sold or posted; just a cool place where local artist can get some free retail space. The bar top will be simple wood stained to match the rest of the wood in the bar. The bar back will be homemade from threaded steel plumbing pipe and wood planks with pipefitting holding things in place (see photo). A large mirror behind the bar will give a small place some depth. I want to make my own bar stools with welded angle iron frames and cut wheel logs as the seats. The décor will be easily

Something like this!

changeable because the frames can have the content swapped at any point. I want this feel to be modern but relaxed with lots of wood and metal. Your standard bar neon and promo signs will be up because who doesn't like free crap from venders? Pint glasses? Bar supplies? I want those tables from the catering companies where you can interchange the center poll to pub height or standard dining height. This way on busy nights we can push some of the chairs into a storage area and make some standing-room tables to open space up for crowds.

I am going to shoot for ten beers on tap and more in the bottle--I'm hoping for fifty in total. With fifty beers on tap I can start an awesome customer loyalty program: the Fifty Beer Club. The list of house beers will be on a punch card. Once you have purchased one of each of the beers and finished them you will have your picture taken and get a free T-shirt. I will also buy your first pint when you start the punch card. The punch cards will be held at the bar for safe keeping. You all know less than sober people and things in pockets disappear.

I am looking for a simple name that will let everyone know that this is a place to come and relax and have a beer with friends. I need some input and I will send the person with the most creative and unique name idea a coupon for a free shirt after I open the bar. So let's see what we can come up with. Keep a look out for more info on the progress of this adventure.

Here's to chasing the first Pint! Bottoms Up!

Drinking Games! What games can we have in a bar?

This is a audience participation post so I am hoping to get a least one comment. Come on be the first to let me know what you think.

What Games do you think would be awesome in a bar?

Why is is acceptable?

What games are not acceptable in a bar and why?

How can we pull it off?

So let me know what you think.

I will definitely have at least two or three drinking games available to play at my bar wherever it may be. I know people say it promotes over drinking and alcohol abuse. But as a beer pong player I knew when to call it quits, and when to push the limits. So beer pong will be available on certain nights. I think on nights when the younger crowd is out and the bar is not super packed beer pong can be a fun game and spectator sport as well.

So help me out let me know of any fun ideas you have and don't forget to follow my blog.

Here's to chasing that first Pint! Bottoms Up.

Location, Location, Location!

Its all about the Location, Location, Location!

So in between busy shifts working and spending some QT with the family and whiskey fueled nights with friends I have been searching for the place to open my first bar. I know I don't want anything too big and I don't want to open a restaurant. I want a small space somewhere near my old stomping grounds in Silver Spring, MD. So where do I begin?

I started the good old way and hit Google. I have found tons of places that say profitable bar with hundreds of thousands in revenue and cash flow each year. At first glance I got excited but then the old "you cant believe anything on the internet" started rattling in my brain. Why would you sell your business that is making you so much money. How do I wade through the bullshit and figure out what is true and not true? After a few weeks of searching I am right back at the beginning again. Where do I begin? How do I know what is true? This process has proven to provide more questions than answers. I think the purchase of a turn key business is not the way to go about it. A turn key sounds good but it comes with all of the previous owners ideas and regulars. If I piss off the regulars and locals with changes that they do not agree with I will tank the bar. So the focus must be placed on is it better to build to suite or to find a closed location and relaunch? I feel this cuts the truth factor out, knowing that the only figures and information I have to take into account are concrete and ones that I have found necessary.

Hopefully I can figure out these issues a bit easier when I relocate to the east coast in July. Until then I will continue to focus on my concept and service ideas.

Any ideas and comments are welcome, let me know whats on your mind and if you have any ideas you want to contribute. I could you all the input possible to find a way to make the perfect place for all to come have a drink and unwind.

Here's to chasing the first Pint! Bottoms Up!