This is a snippet of an article I found online.

Several years ago, researchers at Cornell University and Michigan State University conducted a study of restaurants in three local markets over a 10-year period. They concluded the following: After the first year 27% of restaurant startups failed; after three years, 50% of those restaurants were no longer in business; and after five years 60% had gone south. At the end of 10 years, 70% of the restaurants that had opened for business a decade before had failed. Those are far different numbers than a 90% failure rate after the first year quoted by our television star chef. Another academic research study concluded that 81.4% of all small business failures result from forces within the control of the owners/managers. The bottom line is that even if the failure rate is a little daunting, failure is not inevitable.
-G.Sidney

I truly agree with what Sidney is saying here, especially the last line. Failure happens for many reasons with restaurants or bars, I believe that more often than not it is due to staff and management problems. I have seen too many employees figuring out ways around the rules, and I have watched too many owners or managers sit at the end of the bar drinking up the profits. As someone who works in this industry, and has for years this bothers me terribly. I have watched friends (and myself) lose their jobs due to other peoples mistakes. Misappropriations within a restaurant affect so many people, I know servers, bartenders and dishwashers who have lost their homes, cars etc. because of the sudden loss of steady income that they had been counting on and working their ass off for! I have seen owners sink their families hard earned money into a place that gets run into the ground by selfish and dishonest employees. Now everyone is in trouble! The servers now have trouble finding a new job elsewhere because the places that are being run right by management and not taken over by the staff are full. People don't leave these jobs because they are treated right and make great money, owners are there for them because the staff is responsible, honest and loyal. The owners are now looking for work as well, or back at the jobs they left because now they have to find a way to recoup the money that they and their family no longer have.
I don't want to appear to be on a high horse. Who hasn't handed out a few drinks to a well tipping customer? Or given your buddy a beer? Snuck a shot as a manager or employee? We all probably have, but let's stop blaming the industry or the economy for the failures and do our best to take responsibility for them and turn them around. Cheers all!

"Always do sober, what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut"
-Ernest Hemmingway

And So it Begins...

I am beginning this blog as an addition to my website and personal business www.HeavyPourConsulting.com , a consulting company specializing in front of the house issues and marketing for both bars and restaurants. As I stated this is just an addition, I don't want to solely use this forum to promote myself or business, It will be a place where I discuss the service industry...positive and negative! I plan on articles, stories, quotes, jokes and the occasional drink recipe. The more people that read and comment the more we can all learn from each other.
There is my intro, I will now leave you with your quote for the day:

"I feel sorry for people that don't drink, because when they wake up in the morning that's the best they are going to feel all day"
-Frank Sinatra