Hey guys, I'm almost done with the "Cegep" part in Quebec, almost time for university, and where I live (about 30k people in the town), there is no "cafe" or "pub". It's just full of clubs and boring shit like that.

At my school, there's a program about Music, which I'm in, that you need to be university gratuated to find a future job.

So, as my town is full of gay clubs, and the closest cafe/pub is over 100km away, my cousin and I and a friend that studies in finances. We thought that after that I'm done with university we could open a cafe which would actually own some bands to play in for "special nights" n shit.

I know a little about starting a new business because my father started 1 a couple of years ago, but I was wondering if any of you started one, and how everything happened during the process, I know that one of coach's family member started something about candles I think, can't remember exactly, I'd be glad if someone could give me information on how everything worked out, and if you don't own the business but work into managing it, it would also be cool.

For your info, I'm a really hard worker on what I start, and since the population here is full of students, I'm sure it would be a great project to look for.

I've never owned a business myself, but, I do know some of the key elements that will carry you.

A) Check the market in your area. Just because something doesn't exist, doesn't necessarily mean when you start one, it'll be popular. You'll want to of course do more research on this.

B) Dedication. If you aren't completely 100% dedicated, then don't even try. It's going to take a lot of hard work and back breaking to get a business going, not to mention the money aspect. :D

C) Appeal to the general public. I don't know how you weirdos in canada live, but you have to make sure you appeal to either a certain crowd, or several. (I.E. Cafe will draw in hippies, pub will draw in normal folks/dunks etc. It all depends on location of course.) This one pretty much is an elaboration of A.

D) GLHF.

thanks strange for the hints

My parents own a restaurant so I have a few ponters for you.
1. Your working hours are a minimum of 2 hours + hours you are open.
2. Most High school kids are unreliable for any position.
3. There are a TON of laws for food safety and the manager should know all of them.
4. For live performance, there a whole bunch of other laws. You should have a good lawyer for dealing with copyright issues.
5. Get a good cook if you have serious dishes. One good cook is worth more than 3 bad cooks.
6. Make sure the servers are treating customers well and personally resolve any customer issues.
7. Don't be afraid to let people go.

Wow thanks Jet

I know about the laws, I read a bit about this but of course I'll need help from somebody to deal with it. It's still a project that if I can find the ressources after university, it might lead to something real. Thanks for the help!

But I got a lil' question about #2, do you really need to be at work during working hours or you can just leave after a certain amount of time working there? Because if I'd own a cafe, it would be open from maybe 10 to 23 (according to most of cafe working hours here), I don't think I would be working 13 hours a day... Do your parents really work during the whole day or do they just assign tasks to some of their employees and simply tell them to close the shop or something?

It really depends on who you trust. Do you trust whoever is in charge to not skim the register while you are gone? Do you trust then to not give free stuff to their friends?

At a minimum, you should be there for the open and close. The best time to take off the the few hours in the middle of the day when it's slow.

Gotcha, thanks buddy

What we do is have different drawers for the morning and night shifts, and count them to make sure the Cashier isn't taking any money themselves. The manager takes it into his/her office (I guess in this case that's you) and runs it against the total in the register.

I'd write another paragraph here about return policies, but I'm 99% sure resteraunts don't take returns :P

Then, adding to "Don't be afraid to let people go", also Don't be afraid to kick someone out. I have to do it usually once or twice a month, usually to a large group of teens or 21-22 year olds. Remember that you are running a private business, and if they can't follow your rules they have to leave.

I understand this. I'm used to giving orders in the navy during the year since I'm responsible of a lil' group of naval information operators, I'm kinda thinking that if they can't do what I expect them to do, or if they decide to do something else, it's just a lack of respect for me.

Also, Jet, I was thinking, I guess, when you own a business like a restaurant or a cafe or a bar w/e, don't you have to list everything you've got/sell? If you do that, and keep that list updated with how much you got in your pocket at the end of every day, that kinda makes a way to keep watching your employees while you're not there doesn't it?

Correct me if i'm wrong, because i've never owned or helped run a buisiness. But this all seems like common sence to me.



1) You'de probably want to do some looking around to see if you have a good supplier for what you need. Like a bulk items store(Here in Vancouver Wa, we have Costco and Cash & Carry, Cash & Carry is meant for buisiness owners.) They sell items in bulk, at a lower price for the quantity(1 gallon of milk is $3 at Safeway, but 2 Gallons of milk at Costco is $5. It might just be a dollar less, but you're doing it over and over so it all ads up. When you own a buisiness every penny counts!)

2) You'de have to do routine check-ups on your instock. Like keeping track of items so you don't run out, and also don't go past their due dates. A customer get's food poisioning from your food then you've lost a customer.

3) Adding onto number 2, you'de want to keep track of what sells faster than other items, and keep track of what really doesn't. If you're spending more than you're making on an item. You probably don't want to keep purchasing it. Or at least purchase a limited ammount.

Also, just because you're not at work, doen't mean you're not gonna be working. So don't look forward to it to much. You've got a lot of math ahead of you. You get to figure how much you're making, pay the bills, pay the employees, along with everything else. Then figure out if you broke even at least.

These are things you may have already put some thought into, but I figured i'de mention them just in case you hadn't.

Yes and no.
Most regsiters have a No-Sale button, so if someone brings up say a $10 item and pays in cash, the cashier just hits no sale and pockets the change.
Also, if you can, make sure you lock down the "Cancel/Edit Invoice" feature to the Administrator account. If it's slow, the cashier could just cancel a bunch of invoices and take the amount from the drawer.

cameras are ur friend and the video feed is better ur friend if you have it streamed to ur house on a dvd or cassett my manager here has done that ebefore to catch someone blantly taken money from reg. Also if ur a good manager and has a good environment to work most cashiers won't steal because they enjoy their jobs.

Don't hire AFRICAN AMERICANS.

Only Real advice needed.

That will solve the problems of the 3 previous posts.

You will want to pay fees to one of these groups to cover your ass in the event that you or another performer does a song owned by someone else. This way, you are automatically paying them royalties without having to hen-peck for each artist, writer or performer who's work is being covered. There's a venue here in town that does this "Clash" night and a "Kill The Karaoke" night and what those are is with Clash it's two bands playing the songs of different artists, so it's like "Mastodon vs Metallica" or "Nirvana vs Soundgarden" and then Kill the Karaoke is a live band playing a set list of songs you can choose from to be the vocalist for. They were paying royalties to ASCAP, but then BMI found out and went after them because some of the artists were a member of that group and not ASCAP. Also, another thing to know is that each group charges different rates, and has tiered rates depending on how many people a venue has and what kind of performance is done, whether it's live, or if it's a recording, etc.,.

So know your royalty collection groups and pay them.

You can also do what another venue in my town does, and have a 'no cover song policy'. This place actually kicks people off their stage if they start doing a cover song, because they don't want to deal with the headaches of royalty payment.

http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/the+difference+between+ascap+and+bmi
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/music-royalties3.htm

No idea if this applies, given you're in Canada.

sorry kwang i didn't read your whole post, quite in a hurry but ill read it all

you say that i should get my ass covered if they play a song that is not theirs, actually, how it works (here at least) is that you just fill a contract with them and just sign that all you play is legal shit, and you need the proofs. that makes you legit to let them play, and if in the event that they do something illegaly, I'm covered. but then again, a lawyer could help me in this and in all the city's laws

What Jet says is right, ive worked in all Aspects of the Hospitality Industry for 6 going on 7 years now and my college major is Hotel Management and i can tell you the quoted above is the truth... especially #3 & #4, it would also help for you to know someone who has done this before or been down this road to help you out... nothing worse than you walking into something your not 100% familiar with or understand.... for example, : A guy opens a restaurant, knows nothing about it besides book smarts, business starts and flops 4 months later because they dont know the important and little things to keep it running..

My advice if you havent done this already.... Look for a Part time job in a Club / Upscale cafe and see how its ran, see how situations are dealt with, see how customers respond, see how the flow is and there set up, research research research.

What does the area around you not have that will make you better than everyone else? Think about lay out designs, the flow of the place, if you want it to be a Night club.... i can tell you right now if its a night club, your only open 2-3 nights a week.. so you would right there and then need to think about costing and make your club AMAZING to make bank and good revenue without flopping. You could also do a Restaurant / Club, Restaurant threw the week and like... Fri, Sat move everything into storage and turn it over into a club (if done right its amazing and works VERY well..... theres many things that must be considered and may seem overwhelming but its to be expected especially getting into the hospitality industry...

New Clubs come real fast and are the cool thing to go to, They also fall under faster than a blink of the eye, ive seen it so much whilst living in Australia, one day a Club will be named "4 Signs" next its called "East" and under new management...

As for DJ's with certified music im not 100% sure on how that works...but from whats stated in other posts the whole copy right thing would make sense.

As for music..... Karoke + Drinking = Automatic Fun
Or
Open Mic night?? Have local bands / people come that want to play?

idk... something to think about... it really depends on the scene your looking for.... If you got alot of students there going to want fun....things that will be fun to do whilst drinking... like Mechanical bull or some shit....

Another thing to think about to get customers, promotion nights, Buy 2 beers get 1 free, bullshit like that.... many clubs / Upscale lounges make money off Door charges too...

FYI My all time goal after im a hotel manager for about 10 years is to either continue with being a GM or opening up my own Fine Dining Restaurant / Upscale Nightclub Lounge so ive already thought about things like this before.... but thats my 2 cents lol

well thanks EnV.

I never thought about doing something like this before but I'm starting to really like the idea. I'll really start to do my homework as soon as I got time, and I'll ask questions at some cafe owners outside my town, got a friend owning one, might go visit him soon!

Thanks for the help guys, actually, none of the info you gave me scared me even a bit, I just want even more to work harder to make it real in the near future! Thanks again!

Just remember. Every AFRICAN AMERICAN goes to prison at least once. One day some of them get out. They want to go out and have a good night to celebrate. So if they go to your club, cause a scene, and you kick them out. Watch your back when you close at night. He might be waitin for you so he can unplug your virgin butthole, then saw your arm off with a swiss army knife, knock you out with it. Then wake you up just so they can beat you to death with it....

How about that ? Your Welcome :) lol.

No prison where I live, 2% of the population is black, and I'm friendly as F*CK so people don't want to ruin my fun...

nah, fail haha