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Openeing a Restaurant

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Jared T

Found some matches.
Joined
Oct 29, 2014
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Location
Crystal Lake, IL
Hi All,
I am new to the forum and have already found a wealth of knowledge here! I am currently in the process of opening a small Q restaurant in Crystal Lake IL. Does anyone have experience with different suppliers in and around Chicago. I see Sysco and GFS trucks regularly in the area. There is a Costco that offers restaurant delivery nearby but have not heard great reviews on them. Any info on past experiences with any of these or others would be greatly appreciated as I am going to be requesting quotes in the near future. I will be posting pictures and updates as my journey continues. We just looked at a couple of promising locations last week and will continue the search next week.
 
Can't help with any of your questions but good luck and let us know when you open and I will drag a couple of these guys over to try you out.
 
I'm a chef in Naperville IL and have worked with most purveyors over the years. send me a PM and I can give you my experience.
 
I will pm you as soon as I figure out how ;). Things are mighty small on this tiny phone I'm using to post. I actually just met with the owner of a local brewery that said they would brew a small private batch exclusive to us. So we could have our own beer. Still have to work out the details but it is exciting.

Thanks
Jared
 
I think Sysco bought out US foods. On another note I was looking at the fec750. Any reviews on it or the 300/500 from a restaurant owner?
 
Jared T said:
I think Sysco bought out US foods. On another note I was looking at the fec750. Any reviews on it or the 300/500 from a restaurant owner?
Click to expand...

Just my 2 cents.

Theres a lot of good bbq in your area as of late. I would advise on a pit that is going to make the best bbq possible. :mrgreen:
 
Jared T said:
What pit would you recommend?
Click to expand...

What is your budget? You will also want to check your local code to see what is allowed and how it has to be installed. I think your location will dictate what kind of smoker you will want.

As far as distributors, also check out Rienhart Food Service. They seem to be more friendly to smaller accounts. If you have a Sam's in the area check them out also. Not sure how much time you have, but going to Sam's can be a big savings.
 
I second what Pyle's BBQ said, we switched from Sysco to Reinhart and have been extremely pleased with them, we are a smaller account but they treat us no different than their bigger accounts and carry quality products.
 
i'm in NY and sysco has been good to me. But I've had to put pressure on them using other vendors.
I run 2 fec-120's and thoroughly disagree with " I would advise on a pit that is going to make the best bbq possible". Let's not forget the standard bbq adage, "it's not the cooker, it's the cook"
First off, what makes you say pellet smokers don't produce "best bbq possible" let's not forget pellets have taken home just as many GC's as stick burners have.
Secondly, they produce a far superior product to propane fired smokers a la southern pride or equivalent.
Third they're reliable as all hell, fuel is cheap, and they produce an ultimately very consistent product, which is paramount in running a restaurant.
 
In the Illinois area I have like Kohl's foods out of Quincy. they will go up your way.

Also our of the Quad Cities I like Performance Food Group. A good buddy of mine is the warehouse manager there. They have awesome quality, and they can also help you design a menu that is unique to your area.
 
Thanks for the info. I will check out Reinhardt. I have heard mixed reviews on Sysco/us foods from other restaurant owners in the area. I have had some great BBQ from a joint a few towns over from us that runs an fec750. Never had a bad meal there. I also like the set it and let it cook overnight idea of the cookshack. We looked at a great location today, former restaurant, in great shape, two fully functional huge walk in coolers, has an exhaust from an old bagel oven leading directly outside(hoping a smoke evac connected to it would work for code purposes), functioning commercial dishwasher. We loved the layout but.......... They are asking $7000 a month rent+cam.......... I am thinking we can get them down closer to 3000-4000 range which I would be OK with. There are 3 other former restaurants really close so I think we will have some pull in negotiations. My budget for the smoker is flexible. I am a big fan of used equipment so I'm hoping an fec750 will come on the market for 10,000 or less. There are 2 on eBay now but I don't think I will be ready in time. On another note did a test run on some buffalo chicken and cheese stuffed jalapeño poppers wrapped in bacon and smoked today. Wow they were good. That will have to be a game day special
 
a rent that high scares me honestly. But you've gotta pay to play. I'd try and get some comps from local places on what they're actually doing in weekly sales before I jumped in. 4000 in rent a month and you're going to have to do at least $10,000 in sales. That's a lot of que, just to break even. Remember, the best way to make a small fortune in BBQ is to start with a large one. It's the nature of the beast, the raw product itself is inherently expensive. Low rent, cheap to run is key.
 
Yes if I can get it down to $3000(10.10 sqft yearly) I would take it. Otherwise the search continues. It is on a highly trafficked highway, in front of a jewel. So there is opportunity for a lot of customers. Not a lot of work needed cosmetically and the coolers are a huge plus There is a Mexican restaurant next door that does good business. When they originally told me the price I told them never mind and they quickly asked how much I was willing to pay. So I think they were high balling. We shall see
 
Jared T said:
Yes if I can get it down to $3000(10.10 sqft yearly) I would take it. Otherwise the search continues. It is on a highly trafficked highway, in front of a jewel. So there is opportunity for a lot of customers. Not a lot of work needed cosmetically and the coolers are a huge plus There is a Mexican restaurant next door that does good business. When they originally told me the price I told them never mind and they quickly asked how much I was willing to pay. So I think they were high balling. We shall see
Click to expand...

What is a jewel?
 
I have had my brick and mortar open for 8 months now and we have a Southern Pride SP 750 and we love it. We cook about 60 butts overnight and chicken and ribs all day, it rarely gets a break. You just have to be careful with chicken and ribs not to get them too smokey.
Go ahead and get started I'm having the time of my life, wish I had done this years ago. We went from about $5000 a week on the trailer to over $20,000 a week in the restaurant, plus you will be able to save a lot of money cause you ain't got any time to spend it! LOL It ain't hard work it's just BUSY work, but it's fun as hell.
Thanks, Jeff Therrell
Sweetfire BBQ
Lincolnton NC
Check us out on facebook
 
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