Brewing Up a Biz: Real Estate
Ahhh, the increasingly oft ignored blog. Well, this time, I have good reason, not that the winter sniffles & blahs were illegitimate, but this elixir is a bit more potent. No longer must I speculate as to the “why’s” behind so many leaving corporate careers to seek endeavours of their own. Was it not having to answer to a boss, the freedom to make one’s own decisions, or, perhaps, potential for riches? Nope. I have discovered the true motivating factor which drives all start-up entrepreneurs: sheer and unending terror.
You see, I (and by “I”, I certainly mean my girlfriend and I) have purchased a restaurant business; signed on the dotted line; fait accompli. Our realtor, and even a local merchant, had warned me long ago about the concept of “buyer’s remorse.” So I had braced myself, but I was ill-prepared for the reality that goes along with such a commitment. Questions and concerns which routinely pop into my head (usually at 3:00 or 4:00am) include, but are not limited to:
“What the hell am I doing?”
“What if no one comes?!”
“I’ll never make payroll!”
“I’m leaving a secure 18-year career and a regular pay cheque! Have I gone insane?”
A little comfort, however: that same local merchant, a well-established music shop owner, assures me that this process is not only normal but critical. It keeps the fires going, so to speak. And, frankly, I’ve never been so motivated about anything in my life.
It’s been a couple of weeks since we bought the business, and we still have a number of weeks before opening (July), so I’m starting to accept this new reality. I now have to wipe less sweat from my brow as I place $2,000 orders of beer and $4,000 orders of fish.
At the same time, my previously-mentioned girlfriend and I have started sneaking out to the movies or to a hockey game more often, as we both know that 1) we both need the stress relief and 2) the door will soon be slammed shut on “free time.” Sounds terrible, right? Well, look at it this way: this restaurant will eventually become our brew pub.
As we go through the early stages of the learning curve that is the restaurant business world, we’re keeping our eyes on the prize.
~ Rod Daigle, Triple Island Brewing Company
