Once upon a time, restaurant ownership was a happy-go-lucky kind of trade. I opened my first restaurant on $30,000. Going into the first weekend after opening, we had $2.99 in our bank account. Thanks to a mailer we sent out, we had a great weekend. That restaurant, Tequila Sunrise Mexican Grill, in Oakland Park, Florida, turns 30 this month. However, we restaurant owners have seen unflinching inflation, soaring rents, and labor costs making restaurant ownership like a game of Pin-The-Tail-On-the-Donkey that owners, the donkeys, can’t win. What owners desperately need is a community of experienced restaurant pros that can answer questions to help them make decisions that will keep more money in their bank accounts. We’ll tackle everything; food and beverage costs, labor costs, menu costing & planning, how to save on taxes and those scandalous “music licensing fees”, pretty much all things on your P&L and marketing platters. If you’re in the restaurant industry, introduce yourself. We’d like to know your experience and a little about where you’re from. I’m in Central Florida and most recently founded the Fish Camp on Lake Eustis 9 years ago, starting with no money and selling it last year as the #1 Restaurant in Tavares on TripAdvisor. Let’s put our best ideas together to Make Owning Restaurants Fun Again.