Restaurant Ideas

2. Gourmet Popsicles. Think organic strawberry, basil, lemon grass. Pineapple, mint, ginger. Go crazy. Keep them interesting. Keep them organic. Cost $3-$5 each depending on ingredients

There is a huge disconnect here, though. A pint of organic strawberries is like $4 wholesale, and you might get 2-3 popsicles out of a pint if you're fair about it, not to mention any overhead. I fail to see how $3-5 price point works for this model.

Because your popsicle isnt pure frozen strawberries? /facepalm
http://www.thehyppo.com/shop/straight-up-strawberry-pop

Where off site? You can't just make stuff at home, you'd have to rent a commercial kitchen, more overhead.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but do you have bar/restaurant ownership experience? I don't want to pick on you or anything, but owning a bar, all day every day pretty much everyone I meet pitches their "ideas that would make a killing" but none of them seem to just do it themselves. Hell, I've got over 18 years in the Louisville restaurant scene and even I wouldn't come close to saying I think I've figured it out, it's just not that easy. These aren't lemonade stands, everything you encounter ends up costing you money, the balance to just stay open is incredibly tedious.

http://www.kytchen.com/

Yes, renting a kitchen is indeed more overhead. not mention renting frozen storage there.

I don't feel very "smacked down."

Again- if these ideas are such sure things, I fail to see why you haven't done them yourself. Have you ever tried making those popsicles? "Sure thing" restaurant ideas are a dime a dozen, actually- I should start collecting them and start a blog with all the concepts that every Tom, Doug, and Harry offer up every day, I'll make a mint on royalties and Google ads...seems like a sure thing to me.

And I was going to put money into them, which is why I went out doing the research, visiting other owners and locations, scouting ideas. But then I moved from Louisville, so I thought someone else might want to run with them.

...

"But I was gonna!" never worked for me with my mom as a child, it doesn't really count in the business world either.

Look I dont care if anyone opens an oyster house in Louisville, as Im not living there and probably doubt I will ever return.


.

That right there is reason enough for us to wonder why you're so head strong on debating this so fervently.
If it doesn't matter and you don't care... seems like the only reason for any of this post is to beat your drum IF someone did use any of these ideas to proclaim that someone used (or stole) "your ideas" and waxing poetically about how right you were.

A good idea doesn't make for a successful business.
Restaurant concept ideas are a dime a dozen, and there are hardly any new ideas under the sun these days.

A few industry vets here quickly laid out a handful of rational reasons on not why these concepts wouldn't work - but variables to consider that quite simply have to be weighed out (against all the multitude of others) as to if this is a financially viable business endeavour. These are questions every operator, investor, anyone with a stake in any of these concepts should and must consider with any restaurant project. You're doing yourself and anyone with a financial stake in that business a disservice if you don't consider the cons to the argument.

It's not all lollipops and gum drops.
For every brilliant idea we all have had, we've all pitched it to someone and they someone has pointed out a flaw or two (or dozens).
Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees.
And I think most would agree with me on that.

I agree- it's not that either of us think that your ideas are ridiculous, or even that bad, but we're pointing out that "sure thing" or "you'll make a mint" or "spend your winters in the bahamas" utterly exposes your lack of any real world experience whatsoever. It simply isn't that easy. If you think it is prove me wrong.

Not to mention- Louisville is a unique and finicky market. This is a difficult enough industry, but Louisville in particular has it's own sets of strengths, weaknesses, and unique expectations that set it apart from other cities. Look at 8up- a restaurant by Concentrics for an example of a highly efficient, well organized corporate spot, with a model that should be a "total home run" anywhere else that is still struggling to get it totally right because louisville is simply not a town you can just set up your tent in. They have over 30 restaurants, it's not like they don't know what they're doing, but they haven't quite gotten Louisville yet. You can't just open your doors and watch the money roll in.

These were things I was going to do in Louisville and never got the time to. They are needed. Im fairly certain in the right location they would make a mint. Someone take the ideas and run with them.

1. Oyster Bar. Im not talking the ridiculous "concept" pushed by Doc Crows but an honest to goodness Old Florida Panhandle style oyster bar. Like an AwShucks or Shuck'ems. Shuck them right at a long bar in open view of customers and everyone.
Menu:
Raw oysters on the half shell $1 a pop, which wholesale for .35 to .55 a piece last time I priced them out with the distributor in town.
Broiled/chargrilled varieties: $2 a pop Oysters Dupont, Oysters Rockefeller, Oysters with Sriracha and Butter, etc. Rotate through 5 varieties.
Thats it! Maybe be adventurous and add a fryer for fried oysters if you want.
Full liquor license but beer is key with oysters.
Potential location: Across the street from the Icehouse on Main Street is a location for lease last I checked. Has a garage door you could simply roll up in the summer, let traffic from conventions and down town and sports games roll in.
You make your money on volume and alcohol. Having well trained fast shuckers is key. Dont skimp on employee training.

2. Gourmet Popsicles. Think organic strawberry, basil, lemon grass. Pineapple, mint, ginger. Go crazy. Keep them interesting. Keep them organic. Cost $3-$5 each depending on ingredients
Benefits: No brick and mortar needed. Make them off site.
Use push carts at Waterfront park, both university campuses, sporting events, etc etc. Maybe get a small icecream style truck and hit large neighborhoods like Norton Commons.
Run it through the summer and shut down in winter. Little overhead needed for start up.

3. And a concept I saw elsewhere and wanted to bring to Louisville. Waffles and Milkshakes. A themed dessert place, not breakfast. They were doing like 8 varieties of liege waffles (google it) made with pearl sugar in the batter so it gave the waffles a definitive crunchy caramelized outside. They also had 6 varieties of milkshakes.
Thats it. They were running 10am to 10pm but I would probably go latter to catch the college crowd near the UofL or Bellarmine campus. Put one near Highlands and one in the East End.
Call it Louffles.

4. And I always thought Louisville needed an honest to goodness NY style deli and sandwich shop but never really fleshed the idea out very well.

Thoughts?

Also- This initial post is just kind of, well, really arrogant. Gee, Doug, thank you for bestowing your magic advice and concepts on us. Please- tell me about all your experience that makes them worth a crap. It might mean more coming from someone with some past success, or really even a little experience, whatsoever.

And in closing-
a) you asked for thoughts, but then seemed to completely balk when people challenged or even questioned your concepts, so, why did you ask for thoughts?

b) Louffles is easily the absolute worst name for anything I have ever heard. I really hope that was a joke. Sorry- this comment is just plain mean, but Louffles? Jesus. Come to my hotel- Loutel. Or try my sporting goods store! Louballs! I also have a great locally owned immediate care- the Louspital. Perhaps we can go there after gagging ourselves on a spoon.

The value of an idea without effort? Absolutely zero. And I would love a waffle and a milkshake. Doug get on it.

It's called a Louffle.

Louffles is easily the absolute worst name for anything I have ever heard. I really hope that was a joke. Sorry- this comment is just plain mean, but Louffles? Jesus. Come to my hotel- Loutel. Or try my sporting goods store! Louballs! I also have a great locally owned immediate care- the Louspital. Perhaps we can go there after gagging ourselves on a spoon.

Le Moo says hello.

[Robin Garr]

Le Moo says hello.

Robin says the guy who made a mint on "Got Milk" and the Nike swoosh can probably call a place "Le Merde" and make it work, if that's what he wants to do.

It's called a Louffle.

Welcome to Waffouisville

Y'all are piling on Doug a little. I've tangled with him before, but he made a good starting post in this thread and defended his points. I can't believe I'm standing up for him, but at least he didn't psychoanalyze anybody or call them Neanderthals.

It's been an interesting conversation. And it is true that even the most well run new restaurant can fail, even if it has the perfect concept. Sometimes, you just don't find your customers.

It it makes me want an affordable a place that has a raw bar and mircobrews. Someone give it go. Start small. I'll come.

So, Doug,
I added paletas to my menu and they've been selling reasonably well. I don't see anyone paying $3-$4 for them though. Did about 80 last week. So far I've added chipotle mango, lemon-mint-blueberry (an ice version and a crema) lime crema with graham cracker crumbs on the outside, blackberry lemon balm and strawberry. The strawberry was by far the best seller, closely followed by the blackberry and lime crema.

Still experimenting with the idea.

Y'all are piling on Doug a little.

You'll also notice where they failed to take note of the fact I dont live in Louisville anymore which is why I didnt put the concepts into production. But why should a few local cooks with a failed ramen business (or who thought I was awesome when they were wanting investors for META) worry about facts when their egos are involved? So much easier to make fun of the silly name I created.

So, Doug,
I added paletas to my menu and they've been selling reasonably well. I don't see anyone paying $3-$4 for them though. Did about 80 last week. So far I've added chipotle mango, lemon-mint-blueberry (an ice version and a crema) lime crema with graham cracker crumbs on the outside, blackberry lemon balm and strawberry. The strawberry was by far the best seller, closely followed by the blackberry and lime crema.

Still experimenting with the idea.

Glad to hear it.
Our new community does a Food truck Friday event every other Friday. A couple of locals have set up a push cart with some interesting flavors. They are charging $3 a pop and sell out nearly every time. Glad its working out for you!

I was in Nashville last weekend. There were over 25 people crowded into Las Paletas at 2 on Saturday paying $3.50 a popsicle. I bet a place like that could do well here.