Raw Pesto

Edge of your Seat!

2006-02-09T00:56:00.000-05:00

Yeah I know you are all on the edge of your seat, just waiting for me to finish my story....well good! I'm going to keep it that way for a little bit longer and drag it out a little bit. So things are really going well at Pesto. We are really refining our system and getting the numbers where they should be. Now you can control a restaurant into profitability, to a point. At some point you can't make any more expense, labor, or food cuts. I think we are getting really close to that point. There is probably another 5% or so that we can shave out of our operations and send to the bottom line. But I have a feeling once we accomplish that, there is not going to be much more room for cost cutting. So we have been making money! Pretty incredible for a startup restaurant, that did no advertising until a month and a half after we opened. I'm not going to lie though, we did have some publicity that helped, but an article here and an article there isn't going to do it. It takes frequency and exposure. One coupon run one time isn't going to do anything...well unless it's for like a free gallon of gelato!

But what it's coming down to is that we are honing this restaurant into a money making machine. Our sales aren't quite where we want them to be yet. Which has been a very good thing b/c it has magnified what cost cuts we needed to make. Once we get out of the winter doldrums this place should be a living breathing thing. But for being in the dead of winter, we are doing damn good! Better than I would expect! I just can't wait for the spring time and to roll out some of our PR stunts. Stay tuned...

The Story continued...

2006-02-03T00:40:00.000-05:00

So we did another catering event today...and it went much better! Our last event was, well, less than perfect. This one on the other hand went extremely well and I think we are just about there with figuring out how we are going to pull off the catering. I think we may forgo catering pizzas, b/c our pizzas are one size, 10'', and in order to achieve the quality that I want we would need to cook each pizza individually. So we may just stick with pastas, salads, and sandwiches for now...you can get pizzas anywhere, and on campus there are a million pizza places anyway. I want to give Olive Garden a run for there money when it comes to catering. When I was a Resident Advisor at OSU we would always get our pastas and salads from Olive Garden, not anymore! Plus we did a gallon of gelato tonight as well, and of course everyone loved it! But the catering could drive a substantial amount of our sales, a couple extra hundred bucks a day adds up quickly!

But back to my story now...So they said YES!! Yeah I'm not going to beat around the bush, they wanted to move forward with the leasing talks. Now all that meant was that I got to sign a letter of intent to lease a space. All the letter of intent did was create standard terms for the lease to be negotiated around and it in no way bound either party to any deal. So basically I was now officially not guaranteed a space, anyone could have come along with a better idea or bigger wallet and get the space. It was just a way of saying yes I want to go ahead and start negotiating the lease. This whole letter of intent concept made me very nervous b/c you never knew if someone better was going to come along and take your space. I remember being on edge most of the time during this whole negotiation phase. But my partners were confident that everything was going to work and that we just needed to keep moving forward.

Well the space we were offered was 2236 sq. ft. on 11th ave. In hindsight, which of course is 20/20, I would have gone for a different space. At the time I was just happy to get into Gateway and I let emotions get in the way of subjectivity. Don't get me wrong, the location is phenomenal, I think we would have gotten more exposure if we were on High St. But oh well that's life. I love where we're at, we're right in the middle of everything and essentially on the corner. I just need to do some marketing to let people know where we're at!

So the space was in the works, but there was just one tiny detail that I needed to figure out...where was I going to get the money to build this thing??

Key Note

2006-01-31T23:25:00.000-05:00

Ron was in town last week and whenever he is in town I never seem to have time to make an entry, yeah Ron, it's your fault! His visit, has really paid off. It amazed me how many places he was able to see where we could make cost cuts, and therefore make more money! What ceases to amaze me is how razor thin the profit margins are. The difference between making money and not making money comes almost down to labor and food costs. Now once volume peaks out these things tend to not to be so much of an issue, but when volume is a little lower these things are magnified. Which really is a blessing in disguise...of course there is a silver lining to every cloud! Don't get me wrong we are doing some strong numbers, but I know we can do more. But with lower volumes we can really see what is driving our costs and we can really focus on how we can cut those costs. And that is exactly what we're doing. We are looking at many different costs and how we can lower them or eliminate them. Had our sales been say twice as high many of these things would be unnoticable. But this is allowing us to cut down costs to the most lean and efficient model possible. It may sound like we are slow but we are on pace to do around $1 million this year in sales...ideally I want to be pushing $1.3 or 1.4 million, so that's why I'm saying we're slow. So not bad for a restaurant that has not done any marketing!

Last week was also my birthday! I turned 23! We went out to Smith and Wollensky's for my big day and had the seafood tower! It was amazing! But other than that it wasn't too exciting. But I did finish out the week by being the key note speaker for the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. I ended up speaking to around 100 people. We also catered the event, which went a little less than perfect, but it was our first attempt at large orders. Actually, much of the product came out not nearly as good as things in the store, so there is definitely some need for tweaking our catering capabilities. I think we have a good idea, but we're not quite there yet. But as for my speech, it went spectacular! I did start writing a speech several days before the event, but I ended up running out of time to finish it. I was planning on finishing it up on Friday morning, right before the event, but due to the chaos of putting the catering order together I wasn't able to do that. So, as usual, I had to go in there and wing it! I actually think I do better when I just wing it. I did my standard keynote/motivational speech...isn't it great that I have a standard speech now! I'm really starting to get it down. Each speaking engagement I hone it and it gets better and better.

My biggest problem with public speaking initially was reading the crowd. The first thing they tell you to do when public speaking is to "know your audience." But I was ignoring that for the first several times. Then I spoke to a high school class. Much of the things I was talking about weren't relevant to students in high school and I think I bored them to tears. But, thanks to my high school business teacher, whose class I spoke too, I quickly learned how to adapt. I spoke to two of her classes. The first one went ok but not as well as I had hoped. The second one went substantially better b/c some how she had told me or I inferred from her comments that I needed to adapt to the audience. So I did and the second speech was substantially better. And that is what I am focusing on now when I do public speaking events. Before I would just go in and speak without thinking about who the audience was and what they wanted to hear. I would just talk and tell my story. Now I think about my audience ahead of time and try to put myself in their shoes. I try to think about what I would like to hear from this kid who started this restaurant. And man does it help! I am getting more attentive listeners and many more good questions at the end of the speech. Perhaps my greatest measure of how I am improving is how many people come up and talk to me after I speak. I figure that if I have anyone approach me after I speak that at least some were listening. This past speech I would say I had about ten people that approached me after I spoke. That's about 10 times more than my first speech, 5 times more than my second, and about twice as many as my last! Of course I am taking into account the size of the audience as well.

But I love the public speaking. I get a high from it and I love watching people reactions and getting their feedback. My stock key note speech is basically my story. I simply stand up there and tell my story of how I got to where I am today. And it seems to work. People can follow a story. There is a plot and a point and it can be interesting. I'm sure not everyone is interested, but I know that when I hear the word lecture I am bored already. But when I hear the word story, I want to learn more about it. Stories work and that is what I am going to stick with. Plus it all happened to me so I can pull the story from my memory. I don't have to go back to my notes and try to remember a certain phrase or theorem or someone elses story, I just tell my own. Man does that make it easy. I can stand up there for hours if I needed too. But I usually keep it to about an hour. To me it is just so cool that on a whim if someone asks me to come speak without any notice I can go up there and speak for an hour to an hour and a half without even thinking about it! Imagine standing in front of 100 people for an hour and they are all listening to you and then asking you questions! I could never imagine doing that when I was back in my high school speech class. I would dread that day when I had to go in front of the class and speak. But I didn't know the stuff inside and out when I was up there. I know my story and I know how to get reactions from it. Now I want to learn to control the audiences emotions a little more. To get them excited or involved or motivated. But I have yet to finish my story on RawPesto so I will get back at it tomorrow...

Story Time

2006-01-26T01:50:00.000-05:00

And then I died, b/c I held my breath for so long! Just kidding, that's just my sense of humor coming out there! Anyways, we did leave that day with our fingers crossed. My life had been building up to this final judgement day for the past year almost and it could go either way with the flip of a coin! I was scared to death, either way. If we got the space I was scared, if we didn't I was scared. I think I was even more scared of getting the space than not getting the space. That was a whole new world I have never even stepped foot in. I would have to do everything, from start to finish of leasing, to construction, to running the restaurant, to making money. Shit yeah I was scared! I was 21 years old at the time, what the hell did I know about anything...still what do I know about anything!

That was the thing, I didn't know what I was doing. How in the world was I going to pull this thing off. Of course that's what my business partners were for. They had done it before, they knew what they were doing. I was so reliant on them for everything. At the time I was using them as a crutch. It was not a good thing. I think it was a little bit necessary, but not to the extent that I was relying on them. Don't get me wrong, I still have my crutches to this day, and slowly but surely I am beginning to walk on my own, but it is a learning process. It takes time to get from baby steps to running.

But I was also scared of the alternative, what if it didn't work out. In the back of my mind had it not worked out, it would have been a giant sigh of relief. Had they turned me down for the lease, I could go back to just being a student and then when I graduated I could go out and find a stable job somewhere. I would only have to work 40 hours a week and the only risk I would take is where do I accept my checks from. But man, writing that, doesn't that sound terrible! I couldn't do it. No way in hell! So I was praying that I would get my chance to go for it!...

THE Story...Cont....

2006-01-24T23:36:00.000-05:00

So it was fall. I had lived in Columbus that whole summer and basically I would wake up at 6am and go to work and then come back around 5pm go workout, shower, eat, watch tv and go to bed. That was my life. Day in and day out. Some days I would have to work the graveyard shift b/c well everybody had to do it and go to work at 10pm and go home around the time the sun was rising. It was terrible. Thank God it was over and school was starting back up again. Actually the did offer me a job with a starting salary of $36k and benefits. No way was I going to settle for that.

But I hadn't heard anything at all from Gateway. The restaurant was becoming nothing but a pipe dream at that moment. It had been almost 4 months since I heard anything and I didn't get anything accomplished that summer with regards to the restaurant. School started back up and I remember the day I got a call from Gateways leasing team. It was a gorgeous day. I had just gotten back from a business class and I was standing outside on the basketball courts. The leasing team I had been workign with at the time were tremendous. Their people were incredible. They were doing everything they could to push my concept through and get me into Gateway. Initially they called and said that Wolfgang Puck had fallen through, they were going to be the exclusive Italian concept at Gateway. They said that I would hopefully be able to get in but the deal was not solidified yet. Then not too long later I heard the exact opposite that Puck was going to be coming into Gateway. And it went back and forth. It was a roller coaster ride.

I didn't know what to do. At one point I developed a different version of my concept that if things fell through I would attempt in a smaller space. I really didn' t know how things were going to turn out. But just the fact that there was a glimmer of hope kept me going. I mean I was in school anyways so I did have a lot on my plate already. And I did have a job as well as the Resident Manager for my dorm, Taylor Tower. But I had to keep going after it. I knew I would regret if I didn't keep pushing.

At the time I did have a couple business partners that are no longer a part of the company. They own a restaurant in town and they were going to be helping with everything from development to execution. They had a very successful concept in town and I had really looked to them to get this thing off the ground. Though we hadn't heard a yes or a no we started meeting every Tuesday to go over what we needed to get done. We started talking to restaurant equipment companies, suppliers, architects, etc. etc. Then the day finally came when the landlords wanted to meet again and have us present them with the concept. I think what really helped sell Pesto was the business plan. It was ridiculously long and detailed, but it showed my passion for the business. We presented the concept and it seemed to be a hit. We left that day holding our breath with our fingers crossed...

Percentages

2006-01-20T00:32:00.000-05:00

My story will continue tomorrow. But a few thoughts for today on controllable costs and their importance. I've been running through the numbers, catching up my books and looking at what we've been doing. Well our three main controllables are running high. Our food cost, labor cost, and paper cost are killing our bottom line. These are probably the 3 main controllable factors in the restaurant. Usually the main two come down to food cost and labor cost. Many of the other costs associated with running the restaurant are fixed costs so everyday we open the doors there is a certain amount of money we need to bring in to cover those fixed costs. Fixed costs are good and bad. They are good b/c you know exactly how much your fixed costs will be. Rent, loans, salaried positions, telephone, internet, any leased equipment are all fixed costs. No matter what you have to earn enough to cover those costs. The main variable costs then are the labor, food, and paper. Of course there are several other variable costs such as electric, water, credit card processing, etc. etc. It's very interesting to watch and it is easy to see that if you don't have a tight handle on what is happening in your restaurant things could quickly go down hill.

Our food costs for instance are about 6% higher than where we want the to be. That means our bottom line is taking a 6% hit from the food. If we can lower our food costs then we can increase our profitability. How can this be done? Well luckily in our case very easily. By simply looking at and using other products on the market we will be able to substantially lower our food costs. Why are our costs so high? Well when the menu was first conceptualized we decided to go with one price for everything on the menu. Our hopes were then that the overall menu mix would deliver the food cost we wanted. What happened though is that one item on the menu is substantially more popular than everything else on the menu. It just happens that our most popular dish is also our most expensive! A lose-lose you can say. It all came down to the chicken basically. We were going through so much chicken that it drove our food costs way above where we wanted them. So the answer was to find cheaper chicken! And we did and hopefully that one small change should substantially lower our food cost.

Now this is a good lesson. What if that particular dish wasn't our most popular? Then our food cost may have been lower. If our food cost was lower and came in around where we wanted it to be would we have tried to lower the food cost? Probably not...which is a problem. When it comes to profitability you can't be happy with the status quo. It could have been that we were hitting the food cost we wanted, but if we switched to a different product it could have increased our bottom line by maybe a percentage point. Which is nothing to cough at.

But you need to always remember, how is that product change going to effect the final result. Is the food going to taste worse or better? Is the customers perceived value going to be more or less? There are many factors that need to be evaluated from the consumer standpoint as well. Luckily the decision was a no brainer for us b/c the end result was substantially better anyway! So even when things are going great you need to always be looking for ways to make things even better.

My Story Cont...

2006-01-19T00:46:00.000-05:00

Yes...An Italian version of Chipotle! There is no one in the fast-casual Italian market. Come on, when you think of fast Italian food what comes to mind? Well one does, and it's the f-word in my book...Fazoli's. Yeah they suck, the garlicky, buttery, breadsticks is what keeps them alive. They suck and they have 400+ locations! So our food is incredible, about 1 to 2 dollars more and we opened our first one! So the potential is enormous. There are several other entrants in the marketplace and they are Pasta Pomodora (owned by Wendy's, but probably not for long the way things are going at Wendy's), Pasta Pranzo (recently acquired by a franchising company that plans to grow the concept nationwide, don't worry we have their growth strategy beat) and Pasta Bravo. Mind you all these concepts are mainly based in California. The only other entrant into the market is Pizza Hut Italian Bistro. Yeah they are trying to rebrand themselves, but it's not going to work. Everyone knows what Pizza Hut is, you can't make it more contemporary or bistroesque, it's impossible.

Then comes along Pesto. The highest quality ingredients and a menu dedicated to Authentic Italian cuisine. The design is sleek modern Milan-Italian, not old, overdone, Tuscan Kitchen Italian. One price fits all, $5.95 for made-to-order pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. Not to mention our extensive offering of Authentic, all-natural, Italian gelati! Yeah just those few sentences alone should strike fear in every fast-casual Italian restaurant owner in the country. Plus I'm only 22 years old to boot, so how are they going to compete with the publicity I can drive.

So I had this concept for an Italian version of Chipotle. In the beginning it was going to be pick your pasta, pick your sauce, pick your toppings. Yeah create your own, everyone likes it, but what is innovative about it? Nothing...but for almost two years this was what Pesto was going to be. Back then the original name was Grazie, Italian for Thank you. The interior was going to be old world Italian with the Pizza Pie in the sky, that's amore, crappy music playing. There was going to be original artwork by local artists everywhere. And the business plan I created with and use to raise half a million bucks still says all this to this day.

The biz plan took me months to compile and execute. For about six months I did nothing but research restaurants in the area and my competition. I wanted to see how other restaurants ran and learn why customers would go there. Mind you I had no restaurant experience so I had to learn everything. But at the time I did have business partners on my side. They were friends of a friend. They own a local deli in town and they were going to help me get this thing off the ground. And they did help. They gave me financial projections I could use and manipulate to project the numbers we could be running. And I wrote that business plan in about two weeks. I was supposed to go to Florida for spring break but i spent just about every waking moment of spring break at home busting out the biz plan. I would win $100k if I won the competition so of course I had to go for it. I busted my ass on that plan. In the end it ended up being 55 pages long! Ridiculous...way too long! My second one amounted to about 20 pages (it was for a cell phone company).

Well I lost the competition. A company called vertebration invented an implant for spinal cord injury patients, so a restaurant couldn't really compete with that! But my friends and family said hey it's a great idea, pursue it. So I did. I contacted a local developer, campus partners. I noticed there was a significant development going in at the southern end of campus and I knew that was where I needed to launch my new restaurant concept. I knew that not only would the location be great, but the project itself had been in the works for over 10 years. I knew I would get much more press here than anywhere else b/c of the anticipation for the project and more importantly b/c of my age. When all the paper work was signed and I had signed my life over for that ten year lease I was 22 years old and about to graduate from OSU, my target marketplace.

It worked, I've probably been in over 15 different publications in a relatively short period of time. That's all without trying. I haven't even attempted to contact the media. But that will change here soon...(I am wearing a smile of mischief). So I started talks with the landlord. I told them I had a restaurant concept that I thought would be a perfect fit for their new project. I shared my business plan with them and told them that I wanted to be a part of it. The conversations went on for quite awhile. I think all in all it took about 6 months to convince them that I would be the best fit for the Italian restaurant compenent of their tenant mix. It was a roller coaster ride. At first they said they weren't quite ready. Then they said they had another potential Italian concept that was well established and had quite a track record. Then the talks stopped all together for about three and a half months. They started right before summer break, were non-existent over the summer, and started back up in the fall.

Over the summer I was working an intership at Kohl's department stores. I don't know why but for some reason I applied for a management internship with Kohl's. I guess I wanted to see what it would be like had my parents been right and I ended up managing some retail store somewhere. And I absolutely hated it. That was the worst summer of my life. It was so boring, so frustrating, and it was working for someone else. I was making someone else rich. But I didn't even get the opportunity to use my mind. They spelled everything out for the employees...which I know understand being the owner. But I had the owner mentality. I wanted to try new and different things and do them a different way. I thought the way corporate demanded things was ridiculous. And that was it. That was my stint in the working world. It sucked and I'm never going back. I hated it...it's good to remind yourself of that sometimes. No matter how tough it gets, at the end of the day I only answer to myself, and well the bank, and my investors, and etc. But it's a hell of a lot better than someone called "corporate."

So that miserable summer ended and school started back up in the fall...

Back to my story

2006-01-18T00:20:00.000-05:00

I said I was going to tell my story again. So I left off a couple days ago talking about my stupid ideas that never materialized. Actually one of my good ones that I was really interested in was letshaggle.com. Basically it was the opposite of ebay. Instead of bidding up you would bid down, what they call a reverse auction. The reason I love this model is b/c of my love for garage sales. One man's junk is truly another man's treasure. So why not instead of starting low and bidding high, start high and bid low. Of course the problem with this is that the seller would have to set the minimum at which they would sell their item. You would haggle with the buyer, just like you would do at a garage sale (I've never paid full price for anything at a garage sale, but unfortunately I haven't carried this over to the business world fully yet, I am starting to realize that...duh most all markets are the same and if there is competition there is always an opportunity to find a better price).

My most recent business idea that I still think is phenomenal and that there is a huge potential for is advertising and marketing on cell phones. I even formed Kick Mobile with a friend of mine in an attempt to start the company. We even had all the partners in place to develop the software we needed. All we need is the capital. Again I read another recent article about the potential for advertising on cell phones. The article basically describes our concept to the "t". But it all comes down to passion. Neither of us were passionate enough to pursue the idea. Don't get me wrong, if I wasn't working on the restaurant I would definitely pursue the idea, but there just isn't enough time right now.

Back to my story though. I entered OSU as an architecture major. At the time I loved residential design. But the money in the residential architecture market was close to nothing unless, I thought, you were absolutely incredible at design. But what I now realize is that success in this marketplace depends more on marketing rather than solely based on design. If I am an incredible designer but I can't market my abilities then I'll make nothing. Even if I am mediocre and everyone knows who I am I have the potential to make tons of money.

But my passion wasn't architecture I quickly realized. I loved the idea of conceptualizing my own ideas...not someone elses. So I changed my major to computer science. My father has always been into computers. Computers are his thing and his career. In my parents mind it was the way to go. At the time it was the end of the .com era. I tried it, but after several classes I realized again that I was not passionate about computers. It's exactly what Steve Jobs says in his speech that I posted in an earlier entry, I asked myself every morning if I was happy with what I was doing and I was saying NO too many days in a row. That was it, I knew I had to make a change fast. So I switched to business. Don't get me wrong, my parents are my biggest supporters, but they were concerned I was going to end up a general manager of some retail store like Kohl's or something. But I knew I wouldn't let this happen. I knew that business was where my heart was and that I was going to demand and create something more than a management position in retail.

Again I made the mistake of entering into the computer side of business as a Management Information Systems Major. I changed to finance and then accounting. Mind you I was also an engineering major at one point and a pre-med student at another. But I followed my heart and stuck with business. Finally in a marketing class taught by one of my great mentors Roger Blackwell, marketing peaked my interest. Roger talked to us not just about marketing but about starting, growing, and running businesses. I wrote down every word that man said. I knew what he was sharing was invaluable. I would approach him after most of my classes to learn more about what he was teaching. Roger would offer the opportunity to join him for drinks at the Blackwell after class to further discuss the concepts he was teaching. Finally there was a lecture that really inspired me. It was on functional shiftability. Yeah it is some marketing jargon but it stuck in my mind. Dr. Blackwell said if there was one thing we should understand it was this concept. He said that in order to be successful in business we needed to understand it. So I wanted to figure out what it meant. In class he gave the Limited as an example. Limited Brands strengths lies in it's branding and distribution. It's weakness is in production. So Limited would outsource it's weakness to someone else who was an expert in it.

At first I didn't quite understand why this was so important. But after discussing it further I knew exactly what it meant. In fact I took the concept a step further. Rather than applying it to a business I applied it to myself. I looked at myself, what was i good at? Well I was good at bringing people together. Not only that I love to bring people together and act as the organizer. My weaknesses lied in my lack of experience in pretty much any field. So I dug deeper to try to understand how this could help me out.

A month or two before I realized what this concept meant to me I was introduced to a restaurant named Chipotle. The first time I went in I didn't know what the hell to do. I didn't know how to order or what I was going to get. All I knew was that my friends loved the place and said I had to try it out. So I did and I loved it instantly. I loved the delivery system, the simplicity, the price, and the perceived value. I thought it was an incredible concept. I wanted one! So I checked it out and franchises were not available. So I kept researching the concept further. I looked at the market and realized that the mexican fast-casual market was fairly saturated so the barriers to entry were pretty high.

Then I ordered pasta from an independent Italian place on campus. It was horrible. There was nowhere on campus where you could get high quality Italian food. So the wheels began turning and that's when it hit me...what if I created an Italian version of Chipotle...

Spring...Winter Cleaning

2006-01-13T00:31:00.000-05:00

We're getting there. Almost a month after our grand opening Pesto is slowly but surely starting to evolve into the living breathing thing that it was meant to be. The past several weeks were filled with endless hours of work for myself as well as my managers. We weren't delegating work. We were all just completing tasks ourselves. I would be down here from 9am until 1am everyday, just doing tasks. How am I going to grow Pesto into 1,000 stores if I am down here mopping the floors, cooking pizza, and actually my favorite thing to do hand out samples of gelato everyday? I'm never going to get anywhere! Luckily we have a tremendous restaurant consultant (director of operations) and his personal assistant. They came in, they saw, they conquered. They helped me see what I was doing wrong. Of course I'm still going to screw things up but they were right. We were all doing tasks when we should have been training our employees how to do those tasks. That was my life, a bunch of tasks and constantly putting out fires. I'll take blame for it. I never layed out expectations for my management staff. I told them the customer comes first and we want to make money. But I want so much more than that. So we're doing some winter cleaning. My parents came down and we almost all of our expectations down on paper, we spelled things out...and it's working! Soon I'll be able to go out and start marketing my creation!

Today was actually one of the first days I was able to do some marketing. Several reporters from the OSU news station stopped in the other night and they came back today to do a feature story on Pesto! So all week next week Pesto will be in the news on campus several times a day! I'll have to admit I really love interviews and public speaking. I just can't get enough of it. It helps fuel the fire and keeps me running after the goal. I feel like I'm really able to share some valuable information as well as communicate my passions across to everyone. So the restaurant start-up seminars will be coming soon...as soon as Pesto is a machine! I'll continue my personal story tomorrow.

Customer Critical Mass

2006-01-11T23:49:00.000-05:00

An interesting concept just came to my mind. First of all there is the 80/20 rule...80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers. I can see that being the case. But not right off the bat. I think there is a certain point of critical mass that must first be achieved. I say this b/c while we do have many repeats we are also getting many new customers. I would say for every repeat customer there are probably 5 to 10 new customers that come in everyday. So what this means is that slowly our customer base grows. Yes we are getting those repeats but the pool of customers as a whole that know about Pesto is not large enough yet to achieve the 80/20 concept. Granted we have done no advertising to date, every new customer that comes in is word of mouth. And especially in a campus setting you can't expect to have your repeat customers coming back even only two and three times a month. Now for a consumer with disposable income you could almost rely on a more regular repeat customer. But students don't have much disposable income. So we must achieve a level of awareness that reaches a large audience of consumers that know about Pesto. Everyday sales increase slightly. Once we reach that critical mass of awareness where 50,000 students have heard of Pesto, then we will have reached our Customer Critical Mass. It will be very interesting to see the day when we don't have to explain how Pesto works anymore. That day is several months off, and it will be an exciting time in the growth stages of Pesto.

Round 1 Development...Over...Round 2 Operations...Beginning

2006-01-11T21:27:00.000-05:00

I spoke last night to members of the Business Builders Club...I used to be a member myself, and I still am one at heart! It was a great show with a sold out crowd, of course! I basically went through my background and how I got where I am today. So I thought it was about time I did a little refresher to kick things off again for the next phase in this crazy business start-up rollercoaster ride.

It all started two years ago in a marketing class. Well I'll go way back. My interest in business goes back to when I was about 5 years old. One of my chores was to pick up acorns in both the front and back yard so my parents could mow. Of course it was not an appealing proposal....fill buckets with acorns for hours. But I had to spin it positively, so I started selling acorns out of our driveway. I used our large oak tree in the front yard as a model of what the acorn could grow to become, for only 5 cents! Well I sold a few, but I am by no means independently wealthy yet!

That was my first exploration into the realm of entrepreneurship. Over the next few years there was a variety of different "businesses" I started. From a miniature golf course in the basement, to a fun house, a boxing ring, and a movie theatre (which I suppose was illegal, but we didn't have any paying customers show up). The mini golf course was actually pretty sweet! We had 18 holes in the basement. My inspiration came from an organization I was a part of with my father, Indian Guides. This organization was basically a little club put on by the YMCA for fathers and sons. We would do different outdoorsy things as well as indoor sports, one of which was indoor miniature golf. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I wanted to create my own course. We did get quite a few paying customers, the only problem was the adults couldn't really fit b/c I was probably like 9 years old when I built the course so everything was really small.

Then around the age of 13 I began writing down my business ideas. Some of them actually came to fruition. I kept this journal throughout my adolescents and I still have it to this day. One of my ideas for instance was the online grocery store and we'd deliver to your house. Well there was such a thing but most of the web grocers shut down with the end of the dot com era. But it was a glimpse at the possibilities.

So none of these ideas were ever really good enough to go after. Even more important none of my ideas had anything to do with what I am passionate about. Passion is the key to being successful in anything. Without passion you'll never make it. This was the majority of my speech last night. If I wasn't passionate about Pesto and what I am doing I would have said forget it when I had to stay up all night cooking pasta. If I wasn't passionate about Pesto I would have thrown in the towel when any issue arose. I would have quit when I was turned down by every bank in Columbus, Ohio or rejected by investor after investor. I wouldn't have dedicated the past two years of my life to making the Pesto dream a reality. Anybody can do what I did...if they are willing to work hard.

I know tons of people with great ideas but they are all bark and no bite. When it comes time to take action they turn and run the other way. I don't think people fail to go after their dreams just b/c of the risks, I think there is also a fear of having too work hard. I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine and we both think that many people are just afraid to work hard. Yeah you have to work your ass off to make your dream a reality, that's why so few achieve their dreams. But man would you rather spend your life making someone else rich, or make some sacrifices, work your ass off and spend your life making yourself rich. And not just monetarily rich but living a rich and fullfiling life.

So throw those hiccups at me, throw obstacles in my way...they will fuel the fire and continue to make me show you this thing is going to fly and I'll do anything it takes.

That is why I am going to make a tremendous effort to keep my blog up to date. I'll continue the story tomorrow, but for now it's back to work. Go Big or GO HOME!

Quick Breather

2006-01-08T02:04:00.000-05:00

Finally!! A split second to sit down and write an entry...well it's 2 am and I am currently cooking pasta! Yes that is correct. I am prepping pasta for tomorrow b/c two of our burners went down so there is no way we would be able to prep enough pasta tomorrow unless I get it done tonight. So I've cooked two batches so far...only about three more to go! But the other main reason is that the past two days have been our busiest days yet! Lines to the door, a packed dining room, constant customers...so it's a great situation to be in! So I'm just going to keep on drinking my San Pellegrino and cooking pasta. I'm trying to get some other prep out of the way too as well as cleaning up.

I apologize for not making any entries in the past few weeks. There is so much that I have to say and so much that I have learned and soon I will catch up. But I'll tell you this, I absolutely love what I am doing! It's such a blast! I'm learning how to run a restaurant as well as figuring out how to run a business. So I must get back at it. Until hopefully tomorrow!

Finally Open!

2005-12-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

We're open! Finally! And I'm taking a second here to finally write an entry again. We opened on Saturday Dec. 17th and I haven't had a second to spare to write an entry. And this entry already has been interrupted by three phone calls! It was so exciting to have that first paying customer, it was a feeling that I cannot put in words. It is even more incredible to see customers coming back again and again and again! In five days we have already had quite a few people come in 3 or 4 times...now that's an incredible feeling. People will stay too. They love the atmosphere and they'll sit in the dining room for hours. We even had two women who stayed for four hours! It's amazing to think that we created this business that people enjoy and come back again and again for. The only disappointment so far is that we are slow, which is what we expected. The students at OSU are currently out on Christmas break so there is almost nobody on campus except for a few faculty and staff. But our numbers are still running strong. We are putting up sales numbers higher than Potbelly's and a little over half of Panera's and we've only been open for five days! So things are looking very positive. For now I'll post this and I'll be back.

INCREDIBLE FOOD!

2005-12-12T22:08:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long...but it will be well worth the wait. Today we ran through the entire menu and we will be doing the same tomorrow. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some great pictures to post of the food as well! But for now all I have to say is INCREDIBLE! The food is phenomenal! My expectations were blown away and everything on the menu is absolutely incredible! We hired a chef consultant, Bob Schafer, to create the menu and nail down the recipes and he hit a grand slam! Bob was trained at the Culinary Institute of America and years of experience. He has done everything from fine dining restaurants to hotels to fast casual restaurants. And man, I couldn't be happier. The food quality and value will blow the competition away. All I have to say is, come try the food and you will agree. If you have not recieved an invite from me and you check my blog on occasion, we are having a VIP party this Friday from 4-9pm...so feel free to swing by 14 E. 11th Ave. Columbus, OH 43201 and try the food! Until tomorrow, goodnight!

Busy Busy!

2005-12-05T23:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't made an entry in days...things just keep getting more and more hectic! I'm not complaining b/c I love being busy but the blogs are taking the toll b/c of my lack of time! Last week I had two speaking engagements. I spoke at OSU for an entrepreneurship class and then at my high school for a marketing class and an intro to business class. It was a blast! I love public speaking. I hadn't done it in awhile so I was a little nervous for the first speech at OSU but once I got going I was back in the zone! I can't wait until I can speak on a regular basis. What I did in the speeches was use my book's, Buy the Brain, chapters as an outline to follow. I basically walked through the business start-up process and my own experiences along the way. It seemed to peak the interest of many of my audiences. The most surprising thing from everything was the response from high school students. I even had one student that emailed me asking for my business plan! I was so excited that I got through to someone in the audience and hopefully impacted their lives in some way!

But things have been very crazy. Over the weekend we faux painted the hallways and some of the walls in the dining room. It looks incredible! Kevin is a genius when it comes to design! When things are first going up I was nervous b/c I wasn't sure if things were going to look right, but once everything was in place it all made sense. I just need to trust Kevin! Same with the walls, I wasn't so sure that we needed to paint the hallways and I was nervous. But once I saw it painted it made a world of difference! So Kevin, you do know what you're doing! Everything looks incredible!

So it's coming down to the wire. We're opening Dec. 17th...finally! Right now I've been spending my days wrapping up the details. I spent today running around getting all my table tops and bases together. It took me several trips to get the white marble table tops b/c they wouldn't fit in my car and then I had to make several trips to get my table bases, and I still don't have everything. Then my friend and I spent several hours gluing wood onto the bottom of the marble table tops and putting together the high-top bar tables. Everything is looking incredible...I'm so glad we didn't go for the cheaper bar stools. I was soo close to going with the cheaper ones but at the last minute I changed my mind, and I would have been so disappointed had I stuck with the cheaper ones. With that said I'm going to post some new pictures so you can check out the painting we did down the hall way. Enjoy!

Life Safety PASSED!

2005-12-01T00:28:00.000-05:00

Today was a big day in a step toward opening for Pesto! We had our life safety inspections today and we passed with flying colors! It's pretty interesting to watch what all the fire marshall inspects. They fire up all the equipment, check all the exhaust such as the hood and HVAC, check the emergency lights to make sure they work, and they even go as far as to pumping fog through the duct work to make sure it sets off the fire alarm! They arrived at 1pm and they were done by 1:31pm. I've heard all these horror stories of restaurants taking forever to get off the ground due to inspections and so far my experience has been the exact opposite. But I attribute this to the fact that our general contractor has done such a tremendous job and so there aren't going to be any issues.

The next major inspection is our structural and this is THE inspection. Following this inspection we will receive our Certificate of Occupancy and we will be able to start selling food! Well almost...following the certificate of occupancy we will have one last health inspection. Once we receive the green light from the health department we will be ready to roll and we can start selling food! I also just received our vendor's license the other day so everything should be in order to start making money!

Speaker of the House!

2005-11-30T01:05:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately yesterday was so jam-packed with things for me to do that by the time I had a chance to write a blog entry, I was exhausted! But yesterday was a phenomenal day! I had my first opportunity to practice my presentation for Ron's and my speaking series starting in January. I was invited to speak to an entrepreneurship class at OSU! It took me awhile to get organized and figure out what I was going to say and then it hit me like a ton of bricks...why don't I just use my book, Buy the Brain, as an outline for my presentation! And that was exactly what I did. I started off by reading my first chapter to the class (I will soon have it memorized but it was my first time so I went ahead and read it). The first chapter is titled a simple process and walks through the fact that starting a business is a process, a simple process. I also incorporated within this chapter the entrepreneurial mind set. I use the first chapter to set the stage for the reader to get them to start thinking like an entrepreneur.

I then walked the class through each one of my chapters describing what each step was in the business start-up process and then describing my own experiences during that step. At this point only one chapter of the book is written so when I was up there I basically wrote the book right in front of everyone! I spoke for about an hour and then concluded with questions. Not surprisingly there were quite a few questions. Everything went great from start to finish. There is definitely need for refining the presentation and the content, but all in all it was tremendous! I love speaking in front of people. It's incredible how much easier it is when it is something you know and care about. I remember back in the day when we had to do public speaking in class and I always dreaded it. But the main reason was b/c I wasn't prepared and I didn' t really love what I was talking about. I love talking about the restaurant and how it all got started so it was really a breeze. Things went so well as a matter of fact that the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship is considering having me help develop an entrepreneurship class around the framework of the book! Teaching entrepreneurship has always been a goal of mine...I always want to inspire others to go out there and go after their dreams! I really hope the teaching and class development opportunity comes to fruition. I know I'm going to push to make it happen. I just feel it is so much effective to discuss starting a business with students when they have someone their age to relate too.

Yesterday also marked day one of planning for our mega Grand Opening event! We are going to be holding a fashion show charity event at Pesto. People will pay to get in and the proceeds will go to Pesto's charity, Pesto VC (Venture Capital). But the kicker of the whole "launch" party is that Fisher Ink, a new on campus business magazine developed by students, will be teaming up with Pesto and co-hosting the party! Further, the Business Builders Club is also going to be a co-host in the event! This event is going to be huge and I don't think anyone realized how huge I'm talking! It's going to be the whose who of Columbus! Also, the new Fisher Ink magazine will launch on January 9th and we are going to hold the event in Pesto on Friday January the 13th! So it's really going to be a great event that hopefully raises a ton of money for Fisher Ink as well as Pesto VC!

Tension Fabric!

2005-11-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

We have tension fabric! I came back to Columbus on Saturday from good old North Canton to help install our tension fabric sculptures. They look incredible! Modern Design at it's best! So enjoy the pics and give me your thoughts!

Back by Popular demand! Day 68

2005-11-22T00:05:00.000-05:00

Pictures are back by popular demand! I actually received five requests, well above the three I had anticipated. So enjoy the most recent pics...I'm sure it looks pretty different to everyone now that there is a floor and the lights are all installed and working...well almost all installed, the rest will be installed shortly.

It's crunch time now so things are really starting to pick up. Everyone is under the gun to get this thing finished and open! The menu boards and take out menus are in the process of completion, none to soon considering opening is on Dec. 6! This of course is my own fault b/c I changed the menu in the past couple weeks. But as all will soon see, it was well worth the hassle!

Today was particularly hectic. I had every intention of sleeping in until 9am after a late night of work last night. But for some reason I sprung from bed at 8am and actually listened to my 3 voice mails I had already received this morning. This is rare, usually I won't listen to them until around 10am. It was a good thing I did b/c there was a bunch of stuff I needed to take care of. I had to run down stairs to let the Pepsi man in and I was going to go back to bed after that...but of course someone needed something else. After finishing that I was going to go back to bed for a short minute, but something else came up. It was actually kind of funny. From the second I woke up until about 6pm things just kept popping up! I actually really enjoyed it, I really feel like I got a lot done today.

But the highlight of the day was the gelato case! It came! And damn is it sexy! I am so glad I splurged and went for the ferrari of gelato cases instead of the pinto, it was well worth it and it is going to sell a ton of gelato! I'm just torn, so here is my next quest for information...Should we do 6 flavors or 12 flavors of gelato? Let me know your thoughts!

Buy The Brain...Day 67

2005-11-18T00:02:00.000-05:00

First, I did receive my third request for photos so I will be posting them again starting tomorrow. I was looking forward to surprising everyone with the final picture, but you'll be able to see it coming now.

Ron and I have decided to co-author a book titled Buy The Brain. Last night I wrote chapter 1. It was surprisingly very easy. I am at about five pages, and thats on Microsoft Word so it's probably really ten pages for the book! The book is going to be a guide to starting any business but focusing on restaurants as the case study. The business start-up process is the same for any business, whether it is a restaurant or an internet company. We are just going to focus on Pesto as our case study. The first chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book as well as the mind set for the reader. In order for the book to create any sort of value for an entrepreneur or entrenpreneur to be is if they have the right mind set. Starting a business requires a certain mind set. Success is a mind set. Entrepreneurship is a mind set. If you don't free your mind and allow yourself to break out of conventional thinking, you'll never make it in this game. But it's all in the book, so you'll just have to buy a copy. There are a total of twelve chapters, so I only have eleven to go. I'll keep you posted. Our goal is to have the book published and selling nationwide by March 2006. Keep your eyes open, the war has started...it's on!

Still No Pics...Day 66

2005-11-17T00:05:00.000-05:00

I'm still awaiting that last request for pictures. I would really like to take some photos!

In the spirit of wartime for Pesto I have been really hitting the books hard. I am mainly researching internet marketing. Yeah I'll tell you our little secret we are focusing our franchising efforts via the web. The reason why is because no one is doing it. There are no other restaurants that fully utilize the internet for growth purposes. Which is great for Pesto b/c it is going to fuel our growth. What really amazes me is how little people in the restaurant industry focus on internet marketing. It blows my mind when you think about how people research just about anything. Where do you go when you have a question or you are looking for something in particular...you Google it! I do, we all do it...Everybody is doing it. How else would you learn about a franchise opportunity. And yet restaurauters fail to harness it's powers. Well that is what we are going to do differently. I am personally guaranteeing we will win both the internet and industry battle. I'm doing my homework and I'm ready for warfare. My job is to grow this company and so I am going to do everything in power to do so. The internet is the key. Of course there is an infinite number of ways to utilize the internet, so I am not going to specifically spell it out for you. But we are going to do some very unique things. We are going to take some guerilla tactics, ambushing, you know the deer caught in the headlights route. And when we launch this attack, that is exactly what you will see...hundreds of deer caught in the headlights.

No Pictures yet! Day 65

2005-11-16T11:06:00.000-05:00

I only received two requests for photographs...that means no photographs today! My brother did make three very nice comments but as I said the comments must be made from three different people, so no dice there. But all I would need is one additional comment and I will begin posting photos again....otherwise you will have to wait until we open! HAHAHA! So please let me know.

Pictures? Day 65

2005-11-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

So from here on out I am thinking about not posting anymore pictures until we open. So I'm assuming that means either one of two things happen, 1. no one visits my blog anymore until we open or 2. I don't tell anyone what day we are going to open so you have to check it everyday! What I am going to do is ask for a comment. If I get three people requesting daily updates of the pictures then I will post them...if I don't get any requests then you'll just have to wait a couple days, weeks, years?!?! It's out of my hands now and no it can't be one person three times, it has to be three different people. The reason I am asking is because now is when the months of building pay off and everything comes together. Now is when the icing is put on the cake! And I'll tell you what, it's going to be a damn good cake! So please, let me know, the ball is in your court!

Big Day! ... Day 63

2005-11-10T22:51:00.000-05:00

Today was a very big day for Pesto. Ron and I had a meeting today about our second location. If you are familiar with Columbus, Ohio we are looking at going out to Polaris. Polaris is one of the major shopping meccas in Columbus, the others being Easton and Tuttle Mall. It is a major center of retail and restaurant commerce. The location we are looking at is located right in front of the Polaris mall visible from the main drag, Polaris Parkway. We would be next door neighboors to our current neighbors, Potbelly's! This is a major stepping stone for Pesto. The first store is great, but the second will show people that we aren't playing around and that we're serious. We want people and other fast-casual players to see we are a major player in the fast-casual market, we are competition.

For us the location would be perfect. It would offset our downtime in the summers when all the students are gone from OSU. During the summer sales drop off on campus by about 40%. Out at Polaris the summer is peak concert season. The second store will also help fuel the growth of our franchising branch. I am so excited. When people try the food, experience the atmosphere and service, and see the time and thought put into Pesto they won't settle for anything less and they shouldn't.

Which brings up another interesting point. There is a wide array of restaurants at OSU. But they are all fast food dotted with a few fast-casual restaurants here and there and of course bars. But there are very few fast-casual restaurants or any restaurants that strive to deliver students something better. My generation is very consumer savvy. We have a little money to spend and we want to get the most bang for our buck. We search for value and on campus value is dictated to us. We don't have the option to spend a little more for a higher quality food...until now. Now that Panera and Potbelly's have opened there is something that appeals to students that is actually clean and offers a higher quality product. It's about time someone paid attention to us! So my goal is to provide that quality and value that will appeal not only to the savvy student consumers but to all savvy consumers, no matter what their age...and with our menu, design, and service we will do just that!

Photo Mania! Day 62

2005-11-10T01:38:00.000-05:00

Today is my photo journal entry...ENJOY!

Fast-Casual...Day 61

2005-11-08T23:54:00.000-05:00

This is a good article, you'll see why I like it:

Economic Pressure on Dining: Fast Casual could fare well this holiday season and in 2006.

Anticipated pressures on Americans’ discretionary dollars may yield a business boost to fast casual restaurant operators as winter approaches, according to restaurant researcher Dennis Lombardi. Like many, the executive vice president of food service strategies at WD Partners in Columbus, Ohio, believes rising petroleum and home-heating costs will eat into money the nation spends at foodservice outlets.

During a September investor conference call with Buckingham Research restaurant stock analyst Mark Kalinowski, Lombardi predicted customers will remain loyal to the foodservice brands they like, but he expects they’ll spend less and possibly reduce the frequency with which they eat out.

"I just think what we will see is the consumer starting to look at less-lavish ordering," said Lombardi, the former executive vice president for restaurant tracker Technomic Inc. "Consumers are going to forego the appetizers and desserts. They may do without the bottle of wine and just have a glass instead."

He called the behavior of buying less-costly items from a restaurant a customer already frequents "trading down," and he said operators should expect to see more of that as the weather turns colder. In other words, where a regular might have chosen a gourmet pie for delivery, he’ll probably be buying more one-topping carryout specials.

While that may sound like bad news, it’s not all bad. As habitual restaurant users, Americans will cut expenditures in areas they don’t depend on as heavily, Lombardi believes. The reason why is simple: If cutting discretionary spending (not going to a restaurant) cuts people’s discretionary time (because they now have to cook their meals), they will give up something else first.

"(T)he consumer’s lifestyle is such that it is not as easy for them to trade away from restaurant meals or food away from home," he said. "People may say, ‘I'm too tired to cook or I'm too stressed out to cook.’

For the younger generations, they do not even know how to cook."Fast casual will do well with this trend stated John Perry, Retail consultant from Chicago. These types of restaurants offer more value than traditional casual or fine dining outlets but still give the feel of quality, stated, Perry. The fast casual market may even find their wings in the rough times with new ways to serve the consumer or quite possibly new menu items that tend to cross over into casual or fine dining experiences.

Good service a must

The fact that consumers are less skilled in their home kitchens could mean they’re well acquainted with food options and service requirements in restaurants, Lombardi said. Price may draw them to a restaurant, but if every competitor has similar prices and equally good product, each business’s service must set it apart.

"I think that as the consumer gets more and more demanding, customer service expectations are going to become more of a differential in terms of deciding where they want to spend their discretionary dollars," Lombardi said.

He recommended operators find ways to improve service through incentive-driven customer surveys rather than mystery shoppers.

"In my opinion, a good vehicle is these ‘tell-us-about-us’ type responses," he said. "On your receipt, it says, ‘Please call us and answer a couple of quick questions and we will give you some kind of a discount or free dessert.’ That provides monthly feedback to the unit level on how they are doing in terms of customer service.

Serving the bottom line

While delivery charges are becoming more common, most operators are reluctant to bump up menu prices. The temptation to do so this winter will be greater than ever, Lombardi said, as operators will face increasing pressure from higher food and energy bills, as well as employees requesting pay increases to handle cost-of-living increases.

Still, he recommends operators keep menu prices as they are. The long-term potential negatives (customers going elsewhere for less expensive food) outweigh the short-term potential positives of increased margins.

"I think I would be very judicious about thinking about any kind of price increases," he said. One solution he suggested is to create limited-time offers that lower prices briefly, draw traffic and, hopefully, keep those customers coming back for the long-term." (T)he reality of this is that a lot of times these limited-time offers at $8.99 or $9.99 bring the traffic in and then the consumer ends, up once they are sitting in the chair with a menu, ordering the $12.99, $13.99 or $14.99 entree anyway."

One semi-bright note is that Lombardi expects food commodities prices to remain stable throughout 2006. Asked by Kalinowski if rumors of commodities price declines were true, he said, "I do not think anything is going to be dropping much over the next six months as the energy cost issues start working their way through the system. I think the important thing to keep in mind is no one is seeing any out-of-line spikes in any of the commodities right now.”

Kitchen Equipment!...Day 60

2005-11-07T23:51:00.000-05:00

Today was a very exciting day for Pesto...the kitchen equipment arrived!! I was very excited to see all the brand new equipment come in finally, we can almost cook now! The arrival of equipment did teach me one lesson, someone has to unpack and place all of the equipment. I didn't realize someone separate would have to unpack and place everything, I thought the installers would. It turns out the installers are the electricians, and by install I mean hookup the equipment. So what did I do all day??? Unpacked and placed equipment!

I think I found my new calling b/c I absolutely loved it! Nate, Pesto's GM, and I unpacked and placed the equipment pretty much all day. There were some pieces that needed to be assembled so we did that as well. It felt so good to be down there in the restaurant doing something. It seems like I have not done any manual labor for years and it felt so good to be down there getting dirty, moving things around, and setting the equipment where it needed to be. I felt a renewed sense of ownership and pride in what I was doing. If there was room to set-up the shelving and tables I would be down there right now doing it! But setting up the equipment and actually seeing this new equipment in Pesto's kitchen got me even more excited. All the back and forth on the kitchen design and equipment that started over a year ago was finally being put into place!

Pesto VC!...Day 59

2005-11-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

So in this time of competitive fast-casual warfare we are aligning our forces. We are going to do everything we can to make noise and send shock waves through out the industry. The latest tactic on our agenda is Pesto Venture Capital, Pesto VC. One of my many dreams is to have my own Venture Capital fund. I love entrepreneurship and there is nothing I love more than listening and reading about people's businesses or business ideas. Don't get me wrong, I worked very hard to get to this point, but I am very fortunate to have such an opportunity. I want to share this opportunity with as many people as possible. And not just people with hairbrained ideas. I want to help passionate people who have a dream and they want to go after it.

So Pesto VC will be a venture capital fund, but with a twist. Since Pesto's inception I have been trying to find the perfect fit for a charity through which we could give back to the community. My passion is obviously business and what many people may not realize is that my other major passion is helping others strive for and achieve their dreams. Pesto VC will fit the bill perfectly. We will have events to raise funds for the Pesto VC charity as well as certain days where percentages of sales will go directly into the fund. Then we will hold an annual business plan competition where anyone will be able to submit their Dream. (Business plan competitions are near and dear to my heart, The Ohio State University business plan competition drove me to complete my business plan and helped raise the necessary funding for Pesto) All plans will be reviewed by myself and Pesto's management team. The winning business plan will receive funding as well as contacts and resources to help start or grow their business. Eventually my goal is to help 10 to 15 people start new businesses each year and hopefully many many more!

So in our arsenal is an array of weapons and three or four of our top secret projects have not been released...Keep watching b/c I will announce each plan on RawPesto.com, and they are damn good!

Brand Highlight...Day 58

2005-11-04T00:50:00.000-05:00

I'm going to mix it up a little bit and share some info on a stellar performing fast-casual mexican restaurant called Qdoba, www.Qdoba.com. They have grown substantially and are a good example of what is soon to come for Pesto. The Pesto concept is almost identical, other than it is Italian. What never ceases to amaze me is the number of fast-casual Mexican restaurants out there that are fairly well established nationally: Chipotle, Moe's, Qdoba... And there are many many more...Can you think of one fast-casual Italian restaurant brand recognized nationwide?

Subject: Qdoba Mexican Grill In 1995, Anthony Miller opened the first Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurant in Denver with partner Robert Hauser. Qdoba was an immediate success, with revenues over $1.5 million dollars in the first year. The cost of opening the 1300 square foot store was only $180,000.

With one-of-a-kind offerings like Qdoba Signature Burritos, Qdoba won over customers and critics alike. Gabby Gourmet named Qdoba one of the top 15 inexpensive restaurants in Colorado. And both the Denver Post and Westword named Qdoba "Best Burrito."
Obviously, it was an idea whose time had come. Big burritos with big flavors, prepared right in front of patrons with only the freshest ingredients. More locations soon followed.

In just a few years, we've grown to include 75 Qdoba Mexican Grills from coast to coast, with locations in Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, California, Georgia, Utah, Indiana, Washington, Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Carolina and Illinois. And plenty more on the way.

This star studded management team is a perfect match for a successful fast casual concept. With Gary Beisler and Richard Pugh both coming from the Rally's Hamburger chain this duo has what it takes to take on the whole enchilada.Backed up with stellar marketing talent in Karen Guido formerly of Viacorp / Village Inn these talented people are sure to make Qdoba a sure bet in the emerging Fast Casual segment.

There is only one sure bet, Pesto.

Biz Things I did Today:
-finalized more equipment orders
-ordered phone and internet service
-ordered sneeze guard
-called about second location
-set up meeting with Micros to discuss some important "things"
-met with contractor
-set up meeting with lawyer
-contacted campus partners about TI allowance
-ran 3 miles and lifted

Become a Robot...Day 57

2005-11-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

The mundane things in life bore me and are a waste of time. For instance, the power cord on my laptop wouldn't stay plugged in and thus the battery would not stay charged. Thank God for warranties and thank God I got a 4 year warranty. So my day was mostly spent running from Sam's Club to Sam's Club trying to find a replacement computer. I finally found one and that is what I am using right now...but not without several trips. I traded in my old laptop, and man I got a hell of a deal. For those tech afficianados out there my old laptop had a 40 gig hard drive, cd-burner, 256 mb ram, 1.5 ghz processor...in other words good but by no means top of the line. So I returned it and they upgraded me to a totally different version with an 80 gig hard drive, DVD burner, 512 mb ram and a 1.8 ghz processor (If you didn't notice I love deals, my specialty is clothing, I once bought the following brands of pants for $100: Valentino, John Varvatos, Victor Victoria, Barney's of New York, and Dolce & Gabana!)...so I got one hell of a deal. Plus it turned out to be less expensive so they just gave me the difference in cash, $55 bucks.

Well at first I thought it was a great deal, then I got the computer home and hooked up and half the damn buttons wouldn't work! My wheel of fortunes letters, R,S,T,L,N, and E's were out of commission. I couldn't tab anything if my life depended on it, and I am quite the tab user. So after traveling to several Sam's Club locations and waiting for a total of a couple hours at their speedy customer service counters, I was on another trip to Sam's Club. This was a very fun trip. I stood there for 45 minutes before anyone helped me, oh and I did ask for help, as you would imagine I am proactive when it comes to that sort of stuff. So finally they come and get me my new computer, this time I walked away with a brand new 4 yr. warranty! So first $50 bucks and now a brand spanking new 4 yr. warranty...so there were some pluses.

But it was boring and I could have been doing so many more productive things than standing in lines and traveling back and forth to Sam's Club. But you must understand that the computer is my brains, I need it to conduct business. So after this fiasco I am really going to focus more on making Pesto fly so I don't need to waste my time on this crap and second becoming a robot so that when the mundane things come up I can do them without even thinking twice. I have just started taking up this mentality when it comes to doing laundry, waking up, and cleaning. I don't think about it, I just do it. You know how much easier this makes life? Just become a robot and do it. I use this thought process when I'm working out. I don't think, "oh man I have to workout this afternoon." No instead I just change into my workout clothes and do it. I just roll out of bed and don't think about what time it is. I do the dishes and not think about it. Not only does it make things easier, it is helping keep out those negative thoughts. We all have things we don't like to do. Well just push those things out of your mind, don't think about them, just do them. Spend your time thinking about positive things. For me I use that time where I could be dreading doing my laundry for building my business. Become a robot.

Biz Things I did Today:
-check on booths, will be done next week
-delivered pc to micros
-went to hell and gone trying to get a new laptop
-joined Pesto's GM on several interviews and hired three people
-contacted Gateway about TI allowance (Tenant Improvement Allowance)

Preparing for Battle!...Day 56

2005-11-02T00:52:00.000-05:00

The war preparations are beginning. I have purchased several books to help wage a new kind of warfare, the information warfare. The beauty of our war tactics is that they are going to be an ambush, a major onslaught...Pasta Pranzo, the fast-casual Italian market, they are not going to have a clue what hit them. I'll tell you what we are going to do, we are going to leverage our assets as much as possible. We are starting a speaking tour, Ron and I, on how to open a restaurant, Pesto in particular, and entrepreneurship. We will travel the country and speak once a month on these topics in an effort to provide value as well as spread awareness for our brand. Also, we are going to begin putting together a book on the same topics. I have a title in mind and I have mentioned it before, Buy The Brain, but we will refine this. The book will talk about both the client end and the consultant end of hiring and working with a consultant to make your dream come true, how to Buy The Brain. We have many more marketing initiatives that I will not go into at this time, as they are top secret. I assure you though that what we have in mind will not only get local attention, but also national attention, and it will overshadow any fast-casual restaurant concept on the market.

Am I going too far, saying we are going to war? No way. This is business. Please pardon my cliche but it's a dog eat dog world. You must innovate and you must differentiate to make it. Don't go out and copy someone in the marketplace, create your own marketplace, one that doesn't exist. Sure fast-casual restaurants exist, but not like this. We will be copied, we will be duplicated, and I can't wait. I want to be copied, that means we did something right. But if you copy us watch out, b/c we are the first to market, we will be the market leader and we will remain in first. There is a major advantage to being first to market. Credibility and customer loyalty are the main advantages. If you come late to the game people know you have not created anything new or different. Can a restaurant innovate? Hell yes. Tell me about your most recent visit to a McDonald's or Burger King. Was it different than it was 10 years ago? Or tell me about your recent visit to a new mom and pop restaurant. Don't all these places have pretty much all the same things, just different menus. But what if you made it an experience. I have never had an experience at a Taco Bell other than getting the wrong food. I have had an experience at a 5 star restaurant but it cost me over $200 per person. What if you could have an experience for half that price, or better a tenth of that price, or even better yet a thirtieth of that cost.

Biz Things I did Today:
-worked on my backing up my damn computer all day
-visited the site
-answered a few phone calls
-received a bill from my architect
-ran 3 miles and lifted

The War has Begun!

2005-11-01T00:22:00.000-05:00

The war has begun...Play time is over. Recently a company named Pasta Pranzo was acquired by Creative Eateries Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Creative Eateries, www.creativeeateries.com, buys up concepts and enables them to franchise at a much more rapid pace. Ironically Pasta Pranzo was created by Ron Santibanez and Qualified Solutions Consulting(www.restaurantexperts.com) , Pesto's Director of Operations and Franchise Development. Creative Eateries has stated that there are no fast-casual players in the marketplace, well they are wrong. And starting on Dec. 1st there will be one player to reckon with, Pesto Creative Italian Bistro...and to Creative Eateries I have this to say, Ron Santibanez created Pasta Pranzo and with his help there will still be only one player in the fast-casual Italian market, Pesto. Here is the press release from Creative Eateries:

Creative Eateries Corp. Acquires Pasta PranzoWednesday September 28, 11:45 am ET
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2005--Creative Eateries Corp. (OTCBB: CEAT - News) is pleased to announce it has acquired 100% of Pasta Pranzo Franchise Co., LLC, a fast-casual restaurant concept developed in Los Angeles. The acquisition includes specific trademarks and service marks, including the Pasta Pranzo trademark, logo and related commercial symbols and slogans, and recipes, including future recipes and the Pasta Pranzo location in the Santa Monica area in west Los Angeles. Existing management will be retained and will join the Creative Eateries team.

Pasta Pranzo's concept is a 1,200 to 1,800 sq. ft. made-to-order pasta restaurant concept which provides a fast-casual alternative to consumers who want great tasting, high quality food, along with speed, value and convenience. It is perceived as an adult fast-food choice with broad appeal among the middle-class segment. The food is prepared fresh daily, with full exhibition kitchen, and a guest check average in the $8.50 range. Average sales are expected to be $750,000 to $800,000 per store and the company expects franchise sales to 30 to 40 by the end of 2006.

Unlike Don Allio's Italian Kitchen, Pasta Pranzo will be a smaller fast-casual restaurant that will provide good hearty pasta dishes for those on the go. Franchise fees for Pasta Pranzo will be less at $25,000 per location and a much lower build out fee in the range of $300,000 per unit.
Creative Eateries intends to build a second Pasta Pranzo store in Arizona, and will add this concept to its formidable franchising efforts nationwide. Frank Holdraker, president & CEO of Creative Eateries Corp., said, "We believe there is a large market for this brand, with little competition." The main competitors are Pasta Pomodoro, owned by Wendy's, and Pasta Bravo, which is owned by Yum Brands Inc.

About Creative Eateries Corp.
Creative Eateries Corp. is a franchise development company that targets emerging and undervalued franchise concepts. The company is introducing a line of new restaurant brands that fall into the broad category of "fast-casual/full-service" dining. Creative Eateries Corp. will provide the necessary elements to grow these brands by partnering with the existing restaurant companies, thereby owning equity directly in these brands and by providing the concepts a total Franchise Turnkey Program. This formula is the result of several years of development to provide the tools and support needed to create and sustain a successful restaurant franchise with above average per store returns.
Creative Eateries is listed on the NASDAQ Electronic Bulletin Board under the trading symbol CEAT.

Look for our Web site at http://www.creativeeateries.com/.

Missed Again! Day 55

2005-10-31T23:24:00.000-05:00

My plan to not miss another Thursday or Friday didn't last very long! But I'll keep trying. I have excuses, last week was very busy and I had many visitors. Kevin came down to help finalize colors and their locations. Ron was in town from Tuesday until Friday. And my parents came down to meet up with Ron and check on progress. All in all it was an exciting week! We accomplished quite a bit and we are drawing ever closer to making money!!

As of now it looks like our opening will be Dec. 1. My goal was Nov. 18th but I don't think it is going to happen. The plan is to have all our final inspections and construction done by then. However we need to test our recipes, operational flow, and train...which will take about 5 days. So with everything done on the 18th and Thanksgiving the next Thursday, it looks like Thursday Dec. 1st is our opening day. Disappointing? Not really...the initial plan was to open Sept. 1st. That was shot to hell...so I had to make due with what I was dealt and of course turn this negative into a positive. What did the negative turned positive delay yield?

A complete concept and menu revamp. With sooo much extra time on my hands and my ever deeper immersion into the business and Pesto world I am on a constant search for innovation. With every breakfast, lunch or dinner I eat out, every business or restaurant article I read, and every conversation I have I seek to improve and refine the Pesto concept. Initially my intent was to copy Chipotle. Now it is to differentiate Chipotle. I want Pesto to be the Italian version of THE fast-casual Italian restaurant, not the Italian version of Chipotle. I want nothing to do with Chipotle other than achieving it's powerful branding and loyal following. I want Pesto to be Pesto. Thus anytime anyone hears me say Pesto is the Italian version of Chipotle, please slap me and remind me never to say that again!

Biz Things I did Today:
-met with construction superintendent
-met with Executive Director, Mom, for lunch & to get computer
-met with tension fabric installer, Roman Czech
-met with electrician
-mailed several bills
-I was in a photo shoot last week for the Cleveland Plain Dealer (thought i'd throw that in!)
-ran 3 miles and lifted (the more healthy diet begins tomorrow, I must look good for our opening!)

Interesting Article...Day 52

2005-10-26T09:36:00.000-04:00

I thought this article was interesting b/c it is getting closer to a business my friend Jason and i were working on, we are just ahead of our time by a couple years. Our goal was to create opt-in, non-intrusive marketing and advertising on cell phones. A customer would sign up with our cellular service knowing we would send them ads. For receiving these ads they would receive discounted service fees. Our ultimate goal was to create a totally free cellular service. We created somewhat of a prototype to show what a display would look like. For instance, the wallpaper of your phone would have an ad and we'd cycle in new ads every 15 minutes or so. There would also be a scrolling ad bar. Further when you recieve a call the phone would first flash an ad and then display who is calling, and vice versa, if you make a call it would flash and ad and display who you are calling. We were then going to incorporate a GPS based coupon book. So if you walked in a McDonald's if there was a coupon available it would flash up on your phone, and you could also search through an index of coupons prior to go anywhere. The project is currently on hold. But the article below confirms our beliefs that the mobile advertising and marketing industry has not even touched the tip of the iceberg.

Southern California McDonald's Restaurants Offer Free Mobile Coupons Through Innovative Mobile and Web-Based Promotion

10/17/2005 1:36:36 PMLOS ANGELES, Oct 17, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Today, McDonald's restaurants in Southern California have a new way of connecting with young adults -- through their cell phones. As part of an innovative promotion, cell phone users can send a text message code from their phones to receive an electronic coupon good for a free McDonald's McFlurry. Once the electronic coupon has been sent back to their phone they simply visit their participating local McDonald's restaurant and redeem it.

The coupon code (Text "McFlurry" to 73260) will be displayed on busses and billboards throughout Southern California. Internet users can also access the coupon by visiting www.mobilestr33t.com.

"This promotion is yet another example of how McDonald's is reaching out to the youth market in a way that is meaningful to them," said Clayton Paschen, III, president of the McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California (MOASC). "As a leader in the food industry, McDonald's continues to provide customers choices and offers that fit in with their lifestyles."
The bilingual promotion which runs through November 3, has a variety of giveaway offers from the McDonald's mobile coupon to free cell phone wallpapers and ringtones featuring a wide range of chart-topping artists, including Sum 41, Linkin Park, No Doubt, Missy Elliott, Green Day, Cuban Link Ft Don Omar, Bimbo, DJ Nelson, Juanes and Vicente Fernandez.

The mobile technology, developed by Gamut Industries, offers coupons deliverable in SMS, WAP, or J2ME formats to give cell phone users optimal opportunity to access the coupon and other premiums regardless of their cell phone capabilities and service provider.
MOASC is comprised of more than 600 franchised and company-owned restaurants in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.

Contact: Tracy Smith/Meghann McNeil Porter Novelli310-444-7000
SOURCE: McDonald's Tracy Smith, or Meghann McNeil, both of Porter Novelli,+1-310-444-7000, for McDonald's http://www.prnewswire.com

Biz Things I did Today:
-ordered tabletops
-contacted audio system supplier (fellow entrepreneurs, so we have to work with them, my loyalties run deep)
-met with U.S. Foods
-Organized the office
-Payed several bills, fun
-did some research on my favorite restaurant websites
-worked on budgets
-ran 3 miles and lifted

Quotable...Day 51

2005-10-25T01:27:00.000-04:00

So the whole looking at everything positively is really working well. Actually I feel like it's rubbing off on people I'm working with. For instance, there is always some issue that comes up during construction. Often times I think my superintendent or subcontractors are not looking forward to bringing things to my attention...not that they don't bring things to my attention, b/c they are very good at this, I just think they would rather not b/c they usually know what my answer will be, fix it, change it, do whatever we have to do to correct it. Often times this is easier said than done.

On several occasions I have been told not to come down anymore, jokingly of course, but whenever I come down there is always some change I want to be made. But I'll tell you what, a positive attitude will get you pretty far with most people, no matter how big the change is. And always keeping, having, and showing that positive attitude is key to getting things done. No one wants to do anything for anyone is negative. Yelling, barking orders, it'll get you nowhere. A smile, some joking around, and listening will get you everywhere. And showing that you're having a good time no matter what happens will raise everyone's spirits, no matter how dire the situation seems. Now I know people will read this and say, " you're too laid back!" No, that is not the case. As a matter of fact I would say 9 times out of 10 I will get more things done correctly and more quickly than the person yelling at someone to correct things. I'll tell you, yelling never worked for me when I played basketball or ran cross country. I hated being yelled at. It's interesting though. When I was younger I would let it get to me and affect me personally. Now anytime anyone yells or is inconsiderate toward me I will use it as motivation and drive to show that person and I will write that person off and never work with them again. This is one of the perks of owning your own business. Especially in the beginning when I'm trying to get all the pieces in place. I will not work with negative people...there is absolutely no way. First of all I don't have too. Second of all why would I want to. Pesto from the top to the bottom consists of passionate and positive people. These are the only people I will surround myself with. If your negative and hate what you're doing, I don't want to have anything to do with you. Why? B/c you're wasting your time and you're wasting my time. You're wasting your time being negative and mine b/c I won't have anything to do with you. Do what you love, the rest will follow. Focus on the good, not the bad. I will end with a quote from myself, I never quote myself but it is a good example of how you can make light of any situation. We were trying to resolve some architectural problem and the hood install and here was my comment (not sarcastic at all): "Well we are so far underbudget that I have so much excess money laying around that we can frivolously piss it all away!" Of course that got a few laughs, b/c it's not the case, but it helped lighten things up, and we resolved the problem...No Big Deal. Be Postive.

Biz Things I did Today:
-met with Short North Neighborhood magazine for an interview, I love interviews!
-spent almost all of the day unloading and hanging the hood
-met with audio suppliers (fellow entrepreneurs, I decided to go ahead and work with them, I have to support my own kind!)
-designed some biz cards, yeah I did that, they should be coming in a week
-set up a meeting with Cintas
-met with Mike Hathaway about hood
-talked to Debbi at restaurant equippers
-worked on financials a bit
-ran 3 miles and lifted

Totally Immersed! Day 50

2005-10-22T23:37:00.000-04:00

I'm a day late, but it's the weekend so it's ok...I'm still counting this as my Friday entry, so I did it! Without realizing or really thinking about it I have become totally engrossed in Pesto. This should come as no surprise as it has been my life for the past two years. But I never really thought about how much time I spend on Pesto. I never think about how much time I spend on Pesto. Wh? Because I love it, I absolutely love what I am doing. I have said this before but I just need to reiterate the fact that I love working, thinking, and dreaming about Pesto. Pesto is my life and the more and more I get into it, the more I question my exit strategy.

Initially I wanted to build the Pesto empire as large as possible in ten years and sell it off. Now I'm leaning more toward still building the empire but keeping it and diversifying it. Pesto is my baby and when it grows up it's going to be tough to sell it. I'm thinking I want to build a restaurant empire, not just Pesto, but a whole portfolio of restaurants. Restaurants are what I love. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to get into many other businesses and ventures. But my passion is in restaurants. I'm constantly researching and analyzing restaurants. I find myself totally consumed by not only Pesto but learning more about other restaurants.

The other day I figured out that I have been spending around 14 hours a day working on Pesto. But I never feel like I am actually doing work. It's a weird feeling. Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough work, primarily b/c I never feel like I'm working at all. It's hard to describe and I imagine it's difficult to understand unless you are an entrepreneur. Entrepreneur's have a different mindset. We eat, breath, and sleep our work. Our business becomes our life and achieving our vision is our motivation.

Thursday! Day 49

2005-10-20T21:19:00.000-04:00

I did it! I said I would post on Thursday and Friday and I'm half way there! Today was a good day. The booths are ordered, the cantilevers for the booth tables are ordered, and discussions were begun about what's going on the wall. Even more exciting, Pesto's manager Nate came by to try some of the food and we discussed plans for hiring and scheduling...He was a damn good find, I can't wait to see what he does once were open.

I also spent quite a bit of time researching and thinking about how I can make the blog better. It needs to have more value than me just saying what I did today. Talking about what I'm learning is valuable, but some days it's hard to find quality content. I'm kicking around several ideas for the blog. The blog is a marketing tool, it's a way for me to directly connect with consumers, Pesto's investors, and entrepreneurs. I want it to be not only entertaining but also a valuable resource. I'm going to continue to add links, share more articles, and build on the quality of the content. But I need help. I would love any ideas for improving the blog. Ideas for content, organization, anything! What do you want to hear and see. I know it's not what I did today or how construction is going. So please let me know.

Biz Things I did today:
-ordered booths
-ordered cantilevers
-met with contractor
-held a tasting
-researched on how to improve blog
-ran 3 miles and lifted

Gaining time...Day 48

2005-10-20T01:11:00.000-04:00

Finally it feels like just about everything is in place. I know things will pop up here in and there but after tomorrow all of the big things should be pretty well tied up. The major thing I am waiting I do not have an date on receiving yet is my booths. But tomorrow we should finalize everything. Today I finalized the marble countertops, they were measured and they should be installed in three weeks or so. As you can see the ceramic tile in the kitchen has also gotten under way. It's really starting to take shape.

But I can't wait for the day when I can write about something other than construction. I can't wait till the day when I can write about the first customers coming in the door. I can't wait till I can write about the first franchise we sell, the second store we open, the 500 store we open, the 1000 store we open. I have learned a lot being so involved in the construction end. But I want to run and grow a business, I'm ready, I want to put my ideas and principles into action. I can't wait to start marketing, especially e-marketing...And we've got a big plan for our marketing. It's top secret, but I will let the cat out of the bag before too long, I'm not good at keeping secrets.

The whole internet, emarketing, and especially now the blogging have really peaked my interest. The internet really allows you to do whatever you want, say whatever you want, sell just about whatever you want and get away with just about anything. For example, my friend Dan directed me to this crazy site www.milliondollarhomepage.com. Some kid decided to start a website and sell of 1,000,000 pixels as ads for $1 a piece. To date he's sold 450,000! It's incredible what good marketing can do for a business. This kid just wanted to make some extra cash to help pay for college, and now he can do it almost 9 times over! I'm really going to spending more time on this blog and enhancing Pesto's website. What amazes me is the ability to directly connect with your customer. Now a customer can relate and connect with business at such a mindblowing intimate level without talking to a soul! So as a bit of foreshadowing, restaurant or not, internet and world here we come!

Biz Things done today:
-talked to lawyer about franchising, for those of you that didnt' know we will have franchises available on day one
-met with marble installer
-met with Muzak
-talked with Micros about system
-talked to Ron about menu
-worked on blog for several hours
-ran 3 miles and lifted (that week off shaved off a mile!)

The Menu Revisited....Day 47

2005-10-18T23:54:00.000-04:00

For me the past couple of days have revolved around refining and streamlining the menu. Yesterday I talked about the issue and some of the options. Well today I have been exploring even more options. I have designed for myself about 10 different menu concepts to help me better visualize what the customer must go through to order their food. It needs to be simple and very clear, and with so many different combinations this is very difficult. It is becoming increasingly difficult b/c I am to the point that I am unable to really separate myself from the menu and try to think like a customer. I am an outstanding consumer, I love to shop and eat and I know what I do and do not like. I am very critical of restaurants and retailers and I analyze every detail, from the design and decor to the menu and the cleanliness of the bathrooms. So I know what I like as a customer and so I try to be critical about Pesto and the menu's, but once you get so deep it becomes almost impossible to think objectively. Thank God I have hired the best to help figure it out! Ron, Ron's graphic designer Amy, Bob, and Kevin have all been working on streamlining both the menu and the menu board, so I am not on my own! The menu will come, we're almost there!

Biz Things I did Today:
-I'm tired of writing Biz things, I enjoy the rest:)
-met with Contractor about lighting
-met with U.S. Foods
-met with Pepsi
-called Micros, received Micros Database book
-called health department
-called paycorp
-talked to my banker, the wonderful Tanya Hagerty with National City Bank
-worked on the menu
-searched for sneeze guards
-searched for ice bins, decided to not have an ice bin

The Menu....Day 46

2005-10-18T02:05:00.000-04:00

So we are having a tough time cleaning up the menu. In my mind the concept is very simple. How Pesto works is we have eight set entrees. Those set entrees are basically ingredient combinations. Instead of a customer creating their own ingredient combination we have already done it for them. The customer then decides how they want that ingredient combination delievered, via pasta, pizza, salad, or sandwich. In essence they select an ingredient combination then select pizza, pasta, salad or sandwich. Sounds easy enough right? Well it is, but customers, especially myself, really want to know what comes with what. So if a customer orders an ingredient combination they want to know what dressing comes with the salad combination or what sauce and noodle comes with the pasta selection. So the innocent eight ingredient combinations mushrooms to 32 descriptions on the menu. It is necessary to provide an explanation as to what the customer should expect, I would be pissed and I probably would leave if I had to order something and I didn't know what was coming with it. So how do you circumvent the issue?

Well there are basically two options. The first option is you list all 32 descriptions. The second option is that we offer the customer the opportunity to select pastas, sauces, or dressings depending on what they order.

Option 1: In selecting option 1 we have very simple instructions for the customer to follow. Step 1, the customer selects their Entree: Pizza, Pasta, Salad, or Sandwich. Step 2, from the eight set ingredient, or flavor, combinations the customer selects their flavor. Easy enough. But if we go this route we must provide full descriptions of every option, so if someone orders a salad they know it comes with dressing and lettuce and if they order pasta it comes with pasta a sauce. So the downfall is that there is much more on the menu board, b/c we have to provide full descriptions of every option. But I feel that during and after the customer's first visit they will grasp the concept and see how many different incredible options they have and how simple things really are.

Option 2: In selecting option 2 we have more complex instructions but we do not need the full descriptions of every possible combination. In this scenario the customer would first decide whether they want pizza, pasta, a salad, or a sandwich and we would give a generic description of each option. Once that selection is made they get the opportunity to make another selection such as what pasta and sauce they want with their pasta, or what dressing they want with their salad. Once those selections are made then the customer decides on the ingredient, or flavor, combination of their choice. The major plus with this option is that we do not need to fully describe every option. The major downfall is that their are more steps, the customer has to think a little harder and jump through more hoops, and if they create a combination that they do not like, they may never come back!

So I need a little help on this one. What do you think?

Biz Things i did Today:
-visited site, made everyone happy by making a few changes while I was down there, I know they love me b/c they told me not to come back!
-Gave a tour of Pesto to our manager's Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins
-Worked on the menu, pretty much all day
-called banker
-called Micros
-called Contractor about lighting plan
-talked to Ron several times
-met with Dan about CallTrue

Thursday & Friday...Day 45

2005-10-16T22:38:00.000-04:00

So I am still stuck in college mode I guess. At OSU the weekend starts on Thursday and as far as my blog is concerned I keep missing Thursdays and Fridays. The only downfall to living on campus is the temptation to start the weekend on Thursday. Especially right now since the restaurant is under construction and I have a little, not much, but a little more free time. The streets come alive on Thursday night and stay that way until Sunday. It gets very difficult to get anything done.

I am a bit of a night owl so I do most of my busy work at night. I enjoy doing work late night for some reason. But come Thursday, getting any work done at night becomes nearly impossible. Game days are even worse. Unfortunately I didn't get tickets. On gamedays the party starts at 7 am, no matter what time the game is. The city comes alive with energy as hundreds of thousands of people come into Columbus, and I am right smack dab in the middle of it. So I guess what I am saying is that I need to keep fighting the temptation to start the weekend on Thursdays. I still do work, but if there is anything that gets sacrificed, unfortunately it's my blog!

But that's going to change. Mark my words, I will not miss another Thursday or Friday...Well I probably will but I'll certainly try harder to keep up, I mean I have a lot to say, ya know?

Mix it up! Day 43

2005-10-13T01:52:00.000-04:00

Construction is slowing down in the restaurant. It feels once again like nothing is being done. Everyone told me it slows down during the finishing stage. So it goes slow in the beginning, fast in the middle, and slow at the end. I think it's anticipation at the start and finish that slows it down. So during those slow times you gotta mix it up a bit, make more work for yourself. So we decided to consider refining the menu. In light of making things interesting and mixing it up a bit I am going to post an article I found during my daily restaurant research. I am going to be posting more articles to create more value and share more knowledge than what I know, which ain't much!

This article comes from www.qsrweb.com. I thought it was an interesting article b/c to an extent it addresses what we are trying to do with our pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. The main difference is that in this article they are acheiving speedy service times, but the food is all pre-cooked, sitting under heat lamps. Our food is all cooked to order, never sitting under a heat lamp. Actually we should be able to provide even faster service times with our made to order menu than the pizzeria in this article! Now that's fast!

Drive thru: where pizza needs speed
by Steve Coomes, Senior Editor

For years pizza operators have swiped, swapped and slashed their competitors’ market share with low prices, value and variety. Yet over that time, the pizza segment, as part of the overall quick-service market, hasn’t increased much. That fact led Tom Potter to consider growing his business at the expense of non-pizza operators.

How? With drive-thru. Potter, the founder and managing director of Eagle Boys Pizza in Brisbane, Australia, knew of pizzerias with drive-thru pickup windows. But he knew of none that executed a hamburger-chain, instant-service system where customers drive up, order, pay and leave within minutes.

The notion of duplicating such a system in the pizza industry intrigued him, and in 2001, his company began tinkering with Eagle Boys Express. The premise is simple: Customers wanting rapid service can drive up between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., order from a limited menu of four pizzas, pay and cruise away in 2 minutes. The quick-service model hinges on pre-baking and holding pizzas in custom warming cabinets; any pizza held for 30 minutes gets trashed.
According to Potter, pizza quality is managed with tight pars, and holding times typically are lower than a delivered pizza might remain in a heated bag.

"About half of our drive-thru customers order straight from the Express system," said Potter, adding that the other customers order off the broader menu. "The rest don’t mind waiting."
Currently, 22 of Eagle Boys 160 units are drive-thru Express stores. And while franchisee interest in the concept was tepid in the beginning, it’s red-hot now, Potter said. "At first, they didn't understand it. Now we’ve got a situation where we don’t have any lack of interest in drive-thru."

Why the change of heart? Because Eagle Boys drive-thru stores generate an average 35 percent more sales than the chain's traditional stores. Whether that’s coming at the expense of non-pizza operators, Potter doesn’t know. What's clear to him is a drive-thru option accelerates sales.

Pizza Hut didn’t respond to a request to discuss its drive-thru program, but industry sources say it has tested a rapid drive-thru system that turns customers over in 7 minutes. That number falls directly between times claimed by traditional pizzerias with drive-thru windows (about 12 minutes) and big burger chains that run customers through in about 2 minutes. When speaking of truly "fast food," 7 minutes is slow, said Scott Finkle, owner of Business Sound & Communications in Houston. His firm sells and installs wireless headset systems for drive-thru operations.

"The challenge for pizza operators is speed of service," said Finkle. "On the burger side, they stage what they cook. I’ve not seen the technology to do that in pizza."
Burger companies, Finkle said, use television monitors to track the number of cars in the drive-thru cue. If five cars are waiting, they know passengers inside of each car will order two or three burgers. So the crew begins cooking them before they’re ordered. Assembling them per customer preference is all that remains.

Pizza customers, Finkle said, want greater customization of their orders than that, which makes streamlining the drive-thru service model a challenge.

"For lunch, I think customers would be willing to give up some choice to get faster service," he said. "But I don’t think that would work at dinnertime. Then, you typically have more than one person in the group, and one person wants sausage on one half, and the other wants mushroom and pepper. You can’t do that to order quickly."

Choices and optionsDonatos Pizzeria spokesman Tom Santor said the 181-unit company uses drive-thru mostly to give customers options, not speedier service.

"I would tell you that far and away, the occasion is driven more by convenience; they don’t want to get out of the car," said Santor, adding that half of Donatos’ carryout orders go through the drive-thru window. "And if that’s the most convenient way to get food to the customers, then they’ll get it that way."

Though dozens of Donatos units have drive-thru windows, he said customers don’t expect a Burger King experience when they pull up and order. He said Americans as a whole seem to know fresh pizza takes about 10 to 15 minutes to bake. "We get those people who do just stop and order without calling ahead, but it’s not a huge problem for them to wait. They understand."

Same for customers at Flyer’s Pizza, which, like Donatos, is based in Columbus, Ohio. Half of Flyer’s four units have drive-thrus, and marketing vice president Mark Ulrey said all future units will have them.

"I once heard a speaker at a restaurant hospitality show say, ‘Customers want you to do two things: save them money or save them time," Ulrey began. "He said, ‘If you can do either of those two things, you’ll be in business.’ And with the way our price structure is set up, we’re not going to save them a lot of money."

Ulrey said the heaviest drive-thru users are busy parents coming from children’s activities. They call ahead on the cell phone, ride by to get their food and then head home, their favorite place for a family meal.

Doing this it takes our business out of the sand pit and into the main arena. There’s no doubt about it: The closer we can get to performing like KFC and McDonald’s, the better for our industry. — Tom Potter,Managing DirectorEagle Boys Pizza
Drive-thru also saves those families some money. Since Flyer’s charges for delivery, drive-thru customers avoid the fee and the driver’s tip. Plus, that lowers the need for delivery drivers in Flyer’s two drive-thru stores. "We need 5 to 10 percent fewer drivers, and that saves me money," Ulrey said.
Since no company other than Eagle Boys has rapid drive-thru service, Potter said most Aussies also are in the mind-set of waiting for their pizza. Teaching them they can pass through in 2 minutes has been a slow process, he said, but when they finally understand the concept, they use it.

Worth the investment?Because a drive-thru outlet requires added hardware for the facility, plus a strip-center end-cap or a free-standing building, it costs more to run. The drive-thru upgrade to an Eagle Boys store costs about 14 percent more than a traditional store, but the annual rent is more than 30 percent higher due to the larger lot. Ulrey said his end-caps, especially those located along a street, are more expensive, too. But like Potter, he said the cost is more than justified.

"When you’re doing 30 to 40 percent more sales per store, the numbers stack up all day," Potter said. "It’s well worth it."

The larger issue, Potter said, still remains: increasing the overall size of the pizza business by taking it away from chicken, burger and taco providers. If the industry’s efforts yield only a back-and-forth shifting of customers between pizza companies, the pizza segment won't enjoy real growth. Stealing Burger King’s scepter and taking money out of Ronald McDonald’s baggy pockets is much more beneficial in the long run, he said. And rapid drive-thru service is the only way to get it.

"Doing this it takes our business out of the sand pit and into the main arena," said Potter. "There’s no doubt about it: The closer we can get to performing like KFC and McDonald’s, the better for our industry."

Biz Things I did Today:
-visited site
-received quote for counter tops
-contacted booth manufacturer
-contacted tenant coordinator about Tenant Improvement Allowance
-worked on menu some more
-did some research
-updated books
-ran 2 miles and lifted

Uniforms, Menus, and More! Day 42

2005-10-12T00:02:00.000-04:00

It is official. We have hired our first employee and Pesto's first manager! He is going to put in his two weeks at Panera tomorrow. Now we just need to start making some money so we can pay him! I'm really excited b/c I feel very comfortable and confident that he is going to do everything he can to help Pesto grow, from a little basil leaf to a robust sauce (what a gloriously cheesy analogy!). I'm very excited at the thought of having someone on board who knows what they're doing to help out during those first couple crazy months when we have to figure everything out.

Today also marks my first major overhaul of the menu. I know Chef Bob and Ron our going to kill me but the menu didn't really change that much. Ron and I also discussed the changes so I am confident that he will help make it happen, right Ron? But Ron and I decided that we needed to somehow streamline as well as Bistro-fie the menu. Also, the reason for the change is all Ron's and Bob's fault. Ron shared with me a menu for a quick-casual Indian restaurant he and Bob are working on. Bob created the menu, so basically the menu overhaul is Bob's fault. See the problem is I really loved the menu and the delivery method Bob created for the Indian restaurant. I loved it so much so that Ron and I agreed that it would be the perfect solution for Pesto's menu.

Essentially much of the menu is the same. The way we package and deliver is what is different. I'm very, very, very excited with the new menu concept. It is very unique and it also fits the Pesto brand to a "t!" Basically what Bob did with the Indian menu is create several set menu items. The customer would then decide how they wanted that item packaged, in the form of either a salad, platter, or a wrap. I absolutely love this concept and I really feel like it is on the cutting edge of restaurant innovation. I have never seen this done anywhere and that is why I feel it is so important that we make this change. Essentially then our menu would be made up of several set ingredient combinations. The combinations would have different names and the customer would choose whether they wanted that combination in either Pizza, Salad, or Sandwich form. We would still do create your own pizza and pasta and there would be no set pasta dishes. So based off Bob's original conceptual menu I created a menu with this concept. We'll see what Bob and Ron have to say, but again this is all Bob's fault! :)

Another big thing arrived just last week, our uniforms! I absolutely love our uniforms. Of course you can see them in the picture above. We decided to go with your typical mechanics short sleeved shirt witha a Pesto emblem on the right and Creative Italian Bistro (Creative is to be added) on the left. For me the uniform is a very critical element. It must tie into the rest of the image. It must exude retro-modern, just like our design and our menu. It must be clean, simple and unique. I feel that this uniform achieves all of the above. It is definitely retro with it's vintage patches and mechanics style look. It is also definitely modern b/c one of the hottest trends in fashion is vintage clothing! Amazingly, well not amazingly, but definitely along the same lines is the new menu concept. It definitely achieves the retro-modern image. The menu combines authentic old world pizza combinations and names but we deliver them in a modern quick-casual fashion. The hard work is paying off and I can't wait to see this thing open!

Biz Things I did Today:
-Met with security company
-met with merchant processor
-paid off balance at Restaurant Equippers
-Visited site, made metal selections, discussed fabrication, lighting, and paint
-contacted hood installer
-contacted booth manufacturer
-need to contact landlord about Tenant Improvement Allowance
-Hired General Manager
-Ran and lifted

Back in Action!!....Day 41

2005-10-10T22:28:00.000-04:00

I missed last Thursday and Friday. No updated blogs. Terrible. Horrible. I know everyone is devastated, I know you were all wondering what I was doing and how the construction was coming. Well I'm back in action. I'm recovered from my lovely cold and set to getting back to quick-casual domination. Last Thursday and Friday were very good days. Ron was in town for about 5 days and I feel like we accomplished a lot. I wish Ron was here more often. Whenever he comes in I feel reenergized and I feed off the energy from our meetings and brainstorming. We're taking Pesto national. Though we did mostly brainstorming we did finalize the details on our first, and our biggest hire, Pesto's manager. We are both very excited about our soon to be manager, it's not finalized until the papers are signed.

He is currently a senior at OSU and is studying hospitality management, that is but one of major strengths. Perhaps his most significant is his experience. He has been with Panera for 4 years and we are essentially stealing him away. He was offered a management position with Panera in January. But luckily the timing worked out perfect and Pesto's soon to be manager shares my vision. He is entrepreneurial and he wants to help build this company from the ground up. Thats what sold me on bringing him on board. He's passionate and he loves what he is doing and he sincerely wants to help build Pesto into a national brand.

His hiring marks another new first for me. I have hired people in the past. In my past job as the Resident Manager of a dorm on campus I had 25 employees. I did all the hiring and training myself. I set up all the systems and I made sure they ran smoothly. But I was running an office in a residence hall on campus. I wasnt handing my baby over to someone else to take care of. That's the hardest part. Even when it wasn't my own it was difficult. I wanted to make sure things ran flawlessly. But even with me there all the time I know it wouldn't run flawlessly. With Pesto things will probably run better without me there all the time. Why? Buy the Brain. That's right. My manager knows more about running a restaurant than I do. He's four years ahead of me in that field. So when I look at it this way it becomes easier to hand over my baby to someone whom I know little about. I have had to do it time and time again to get to this point. Architects did my drawings, a chef developed our menu, Ron helped execute the plan, Kevin designed the restaurant, my contractor is building the space, and I essentially organized and oversaw all of it. So this is really nothing different. Many people have watched over and helped bring Pesto to the point it is at now. I feel very comfortable handing Pesto over to our new manager. My goal is to ensure my vision is achieved. He is going to help me get there. Sure I am going to be in the restaurant everyday. And yes there is a certain culture and level of service I want to achieve. But I feel very strongly that Pesto's soon to be manager shares in those views. For customers I want a fun high energy atmosphere where they can get the best pastas and pizzas in town. For the employees I want to create a fun work environment where hard work is rewarded. This is a big step and I can't wait to see what happens!

Biz Things I did Today:
-woke up
-brushed my teeth
-just kidding about the two above:)
-well i did really do those things, but they aren't really biz things
-but brushing your teeth and being well groomed is essential
-visited the site
-contacted hood installer
-contacted hood manufacturer and shipper
-called elements of art about tension fabric
-called Ron about hiring questions
-called payment processing
-talked to POS dealer
-talked with U.S. Foods
-met with security system salesman
-made payment on exterior signage
-met with future manager
-researched where other tenants were with their construction
-brainstormed menu ideas
-back to running and lifting tomorrow
-discussed payroll with Executive Director, a.k.a. Dad
-discussed menu with Executive Director, a.k.a. Mom

Do Whatever it Takes...Day 38

2005-10-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

I had several interesting conversations with Ron today about Pesto and what our goals are for both Pesto and ourselves. And I enjoy those conversations b/c they focus not on the problems of the day but the visions of the future. It is so easy to get caught up in the "problem of the day." And it is very frustrating to have to deal with a new architectural issue everyday and quite frankly I'm sick and tired of it. But what needs to happen, and what I'm constantly doing, is thinking of tomorrow, 1 year from now, ten years from now. In ten years I'll have forgotten all these obstacles, well most of them. In ten years I will be enjoying the fruits of my labor. This is something I need to reiterate on a daily basis. If I let every little detail get to me I would accomplish nothing. I just need to do whatever it takes to get this thing built. If that means standing down on the site and directing where walls, plumbing and electric should go, so be it. If that is what it takes, I'll do it. I don't have a choice and if I desire the restaurant to have any resemblence to our intended design, I need to do it.

I've heard it time and time again from successful people, you just need to do whatever it takes. I know I will do whatever it takes to make Pesto fly. Ron knows I will, my parents know I will, and my investors know I will. Thats my job. I have to, I want to do whatever it takes to get a Pesto Creative Italian Bistro in every city across the country. As long as I focus on that goal the problems fade away. I just need to not think about it, not let those things bother me. I'm learning, the next 1000 restaurants will be a walk in the park to build. I know I'm doing the best I can and I feel like I am doing everything I can to get this thing off the ground. I can't wait for the doors to open. Ron said something interesting about Carl Karcher, the founder of Carl's Jrs., that really struck a cord with me. He said that Carl built his restaurant empire b/c he looked at each restaurant as his home and that he was inviting people into his home to experience his food. It's something I never really thought about but that is exactly what I'm doing. I never looked at the restaurant that way. But that is my goal, to invite people into my home and experience and share in the food and the atmosphere. That is what Pesto is all about. And to look at the business that way really takes things to another level. It's no longer just a business, it is an extension of myself. Maybe that is what they mean by putting yourself into your work, into your business.

Biz Things I did Today:
-met with Sysco
-met with heartland about payroll and payment processing
-met with potential employee
-met with tension fabric manufacturer
-met with entrepreneur group
-called about furniture
-paid for furniture
-visited site, very frustrated about having to redesign the soffit and duct work, why didn't anyone go to the site and just look up?

Incredible Speech! Day 37

2005-10-04T21:06:00.000-04:00

I am posting pictures to show the progress of the slate tile work. The restaurant is really starting to take shape now that some of the finish work is beginning. Unfortunately I am still not feeling so hot. Actually today marked a very rare occasion in my life, I took a nap! I hate taking naps and only when I am exhausted and not feeling well do I even entertain the idea. Today was one of those rare instances when I just had to take a nap. To me naps are a waste of time and I hate wasting precious time. Also in an effort to recover more quickly I did not run and lift. I hate missing a day but I think working out yesterday was a step back in my recovery. Hopefully resting up today will help get me on track. I think I just need a vacation! All the questions and issues with the architectural drawings are really wearing me out, I just need to not think about them and keep working through things like a robot. So in an effort to boost the morale of this blog entry and to express how I truly feel under this mask of exhaustion and sickness I am posting an incredible commencement speech given by Apple's CEO Steve Jobs:

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.

Slate! Day 36

2005-10-03T23:23:00.000-04:00

The finishing work is starting to get underway. Today the slate tile work around the storefront and the interior began and soon the quarry tile in the kitchen will begin as well! Amid weeks on end of constant questions and issues it is starting to look like a restaurant may be opening in the not so distant future. Am I ready? Oh yeah! I must say though that as the big day draws nearer I am getting a little nervous...Not nervous like it's not going to work or no one is going to come, just nervous like the first day of school nervous.

For me that's what opening day is going to be, just like the first day of school. Everything will be new and different. It will officially be my first day of owning and running a business. Up until now I have done an excellent job of doing what I do very well...spending money. But what lies ahead is something I've never really experienced before...making money. And I'm not just talking like a job. Yeah, I have earned money. I've worked odd jobs. My first real job was a little league home plate umpire. Then I did some upholstry work, sculpture work, lawn mowing, and finally several years of food service. But that was earning money. Now I'm Making Money. Not just for myself but for many people. I'm creating a system to make money for many people: employees, suppliers, vendors, franchisees, and owners. Earning money involves one person, an individual. Making money involves creating something from nothing for many people, the people that make the drive the business and make it successful. Sure I've earned money, but I've never made money and I can't wait for my first day of making money.

Biz Stuff I Did Today:
-contacted Micros
-contacted Security Company
-discussed design with Kevin and keeping the design from being watered down
-discussed Ron's arrival to Columbus
-met with Contractor and Case work builder to discuss custom casework
-researched many, many barstools
-talked to U.S. Foods
-ran 4 miles and lifted
-did some research

We have a Walk-in!...Day 34

2005-09-30T00:16:00.000-04:00

Today the walk-in cooler and freezer were installed! It's really starting to look like a restaurant down there! Of course, as I expected, it did not go without a hitch. Unfortunately due to the HVAC redesign the duct work is going to have a very difficult time going through the compressors on the walk-ins. This is about par for course so I am not surprised and neither was anyone else. It looks like there will be room to go between the compressors and the HVAC installers said they will be able to get it worked out. Also due to the design the HVAC fan had to be moved over an inch b/c it was placed where it was never intended to be placed. Luckily my contractor and his subs stepped up and redesigned the HVAC systems. It blows my mind that first the restaurant had to be redesigned then after those mistakes were made you'd think it'd be the end of major omissions. But no then the HVAC design was put together without anyone stepping foot on the site.

Oh I can't wait for the day when I'll be able to write in this blog about something other than mistakes, omissions, and architectural drawings. That day will be glorious! Then I can refocus my efforts on building a business and not leasehold improvements. That's all these are, leasehold improvements. Thank god we're not building a building, who knows what would have happened then.

But that was enough about NOT talking about mistakes and omissions. Today I received a lovely bill for the LED light fixtures that we're not included in the electrical architectural drawings. Yes they were included in one section but not the electrical, so they were not included in the bid. There goes another $2500. Oh and then a soda chase line was not included in the drawings, $400. Wait the lighting plan was incorrect, here's another $2500. Oh we have to include a fire control panel, ok there is another $3500. Let's not forget the $1300 for dimmer switches which were not included in the drawings as I had requested. Oh but wait we did end up saving $480 because the stupid "pull-up bar" that was designed to project off the storefront at about 7'6'' and was not designed with a roof as was communicated was deleted. So that helped. Don't worry I'm saying all this with a positive attitude, b/c amidst all these distractions from creating a business I feel like we have come up with an incredible marketing plan for our franchising. But that I can not share at this moment as it is TOP SECRET. You will have to just wait and see!

Biz Things I did Today:
-called about turbochef, no dice there aren't any available
-called about furniture, order tomorrow
-met with contractor for a couple hours to go over light fixtures, finishes, questions, concerns, additional charges
-visited site to see how walk-in and other things were going
-worked on the books a bit
-met with investor
-did not run and lift, unfortunately i'm still working on recovering from being sick, BOO!
-received call from U.S. Foods
-set up meeting with student for a conference being held in November
-talked to MBA student interested in using space
-discussed payroll processing with my executive directors
-discussed design issues with Kevin a few times

Unexpected Surprise....Day 32

2005-09-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

Well today was a great day, though I am still recovering from my cold or whatever it is. Things are moving very quickly. Most of the dry wall is up and most of the framing is done. Duct work is starting to go in today and tomorrow and the walk-ins are coming sometime tomorrow. Of course there was the daily barrage of questions, how does the signage sit in the radius walls, where should the fire extinguishers go(I say hide them but apparently that won't fly), where do the emergency lights go, how should this soffit be redesigned due to the duct work change, where do you need electrical, at what height do you want the electric outlets, where should the radius wall stop, where should the soffit stop, etc. etc. Which I am actually pleased to hear all these questions. I give a lot of credit and appreciation to my contractor. Things aren't just built according to the drawings, if they had been the restaurant would have had to be torn down and rebuilt! But him and each one of his subcontractors asks questions before they build, they know that I am paying attention to the details and that there is a certain aesthetic we are trying to achieve. They respect the design and if an issue arises from the location of a fire panel or emergency light they will come to me first to make sure it is what we had in mind.

It took some doing to achieve this. I've had to spend several hours a day onsite to catch many of these issues. I've also had to explain to everyone that I really don't know what is going where based upon the drawings they received. There are many many questions that have come up and I never knew the answers. I was very upset to learn where emergency light fixtures, fire extinguishers, thermostats, light switches and the like were located. So much of the private control panels was located in public spaces! I still don't know why the sprinkler system control panel is right on the inside door of the restaurant, but thats where the architects specd. it to be.

Fortunately there was a pleasant surpise today, a surprise that really did make my day. Our original design intentions for the food service line called for a curved, flowing wall that directed the flow of the customers. Due to budget constraints we X'd the curved wall for a straight wall. Evidently though my contractor told his superintendent to go ahead and build the curved wall as we had originally planned. I walked in at about noon today and saw that the curved wall was built, and was I excited! My contractor felt that the straight wall would not support the marble countertops alone and so he instructed them to go ahead and build the curved wall. So one of the key elements we deleted is back in the design and I couldnt be happier! Every once and awhile you get lucky!

Biz Things I did Today:
-Met with Aloha, liked the sales rep better
-visited site several times to answer/ask questions
-updated the books
-worked on finalizing furniture order
-checked out some different laminates
-went to order chairs from Design Within Reach, but they go on sale in the second week of Oct. so I'm waiting to place the order
-met with the entrepreneur group to discuss biz
-brainstormed some marketing tactics
-called tension fabric manufacturer about structures
-ran 4 miles and lifted

To Be Creative, or Not To Be Creative, that is the question...Day 31

2005-09-27T23:41:00.000-04:00

To include Creative or not include Creative is the question on the top of my mind this evening. It has been bothering me for many a fortnight, "should it be Pesto Creative Italian Bistro or Pesto Italian Bistro." Well I just can't decide. When it probably comes down to it, it really doesn't matter b/c people will just call it Pesto. But it matters to me. The thing I like about including Creative is that it is unique. No one uses that in their tag line. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Moe's Soutwest Grill, Roberto's Very Mexican Food, etc. etc. It also catches your attention a bit more I think. I think people will read it and wonder, why is it Creative? Why is it not just another Italian Bistro? What does the Creative mean? Plus it takes up more space, which is great in newspaper articles and press releases. When the tenants of the Gateway Project are listed Pesto Creative Italian Bistro is the longest. It also accurately describes what we are, a Creative Italian Bistro. We're not like every other Italian restaurant out there where the menu is set, here you get to create your own pasta dishes and pizzas, it really is a creative bistro.

What I don't like is that it is long, kind of goofy, and I'm afraid a little bit cheesy...let me rephrase that, I'm afraid it will be perceived by people as kind of goofy and a little bit cheesy. It's not as clean and simple as Pesto Italian Bistro. And that is why I am in a quandry. The whole design and image is simple, sleek, and clean. We don't want any perception of clutter in our image. We want to be fast and nimble in both serving customers and company growth. I'm concerned that the Creative hinders this perception and clutters our image a bit. I really like including the adjective b/c it is very different from what other restaurants are doing. But is it too much. However, I don't think Pesto Italian Bistro grabs your attention as well as Pesto Creative Italian Bistro does. Once again people are going to just call it Pesto, so does it really matter? Does the Creative create a perception of cheesiness to the consumer, or does it get them to do a double take and actually read and possibly remember the name? The jury is still out. Please let me know what you think.

Biz Things I did Today:
-called Kevin to discuss furniture selections
-put together final furniture package, asked supplier for a quote
-visited site for a couple hours
-meeting with U.S. Foods, we're going with Sysco
-got things rolling with payroll processing companies
-contacted future manager about meeting
-set up meeting with Aloha POS even though we're going with Micros, just want the info so I have it
-set up meeting with OSU student leader for possible grand opening event
-set up meeting with a couple potential employees
-went to order chairs but didn't b/c sales rep wasnt there
-talked to contractor about receiving drawings from designer
-emailed landlord about light fixtures blocking sign
-did research on www.qsrweb.com, www.fastcasual.com, www.nrn.com
-researched several menus, want to make sure ours is perfect
-talked to walk-in installer, not being installed until Thursday
-worked on recovering from stupid cold..i.e. drinking tea, OJ, taking Robutussin & now Nyquil
-ran 4 miles and lifted

We have SIGNAGE! Day 30

2005-09-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

Woe is me! Unfortunately I have been sick since Friday and I have not updated the blog since last Thursday. Sickness is not an excuse to not update my blog, Oktoberfest at the Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh is...all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy! But being sick was a downer and did not allow me to fully partake in the festivities. Nothing really happened on Friday anyway. Dry wall was installed and I was down onsite for about 4 hours. I met my contractor to go over the progress and make sure all the changes and redesigns have been communicated through the ranks.

The big news is that we have our exterior signage up! It looks incredible, I love it! Simple, sleek, sexy, and retro-modern, exactly what we are going for! The only problem is that the light fixtures block the blade sign on both sides, but we're taking care of that. The landlord said they will lower or remove them. Of course the only place where the fixtures are not mounted flush to the building is on 11th where Pesto is located...life would just be too easy if some issue didn't come up with every aspect of getting the restaurant up and running. Remember keep climbing that mountain and eventually you'll get to the top...eventually! The signs above have not yet been juiced up yet, but once we get the electric all wired we will have light. The blade sign is made of pushed through acrylic and will put off a cool glow. The flat sign will have a halo of light around it created by the neon encased inside. And as soon as the projections are covered in slate tile it will say Creative Italian Bistro under the blade sign. The major question is to keep Creative or to not keep Creative which I will contemplate tomorrow evening.

Biz Things I did Today:
-confirm walk-in cooler delivery and install for Weds.
-Visited site for several hours to see how things were coming
-discussed furniture selections with Kevin
-discussed progress with Ron and his next visit
-did some research, walked up and down high st. several times to check out when students eat dinner
-ate dinner at Potbelly's
-worked on recovering, eating soup, drinking OJ, and taking medicine...back at running and lifting tomorrow

Hire The Best...Day 28

2005-09-22T16:13:00.000-04:00

Not much happened onsite today, at least not much worthy of a picture. There was some electrical and plumbing work done today, but nothing structural of note. Tomorrow though is a big day, the signage is going to be installed! The signage is sexy! I can't wait to see it.

But as the title states another key fundamental that I have been taught and have learned is to hire the best. When going into business there are many different aspects that need to be covered. Legal, financial, construction, consulting, the list goes on and on. Hire the best lawyers, the best contractors, the most qualified consultant, the best designer, and the best architects you can find. Don't balk at the price tag. Often times people will go for the cheaper hired hand, but 9 times out of ten they have less experience and they take longer. For instance, you could go out and find an attorney that will bill you $100/hr. I had this happen to my friend. The lawyer he worked with was billing at $100/hr. and he spent quite a bit of time trying to find an answer to his problem. Had he gone with a pricier lawyer he would have found his answer much sooner. As with any product or service you pay for what you get.

I almost went for the less expensive, and much less qualified, restaurant consultant. This consultant didn't charge travel and their fee was significanlty lower. But when I did my due diligence and called the references we found out that we would get what we payed for. Who knows what we would be opening with had we hired a less experienced and qualified consultant.

One area that has been a constant headache has been with our architect. We truly believed we were hiring the best. But time and time again issues are coming up. Today for instance two thermostats were placed out in the public dining room, which is bad enough but they were both placed in terrible locations. The one was four feet from the entrance and the other was right on our fireplace nook. Also, the emergency lights were placed right in the middle of our feature walls where we are going to feature artwork. The thing that really upsets me about this is the fact that I gave my architect my business plan that outlines our intentions for displaying art on the walls. It just goes on and on. Currently my designer is redrafting everything so that the design can be saved. Unfortunately thats not cheap!

Hire the best. Don't skimp on the most important aspects of the business whether it be a restaurant or a manufacturing company. As the title of the book I'm writing states: "Buy The Brain." Recognize your weaknesses and fill in those gaps, buy the brain.

Biz things i did today:
-meeting with electrician this morning to make sure he had all his questions answered
-contacted Micros
-contacted sign installer
-contacted walk-in installer
-contacted walk-in supplier
-payed myself
-moved around thermostat and emergency lights, discussed with Kevin
-ran 4 miles and lifted

Problems = Opportunity...Day 27

2005-09-22T00:10:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately last night I completed my entry and the internet went out on me, but I published my entry today so in order to understand today's entry you'll have to read yesterdays posting as well.

As I stated in my entry yesterday I am starting to look at all problems as opportunities...and well there are many, MANY opportunities! Today's opportunities began unfolding during my three hour visit to the site, answering questions, seeking answers, and trying to make sure the subcontractors had all the right information to get their jobs done right. As I have said before, and as is very evident by today, the architectural drawings were made without anyone stepping foot on site for any form of field verifications or measurements. Thus, the construction of the space is very fly by the seat of your pants. The sub-contractors are having a very difficult time doing their jobs. They have to question everything they do and try to find answers every time they simply want to do their job! This lack of confidence in the drawings requires that I be available on site several times a day. It also is requiring extensive redrafting by Kevin. Just today Kevin redrafted the dining room to proportion b/c the drawings were incorrect and no one trusted them. This is ridiculous and expensive. I payed my architect to produce accurate drawings that my sub-contractors could use to complete their jobs and now we are re-drawing those drawings again. And I guess we nailed down what the major problem is. From day one we told the architect we would provide drawings on certain aesthetic elements, their job was to simply add those elements to the drawing verbatim. For some reason this never happened. Kevin produced drawings with exact dimensions for a reason. However, the architect arbitrarily chose to NOT reproduce those dimensions verbatim. So yes this is very upsetting. Instead of focusing on marketing, networking, or ordering furniture/equipment, etc. I am having to spend half my day on the site trying to correct the drawings! Don't get me wrong, as the owner I want everything to be perfect and I do want to be on the site double checking things. But I am a very hands off manager, I do not like micro managing. And though I am not micro managing I feel like I am always looking over their shoulders. Fortunately they do not feel that way. They feel that I am there to help them answer their questions.

So where is the opportunity? Well the redrafting is really giving us an opportunity to reevaluate our original intentions for the concept and redesign it if necessary...and that is exactly what happened. The changes were not a necessity but they will definitely help make things better. There were several minor redesigns we were able to include such as resizing the some of the booth tables and banquett tables. The major change that stemmed from this opportunity takes place at the serving line. From day one my intention was to create a restaurant that was identical to Chipotle in orderingquality, and simplicity. I have not been able to get my mind around their concept of stepping up to the counter with an exhibition kitchen and walking down the line selecting toppings for your burrito. I wanted to create the same thing for pizzas and pastas. Well unfortunately one major problem arises when doing this with pizzas and sandwiches. At slow times we will be able to keep up with the customers as they walk down the line. At peak times there is no way we could keep up. The pizzas take a minute to bake and the sandwiches take 30 seconds. If we are getting slammed at lunch or dinner this creates a bottleneck b/c the pastas and salads can keep up but the pizzas and sandwiches slow the line down. So what we decided to do was keep the exhibition kitchen but have the order placed at the end of the line. People will still walk past the open kitchen and see our products being made, but they will order at the end of the food line and when their order is ready we will call them up to pick it up. This way we can pump people through the line taking orders constantly and they will have only a short wait to pick up their food.

From day one we always planned on extensive signage describing what we do and what our products our. We now have the opportunity to create an extensive array of media and signage to convey our ordering process and products. We will be able to convey this message through a mix of signage, illustrations, and entertainment (associates creating the food). The customer will walk down the line and come to the very first menu board. It will describe the menu and highlight some of our specialties. It will also emphasize how the customer can create their own pizza or pasta masterpiece. The next marketing opportunity will be on the wall. We will paint illustrations of pizzas, pastas, and toppings and show how the customer will select the toppings and sauces. Next the customer hits the exhibition kitchen. Not only will customers have the opportunity to see products being made and ask associates what they are making, but it will also give them something to do and see while they are waiting in line, just like Disney World does! Above the exhibition kitchen will be separate signs with all our pizza, pasta, salad, and sandwich offerings. When the customer hits the cash register there will be a consolidated menu board with everything on it to refresh their memory if they forgot what they want. Hopefully by this time they will be educated enough to make a quick decision and place their order. We will then make the order and call them up soon thereafter when it is ready.

I am very excited about this new "opportunity" that came up today. It gives us much more opportunity for in-store marketing and describing our products. It will allow the customer to really see what they will be getting and make a very informed decision. I feel very strongly that it will be one of the best, if not the best, restaurant delivery systems in existence. It is blending the speed and customization of Chipotle with a more friendly and inviting customer experience. The customer will not be "shoved" through the line and forced to make a quick decision to keep things moving. They will have all the time they need to learn about the menu and how to order as well as have the opportunity to see our products being made. I felt like today was a major turning point for the Pesto concept and it is becoming more refined and closer and closer to my vision everyday. It pays dividends to work with and collaborate with the best in the business.

Biz Things I did Today:
-Visited site, stayed around for several hours to try and get things straightened out
-Talked with Kevin for a couple hours to get things straightened out
-Talked with Ron to get things straightened out
-met with signage installer
-took measurements of space tonight, this should have been done by someone six months ago
-spent pretty much my entire day down at the site
-ran 4 miles and lifted

Climbing the Mountain! Day 26

2005-09-21T00:38:00.000-04:00

My friend and fellow entrepreneur Jason once told me that business is like a mountain, you just need to keep climbing. I took this to heart and I've been climbing ever since. Many of my past entries have been ranting and raving about problems, but I feel like things turned the corner today. I think we have addressed the majority of the major design and drawing issues that have or might come up. Just like climbing the mountain if you want to make it to the top you need to keep going, no matter what obstacle gets in your way. To be successful in anything this is the case, especially in business. It's not easy, if it was everyone would have their own business. But there is always another obstacle that gets in the way, always some problem. But what I'm starting to learn is that I need to look at problems another way. First, I need to not call them problems. With all the redesigning and redrawing thats been going on it's spawned a feeling of negativity in me. It's been frustrating and upsetting. Once those negative emotions get a grip on you it's hard to shake them off. I have always looked at things this way, in the past though things were less important to me. In this case this is my life and my passion. It's my baby and I don't want anything to happen to it. It's easy to go down the negative path when issues come up that directly impact it. I've always taken problems and turned them into opportunities. At the time they certainly don't look like opportunities, but anything can be an opportunity. In my case all the mistakes in the drawings gave me the opportunity to learn. Had everything gone perfectly without a glitch I would not have learned nearly as much as I have. I have learned about the entire architectural and construction process. No it's not the way I wanted to learn it, but I'll tell you what, the next restaurant will be significantly easier! Also it is something I wanted to learn. I've always wanted to get into real estate development and though this is only a small space, I have learned quite a bit about the construction end of the business. Another opportunity that has arisen from the extra couple months of down time I've had is the chance to put together the franchising package. Day one we will be able to sell franchises. This is my dream and I am realizing it a year ahead of what I planned. Problems are no longer problems, they are opporunities.

Biz Things I did Today:
-emailed gelato manufacturer, received fax
-visited site, reviewed plans, went over electrical
-met with furniture manufacturer, almost have decisions finalized
-contacted walk-in installer, to be installed next wednesday
-met with Jason and Dan, talked some biz
-ran 4 miles and lifted

Day 23...24...& 25

2005-09-19T23:37:00.000-04:00

First a quick run-down of last Thursday and Friday:
Thursday-
-went down to site, had to clarify drawings with sub-contractors...again
-met with restaurant consultant and chef
-went over menu and how to do costing, pricing, etc.
-went over kitchen plan and equipment
-finalized serving and ordering design
Friday-
-met restaurant consultant for lunch
-stopped by micros to pick up quote
-headed home for the weekend to redesign all design aspects that were impacted by HVAC redesign (soffit above food line redesign, menu board redesign, feature walls redesigned, banquette redesigned, lighting plan revised, tent fabric redesign, food serving counter redesigned

So over the weekend Kevin and I accomplished quite a bit...like I said when you own a business there is no such thing as a day off. We redesigned all of the above and we finalized our furniture selection so I can order it this week! The furniture package is killer, it's going to look incredible and within our budget. What is not within our budget is all the redesign work that we have had to go through. The reworking and redesigning of the drawings is constant. The architectural drawings have been nowhere near correct. My interior designer is having to redesign our original designs and concepts on a weekly basis. Again I'm going to stress the major problem with the drawings, no one ever went down to the site to field verify anything. So from day one the information provided to my interior designer was incorrect and we have had to redesign everything drastically several times. The incorrect information continues to be passed on down the line. My contractor was given incorrect drawings and he made copies of those and gave them out to his subcontractors. It just goes on and on and I'll leave it at that for now.

So today Kevin, my contractor, and myself got together to go over our redesigns. I think my contractor finally has the correct information in his hand. The other major problem with the drawings, beside no one ever visiting the site, is that the information we provided to the architect was never used. The reason I hired the architect I did is b/c we discussed the issue of them taking drawings from us verbatim and putting them on the architectural prints. The problem was this never happened. We gave them many drawings specifying exactly what we wanted. But every single time those drawings were changed and reproportioned. So not only were the drawn once by my designer, they were drawn again to emphasize the changes we wanted made, and then they were drawn again due to major omissions and mistakes ( flipping the floor plan, redesigning the HVAC). But finally I think we have the correct drawings in the contractors hands.

What really bothers me is that now we are about 2 months behind our planned opening and we are doing what we could have done from day one. My contractor is now using drawings provided by my designer. From day one we could have been using drawings from my designer instead of losing time and money by having them designed by an architect. Though things have changed it's still going to look incredible!

Biz Things I did Today:
-Met with contractor and designer for several hours, we reviewed all the redesigns Kevin had to make including the menu board redesign, the feature wall redesigns, the banquette redesigns, the tension fabric redesigns, the soffit over the food line redesigns, the food line redesigns, the menu redesigns, the lighting relocation, and the storefront clarifcation
-went down to site with contractor and designer to site verify everything (what a concept)

Food Show! Day 23

2005-09-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

Today was the big food show for our local distributor. I'll have to say I love food shows. They are a tremendous opportunity to eat, drink, and eat some more! The show is nothing but a smorgasboard of food from all the vendors that distribute through our distributor. From pasta to pizza and ice cream to steaks, they do it all. And I was fortunate enough to taste a little bit of everything. Unfortunately I didn't get to spend as much time as I wanted too at the show. I picked up two bags b/c I planned on stocking up on food but we just ran out of time. I mainly ate pizza. There was tons of pizza at the show. Even distributors that didn't sell pizza, had pizza. I think they just had pizza so people would come to their booth. If this is the case then I am a very happy man b/c what shares the limelight with pasta as our primary product...pizza!

Though we had little time at the food show I feel like we accomplished quite a bit. I think we found the tomato sauce we want to use as a base, which is tremendous b/c it was one of my major concerns. We also discovered a tremendous pasta salad as well as the best creamy basil tomato bisque I have ever tasted! Another great find was artisanal par-baked ciabiatta bread. The bread comes frozen and par-baked, but once it is baked up it is every bit as good as, if not better than, any made from scratch bread baked fresh. But the most important discovery of the day was our disposable! Finding right disposable has been an ongoing battle. Our ideal disposable needs to be attractive yet functional. It needs to be dual purpose with the ability to hold both hot and cold foods. We want to use it for anything from pastas to salads. We also require it be leak proof as well as microwavable. Lastly I wanted it to have a clear lid so that if someone picks it up to go or has it in the fridge for leftovers they could see what it was. Not to mention I wanted it to be something that if someone really wanted to they could wash it and reuse again, especially in a college setting where such luxuries as tupperware are few and far between! What did we happen to find, not to mention on our first try, exactly what we were looking for. Most importantly I forgot to mention that it also had to be affordable. This disposable had everything we were looking for. It wasn't the most attractive package in the world, but it still looked really good, good enough that I felt like I wasn't settling on a disposable.

It's all in the details, the little things that most people don't even notice. But those little things help create the atmosphere and shape the feel of the restaurant. We also picked out our uniforms and guess what they were exactly the ones we wanted and the were the cheapest uniforms available! Today was a bit of a miracle b/c it seems like things like this are never the case. It always seems like the thing I want most that I feel is going to work the best is always the most expensive. And today we found several key elements that will help us achieve the level of quality and differentiation we want without the outrageous price tag. Let's hope the trend continues!

Biz Things I did today:
-went down to the site to give the correct drawings to the wall framers. I had to supply them with drawings for the food serving line, the bar eating area in the dining room, the parabolic menu board wall, the flat walnut wall opposite the menu board wall, and the dimensions of the equipment going into the serving counter area
-went to the food show
-met with micros
-met with maitre'd
-met with cintas
-met with my chef
-discussed HVAC issue with contractor
-received quote for furniture
-checked on location of our incoming test oven
-checked on gelato case order
-discussed dimensions with designer
-ran 4 miles and lifted

There is a Wall! Day 22

2005-09-13T23:16:00.000-04:00

So they put up a wall today! Of course there was the weekly problem, not with the wall but again with the architects. We met this morning to go over the duct work revisions. That seemingly simple revision of moving the duct work to the perimeter of the space along the walls created the following domino effect: Duct work was lowered and redesigned to be located along the walls, several light fixtures either need to be replaced/removed/or relocated, the rear intake systems had to be relocated, the electric circuit panels had to be adjusted, the rear mezanine had to be redesigned, the soffit over the food line has to be redesigned, all light fixtures must be hung lower now b/c the height they were spec. at was wrong, the fixtures must be lowered so they are not located above the tension fabric structures. The list goes on and on and on. It's ridiculous and very very frustrating. I feel like I should be paid for having to deal with all these mistakes and/or omissions. Again, why were all these mistakes made? B/c no one ever went down to the site to verify anything! And my architect made a comment today that none of the pipes or anything was in there when he came in the site last...well that was in March, when the drawings were first started! Further, that's a bunch of crap b/c I was in there and I know those things were already in there...The difference is when we were in there last there was not a tenant next store and there were no walls up, it was a rough, unfinished space.

So now I am going to have to call another emergency meeting, bring Kevin in from out of town and sit down with my contractor to make sure we are all on the same page. On top of the fact that I have to be down on the site for several hours a day just to make sure that the sub-contractors have all the information they need. Oh, I forgot another omission...the storefront height was never measured so the storefront design is in question b/c it is drawn at a height that is higher than what the actual storefront height is. I think I mentioned this previously, we had discussed placing an orange neon light around the storefront projections, but somehow that had been accidentally ommitted from the electrical drawings so my contractor didn't include that in his cost...change order, more money.

I'll admit though, as of today I did make a couple minor changes. I asked for a 42'' wall at the serving counter vs. a 36''. I ordered the new gelato case, which is wider and requires different electricals and somehow our induction cookers we ordered back in July were never included in the revised kitchen drawings so the electrical there must be changed as well. But these are all minor changes. Electrical has not been layed yet and the wall where the serving line is going to be as not been built yet...so these changes should be immaterial and may actually save money as well.

Its a very frustrating journey. I am being told that my experience is the exception to what most people encounter with their architects not field verifying ANYTHING! I still love what I am doing and I am learning more than I ever cared too.

Biz Things I did Today:
-met with architects, contractor, HVAC sub-contractor
-met about counter tops and table tops
-attended Gateway appreciation ceremony, met student body president, OSU president, and the mayor of columbus
-met restaurant consultant for dinner and interviewed potential manager
-ran 4 miles and lifted
-ordered gelato case
-discussed design and architectural issues with designer

Walls! Tomorrow. Day 21

2005-09-12T21:28:00.000-04:00

What a glorious Monday it is! So today as you can see from the pictures they put down some paper to protect the freshly sealed concrete floor. The floor was sealed again on Saturday and they have to cover it so the beautiful, shiny floor doesn't get scratched up. Interesting fact: it took four rolls of duct tape and 4 hours to duct tape and cover the floor with the paper. That equates to 1 r/o/d/t/hr (1 roll of duct tape per hour!). I'm sure everyone is amazed by my incredible math skills b/c I just calculated that in my head! The kitchen looks incredibly small with the rest of the floor covered. The kitchen is the section in the back left corner that still has exposed concrete. We'll be laying quarry tile back there, the only flooring expense above and beyond the concrete slab pour!

The HVAC guys were in today to start marking out where the duct work will be placed and go over the new design. As I vented, no pun intended :), in an earlier blog there was quite a large bit of negligence in the design of the HVAC...No one ever went to the site. So in the new design the much more aesthtically pleasing spiral duct is gone and rectilinear duct runs down the east and west walls of the space. We are going to do our best to hide the duct work, by painting it black, as well as hanging some killer tension fabric structures. Though I am still very displeased with the screw up, I will recover, and we this place is still going to look damn good.

As of late I've had several discussions with Kevin, Pesto's Chief Image Officer & Designer, and we've started discussing what's going on the walls and what kinds of tables and chairs we are going to use. We are considering round carrerra marble tables down the center of the dining room, custom designed booths down the east wall, and a sexy monolithic banquet unit with orange laminate round tables down the west wall. We are also using these really cool bar tables with purse/backpack hangers and a "random crap" ledge. Some pictures are included above. Then the chairs we are thinking of using are very sexy Italian polypropelene chairs, the dark gray chair above. These will go around the carrera marble tables down the middle. The bar stools we're looking at are these really cool monolithic square stools, again shown above.

On the walls we're talking about going stark white. We were previously discussing going with a pasta color for the walls but we are starting to lean toward the white. We are then going to glaze the white walls to give them a shiny lacquered appearance, they will look gorgeous! Then, also in white, we are going to cut the word pasta out of dry wall and place it on the east wall. It will cover the entire wall and at the end we are going to sculpt what looks like a meatball has been thrown against the wall. The word pasta and the meatball will all be in stark white, but be 3-d and they will look incredible! I'm definitely getting more excited about the interior design. It's really starting to evolve into the modern Armani Italian we want to achieve. I can't wait to see it!

Biz Things I did Today:
-Checked out the site...meeting tomorrow regarding the duct work redesign, they want my blessing on it, how thoughtful
-Ordered the world's fastest cooking pizza ovens and pasta cooker
-checked out tables and chairs
-organized the office a bit, got rid of some of to do pile
-rearranged some meetings around food show on Wednesday
-confirmed several meetings with restaurant consultant for Weds. and Thurs.
-contacted another countertop and tabletop manufacturer
-mailed floorplan to Kevin
-contacted a few gelato case manufacturers
-met with biz partner Jason and two potential sales force partners for Kick Mobile
-ran 4 miles and lifted

Pictures, finally! Day 20

2005-09-10T11:09:00.000-04:00

So I finally have a recharged camera and I can now update my pictures. I felt very motivated the other day so I walked around Gateway and took pictures of it as well. I wanted everyone to see how the entire development is coming together. Everything is looking great. The Ugly Tuna Saloona just opened on Thursday night, and their numbers were much higher than they expected them to be. They had a really good night and they have been packed every night since opening. Ugly Tuna is a cool place. It's small, about 4000 sq. ft. They have a bar in the middle and a stage for live music. They also have a very large outdoor patio. Thursday night was absolutely packed and last night I could hear people from my balcony.

Gateway is really coming to life and only three out of forty places are open. This place is going to be hot! Over where the Ugly Tuna is located there is an indendent film theater, the Skye Bar, and Mad Mex. Mad Mex is much like the Ugly Tuna in size and price. Sky Bar is a massive 10,000 sq. ft. bar with three outdoor balconies. This place is going to be crazy when everything opens. I can't wait to get open. They're also working on bringing a grocery store and once this happens students will never have, or want, to leave. They'll have everything they need steps from their door. This weekend should be interesting to see. Saturday the OSU Texas game is going to be the biggest game of the year and I think it's going to be a huge day for all the places that are open.

Almost time to pull the trigger! Day 19

2005-09-08T20:21:00.000-04:00

There is a floor! That you can walk on! And your feet won't sink in the gravel and dirt and I won't get massive pieces of gravel stuck in my sandle! Today they did the saw cutting in the floor. Originally we were going to have a diamond cut floor. The floor would have had 4'x4' diamonds cut in. But we wanted to save $700 so we decided not to do it. Boy am I glad we did. We ended up going with 12'x12' squares instead. The dining room was divided into 6 of these squares and it looks good. The deciding factor was Potbelly's next store. They have a diamond cut concrete floor that is waxed, sealed, and has a modeled look. Well ours is concrete, waxed, sealed, and modeled. Ours is a charcoal color and theres is a deep red color. So I decided we didnt want to have the same floor, so we went with the big squares. We want to be different. Though it is a minor detail I don't want us to have anything in common with anyone and be as unique and different as possible. And it looks really good. I took pictures but my camera died so I will update my pictures tomorrow after I recharge my batteries, in my camera that is! They are sealing it tomorrow so it will have a nice sheen. The diamond pattern is just too busy, and the floor isn't the main thing we want people to notice. We want people to see it and say it looks good, but the diamonds would just draw too much attention.

So the reason it's almost time to pull the trigger is b/c I'm doing some last minute research on my equipment that I am going to be ordering. Monday I am going to be placing my order and once it is done, it's done, and it has to be done on Monday b/c of lead times. So my last minute research is basically on the gelato case and making sure that we've selected the right pizza oven. The pizza oven is the most critical piece of equipment, next to the pasta cooker. The pizza cooker needs to be the fastest in the world and provide the same quality as a slower more conventional piece of equipment, such as a woodburning oven. We need to be able to crank out pizzas and sandwiches in under a minute...not a small order. But my last minute research, my double checking is reconfirming that we made the right selection. We are going to be able to crank custom, thin crust, personal pizzas in under a minute! Unheard of. And the goal is to push that number even lower...and mark my words we will get to the 30 second pizza. The fastest I've seen out there is the 3 minute pizza, at the Red Brick pizza cafe. They do personal gourmet pizzas, sandwiches, gelato, and salads...interestingly no pasta. They've grown from one store to 45 in a matter of a couple years. We're going to be better. Taste better, look better, and have a faster pizza. Just a few more months and everyone will get to experience the fastest best tasting pizza in the world.

Biz Things I did today:
-met with security system company
-monitored construction, answered many unanswered questions, and hung around teh site for about 3 hours... The questions: front soffit was placed in a terrible location. The thin end was placed where all the pipes are and the wide end where there is nothing! Why???! Also, a Clean out was placed right where customers stand to order food. The storefront needed redesigned to fit the doors. The banquett unit needs redrawn as well as the serving counter soffit.
-researched gelato cases
-researched pizza ovens, finally got a clear answer, hopefully we get to test one out again next week.
-Received gelato shipment, oh yeah!
-researched several restaurant concepts
-ran 4 miles and lifted

Gelato Case Closed...?, Day 18

2005-09-08T00:34:00.000-04:00

As you will see yesterday's entry was blank... as was I. No work was done on the space there was nothing exciting to report. I was disappointed that no work was done. As some of you may know I live directly above my restaurant, which is both a tremendous and, currently a, frustrating convenience. I walked down to the space a couple times yesterday to see if anything was going to happen. I was hoping I would walk down there and the pieces of iron forms or the pvc piping would have come to life and started building walls and laying out the electrical. This of course didn't happen, though I am convinced that one day in the near future this will happen, and I swear over the weekend while I was tailgating with my buddies this did happen! But with regards to anything getting done on the construction end it was a dismal day. I was blank, the space was blank. I don't think I really accomplished anything yesterday either, the weekend and the holiday did me in. It was pretty much a day of recovery from my days off! I love to entertain, it is one of my favorite things to do...work hard, play hard. But it can also be as wearing on you as work. But that's the name of the game, work hard, play hard and recover fast! I'll sleep when I die!

Today however was an excellent day. The front half of the concrete floor was poured and it looks phenomenal. It is exactly the look we were going for. I love it. I am told that now that the floor is poured things will start picking up. Which does make me kind of nervous. Now is when all the planning, ordering, working pays off. I hope I've ordered everything in time for delievery and I haven't missed anything. The 6-8 week lead time on some equipment makes me nervous, and I hope it's all closer to the 6 week period. If things really start to pick up and low and behold they shave a couple weeks off the construction schedule and I have no equipment, well I have no one to blame but myself. But everything is being ordered on Monday. And by everything, i'm talking only things that my restaurant equipment supplier does not have in her warehouse, and that's not many things. There are only a few select things that must be ordered from the manufacturer. And typically those things have a 4 week lead time but we are giving them 6-8 to be safe. The one piece of equipment that makes me the most nervous is the gelato case. It has to come over here from Italy...and the lead time there is 6-8 weeks. I've been frantically searching for an attractive, low priced gelato case and I think i've finally found one. I am forcing myself to order it by the end of the week. Unfortunately this small decision to go with a better gelato case has been an all consuming research endeavour over the past week. I feel like all i've done is look for and at gelato cases...and they're not easy to find in the U.S. There are only a few distributors in the U.S. and there is only about one or two manufacturers in the U.S. The interesting thing is that U.S. manufacturers starting making gelato cases to bring down the price. Interestingly the U.S. cases are typically more than the Italian imported cases even after flying them in on a plane! But hopefully friday I will put a nail in the gelato case coffin and have it under construction and on it's way here soon.

I think a large part of why the gelato case search has consumed me is b/c gelato has such a sentimental value to me. I love it. I ate it 3 times a day in Italy and I swore to myself that I would somehow sell it in the U.S. It's right up there with my passion for pasta. So I had to make sure that it is well presented. Unfortunately the small decision to switch gelato cases sidetracked some of the other things that needed to get done. Not that I'm behind. But I prefer being ahead of the game and now I'm on schedule rather than ahead. Which is fine. But in this game of business you need to always stay ahead and I know it won't take me much to get ahead of the curve.

Biz Things I did Today:
-contacted Cintas for uniforms, setup meeting for next week
-contacted Aloha for POS equipment, " "
-contaced Maitre'd for " "
-contacted gelato case distributor, received my lowest quote yet, I think I found it!
-received word that my gelato shipment is arriving tomorrow!! YIPPEE!
-contacted potential manager to set up meeting with restaurant consultant next week
-talked to restaurant consultant about meetings to set up next week
-hung around the site for a couple hours to ask questions as usual and make sure the floors look the way I want them
-did some research on my favorite restaurant websites
-met with several potential investors, discussed marketing opportunities with one
-checked out the newly opening Ugly Tuna Saloona, opening tomorrow night. Cool place, decent food, it will be a fun place to hang out
-ran 4 miles and lifted

Labor Day, Day 16

2005-09-05T21:22:00.000-04:00

Yes it is Labor Day and this gives me the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the holiday to express the fact that when you own your own business there is no such thing as a day off. Of course in my mind everyday is a holiday for me, because I love what I am doing. But holiday or no holiday I always own a business and there is always something that needs to be done. Now I did sleep in today and relax a little more than usual but I also managed to get some work done. I of course ran and lifted and submitted some documents to the United States Patent and Trademark Office regarding our logo. I also did some searching for a gelato case and looking at some bar stools. I also ran through a deal that came my way for a nightclub downtown. But being the holiday, this is all I'm going to say because there will probably be no one reading my blog on their day off. So Happy Labor Day, it's time to bbq!

RAW Pesto, Day 15

2005-09-02T20:03:00.000-04:00

As a follow-up to yesterdays post, compare the two gelato cases. The first one is the one we are getting if we don't spend and extra $6k. The next three pictures are what we get if we pay the extra $6k. No brainer right?

It's the end of week three...I like to think we're ahead of the game, or at least on schedule. I'm told we are and we'll make up for any lost time. I can deal with that. What I can not deal with is in your face, totally obvious, how could anyone miss that mistakes. Despite the fact that I will be advised from not posting this I am going to go ahead and post it anyways, this is Raw Pesto, raw and uncut. So here it is, the email I sent to my architects. You may think I am taking the easy way out today, since my blog is just going to be this email, but that email was a carefully thought out and planned piece of literature, just like this blog. I was non-threatening, just conveying my feelings, so I feel it is appropriate to post this, names excluded. So here it is, enjoy:

"I'm very frustrated that I have to write this email, it seems as though in order to take a step forward we need to take two steps back. First the "flip" redesign, then the health department and now an HVAC duct redesign. Our conversations should not be backward looking. We should not have to be going back and revising drawings at this point, they should be correct. Quite frankly I should not have to be worrying day-to-day what new issue is going to pop up.

After our discussions this morning with Jim and Bruce Haslett it looks like we're going to have to go with the rectilinear duct work. I am very concerned that the change from the spiral duct work to the rectilinear will have a negative impact on our image. But our only other option is to have the spiral duct work at about 9' and our tension fabric structures slightly below that. It seems like the rectilinear duct work is our only option. I am confused as to why this is even an issue. It seems quite clear to me that had anyone been down to the sight to verify anything, measurements, door locations, elevations, and the like, they would have seen there is no way the duct work could be installed at the height specified on the drawings. The duct redesign also impacts our serving area as well and requires a reworking of the soffit and lighting above the serving line. Also, designs are underway for menu boards to be hung from an 11' soffit as was specified per the drawings and those must be reworked. We need to make sure that the duct issue and soffit reworking is resolved with as minimal an impact on the image as possible.
Further, following our duct meeting this morning, Jim, Dave and I discovered that the orange light that we had designed to go around the perimeter of the slate projections IS included in the drawings of the projections but is NOT on the electrical drawings. The electrician did NOT include the light, electric, and installation labor in his quote to me for including these lights. You need to take care of this issue immediately.

I am also concerned that further delays may arise from these issues. As of today we are losing between $25,000 and $35,000 a week in revenue. These issues and any others that may arise must be addressed as swiftly as possible. Please help in making sure no delays are incurred from omissions and mistakes on the drawings. Thanks,
Lee"

It's the weekend, my buddies are coming to town, have a happy holiday, this is Lee signing off.

Biz Things I did today:
-met to discuss the issue above. meeting at 8:30am ended 11:00am, me frustrated, restaurant image impacted, no winners in this one. Reworked duct/ceiling/fabric design, reworking soffit design.
-searched for gelato cases, again
-discussed issues with restaurant consultant
-met future employee
-composed email above
-chose quarry tile and slate tile
-ran 4 miles and lifted

The Gelato Case, Day 14

2005-09-01T23:15:00.000-04:00

The first two or three hours of my day involved overseeing the pouring of the concrete floor. The concrete slab was poured for the back half of the space. The kitchen, bathrooms and rear corridor now have concrete flooring. I wanted to watch and make sure the color in the public spaces was what we were looking for. We decided to go with a three color powder splattering of color. We had the contractor use three different shades of gray and splattered the across the floor, then work it into the concrete. The effect is right on the money, contrasting spots of light and dark colors. The dining area will have the same effect. The dining area is not going to be poured until next Wednesday....who needs holidays off? But it is definitely starting to look like, something! I was a little disappointed that the dining area was not poured today and must wait until next Wednesday. My contractor insists that it is not a delay and that work will be done in the mean time. I'll take his word for it.

The rest of my day involved searching for a gelato case. My gelato display case search went much like my coke and pepsi debate. The current display case runs about $2k. The sexier, more stylish case runs about $8-10k. The cheaper version holds 9 flavors while the more expensive holds 12. Both have additional storage below the display portion. The major difference is the visibility of the product. With the $2k unit a customer must walk over and look down in the case to see the gelato. With the pricier unit any customer sitting anywhere will be able to see the gelato.

So my question is, can you make up for the lack of visibility of the product in the cheaper unit with additional signage? Will a well designed menu board entice people as much as seeing the attractively merchandised, colorful gelato?

My thought is that spending the extra money for a more visible product will reap dividends. Sigange is great but it is limiting. When you are about ready to go after you finish your heaping bowl of pasta and you see the gelato in the case, you are going to want some. I will admit that I am a bit biased though. I love gelato, I ate it three times a day when I was in Italy. I have a sentimental feeling toward it. The main reason it is on the menu is because I want it in the states and I want other people to experience its splendor. And I know from experience that the gelato cases work. As a matter of fact I would only purchase gelato from gelaterias with cases where you could see the product. I felt that if you couldn't see it, it wasn't authentic gelato. And though the majority of our future customers will probably never have had the true gelato experience in Italy, I want to provide that to them. I want them to feel that authentic gelato must be seen on display and not buried in some freezer. I realize that gelato is merely the carriage, and not the horse. But I know people will love it and they will demand it. And I've taken great pains in seeking out the best gelato product and I want it to be conveyed through what it is displayed in. The gelato is made from natural, raw ingredients. Actual raspberries and lady fingers are found in the white chocolate raspberry tiramisu, amazing!

Will the more expensive case move more gelato? Yes. Will it lend to the Armani interior we are going for? Definitely. Will it cost more? Yes. But I feel I am not doing justice to my customers and to gelato if I do not give them the opportunity to have the authentic gelato experience.

Biz Things I did today:
-oversaw concrete pouring
-discussed pour with contractor
-stopped by signage company to see how things were coming along
-stopped by equipment company to make a few changes and make sure everything was good to go
-setup meeting to place equipment order on Sept. 12
-discussed gas prices and effect on business with restaurant consultant
-searched for gelato cases, still searching
-ordered gelato samples, coming next Thursday!
-setup interview for tomorrow morning
-Ran 4 miles and lifted

Coke or Pepsi? Day 13

2005-09-01T00:51:00.000-04:00

Construction has been relatively slow over the past two days...Well really only today. The inspector came in to approve of the forms and prep work for the slab pour tomorrow. The inspector came first thing in the morning and approved everything and then nothing really happened the rest of the day. A few plumbers stopped in to put on some finishing touches such as drain grates and the like before the concrete is poured tomorrow. I think once the concrete is poured it will really start to move fast and look like something substantial has been completed. With the plumbing they lay it and then cover it up, so it looks like your back at square one. But with the concrete poured the walls can start to go up, electricity, more plumbing, HVAC, then the drywall and it should seem to move much faster!

So over the past couple of days I've just been running around trying to organize all my bits and pieces from security systems to furniture and music. Everything has been fairly straightforward. My biggest dilemma comes with trying to decide on Coke or Pepsi?

Both basically offer the same thing. They both provide the dispensers and coolers. They'll both help substantially with our grand opening event. Coke and Pepsi are priced similarly. And quite frankly they both have the same types of product offerings. But which soda purveyor provides the best products? And more importantly which are we going to sell more of?

OSU has a very substantial contract with Coca-Cola. Every beverage offering on campus comes from Coke. Coke even paid to postpone construction of the oval so students could enjoy it for another quarter. Coke vending machines or dispensers are in every residence hall, campus building, or campus dining facility. So when it comes to what students drink on campus, it basically has to be Coke or nothing.

Pepsi on the other hand can't be found anywhere on campus and in a select few locations off campus. One of Pepsi's main draws that I know students miss is Mt. Dew. Relatively few restaurants up and down High St. sell Pepsi products. But Pepsi has a substantial presence in the Gateway project. Panera, Ugly Tuna Saloona, Mad Mex and the Drexel movie theater all serve Pepsi exclusively. Potbelly's is basically the only restaurant in the development serving Coke. This fact alone makes me think that Pepsi is probably the way to go. On campus students only have one option, Coke. Now if they have a whole new selection of restaurants located right on campus serving Pepsi it gives them more options. They can get Coke anywhere on campus, they can get Pepsi at the Gateway project.

Further, I feel that Pepsi offers several premium products that are better than Coke. Pepsi distributes Sobe fruit drinks, Gatorade, Lipton Iced Teas, and Starbucks Frappuccinos. Cokes counter offerings are Powerade, MinuteMaid, and Nestea. Pepsi's offerings sound much more enticing to me than any of Coke's premium bottled products. Also, Pepsi provides somewhat of a bribe, or a free gift I mean. If you sell their products you get to choose a couple gifts from an array of items such as mountain bikes, dvd players, and tvs. Free stuff always helps seal the deal.

The only question is whether or not OSU students have Coke so ingrained in their minds as the beverage of choice that they will not purchase Pepsi products? I don't think so, but we will see.

Biz Things I did Today:
-Recieved quote for booth unit
-submitted drawings for a second quote for booth unit
-Contacted restaurant consultant about menu board, signage, and serving fresh brewed coffee and tea
-Met with Pepsi distributor
-Searched high and low for bar stools, tables, and chairs
-searched for light fixtures
-visited site and made sure my water questions were answered, the water will come down through the walls, not underslab
-Contractor called and let me know that the slab was going to be poured tomorrow and the site was approved for the slab pour
-Talked to Muzak about scentair products, provide a scent for any commercial space
-Talked to Gelato Distributor about Cases and sending a sample, which is coming next Thursday YIPPEEE!
-Took care of a couple bills
-Reviewed floorplan onsite
-Discussed several design issues with Designer
-Did some research on www.qsrweb.com, www.restaurant.com, www.nrn.com
-

Rule #(somewhere in the top ten), Day 12

2005-08-30T22:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't layed out a set of rules to starting your own business yet, but I plan to somewhere in the near future, more than likely in my first book (shameless plug), Buy the Brain. Anyways this rule is definitely somewhere in the top ten b/c after passion it is one of the most important rules to starting your own business. I didn't realize it until I had a conversation tonight with my friend and business partner Jason Ross as well as several past conversations with Ron Santibanez, my Restaurant Consultant and tech guru. Both Ron and Jason are tremendous motivational forces to have in my inner circle. Having positive, likeminded friends and business partners makes achieving your goal that much easier. But what Jason said to me tonight was that the way I think about my business helps to motivate him and think differently with his business. I guess I never really thought about the way I think, but the way I think has just been ingrained in me and it's just nothing I ever really thought about (do you think I used the word think and thought to much in that sentence?). So your probably wondering ok Lee how do you think? And again I would tell you if you paid me $19.99 and visited my site www.thesecretsofsuccess.com. Just kidding! (remember a joke is told by the rule of three, once you tell it three times you can never use it again, so I have one more time with that one!) But he said that I never think that Pesto won't work and I never think that I won't achieve my goal. I always think positive about making the business work. And, finally, what Ron has said time and time again and has really stood out in my mind, brings me to one of my top ten rules for starting a business: Never Have a Contingency Plan!

Now this rule applies to making your restaurant, business idea, whatever, successful. This rule does not apply to daily operations, for instance what do you do if your walk-in cooler breaks down. This rule applies to driving your business toward success. This is how you want to think. Always think positive and never have a contingency plan. Why would you pursue an idea and start a business if you didn't have total belief first, in the concept and more importantly, in yourself? You wouldn't, or at least you shouldn't.

If you don't believe in the concept you are already doomed. You are going to have a heck of a time raising money to fund the concept and an even tougher time trying to make it work if from day one you didn't think it would work anyway. Sure, any new business encounters unchartered territories and there are undoubtedly questions along the way. But you must always, not just think, but know that your concept is going to work.

And if you believe in the concept and not in yourself then you are even worse off. (At this point my book in progress, Buy The Brain, would come in play and you would hire the person you believe in to make your concept work) If you don't believe in yourself then how are you going to convince the bank, investors, and customers to believe in you? It is going to be nearly impossible to make the business work if you don't think you can do it. And I'll be the first to admit I can't do something. Creating Pesto required acknowledging all of my limitations. I know next to nothing about running a restaurant. There is no way I could put my ideas for the design on paper and there is definitely no way I could construct a space that would even closely reflect those designs. But what I do know is that I can organize a group of people that can do those things. I believe in myself that I can create a team that can help refine, create, and execute my idea. But I do not have a contingency plan. I am going to do absolutely everything in my power to make this business work. I am going to pour my heart and sould into Pesto. The day I do have a contingency plan is the day I quit trying. It is the day that I said to myself I have done all that I can do. But I know, that day will never come!

Biz Things I did today:
-Met with U Weekly about advertising
-Contacted Tenant Coordinator about sign being blocked by light fixtures
-Stopped by signage manufacturer, not there
-Submitted Booth drawings for a quote, must get another bid tomorrow
-Met with Coke, they will provide dispensing units (this will save us $2500!)
-Visited site, asked questions as usual, concrete forms being placed
-Talked with Restaurant consultant about Takeout menu design, Interior Sign Board design, and blog
-Contacted Equipment manufacturer about delaying delivery of walk-in cooler
-Delivered check to Ohio Division of Electricity
-Purchased envelopes, finally
-Received Cintas Catalog, made a couple of selections for uniforms
-Talked with General Contractor about putting water into bathroom and beverage station
-Stopped by new development under construction to learn more about what's happenin' in C-Bus
-Ran 4 miles and lifted
-Biz dinner with Jason and Dan, Brainstorming

Day 11, The Wrath of Katrina

2005-08-29T23:44:00.000-04:00

The title of today's information packed wealth of knowledge is a bit deceiving, b/c it is not exclusively about The Wrath of Hurricane Katrina. I just thought I should mention it b/c it was such a huge event and we need to assist the people of New Orleans in anyway we can. It is incredible that an isolated event caused by mother nature can have such wide reaching effects. Gas prices will go up, insurance premiums, taxes... All b/c of a huge storm.

The pictures above are photos of our concrete floor samples. Our incredibly talented interior designer, Kevin Maxwell, came up with the concept of throwing three different colors of the powder they use to dye the concrete all over the floor to create a unique flooring effect. Three shades of gray dye are thrown onto the concrete in random places and then worked into the concrete with a trowel. The concrete then gets a modeled look. The concrete is then sealed and once this is completed the floor maintains a sheened appearance. You can see the difference between the sealed and unsealed in the photos above. The left is sealed and the right is unsealed. I love the effect and the floor is going to look great! Finally, something worked out perfectly, looked great, and was an easy decision. I think it was the first time I got to say I love it, thats perfect, in the past two years! But thats about par for course. There are those rare instances when things work out on the first try, and you need to treasure those and not take them for granted. All too often ideas or concepts are misunderstood and revision after revision have to be made or things need to be spelled out completely. It's not only a frustrating process, but it makes everything take longer. But if you know exactly what you want then it must be spelled out, otherwise who knows what you'll end up with!

But figuring out exactly what you want either in life or in a concrete floor takes time to figure out. It usually doesn't just happen overnight. Even deciding on the concrete floor. Yeah I could make a decision overnight. In the past I had made a decision about the flooring. Originally it was going to be tile. Originally Pesto was going to be called Grazie and the interior was going to be a warm, old world Italian design. Now the flooring is concrete, Grazie is now Pesto, and the interior is more of an Armani Italian design. Things evolve. Concepts, ideas, and people change overtime. Either from research, the information and resources at hand, or experience. Grazie changed to Pesto. Hence the image had to change. The look was no longer this old world italian we had originally conceptualized. Now it was this cool, hip, and modern place. The food also evolved. I had planned on only a couple of sauces and most of them being your typical sauces. Now we have a wide variety of atypical sauces and typical sauces, typical in the sense of what you would expect at an Italian restaurant and not typical in taste. Where else can you get 10 different kinds of Pesto sauces! It's incredible how even the slightest change can have a dramatic affect. Yeah it looks like the hurricane is only going to affect New Orleans, but it's damage is going to have far reaching affects beyond Louisiana, beyond the U.S. and even have global effects. I'll admit sitting there thinking I'm glad I'm not down there and I'm here watching this on TV. But come the next time I go to fill up my gas or this winter when natural gas prices increase dramatically (New Orleans is one of the largest producers of natural gas in the country) it won't make much of a difference whether I was sitting here or if I was down in New Orleans bearing the brunt of the storm. But that's life. Everyday something happens that will affect something else and then something else and on and on. Things must evolve and you just need to make the best of it and move forward.

I know when I got that email from the United States Patent & Trademark Office telling me that I can't use the name Grazie, I was devastated. I didn't know what I was going to do. At that point the past year and a half had been dedicated to creating Grazie. That's all I knew and that's what I was convinced it was going to be. But now I sit and look back and think how glad I am that I couldn't use the name Grazie. As a matter of fact I hate the name Grazie and I can't believe I ever even considered it. It was luck, it was a higher power guiding me in the direction I needed to go. Pesto sounds like an established name. It's rich, bold, flavorful, and fresh. It says exactly what I wanted the name to say. Isn't it amazing what something as simple as a name can do?

Biz Things I did Today:
-visited concrete contractor to check out samples, loved the samples
-talked to the health department, everything looked good, just needed to pull the 3-compartment sink 4'' off the wall
-met with security system company
-purchased printer/copier/fax/scanner, I feel like a legitmate businessman now
-visited site and got to know my new superintendent a little bit
-talked to restaurant consultant about menu boards, signage, health department. Sent pictures of restaurant images.
-set-up meeting with advertising company tomorrow
-emailed tenant coordinator about light fixtures on building possibly blocking blade sign
-set-up printer, took awhile
-received dimensioned drawings of booth units to take to manufacturer
-Ran 4 miles and lifted

Two weeks Down! Day 10

2005-08-26T20:19:00.000-04:00

Today marks the two week mark. We have been under construction for two weeks and we have about 10 weeks to go! It kills me to walk by Potbelly everyday, raking in money, and when students return it's really going to kill me! The goal was Sept. 1, right before school started and the football season. Now it's looking like the middle of November, if everything goes smoothly. So far everything has gone fairly smooth. No major problems or mistakes as of yet, knock on wood. I just walked the space and I really wish we had an extra 500 sq. ft. The space goes so fast. We have 2236 sq. ft. and the shape of the restaurant is like a doglegged bowling alley. There is space available to expand to the left, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't go for another storefront opening. Did you know sales and square footage coorelate? As the square footage increases so do sales. It's very interesting if you really research restaurants their sales and their square footage. Typically each restaurant segment will have footprints of similar square footage and sales of similar sizes. For instance, the quick casual market Pesto is soon going to dominate is typically a 2000 to 2500 sq. ft. space. Sales are typically between $1.2 to $1.6 million. If you jump to say a larger restaurant, like the cheesecake factory or Brio, you are looking at probably 6-8000 sq. ft. and sales between $8-$12 million depending on location. Same for Subways and Delis that are around 1000-1800 sq. ft. You can expect to see sales around half a million to three-quarters of a million. These are all examples and are not exact, but it gives you a good idea of what kind of business you can expect to do out of a particular space.

Of course the main factor driving the correlation is location. If the location is terrible the numbers will drop significantly and it really won't matter how big your restaurant is. Panera will edge out our numbers b/c they are about twice the size. However, in most instances the increase in sales is not proportional. Panera may occupy 4000 sq. ft. but do sales of around $1.8-$2 million while Chipotle may occupy 2500 sq. ft. and do $1.6-$1.8 million. Our first location should be phenomenal b/c we have a captive audience, The Ohio State University. OSU is not going anywhere and approximately 60,000 people are on the campus 9 months out of the year. Also in our favor is the large selection of restaurants. Location selection should be near other restaurants. They are not competition, rather more options for more people. One restaurant out by itself may have no competition for miles, but it then becomes a destination location and it alone must draw people. Whereas if Pesto is located in a location where there are 10 or 20 different options, now you have a restaurant district where people will go and may not have their minds made up before they arrive.

For the first Pesto location we have exclusives to quick-casual Italian food. There can not be another quick-casual Italian restaurant within the development. The developers have done a phenomenal job of bringing in concepts that can not be found anywhere else in Columbus, and in some instances in Ohio. At most of the other large lifestyle centers in Columbus many of the restaurants and shops can be found somewhere else in Columbus. At Gateway only a few restaurants can be found outside of the development, which makes the Gateway a restaurant, retail, and entertainment destination and will draw people from beyond the campus area. If only I could raise more money I have several other restaurant concepts I know would fly here. But I'm working on one of them with a buddy, I think he can take it all the ways, we'll see. I truly believe the Gateway is going to be a centerpiece of the next generation of lifestyle developments. I think people will really enjoy the mix of national chains and independent shops. There really are no other large scale developments that can offer such an array of local and national flavors. I know I have learned a lot when I get into development and there are definitely a few pages I would like to take from the Gateway Project, www.southcampusgateway.com.

Biz Things I did today:
-Confirmed equipment change, got rid of a $12k oven and replaced with a $3k oven that will achieve the same level of quality (always quality before price, not vice versa!)
-Discussed change with consultant, gave it the green light.
-Discussed menu boards and brochures with Restaurant consultant
-Worked on some Guerilla marketing ideas
-Met with Muzak, pretty cool program
-Met with friend for lunch, working on the business plan of the next restaurant
-did some research at www.restaurantbiz.com and www.my-table.com
-Read Restaurant Start-up and Growth magazine
-Visited site
-Met with Contractor, Concrete Sub-contractor never showed up!
-Ran 4 miles and lifted

So Lucky! Day 9

2005-08-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

While some new issue comes up at least once everyday, today being no exception, I am so lucky that I am getting to do what I love. I am currently watching a show on National Geographic, which I rarely get to watch TV but I'm doing work as well, about some of the worst jobs in the world. The job they are currently exploring is in a tannery where animal hides are processed into usable textiles. The tannery is in a developing country in the middle east. No machines of any sort are used. The animal hides come in raw and right off the animal. The people working at the tannery take the hides and clean them in a vat of birch wood water, pigeon feces, and acid. They actually climb in the vats with shorts and no shoes and clean off the animal hides. The tanneries can be smelled for blocks. The smell is of pigeon feces, animal blood and fat, acid, and decomposing animals. They actually put pigeon droppings in the vats to make the hides softer. One pound of pigeon droppings to 5 animal hides. Some workers have to travel around town collecting pigeon droppings. Then they take the droppings back and climb, shoeless, in a vat of water with it and mix the water and droppings to the perfect consistency. The animal hides are added to the vat and stepped on for 3 straight hours.

Another job they describe is a body collector in Bangkok, Thailand. These people must go from accident to crime scene to fire and clean up and remove the freshly dead bodies. They must clean up the streets, pick up body parts, and bag up the body and take it to the mortuary.

The people working these jobs said they would leave the jobs in a second if they had a chance. Unfortunately, they have no other option, they must work the jobs to survive. Watching this show really puts things in perspective. How can I complain about anything while someone across the world is forced to work shoeless, covered to their waist in waste?

Biz Things I did Today:
-Finished Forbes
-Read and researched www.NRN.com
-Read and researched www.QSRweb.com
(Two Great resources for restaurant info)
-Met with Restaurant Equippers about final equipment selection and ordering
-Met with contractor about schedule, light fixture selection, concrete samples
-Made copies of keys for site for myself and subcontractors
-Visited site with Contractor to see how things are going
-Talked to Restaurant Consultant about equipment selections
-Set up meeting with Muzak
-Set up meeting with Pepsi
-Set up meeting with Coke
-Set up meeting with security system company
-Updated my books
-Updated my budget
-Set up meeting with potential employee
-Ran 4 miles and lifted

The Health Department Who? Day 8

2005-08-24T23:32:00.000-04:00

See how high the grease Interceptor is?? Not any more, it was lowered. And that's a picture from about 8 months ago.

Well I have to give it to the Columbus Health Department. Thus far they have been extremely responsive and more than willing to work with us to make things happen. If you haven't already guessed the drawings were never submitted to the Health Department for review and approval. My architect is telling me it is beyond their scope of work to make sure that all permitting and approvals are in place. They are claiming that their only permitting responsibility is to get the building permit. Supposedly they have never submitted anything to the health department, not once. Further they felt no responsibility to communicate to me that the health department needed to look at the drawings and that they were only going to take care of the building permit. I have no problem taking the fall for not having submitted the drawings to the health department, if the information had been communicated to me and I had simply dropped the ball. I would be the first to stand up and say I messed up. But when I find out that drawings need to be submitted to them, a week after construction has began and the plumbing has been laid, only because I decided to pick up the phone one day last week to start conversations with the health department, I get pretty ticked off.

Constant communication is an important element in anything and everything you do. Especially when there are different people, companies, organizations, and groups involved. Everyone needs to be on the same page all the time. Changes and decisions need to be communicated. This constant communication can not be a one way street. Everybody needs to participate in creating a cohesive flow of information that is comprehensive and at the same time understandable. With a missing link in the communication chain the flow of information falls apart and important pieces slip by, such as knowing to submit drawings to the health department. The more and more I get in to this, the more I realize that there needs to be a catalyst for communication. Rarely is someone going to take it upon themselves to comprehensively communicate. Constant prodding, pushing, and questioning is required. Hopefully in time the answers will start flowing before the need to ask the question arises. But as is true in all aspects of life, good things do not typically happen overnight. And I see it happen with people who have been running a business together or running separate businesses together working toward a common goal. They will step up and take responsibility for their piece and very rarely will either one have to question the other one as to what they are doing. They will know what the other is going to ask or need and they will provide that. Ultimately with my businesses I want to achieve this level of communication flow. I want the answers to come before the questions.

On a totally different note, we had one of our first public tastings tonight. I had about 12 people over to try the pastas, sauces, and pizzas. Everything was a hit. Everyone loved everything, unless they were lying. But I told them to be brutally honest. The tastings are just another perk of the job. I love to entertain and I love to cook. This way I get to do both and create value for Pesto as well as other people. I'll admit it that the tastings are all part of our marketing campaign. I want to create a "buzz." I want to get the food in as many peoples mouths as possible. Once they try it they will come back for more. I love our sauces and pastas and I truly know that we are innovating and creating a unique offering in an underserved market. I can't wait till we open our doors and we can provide a product that people want but can't get, freshly made pastas, pizzas, salads and sandwiches at an affordable price.

Biz Things I did Today:
-Called the health department several times
-Called my architects several times and found out that nothing was submitted to the health department and they felt no responsibility in communicating that it was necessary
-Talked to my contractor regarding a schedule, work being done, and our superintendent
-Picked up drawings from my architect and dropped them off to the health department
-talked to Muzak about our in-store music
-contacted Cintas about uniforms
-Met with Art Space about our tension fabric structures as well as our next little business project
-Visited the site, plumbing inspector was there, we had to drop the grease trap 10 inches lower b/c it's location was designed wrong
-Set up a meeting with restaurant equippers to finalize equipment purchases
-Talked with Mid-America about kitchen layout and the health department, sent me an email from my architect requesting equipment cutsheets for submittal to the health department
-Talked with restaurant consultant about health department issue and best course of action to take as well as plating food, uniforms, music, marketing, and POS equipment
-Held weekly entrepreneur gathering/food tasting at my place
-I need to contact Pepsi. Finalize Countertop selection. Contact Security System company. Contact Credit card processing company. Contact Payroll Processing company.

Remain Postive, Day 7

2005-08-23T22:53:00.000-04:00

Notice No People in the pics!! ?#!@#*

Like I have said before there are a couple key ingredients to starting a business that I said I would reiterate from time to time. Two of those key elements being passion and keeping a positive attitude. I was hoping I wouldn't have to reiterate them again so soon, because that means that I am also reinforcing those concepts to myself. Unfortunately most of the time those concepts only need reinforcing when times are tough and you need to remind yourself to stay positive. I must not forget that this is a roller coaster ride that I chose to climb on board and the ups and downs come with the territory, and it typically is very difficult to remain on those ups for a significant period of time. I am by no means down. I feel like I am very on top of my game. All my books and numbers are up-to-date, most of my reading and research is up to date, and I'm in just about the best physical shape of my life (exercise is a great stress reliever!). But I have to share my most recent frustration...

So typically how the restaurant design and build process works the architect puts together all the architectural and mechanical(usually contracted out to an engineer) drawings. These drawings reflect absolutely everything with regards to construction. The contractor uses these drawings basically as instructions and specifications as to how the space should be constructed and finished. Of course the client/owner paying the architect reviews the drawings and confirms that they are exactly what they want. In my case I hired an interior designer to collaborate on the layout and design of the restaurant so that everything tied together and he had a sufficient canvas to work with. From what I understand the architect takes these drawings and submits them to the proper authorities (city or state building inspectors, landlord, health department, etc. etc.) for permitting and approval. Upon receiving all permitting the drawings and project are handed over to the general contractor. The general contractor can then begin construction and any questions he has along the way can be answered by the architect (you hope there is good rapport between the architect and your contractor).

This is a very simplified version of what happens, but I'll stick to one of my favorite sayings, KISS(keep it simple stupid). And really it should not be much more difficult than that. Unfortunately things slip through the cracks. As far as I know at this very moment no one has submitted anything to the health department for inspection and approval. Worst case scenario we're looking at a delay from the construction end of 3 weeks b/c the Health Dept. may not be able to look at the drawings for 3 weeks. Best case scenario we continue with construction and everything is approved and we don't have to make any changes. I am sincerely hoping that I am jumping the gun and all health department approvals were taken care of by my architect. The reason I am questioning whether or not drawings were submitted to the health department is because my architect could not answer me when I called him today and asked him if we had health department approvals! Now tomorrow whether I hear good news that we do have them or bad news that we do not, my architect should know the answer to this fairly important question.

I'll be the first to take blame if it was my responsibility to submit for permit and approvals. But the fact that as an owner I do not have the most recent copy of the architectural drawings in my possession I find it difficult to assume that responsibility. I find it even harder to accept that blame when in my contract and in discussions with my architect and even my signage contractor they have stated again and again that they want to be in charge of all permitting and approvals. This is where passion and the details play a factor. If you are doing what you love then you won't accept the status quo and you won't submit work that is unsatisfactory. You will pay attention to the details and make sure nothing is missed (thank God I took it upon myself to call the Health Department). I am doing what I love so I can achieve my dreams and what I believe my full potential is. Don't settle for anything.

Biz Things I did Today:
-Read Fortune Magazine and Began Forbes
-Read the news
-Of course I check emails compulsively
-Called department of electricity to get electrical service, I must submit service contract and a check to the city to get electricity juiced up...evidently the equipment was ordered by my electrical subcontractor
-Talked to the health department, discovered drawings needed to be submitted to and approved by them
-Talked to architect to find out if drawings had been submitted and approved by the health department, question remains unanswered
-Met with Dispatch to discuss advertising rates
-Talked to The Saver about holding off on advertising this quarter
-Talked to Buckeye Sports to hold off on advertising this quarter
-Talked to C Magazine to hold off on advertising for a few months
-Talked to Buckeye Sports Bulletin to hold off on advertising for a few months
-Talked to Paper Gold to hold off on advertising this quarter
(everyone wants to sell you advertising, I'm on a budget, I need to get creative and print media just isn't going to cut it, guerilla tactics must be pursued)
-Met with biz partner Jason Ross to discuss Kick Mobile
-Received shipment of Pesto Samples for tomorrow nights big tasting (I can't wait! The food is so good!)
-Checked out Potbelly's for more research
-Visited site, took pictures, no work was being done today...adding to my frustration
-Contacted Elements of Art about getting construction underway on tension fabric structures
-Contacted Cintas for uniform catalog
-Contacted Advanced Sign Group about estimated time for signage installation
-Contacted Biz Card designer to make some changes to Biz card
-Contacted Interior Designer about drawing banquette unit
-Contacted Architect about drawing banquette unit

Week TWO, Monday Monday

2005-08-22T23:39:00.000-04:00

That gray box with the pipes coming out of it is the grease interceptor. Apparently it collects all the grease that accumulates in the drain water from the sinks where dishes are washed and food is prepped. Though the gray box looks harmless, from several close encounters I have heard of this innocent looking little box can induce instantaneous vomiting. For instance, my business partner and friend Jason Ross had to clean one out at a past restaurant job. He claims to have puked upon opening the interceptor! Also, the plumbers installing the unit said they were working on digging one out at a Dairy Queen and it was crawling with maggots and worms and driving customers away! As soon as a customer came to the drive through to order their blizzard, my favorite is chocolate ice cream with chocolate chip cookie-dough, they would leave without ordering b/c the smell was so horrible! I know you're all thinking, boy am I glad Lee has to clean that up... well fortunately the first question I asked was, "are there companies that will come clean these things out for me?" Much to my relief there most certainly is! As of today my most critical mission over the next couple of weeks is to locate a grease interceptor cleaning company, not really but after hearing those stories it is definitely a priority on my list!

When I walked down to the site this morning I never would have thought I would be writing about a little metal box, but it just one of the many details that I must be aware of. When the restaurant all of a sudden smells like a junkyard I need to know why, and now I will. It really is all in the details for me. The business plan, the design, the food, every single aspect must be analyzed and thought through with the most critical attention to detail. I want everything to be flawless. Reality is there will be flaws. But if you bust out that positive thinking any flaw can add character, and truthfully the only one to really notice the flaws will be myself. And the flaws aren't necessarily visible and obvious flaws like a cracked window or a hole in the wall. The flaws in my mind are the details that are missing due to budget, time, or functionality constraints. For instance, we only have one upside down pasta bowl light fixture when we originally had 11. These fixtures are incredible and I envisioned a sea of upside down pasta bowl light fixtures floating from the ceiling. But due to budget constraints we cut it down to one. Unfortunately many things come down to money and the bottom line. Is a customer more likely to notice one unique light fixture or 11? Probably. Are the light fixtures going to drive our sales? Never. The great tasting food is going to drive sales. And if we can eliminate unnecessary costs that won't drive our business and still maintain the integrity of our design then that is what is going to help make Pesto a success.

Biz Stuff I did Today:
-Met with an advertising company to discuss what may be our first Kick Mobile deal.
-Met with Micros to check out POS (I know what you're thinking, it means Point of Sales!) equipment and look over the quote
-Checked out construction progress, took pictures, made sure we are still on track for plumbing inspection on Tuesday (It may be Wednesday depending on when the inspector is available, there is always someone to wait on)
-Called Jim to confirm concrete floor color and make sure we were still on target for plumbing inspections, as well as see if we had a superintendent yet for the site
-Called Tom Gliva so we can get electrical service to our space, he's impossible to contact-
-Met Jason at Potbelly's, www.potbelly.com, located next to my space to check it out... A lot like a higher end version of subway
-Brainstormed marketing and business ideas for Pesto as well as KickMobile and our new Wednesday Night entrepreneur business
-Brainstormed some ideas for grand opening event
-Met with radio station to discuss grand opening event and possibly advertising via radio
-Ran 4 miles of course and lifted

END OF WEEK 1!

2005-08-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

Well week 1 of construction is over and we're right on schedule! Monday we go in for our plumbing permit and next Wednesday the concrete for the flooring is going to be making an appearance. I say once we have the concrete in lets just start serving food! All you need is a floor to walk on! You'll notice in the pictures that there are no construction workers in them....Curious? No one was there at about 2pm when I stopped by so I called my general contractor and asked where everyone was? They were out picking up piping and the grease interceptor. I also asked if we were still on schedule and he said that we were right on schedule. It is frustrating though because I know someone could have been in there doing something.

At one point someone did come in but it wasn't a construction worker. The general manager of Potbelly's came by. Potbelly's is the sandwich shop opening next store and you can see it in the photos above. Their storefront is massive and it screams from that corner, it's amazing what you can get away with when you have an established name and money! They open on Monday and they were in there all day training. But I asked him what their projections looked like and he said good and I asked how good and he said very good. He also said that Panera wasn't going to be opening until the middle of October. Which is also very good for us since we won't be open until November. Supposedly Panera's stores average about $35k a week and they are projecting sales of $70k on campus...I'm getting very excited and antsy to get open!

So there is something I've been meaning to say. I know at times I come across cynical and maybe a little negative. But I have to say that I am a very positive person. As cliche as it may sound I always take negatives and turn them into positives. It may take a little longer to turn some negatives into positives but there is always an upside to everything. This is the only way anyone will survive in any business or job. If you focus on the negatives you get distracted and the negative energy will suck you in. It has happened to me many times. I get stuck on the negatives and things just get worse and worse. But if you can look at the situation from many different perspectives eventually you will find the positive. For instance, the launch of Pesto was planned for Sept. 1. Well it's definitely not going to be Sept. 1 now but probably the middle to the end of November. There are many different ways you can look at this. My first thought was we are going to get killed. Why? Because we are going to miss all of the OSU football season. Do you realize how much business we are missing out on? The stadium holds almost 105,000 people. Not to mention the people that just come to town to watch the game at a tailgate or a bar somewhere. We are missing out on literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of business. First thought, we're dead in the water. Then we started thinking. We have an extra three months, what can we do in those three months to make up for that lost business. LIGHTBULB! We're going to put together the franchise package. Yes that is correct, the day we open we will be able to sell franchises. So think about the upside of opening during football season, franchiseless. Then think about the upside of opening two months later but having the ability to sell franchises. We turned that negative into an enormous positive. With football season we have two months of killer business and great exposure in Columbus. With franchising we could have national exposure within a couple months after opening. So did thinking positively make a difference?

As bad as things may sound or may actually get I love what I'm doing, I absolutely love it. I love waking up and jumping on the phone or my computer or running downstairs to check on construction. The problems or obstacles that come up make it that much more exciting. I feed on the obstacles, they give me energy and test my mind, discipline, and patience. It's all worth it and if I could go back almost two years and start over from scratch I would do it again in a second, and I'm saying this with nothing to show for yet! Starting your own business and creating your own space in this world is a blast! The day I graduated I told my parents that I was the happiest person in the world b/c now I get to play! This is truly what I feel like I'm doing. I'm not working, I'm not slaving away, I'm doing what I love and how many people can say they absolutely love every single aspect of their career? Discover your passion, don't do something for the money or the status or because someone else pushes you to do it. Do what you love, do what you are passionate about. I'm going to reiterate this many, many, many times b/c it is the key to happiness in this short sweet existence we call life.

Biz Stuff I did today:
-Discussed the design of our banquet seating with my architect and interior designer. My architect seemed to disagree with Kevin as far as the design and the materials, we'll take care of that.
-Discussed the blog with my restaurant consultant Ron Santibanez. We are going to stick with the name RawPesto, and the blog can now be found at www.RawPesto.com. Ron is going to link my blog to his website www.restaurantexperts.com, and we want to make sure this blog creates value for Pesto as well as his clients and potential clients.
-Continued shopping for a Multi-function printer/copier/scanner/fax machine. I wish there was a place on the web that you said this is how much money I can spend and this is what I want, what is the best I can get for the money.
-Played phone tag with the health department inspector so we can get the ball rolling on approvals.
-Tried to contact the division of electricity so we could get our electric service setup but the guy in charge is next to impossible to get in touch with.
-Received several phone calls from advertisers who I contacted about advertising with
-Received a call from a developer downtown who I had contacted about building our second location. Things were very positive and I'm going for this location! It's on the corner of Broad & High, the busiest intersection in downtown. Even the timing sounds perfect. We will be seeing you on the corner of Broad and High!
-Met with my business partner Jason Ross about KickMobile. KickMobile will be discussed in a new post. Things look very good for our business!
-Checked out the sight, verified locations of piping on our drawings, took photos of the space
-Lifted and ran 4 miles ( This is a very important aspect of Biz Stuff, I'll discuss later in another blog)
-GOT VERY EXCITED TO SEE OUR SIGN ON OUR STOREFRONT!!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE REAL ONE!

Tis Day FORE!

2005-08-18T23:16:00.000-04:00

For me today was one of those days where I felt like I accomplished nothing...I was up late (3:00am) last night and I woke up early (8:30am) this morning. Waking up early makes me feel like I'm getting up to get important things done. That was my intention. I did get things done, but it still feels like I accomplished nothing. That is the biggest problem with being an entrepreneur. There are days where you do work and you strive to conquer the world but it takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. I did get many things done but they were all little things. I want everything to be a big deal. I don't want to mess with the little things. I want to do things that make a big difference. I want to move forward by leaps and bounds, not baby steps but part of the whole starting your business thing is being patient.

It's been almost two years since I started this endeavor. As I said before it all started in a marketing class that I was taking in my junior year at OSU in the fall of 2003. The idea of "functional shiftability" and my dream of starting a business inspired me to start going after my vision. So I wrote a business plan. There was a business plan competition at OSU and the winner was awarded $100,000 toward starting the business. So I decided to enter. It was a great experience. I knew that if I didn't have a deadline for writing the business plan it may not have ever happened. Entering the competition forced me to get the business plan done. During the business plan writing process I know my parents wanted to kill me because I would talk to them 5 or 6 times a day, running ideas by them asking for their advice. Once I got started writing the business plan I would send them drafts and constantly and ask them to review my work. I actually skipped spring break of my junior year to write my business plan. The business plan was due in about three weeks and I needed to finish my financials. I was supposed to go to Florida with my mom and brother but instead I worked day and night (11am to 7am) to get the financials done. At the end of the week I had it almost completed. The key was all the research. If I hadn't done the research I would not have been able to crank out a 55 page business plan complete with financials in about 3 weeks. That's the way I did it. It took about 6 months of research. No writing, just taking notes and then after about a month of organizing the notes and then another month of writing and constantly sending drafts to my parents finally I had a completed business plan. Those 6 months of research were filled with meetings, questions, surfing the internet for info, sitting at restaurants, and talking with anyone that knew anything about restaurants. I did pull from some experience as well. I worked for about five years in an Italian sausage wagon at county fairs in Ohio. I was a jack of all trades and I picked up a lot. Those fairs are money makers. A good fry wagon can net, NET, $30,000 in only 5 days! But they are tough work. You're on your feet for about 16 hours a day. Usually the day time is slow and the night is when things pick up. All day you are bored out of your mind and all night you are slammed without a second to breath! That experience helped me significantly in developing the Pesto concept. Essentially they are the same concept; walk up to the counter place an order and you order is made-to-order(thought not as fresh as Pesto) right in front of you. In those five years I learned how to do just about everything. The only thing I didn't really do was order and pay for inventory, though I did ask questions to learn about what the owner was doing.

All in all the key to getting your business off the ground is the business plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail. I tell everyone who asks how to start a business that the key to their financial success is a business plan. The business plan lays out the business model and how the business makes money. The length and detail of the business plan depends a lot on the experience of the person writing it. At 22 years old and, for what qualified as no restaurant experience, I felt that I had to convince the banks and investors that I knew what I was talking about. I had to show them that I researched the business and the market like crazy and that my hard work and motivation to learn about the industry would make up for my lack of experience. It worked! It worked in that I raised all the money I needed to get everything lined up. It also worked in that I really did learn about the business inside and out and that I have become and expert on the industry. But you must realize that you can never stop learning. Every month I buy 6 magazines to expand my business and restaurant knowledge base. I buy Fortune, Forbes, Nations Restaurant News, Inc., Fast Company, and Restaurant Startup. You can't just limit yourself to your industry. You have to continuously learn more about every industry and what is hot in everything from technology to fashion. I am not just saying this from the little experience that I do have. Much of what I write is repeating what I have heard time and time again from successful entrepreneurs, magazines, and books. I have just taken what I have read and applied it to myself and my business.

Things I did today:
-Called Ralph Stout about getting electricity to our space (the guy in charge at MELP is next to impossible to get a hold of)
-Received a quote from Gary Black for our granite counter tops (do your due diligence, I was able to save almost $2,ooo for our countertops by getting several quotes)
-The main reason I felt like I accomplished nothing is because I was supposed to receive my granite quote via fax and I was unable too. Because of this I researched all-in-one copiers/scanners/printers/faxes so I could receive/send faxes and make copies at my apartment.
-Met with my business partner Jason Ross to work on Kick Mobile
-Met with Levi to discuss our website and finish up our business cards and letterhead (Levi is incredible, our website is going to be amazing. I can't wait till it's done)
-Dropped off a drawing of our banquett unit for my architect to revise and update
-Took photos of the space of course, and made sure we are still on schedule
-Watched Sysco deliver food to Potbelly's, our neighbor, so they could open Monday
-Lifted and ran my daily 4 miles to keep in shape

2005-08-18T00:45:00.000-04:00

Day 3, More Plumbing!

So the long, deep trench you see is where the soda chase line is going to run. Right at the end of that trench along the right wall is where our beverage station is going to be. Which raises a very interesting question, Coke or Pepsi? I would love any thoughts on this. Coke has a contract with OSU so everything on campus is Coke and all every student drinks for four years is Coke. So would Pepsi be the way to go, would it drive more traffic for those diehard Pepsi, or more importantly Mountain Dew, fans?? To be honest I don't think either one will make a difference. I believe customers would drink either one, though I do realize there are some very die hard Coke or Pepsi fans who refuse to drink the other. So in the end what it comes down to is of course who will give you the better deal. I am going to approach both Coke and Pepsi and see what they would be willing to do. With Coke absolutely everywhere on the second largest university in the country I have lots of leverage with Pepsi, but with Coke absolutely everywhere on the second largest university in the country I have a lot of leverage with Coke. I want dispensers and rebates and eventually to sell the pouring rights to the entire Pesto chain as the company grows. Until recently I didn't realize that Pepsi and Coke both offer rebates based on the number of ounces a restaurant pours, now we know why there are free refills and extra large straws at McDonald's. I recently saw a fat pouring rights contract that a local movie theater signed and lets just say that Pepsi really wanted those pouring rights!

Enough about the soda lines, I just want Pesto up and running. It seems like construction could go much, much faster. Just throw all the subcontractors in there at once and let them go to town. Turn that place into a jungle gym and have them all climbing on top of and around each other so we can do the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical all at once. That makes sense to me, do everything behind the walls, ceilings and floors simultaneously. Then do the walls, ceilings, and floors simultaneously and finally the finishes. But I guess it doesn't typically work like that. As with anything there is a process and only so many hours in the day and unfortunately the process and the number of hours in a day don't match up. This was the biggest piece of wisdom I took home with me today. I saw the plumbers in there working and I asked my contractor if we could get the electricians in there at the same time. Well they need lifts and they need to start at the circuit panels located in the back where the ground is all dug up and then they need a lift back there to install all the wiring in the ceiling and....it's just doesn't work like that. Well can't they start on the other side where there is no plumbing? It doesn't work like that, it's a process. It could be BS and I recognize this, but I highly respect my contractor and I truly believe that if he could get it done faster and speed up the process he would. This is my first time building a restaurant and there is a lot I don't know, but I just need to ask questions and learn it. Once you decide that your just going to do it and learn it half the battle is over, the rest is easy, just take notes and ask questions.

Things I did today:
-Met with Roman Czech at elements of art to pick up a proposal for our tension fabric structures (Roman is an incredible person, he came to the U.S. from Poland 32 years ago with $10 in his pocket and today he has three successful businesses)
-Visited the sight and made sure the soda chase line was installed
-Received a ticket for parking in a no parking zone
-Had a random woman ask me for a drink of water out of my water bottle so she could take her "medicine!?!? BIZARRE
-Confirmed that everything was in order for the signage production to get underway
-Discussed UARB requirements for outdoor seating with Chris Pace...Tables and Chairs that are placed outside must be approved by the landlord and the University Architectural Review Board
-Discussed new oven options for the kitchen with Ron that will save us almost $8000
-Earmarked that money for an additional Super Fast Pizza cooking oven
-Also discussed Ron placing a link to my blog on his website (This was my most exciting news for the day!)
-Requested a quote for our black granite counter-top
-Sent artwork to Solo Cup guy so he can get going on getting our cups printed (16 week print time, I don't think so!)
-Held our weekly entrepreneur meetings at my apartment and discussed the future of our meetings (yeah we found a way to make money from our meetings...I'll update you on this once we have it nailed down) and tasted all of our Pesto sauces

Day 2

2005-08-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

A BACK DOOR AND A BACK HO!

Just as a preface for my blog the format is going to be a stream of consciousness, as you probably figured out from my first post. As soon as I have the time and the money to either edit my postings or hire an editor to do it I will do so...until then please bear with me. Also, again another preface...I will do my best to make my blog entertaining and enlightening, unfortunately the life of a CEO is not all glitz and glamour.

They began digging up the ground in our space today so they can go in and lay the underground plumbing. It's finally starting to look like something is getting done. Once I get the pictures posted you will see the cute little back-ho they were using to dig up the ground and make the space look like an archaeological dig. They also built a barricade out around the store front, supposedly they want a 3 ft. barricade built out to protect passers-by, though no one else in gateway has one? Seems to be an ongoing theme. I'm not a negative person but I must say I am a bit frustrated with what other tenants are able to get away with. First we were told we could not build a transom that would extend over the pretty metal panels they placed at the top of every storefront for signage. Of course my next door neighbor, no names will be used but once I post a picture you may be able to figure out who it is, got away with it and has lovely transom windows.

And of course their steps and their fenced in "patio" area extend well beyond the 3ft. limit I was given. I know that their lease is different and different rules apply in different places and of course for different people, but it is frustrating nonetheless. One thing I will say is that not being able to do some of the things they are doing will definitely save us lots and lots of money. So with the bad comes the good, plus our signage and storefront are going to KICK ASS and 3ft. more of seating or a transom window are definitely not going to sell more pasta. And of course that is what we are here for, to sell the best damn pastas, sauces, pizzas, salads, sandwiches and gelatos, not to build a transom window.

There are many many things I have learned from this journey so far, and one that I fought the whole way but I am finally embracing is change. We couldn't do the transom windows...so what we'll make an awesome sign that will draw more people than a transom window. We can't extend beyond 3ft. from the building... so we'll build two sexy slate sculptural projections. We can't have 11 upside down pasta bowl dome lights...so we'll make one and save $8,000 bucks. Throughout this whole process there have been many things that I want to do that would help add to the image, but what it comes down to is the food, and when everyone else appreciates the one pasta bowl light, the only person who is going to be missing those 10 extra dome lights is me. But not any more, sometimes less is more. And I've been saying "Armani, Armani Italian that is what it needs to look like." Armani is the master of less is more. I've learned, and many will atest to the fact that I still have a long way to go, that less is more and that I can survive, and often do better with less. It spurs creativity and enables you to think outside the box. That plays a large part in why I decided to start writing down my experiences. We have a tight budget and we probably won't be able to afford the glitzy marketing campaign I always envisioned. But just maybe a couple people will read this, learn something, and stop by for a bowl of pasta or a pizza and say hi.

To make my parents happy here is a list of things I accomplished today (they've been badgering me for a status report and they are the main backers of Pesto and it is as much their dream as it is mine, but still I hate the words status and report, call it just about anything else and I may not have much of a problem with it):
-stopped by Advanced Sign Group and selected the correct colors for the signage (it's gonna look sexy!)
-forwarded the UARB approval to Jamie @ Advanced Sign Group, so everything is good to go, they're going to go in for permit and we should hopefully have signage up by the time school starts back up at OSU
-stopped by my contractor's, Jim Daman, office to drop off a picture of what we want our banquet seating to look like (again it is going to look very sexy as well!) and discussed laying pipe for the soda dispenser as well as colors for the concrete floor (which we need to decide by monday)
-stopped by Restaurant Equippers to make a few changes to my equipment order per the suggestions of Chef Bob, my chef who developed the menu. We deleted a 4-well hot table and we added a 2-well cold table a 2-well hot table and a four drawer equipment stand.
-Called Thomas Gliva at the City of Columbus Division of Electricity to get power to our space, he is supposed to call Jim as well as our electrical sub-contractor Ralph Stout
-Wrote a check to Ron for travel expenses and I'm sending it tomorrow
-Met with Russel Simmons (no not the Russell Simmons) to discuss his publication The Saver and my possibly advertising in it
-Went to Verekai (Cirque Du Soleil, it was incredible)
Peace out

Day One

2005-08-16T01:16:00.000-04:00

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CONSTRUCTION!!

What started 2 yrs. ago (which is entirely too long) as a dream finally started to take shape in reality. Construction began at my first, and flagship, restaurant location in the new South Campus Gateway Project located in Columbus, OH on the second largest campus in the country The Ohio State University.

Since I was 13 yrs. old I kept a journal of all my money-making ideas (at least I thought they would be money-making ideas). Ranging from internet grocery stores (yeah it happened...but again what I THOUGHT would make money) to online auction houses and prepaid tax returns (you would receive a discounted return now rather than waiting for your full return at tax time). I'd run every idea by my friends, family, significant other, absolutely everyone in an effort to try and make a buck. FLASHBACK...Between the ages of 7 and 10 I set-up many home businesses from the cliche' lemonade stand, to selling trees (well they were acorns, but they would grow into beautiful trees), setting up a miniature golf course in our basement, and a movie theater in our family room. FLASHBACK OVER. I soon began to discover that what I thought was a good idea, many others did not.

But it pushed me to think bigger and especially to think smarter. I figured I would brainstorm, then research. The research would tell me whether or not to pursue the idea. But to be honest, I never really researched any of my other ideas. I usually came up with another idea and forgot my last "best idea in the world." I know this is a problem for many of the entrepreneurs I work with and hang out with. We can rationalize pursuing every opportunity that comes our way and I am no exception. ASIDE Until recently I was working on two other businesses, a cell-phone business, and another restaurant concept. Then God reached down and divine intervention stepped in. One of my entrepreneur buddies met with a very successful local entrepreneur and his advice to him was to focus on one thing, do it the best you can, and only after you've taken it as far as you desire then you can play with other ideas. I'm trying it, and it's working. ASIDE OVER. Then in the fall of 2003, my sophomore year at The Ohio State University, in a class on functional-shiftability, the life altering idea came to me.

It wasn't the restaurant concept that hit me, though it is a great concept. It was the idea of functional-shiftability that struck me. I looked at the idea a bit differently than I like to think just about everyone in my class. We did a case study in class on the idea of functional-shiftability. In the case we looked at how Leslie Wexner started and grew the Limited Brands. He focused on the companies core competencies and outsourced their weaknesses. While I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, it is nothing earth shattering. I mean think about it, you have another company who specializes in a specific function perform that function for you. Now is the time for the secret, the secret to why I am writing Raw Pesto. And yes I am sharing this secret right now in the very beginning because it works and I want to see it work for other people and for millions of people to make millions of dollars from it. All you have to do is visit my website at www.thesecrettosuccess.com and pay the nominal fee of $19.95. JUST KIDDING!!!! Hell no I'm not charging for this information, please take this info and run with it, be all that you can be!

The secret is I took the idea a step further and applied it to myself. First I took a look at what I am passionate about and what I love to do. I love to organize and I love restaurants (and I saw that Chipotle on campus selling 800 burritos a day!). The restaurant concept then hit me, do an Italian restaurant modeled after Chipotle, made-to-order right front of you, fast, fresh, and inexpensive. I then took a deeper look at myself and recognized where my strengths and weaknesses were. I knew that my biggest weakness was that I have no experience running a restaurant and that I have no idea where to get started. I also could not design a restaurant, nor could I fund a restaurant, I was 20 and I had no assets! Then I took a look at the people around me or people in the community and what their passions were and what they were good at. This is where Functional-Shiftability took over and I filled those gaps of inexperience and naivete.

One of my best friends and neighbor, Kevin Maxwell, just so happens to be one of the best interior designers in the world, so that gap was filled and Kevin is now our Chief Image Officer. I just so happened to stumble upon one of the best restaurant consultants in the world, Ron Santibanez, who was the former Director of Franchise Development of Carl's Jrs. (no he doesn't no Paris Hilton). Much to our joy he has agreed to sign on as our Director of Franchise Development. Thom Shadle, my father, just so happens to be one of the top information technology consultants in the country and has come on board as our Executive Director Information and Operations. Lastly, Kathy Shadle, the number one mother of four and self-sacrificer in the country has signed on as our Executive Director of Human Relations.

Today marks day one of the implementation and execution of the concept of functional shiftability. Construction began and in only 90 days a brand new 2236 sq.ft. fast-casual Italian concept will be completed and soon thereafter unveiled in Columbus, Ohio. From there the journey from a one location restaurant to a national multi-restaurant chain will take place. I'll keep you posted.