1. Developed a five and ten year plan. Two years into opening our first location, we decided it was time to grow and we opened our second location, with minimal expense. (It was also with minimal research and it closed five years later, never having been worth the hassle.)  Two years later, we decided to…

Let’s face it, opinions are like… well, let’s not go there. You get the picture–everybody has one, especially when you have a business that deals with the public. From the outside looking in, everything has a simple solution. Sometimes it’s a matter of putting better systems in place, which of course, I can help you…

The food service industry is notoriously rife with turnover. While some turnover can be a good thing, too much can wreak havoc on your business: customers are disappointed when they don’t see familiar faces, seasoned employees are stressed out picking up the slack, plus the sheer cost of training can be debilitating (are you tracking…

Knee-deep in an accounting engagement, I thought it was an appropriate time to write about financial metrics. For a lot of people, crunching numbers just isn’t their thing—getting creative in the kitchen, socializing with regulars, or even the rush of Saturday night dinner service is a welcome challenge. Well, it doesn’t necessarily have to be…

These certainly aren’t the most important lessons I learned while running my business, but they were definitely the most unexpected. I could have done without all of these, to be honest, but I feel they are worth sharing. Feel free to share your unexpected lessons learned in the comments below! 1. Sometimes, you need bleach. As…

By now you probably know that your business plan should be a living document. There are many good reasons for that. Things change over time and the details need to be updated—demographics, competition, customer demand. Plus, decisions have a domino effect. And then sometimes things just don’t work out as planned. Enter Plan B. Despite…

Philadelphia has made some impressive travel destination lists over the last year, and we owe some of this attention to our food entrepreneurs. Despite the challenges of starting a business, we have what seems like a constant flow of new restaurant openings. The vibrant “foodie scene” has elevated the quality and creativity of our restaurants…

What do Smokin’ Betty’s, Davio’s, and Devil’s Alley all have in common? They’re all supplied by Sysco Philadelphia. Typically, when people think Sysco, they think fast food, not fine dining or neighborhood café. They’re more apt to think mass-produced burger buns, not fresh bread from LeBus. For an independent operator, Sysco has been a special…

I consider myself lucky that I had the opportunity to travel early in life: first, as a Drexel Co-op living in the UK and traveling across the UK, Ireland, and Europe, and then throughout the States, managing tradeshows. I’ve kept in touch with folks I met along the way, which has presented an opportunity to…

Successful breweries and distilleries aren’t lucky; they make business-smart decisions. That means protecting your business from unforeseen circumstances isn’t about luck, it’s about having the right insurance. Let’s paint a picture: In 2013, one of my cafes was the victim of a burglary. The thief came in during the wee hours of a Monday morning,…