Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

So.. you get a windfall and you want to open your own little food shop. What do you open? What do you serve? How does it look?

I go back and forth.. currently I am thinking I would love a little artsy coffeehouse/dinette. Really good coffee and expresso drinks - and tea and chocolate. I'd serve drinks in handmade pottery - and have a little eclectic art and ceramic pottery at the front of the shop for people to browse and buy if they choose. I'd serve all different biscuits and cookies and scones and soups and salads during the day - and maybe have different local artists sing or play. At night I'd serve a special - one night a fresh roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus or some other in season veg. Another night I'd have perfectly seared steak with Pommes Frites and juice tomato wedges seasoned with lemon and sea salt. And I'd have specialty wines and big pitchers of homemade lemonade and handmade fruit sodas.

Message edited 6/21/2010 12:57:00 PM.

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

I would love to open a really amazing brunch spot in nassau, something that is small, homey type of feel. Quaint and eclectic serving breakfast food all day and night!

Really good classics like eggs benedict, and with options to customize, like crab cakes benedict, and instead of canadian bacon you can add Prociutto, or go vegatarian and have mixed vegatables instead.

Delicious waffles with fresh fruit and real whipped cream.

Exciting stuffed french toast options like linzer tart french toast with marscapone and rasberry preserves, and nutella and banana french toast.
Banana fosters french toast with carmelized bananas and candied pecans in a maple brown sugar glaze
Creme brule pancakes

There are places like this in suffolk but not in nassau

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

So funny that you post that!

Steve and I ALWAYS talk about opening our own coffeehouse! That is our DREAM!

We want gourmet coffees imported from around the world. Delicious espressos. Cappuccinos, lattes, etc... in big mugs with those fancy frothy designs (KWIM??)

Pastries, scones, muffins, biscotti, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc. all made daily in-house.

Light light lunches - maybe some prosciutto, mozzarella & fig jam paninis... things like that.

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Posted by maybeamommy

Posted by MrsM-6-7-08

I would love to open a really amazing brunch spot in nassau, something that is small, homey type of feel. Quaint and eclectic serving breakfast food all day and night!

Really good classics like eggs benedict, and with options to customize, like crab cakes benedict, and instead of canadian bacon you can add Prociutto, or go vegatarian and have mixed vegatables instead.

Delicious waffles with fresh fruit and real whipped cream.

Exciting stuffed french toast options like linzer tart french toast with marscapone and rasberry preserves, and nutella and banana french toast.
Banana fosters french toast with carmelized bananas and candied pecans in a maple brown sugar glaze
Creme brule pancakes

There are places like this in suffolk but not in nassau

Can I give you my phone number so you can call me when this opens?

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

A bakery. I've been wanting to since I was 8, lol.

I worked in one for 5 years, but I couldn't stand the hours. Same thing with any part of the food industry. I was in it for 10 years and that was enough; I loved the work, hated the hours and the effect it had on family and personal life.

If I ever open a bakery, I would just be the owner and do something more managerial, but work in the kitchen at my own hours- lol. It'll never happen under my conditions .

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

a cereal bar place

I saw it on the Food Networks. I'd have tons of cereals to choose from and different options of milk

Can you tell I don't cook much

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

I think we would open a wine bar that paired small plates with different types of wine.

The place would be dimly lit, the bar and tables would be all white marble/granite with some black in it. The accents of the place would be red.

We would have different "tasting" menus, wines to match the region of food--Argentinean wine with Argentinean foods--Tuscan wine w/Tuscan specialties, Greek, Southern Italy, Peruvian....and On and on...now I'm hungry

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Posted by DiamondGirl

I think we would open a wine bar that paired small plates with different types of wine.

The place would be dimly lit, the bar and tables would be all white marble/granite with some black in it. The accents of the place would be red.

We would have different "tasting" menus, wines to match the region of food--Argentinean wine with Argentinean foods--Tuscan wine w/Tuscan specialties, Greek, Southern Italy, Peruvian....and On and on...now I'm hungry

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

I don't want to open a restaurant, I want to open a cookshop here in the town that I live in. Its a very "right on" place to live, and the locals are real big foodies, we have the regions best breadmaker, polish deli, and vegan cooperative supermarket. There is tons of foot traffic and my friend and I think a cookshop is the one thing we need. We would sell top quality pots and pans cookware, baking supplies (including the frivilous stuff) I think that would be fantastic!!

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Full blown steakhouse and fishery with sushi and a martini bar.

It would have live entertainment a few days a week and waiting lists for months.

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Gastro Pub all the way.

Set up like a beer graden for the summer months - with great food soo you can stay all day eating and drinking.

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

a small cafe. fine dining is too stressful.

great selection of soups and sandwiches and bistro fare. a good burger, a nice steak, a roasted chicken. simple. muffins, crepes, and PROPER croissants with yummy coffee in the morning.

a spot at the counter for Luce to do his homework after school.

no more than 10 tables. a nice take out refrigerator, filled with easy to reheat homemade goodness (sauces, soups, salads, casseroles.)


the other thing I'd do is open a proper football pub (the world's footballl, not the american version)

big tvs with full bar. full pub style menu.

Message edited 6/22/2010 11:24:38 AM.

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

I want to open a real comfort food restaurant...twists on all my favorite foods, like burgers, mac and cheese, steak...lots of the classics that I grew up with but with a modern twist and unexpected ingredients. No fine dining, no pretense, definitely a banging bar with a huge amount of tap beers!

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

I say at least once a week at work that I want to "retire" from social work and open up my own coffee house.

I text DH at least daily as well that I want to do this for our family business.

There are a ton of vacant store fronts in my neighborhood that I'd like to takeover for this.

Unfortunately, the rent alone here on LI would probably force us out of business. I am wondering if this is a big reason I don't see many coffee houses around here?

I also have toyed with the idea of opening one Upstate near where I am from originally since it would be a lot cheaper to run it, then making my sister the manager.

She is really into the artsy-music scene and plays in the coffee houses up there.

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

A small Italian trattoria with authentic Italian style food - small plates, good appetizers and great homemade pasta and gnocchi. I would also have an attached gelateria :)

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

For those of you who would like to open a coffeehouse...the profits are very small. My friend had one for a few years and they just couldn't make it. Why do you think there are so few Mom n Pop type coffeehouses around. Starbucks makes money because they do huge volume(and overprice the coffee )

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

dh is in restaurants.

the GIANT that makes $$$, manager bonuses are huge.
cracker barrell! it is a land mine.

for me, hands down, healthy food drive thru!!

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Re: Okay Foodies.. Tell Me About YOUR Restaurant

Posted by DRMom

For those of you who would like to open a coffeehouse...the profits are very small. My friend had one for a few years and they just couldn't make it. Why do you think there are so few Mom n Pop type coffeehouses around. Starbucks makes money because they do huge volume(and overprice the coffee )