Birth of the theme restaurant

Credit for the development of the first theme restaurants goes to Paris cafs and cabarets which opened in Montmartre in the later nineteenth century. They were primarily drinking spots rather than full-scale restaurants but they served food also. Like American theme restaurants today they were built around a concept and created an environment which appeared to be something other than a mere eating and drinking place. In their early years these artistic cafs had a counter-cultural impetus that in some cases celebrated the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871 which had been rooted in Montmartre.

That was particularly true of the Caf du Bagne (Caf of the Penitentiary) established in 1885 by Maxime Lisbonne (shown with waiters), a member of the Commune long exiled in a South Pacific penal colony. Posters on the wall of his caf, which replicated a prison eating hall, hailed Commune heroes. Waiters were dressed as real convicts but with fake balls and chains. The place caused an instant sensation when it opened, with patrons lining up outside to get in. Possessed of a socialistic mission, Lisbonne posted a sign in 1886 announcing a free breakfast for the poor residents of Montmartre: Come, and eat your fill, your appetite sharpened by the knowledge that it was from their [the capitalists] coffers the money was extracted. The Chateau dIf of the 1880s, possibly an imitator of the Caf du Bagne, was designed to resemble the prison by the same name in Dumass The Count of Monte Cristo. Outside it had an imitation drawbridge which stretched from the street to a large oak door, while inside were cells and dungeons. The LAbbaye de Thlme, with a medieval theme, dressed its servers as monks and nuns. At Le Chat Noir, the decor was in Louis XIII style, with waiters dressed in the authentic green jackets of the Immortals of the French Academy whose job it was to protect the purity of the French language the object being, of course, to mock them. When it was established in 1881, Le Chat Noir, which was also decorated with images of black cats throughout, served as a club for artists where they exhibited their work. Its fame spread quickly and it became a magnet for visitors to Paris. (Later incarnation of Le Chat Noir pictured below.) Many of the Montmartre cafs celebrated the macabre, with paintings and decor whose subjects included infanticide, crucifixion, and assassination, but in 1894 The Caf of Death opened, furnished with coffins serving as tables. The police objected to its name and its habit of serving beer in imitation human skulls so its name was changed to the Cabaret du Nant [of Nothingness].

The 1890s marked a turning point at which original owners left the scene, artists stopped coming, bohemianism vanished, and new caf owners took dead aim at tourists. Certainly few of the popular cafs and cabarets of the early 20th century had much connection with earlier enterprises even when old names remained. Many felt that the Caf de lEnfer (Caf of Hell) exemplified the purely commercial type of enterprise.

The spirit of Pariss bohemian cafs passed into the United States first in New York City. Au Chat Noir was in business there in 1895, decorated with a wall frieze of black cats. Otherwise, though, it seemed like a fairly standard small French restaurant of the day serving dishes such as cold lobster, tripe, and deviled crabs. Later at least a couple of other cafs named The Black Cat appeared in NY and Coppas in San Francisco adopted a similar theme. Other early theme restaurants undoubtedly inspired by Paris cafs include beefsteak dungeons in New York and elsewhere, as well as tea rooms and cabarets in Greenwich Village both before and after World War I, a prime example being the Pirates Den. As in Paris, theme restaurants and cafs rapidly lost any counter-cultural overtones

Economics
In economics, restaurants are the end of the supply chain in the foodservice industry. There is usually too much competition in most cities since barriers to entry are relatively low, which means that for most restaurants, it is hard to make a profit. In most First World industrialized countries, restaurants are heavily regulated to ensure the health and safety of the customers. The typical restaurant owner faces many obstacles to success, including raising initial capital, finding competent and skilled labor, maintaining consistent and excellent food quality, maintaining high standards of safety, and the constant hassle of minimizing potential liability for any food poisoning or accidents that may occur. This is why restaurants seem to come and go all the time.

Specific kinds
In France, a brasserie is a caf doubling as a restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. A bistro is a familiar name for a caf serving simple meals in an unpretentious settings, at moderate prices, especially in paris because of their popularity, bistros have become increasingly tourist spots. A special restaurant is the dining car in old-style long-distance trines .To passengers travelling long distances it offers more luxury than eating brought-along food in the train, while it saves time compared with eating in towns along the way. Also, compared with other restaurants, the ever changing views of the countryside enhance the pleasure of the dinner. Dining cars have become increasingly rarer, often replaced by bar cars selling some snacks and pre-packaged meals.

A Brief History of Restaurants

Ravikiran Rao who writes an interesting blog called the Examined Life wrote to me to ask about the origin of the restaurant in the west. He wondered how it came about. He could think of several cultural roadblocks that would hinder the starting of restaurants in India and he wondered how it evolved in the West. There were restaurants in ancient Roman times. There is evidence in Pompeii of some restaurants. But there were no restaurants in Europe after the Roman times until about 250 years ago and they didnt really become popular until after the French Revolution. What factors hindered the formation of restaurants? A restaurant doesnt seem like a high tech business. Anyone who can cook could set up a few tables in and sell food, right? But this business plan was a tough sell initially. First, restaurant cooking is different than home cooking. You need to operate at a much larger scale and being a chef is specialized skill. However, there were chefs in Europe dating back many hundreds of years ago. They could have been employed by restaurants (at least in theory) but they were not. Many belonged to guilds that specialized in catering. Caterers would cook for special events like weddings and royal events. So people would have opportunities to eat restraurant-quality food. They just would not pay for it. This is an important point: the tradition was that the diner never paid for food the host pays. People might have liked to eat out but they were expecting an invitation. There are many examples today of markets that just dont happen because people expect someone else to pay. For example, we expect someone else (an employer for example) to pay for our health care. Also, we are not comfortable with paying for an adopted child or for a vital transplant organ. Food seems to us to be a natural thing to pay for but people rarely (maybe never) paid for food 250 years ago. Inns served food but I believe it was always included in the price of the room. This came with the culture of host pays for food. I think you can kind of understand this issue if you have ever flown on an airline that asked you to pay for your food (which some do). You think, Hey, Im captive here. I have no choice. It is unfair to make me have to pay for something like that. So I doubt Inns really sold meals to the locals because they really werent in the business of selling food. One factor hindering the restaurant model was that in the absence of restaurants, alternatives sprung up. Many people with disposable income hired their own cooks. Then they wanted to invite friends and family over because the cook was paid for, they might as well use him. This lead to a culture of food barter. People would invite business associates and politicians to dinner frequently.

Another establishment that served the purpose of a restaurant was a private club. Clubs were male-only and were by invitation only. Clubs were designed for meeting and drinking and discussing politics, but they later started serving meals as well.

The first restaurant in modern Europe opened in Spain in the early 18th Century. A. Boulanger started the first French restaurant in 1765 and also coined the word restaurant which derives from a French word for something that restores (a refreshment). His business was immediately sued by the trade guilds for copyright infringement. Apparently almost all recipes were copyrighted by these food guilds. But the court ruled in Boulangers favor and his business survived. And it proved to others that there could be a market for this kind business. The French Revolution had an enormous impact on the French restaurant scene. Basically, it put out of business many hundreds of chefs who worked for the nobles. It also destroyed the food guilds. So many chefs with enormous skills needed some way of making a living. The restaurant model was already in existence. The revolution acted like a great supply shift. It lowered to cost of chefs and made it profitable to open hundreds of little restaurants. And like Says Law: supply created its own demand. In this case, the supply of restaurants effectively marketed the idea of dining in a restaurant and the culture of host pays was replaced with diner pays. Apparently, these restaurants quickly spread throughout Europe and to America as well. The first restaurant in the U.S. started in Boston in 1794. Naturally, it was French. Once restaurants came about, there was a natural venue for restaurants: the hotel. You had the captive guests that you had to feed anyway, so why not get double duty out of your dining hall by offering it as a restaurant to the locals? So once the culture of paying for food developed, it began replacing the older barter for food system and host pays system. As disposable income rose, more people had the money to occasionally dine out. The culture of taking a girl to a restaurant for a date didnt start until the early 20th century. A big factor for the growth of the restaurant industry was cheap transportation.

Theme restaurant
Theme restaurants are restaurants in which the concept of the restaurant takes priority
over everything else, influencing the architecture, food, music, and overall 'feel' of the restaurant. The food usually takes a backseat to the presentation of the theme, and these restaurants attract customers solely on the premise of the theme itself. Popular chain restaurants such as Applebee's or Bennigans - despite having a distinct and consistent style throughout their locations - would not be considered to be theme restaurants by most people. Theme restaurants have an instantly recognizable, easily articulable concept that can be summed up in a few words at most, an almost cartoonish exaggeration of an idea. The popular Rainforest Cafe restaurants have the obvious theme of a "Tropical Rainforest". Medieval Times has its theme of "Medieval Europe". The Jekyll & Hyde Club evokes an atmosphere of Jack the Ripper and Victorian horror novels. Some theme restaurants use controversial images, contexts, or ideas. The most notorious of them is Hitler's Cross, in Mumbai, India One strange but famous theme restaurant in Berlin, Germany is called "Das Klo" (German for "The toilet") it depicts the insides of a toilet. Many people consider the Rainforest Cafe to be the prototypical theme restaurant, and the restaurant which kicked off the theme restaurant fad. Theme restaurants may be experiencing a decline in popularity, given the closings of several Planet Hollywood, Jekyll & Hyde Club, and Wilderness Cafe locations in recent years. Theme restaurants often depend on tourist business, since the theme soon becomes stale to locals, and the focus is not necessarily placed on good food and service. Certain tourist destinations such as the Mall of America or Orlando, Florida have better chances of supporting theme restaurants. Theme restaurants are generally common at theme parks, such as Universal Studios. The father of the theme restaurant, credited as being the pioneer of the genre, was David Tallichet, a Texan who served as a bomber pilot in World War II and who died on October 29, 2007 at age 84. Beginning in the 1960s, he decorated restaurants as Polynesian islands, New England fishing villages and French farmhouses (barricaded with sandbags to protect against German bombardment). His Proud Bird restaurant at the Los Angeles International Airport had headphones at each table so that diners could listen to control-tower chatter. Almost all of his restaurants were in Southern California. His company, Specialty Restaurants, grew to revenues of $185 million at its peak in 1980.

Definition of Theme Restaurants

Theme Restaurants
- The theme concept is a business concept, not a restaurant concept. In most cases, it's the decorations, the music of the restaurant and not the food. Planet Hollywood is a theme restaurant.

Theme Restaurant. A restaurant designed around a particular sport, era, style of

music, or entertainment industry personality. Such establishments are typically designed in a theatrical fashion, with as much attention paid to decor and memorabilia as to the food. The Hard Rock Cafe is a good example of a theme restaurant.

Instructions
Location

1.

The nation of India consists of 28 states and seven territories. Choose your location. Consider where your restaurant will be and to what clientele you will cater. If you cater to tourists from overseas, your plan and motif might be different than if you are only serving locals. 9

2.
Plan your general menu. Choose the type of food you will serve: vegetarian or tandoor, northern or southern Indian or regional specialties. If you are catering to foreign tourists, then you might want to serve meat. However, if your restaurant will be in an area with religious or health tourism, then a vegetarian restaurant may do better.

3
Construct a formal business plan. Estimate start-up and maintenance costs. Unless you already have experience in the restaurant business, always add 20 percent to your estimates.

4
Rent or purchase a building. Find out about permits and insurance and obtain them.

5
Purchase kitchen equipment, furniture and decorations.

6
Add artwork to your decor. Some of the most frequented Indian restaurants are those that are decorated with interesting and brightly colored art. Consider doing without a bigscreen TV. People enjoy coming to a place where they can talk quietly and enjoy the food and each other's company without being distracted by the buzz of the television.

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7
Food in India is renowned for its mouth-watering spices. A restaurant in India that caters to tourists offers the choice of hot-spicy or mild. Hire your cooks. More than one cook will be needed, and your head cook should be paid well. This will ensure good, quality food and continuity. Train your waiters or hire experienced ones.

8
Advertise the opening of your restaurant months ahead of time. Build up anticipation and run specials for the first weeks. Consider having a local celebrity to be present for the opening night. Put out press releases. Make it an event

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How to Start an Indian Restaurant Business

Starting an Indian Restaurant Business

Food is something one can't stay away with; we also love to taste variety of food around the world. Indian foods are widely popular in an around US and UK, Indian dishes are healthy and spicy too. Looking into current needs one can easily say this business has lots of scope to grow. Fact: Food, no one person can live without it. Ergo, there is a need. Fact: In the US alone, people outnumber food establishments by no less than seven digits. Ergo, the demand is way beyond great.

So then, if the need is basic and demand is considerable, how come quite a number restaurants end up folding after a bad run? What went wrong? The answer to this conundrum is quite simple and can be summed up with just one word--expectation. Simply put, the successful restaurant meets the expectations of its target market while the unsuccessful restaurant does not. How does a wannabe restaurateur avoid this pitfall then? The answer to this can again be summed up with just one word--homework. Sufficient preparation and thorough market research is a must in starting a restaurant business. Another fact, no one restaurant has a universal appeal. It is impossible to grab hold of the full 100% of the market. Attempting such a mammoth goal will only result to failure. The markets taste and preference is as diverse as it is wide. Realistically speaking, a restaurateur can only tap around five to ten percent of the total consumer population pie. Undaunted? Good. Thats a big chunk as it is so theres no cause for alarm. Now the next step is for you to think of a restaurant concept. Nothing comes to mind? Heres a suggestion. Why not try Indian cuisine? Indian food has been in existence for several centuries and has evolved through time to uphold the symbol of Indian culture. It is known for its intricate blending of exotic spices, veggies, and meat to create one truly delectable dish. History and flavor, thats pretty hard to top. Its no wonder Indian restaurants have grown in popularity over the years. If youre not familiar with the cuisine, heres a rundown of some interesting bits that you can use as a selling point:

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The spices used in Indian dishes are meant to enhance the main ingredient and not the other way around. A complete Indian meal consists of at least two main course dishes. These are complimented with staples such as rice and bread (roti). Curry is not the be all and end all of an Indian dish. Other favored spices include, chillies, saffron, ghee, tamarind, coconut, mustard. Collectively, these spices are called Garam Masala. This is distinct to every household and restaurant and serves as the backbone of the dish. Not only is Indian cuisine flavorful and delicious, it is healthy and nutritious as well. Most dishes are made up mostly of fruits and vegetables. The idea that Indian cuisine is fatty, rich, and oily is a definite misconception. The spices used in Indian cuisine are not as exotic as it seems. In other words, they are not hard to find. This could be the case before, but no longer. Indian spices are readily available in most supermarkets. Further, most Indian dishes do not require special cooking equipment so setting up your kitchen can be done easily enough.

13

Starting a Restaurant in India

The food of India is a delight to look at, smell and savor. A successful Indian restaurant is more than a place to eat, it's an experience. Like any successful business venture, the key to success in the restaurant business is planning. Defining and finding your niche, as well as choosing your location, are matters of paramount importance when considering opening a restaurant in India.

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How to Start a Theme Restaurant

Having a theme for your restaurant is what distinguishes it from the several other restaurants that you will probably be surrounded by. When given a choice of restaurants to choose from patrons will usually go with the one that looks like it has something special to offer. Follow these steps to learn how to start a theme restaurant and attract more people to your business.

Starting a restaurant is a lot of work, but a journey well worth the effort if you have a passion for owning your own business and building something out of nothing. Choosing a theme for your restaurant and implementing it requires even more time planning, but with a catch like a Baseball Theme, you can make your restaurant stand out above the rest; and if done correctly, you can create a world of your own that will keep people coming back for more.

Choosing the right name is more important than one may think. In fact, this may very well be one of the most important things you do. Remember you are branding your business. The name must reflect the theme, be memorable and project the desired image. Your name is your brand and may also translate into your logo. It must be catchy without being trite and it must be relevant to your business. You want people to know, at first glance, exactly what they can expect when they come to your restaurant. Location, location, location. Choose a location where there is a lot of traffic and is relevant to your theme. If you are going with a sports theme look for spots near sports venues; if you are going with an animal or jungle theme look for a spot by a zoo or wild animal park. You also need to be mindful of the requirements of your theme and make sure that the space you collect will accommodate a forest or a golf course. Do you need high ceilings, a patio or other special structural requirements? Plan it out before you sign a lease. Choose your layout and decorations. Visiting other jungle-themed restaurants will be helpful, but you must have your own vision. To draw people in and keep them coming back you must have your own unique catches. Remember that furniture can be part of the dcor. Think out of the box monkey-shaped table with banana booth seats, giraffe booths and drinks bills swinging to your tables on vines would all be great places to start. Contact a decorator who is familiar with restaurant design and themes. You need optimum creativity, but you want to have your own ideas as well. Plan it out yourself and then talk to a decorator. Dont forget to design your kitchen as well.

15

Hire a manager with experience in themed restaurants and hire a chef who is familiar with your themed cuisine. While you are at it . . . hire a payroll firm or get familiar with payroll accounting. You will also need an accountant who specializes in restaurant you dont want to make a wrong tax move. Build your themed menu. Decide on the types of food and drinks you are going to serve and give them catchy names to reflect your theme.

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INSTRUCTION
1.
Decide on a theme. You can choose an island, mountain, jungle, fairy tale or anything else that appeals to you. Keep in mind the type of people in your community and what their interests are as well.

2.
Choose a location for your business. Make sure it is in a centralized location and is easily accessible to clientele. It should be an area that is already frequented regularly such as near a grocery store or a shopping mall.

3.
Apply for a business license. The requirements for a restaurant license vary from city to city. Check with your local town clerk for the regulations and requirements for operating a restaurant.

4.
Get a license to handle food. This will require you to pass a food handling inspection by your local health department. Log on to cdc.gov to access the number and address to your local health department.

5.
Order the furniture and the decorations that are related to the theme you choose. If you're unfamiliar with decorating or feel that you aren't efficient at it then hire an interior decorator.

6.
Hire your chefs, employees and a manager to run the restaurant if necessary. Provide the employees with thorough training in business and customer service. It would be a good idea to hire employees who have previous restaurant experience until your business has been operating for a while and they can train on the job.

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7.
Open your business. Have a grand opening special to attract large numbers of customers. Advertise your restaurant's theme and the grand opening well in advance to build anticipation.

8
Plan your general menu. Choose the type of food you will serve: vegetarian or tandoor, northern or southern Indian or regional specialties. If you are catering to foreign tourists, then you might want to serve meat. However, if your restaurant will be in an area with religious or health tourism, then a vegetarian restaurant may do better.

18

How To Open A Successful Restaurant

How to open a successful restaurant. Opening a new restaurant is always a tricky proposition for a small business owner, but here are some proven ways to increase your chances of a successful opening. Whether it is a full-size buffet restaurant in the busiest section of town or an intimate bistro by the lake, new restauranteurs hope that their establishment will attract and hold a solid base of repeat customers. Many restaurants do in fact thrive, while others find themselves struggling to keep their doors open a year after their debut. What qualities do all successful restaurants have in common that keep them thriving while others close up around them? Here are five considerations when opening a new restaurant in your area.

1.

Location, location, location. Not just limited to real estate, this maxim applies to restaurants as well. You may have the best food, the best staff and the best prices, but if you are not located in a convenient area for potential customers, you will be out of business in a year. A new restauranteur's first instinct may be to lease the abandoned property of a former restaurant. This may work, if the traffic is heavy and the location is acceptable, but will work against you if the former restaurant went out of business for lack of customers. Research the history of any property you are considering for your new restaurant. You are not necessarily limited to buildings designed specifically for restaurant use. If the building codes allow it, consider putting in a restaurant near the court system or other high-traffic areas. You may have to do some heavy renovations at first, but the client base should make up for the initial investment. New restaurants stand a better chance of survival if you go to where the people are, instead of waiting for the people to come to you.

2.

Advertise like you have never advertised before. A new restaurant is usually a highly-anticipated event in many smaller cities. Heighten this anticipation by promoting the restaurant even while you're still working on construction. Make sure you hang a banner announcing the arrival of a new and exciting restaurant. Generate positive word of mouth advertising through radio spots and print media. By the time you are ready to open the doors, you should have a crowd of hungry customers waiting. Restaurants typically enjoy a 'honeymoon' period where business is booming and new customers are pouring in. What you want to do is keep enough of those customers coming back for more. Within reason, promote your best dishes with 'two for one' deals or other heavy discounts. You want this first wave of customers to recommend your food to others who take a more conservative approach to choosing a restaurant. They will be your customer base once the honeymoon is over.

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3.

Never price yourself out of existence. Pricing your food can be a challenging process from start to finish. You must take into account any number of fixed or variable costs, including actual cost of the food, salaries, and advertising. You'll want to adjust for a healthy but reasonable profit on each dish, while keeping the prices low enough for the customer. This is a delicate balancing act to pull off, but you must remain proactive during the first few months after opening. If the customers seem to be avoiding your higher-ticket items altogether, you may have to lower prices in response. If your customers seem to be ordering one or two items in mass quantities, you may have priced them too low. Get a feel for the going rate on certain standard items and charge accordingly. You'll still be closing your doors in a year if you continue to sell food at a loss, despite the number of customers who are taking advantage of your generosity.

4.

Seek out and keep quality employees. From kitchen managers to dishwashers, maintain the best staff you can afford. Customers react much more positively if the staff is friendly and professional. In fact, customers can often sense tension among the staff even before management does, so it pays to keep interdepartmental relations cordial and professional. Any restaurant that runs continuous classified ads for new employees becomes suspect in a potential customer's mind. Whatever the current wage for restaurant employees happens to be, be willing to pay it. If customers seem to prefer a certain cook or an especially good hostess, do everything you can to keep them happy and satisfied with their jobs. Disgruntled employees will lead the way when it comes to negative word of mouth, so make every effort to retain key employees early.

5.

Find the right theme and stick with it. You certainly don't want to open the fifth Mexican restaurant on the block or the twelth Italian bistro. You'll want to find a theme for your restaurant that is exciting and innovating, or at least different than the competition. Basically, a good restaurant environment seduces the customer into ordering higher-ticket specialty foods and also encourages return visits. But you must keep 'gimmicks' to a minimum if you want long-term success. Decorate the walls with theme-related items, such as antiques or movie posters. Select uniforms that match the theme and decor of the restaurant. Background music is essential, and offers you a chance to emphasize the theme even more. Find your strongest connection to the overall theme and exploit it in advertising. Are you more authentic than other ethnic restaurants? Are you more child-friendly than the other family restaurants? Do you have more entertainment than the other 'fun food' establishments? Instead of trying to promote your new restaurant as all things to everyone, concentrate on what makes you special- work on building a niche market of customers who prefer your style of food consistently.

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What Licenses are Required to Start a Restaurant in Maharashtra, India?

Obtaining the licenses required to start a restaurant in Maharashtra, a state in the western part of India, involves submitting paperwork to a variety of state agencies, including certificates from the property owner, health department and fire brigade. In addition, you will need to present written documentation from a physician attesting to the fact that you are in adequate physical and mental health, and that you carry no infectious diseases.

Obtaining Approval
To obtain a license to open a restaurant in Maharashtra, India, you will need to present certificates to your local police department demonstrating that you either own the property or have the permission of the owner. You must submit a plan to the Municipal Corporation and obtain its approval. The same government agency will issue you a utilization certificate, trade license and health license.

Additional Certification
You also will need to present a certificate from the fire department demonstrating that it will have no objection to your operating as a restaurant at the location you choose. In addition, be sure to register your business with the commissioner of labor as well as the director of Industrial Safety and Health, to obtain licenses qualifying you to participate in the Shop Act program, which authorizes businesses to monitor their own worker safety programs.

Complying With the Food Standards and Safety Act

Familiarize yourself with the 2006 Food Standards and Safety Act. According to this legislation, restaurant owners need to present the health department with documentation from a physician attesting to the fact that each member of its staff is healthy. The law requires physical examinations every six months. The state's Food and Drug Administration will regularly test food samples to make sure that they are free from food-borne illnesses and toxic chemicals.

Hotel-Restaurant
A hotel-restaurant license requires that 25% of your gross sales needs to come from the sale of food. This license permits restaurants and hotels with restaurant facilities to sell a full complement of alcohol beverages. Hotel-restaurant licensees are required to have full meals available until 8:00 p.m. every day they are open and sandwiches and snacks available after 8:00 p.m.

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Tavern
A tavern license permits the sale of a full complement of alcohol beverages to the public on the licensed premise. Tavern licensees are required to have sandwiches and snacks available during operating hours and wherever alcohol beverages are served.

Beer and Wine

The beer and wine license permits the sale of beer and wine only to the public for consumption on the licensed premise. Beer and license licensees must have sandwiches and snacks available during operating hours and wherever alcohol beverages are served.

Retail Liquor Store

A retail liquor store license permits the sale to the public of all alcohol beverages in sealed containers for consumption off the licensed premises. This type of license is sometimes referred to as a package liquor store license. All retail liquor store licenses automatically have a delivery permit which allows the delivery of alcohol to locations off the licensed premise. Liquor stores are prohibited from the sale of food items except those approved by the State Licensing Authority. The allowable food items must be prepackaged, labeled, directly labeled to the consumption of alcohol, and sold in containers up to 16 ounces for the purposes of cocktail garnishment.

Brew Pub
This type of license allows the sale and consumption of all types of liquor, as well as permits the manufacture of malt liquor on the licensed premises. The malt liquor manufactured on the premises may be sold for consumption on the premises, sold to an independent wholesaler for distribution, or sold to the public in sealed to go containers. Meals must be served wherever alcohol is sold. Food sales must be at least 15% of gross sales.

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Requirements for Opening a Restaurant

1.

Restaurant
Make sure you have satisfied all health and safety requirements before opening your restaurant. To open a restaurant, you must fulfill the requirements of a variety of agencies that regulate compliance with health codes, general business license requirements and building codes that apply to owning and operating a restaurant. Although details vary by state, the general guidelines are fairly consistent.

Health Department Requirements

To open a restaurant, you must comply with a list of health department requirements. Install a three-compartment stainless steel sink or dishwasher, as well as a separate sink for vegetable prep, another for washing hands and another for cleaning your mops. Design your shelving so that all food product and packaging is at least 6 inches off the floor. Adjust your refrigeration so that it runs at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Keep thermometers in all refrigeration units. Choose easily cleanable materials such as stainless steel for all work surfaces. Schedule a health department inspection of your facility before you open.

Generic Requirements
Obtain city and state business licenses. Register with your state's industrial insurance and unemployment insurance agencies. Contact the IRS and obtain an employer identification number. These are requirements for opening any business, and you cannot open your restaurant without them.

Facility Requirements
You are required to design your restaurant so that it complies with local building codes. Install a ventilation system with a fire-suppression system if you will be doing any kind of cooking in oil, including sauteeing. Vent gas ovens or stoves that you will only use for boiling water through a ducting system as well. A fire-suppression system is not necessary 23

for these types of cooking, although you are required to have an exhaust hood and a fan. Provide a source of makeup air for your ventilation system, such as a grate with louvers to access outside air. Connect the louvers mechanically to the exhaust fan so they open whenever the fan is in operation. Have your sinks and gas lines inspected and approved by a plumbing inspector. Schedule an electrical inspector to oversee any electrical appliances you install, such as walk-in coolers or the wiring for your ventilation system.

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Requirements for Starting a Restaurant

Owning a restaurant can be a fun and exciting way to make a living. In order to start a restaurant, you need to ensure you have certain specific items. Spend time before you open the restaurant to make sure that all necessary items are in good working order, all employees understand what is expected of them and you have a good food supplier lined up. Putting the pieces in place before you begin will help make running the restaurant far easier.

The Right Space

1. A restaurant requires the right location. Decide how large you need the space to be. If
you've never opened a restaurant, consider a dining room that seats under 50 people. Opening up a smaller space can help you learn effective management techniques before you tackle a larger space. The right restaurant space should have lots of daily traffic to enable people to see your restaurant. A location on a busy street with many pedestrians can be ideal. Look for spaces that fit into your style of cooking. If you want to create an intimate brasserie, find a space with charming ironwork and low slung ceilings.

Employees
2. Most restaurants have more than one staffer. You will need at least one person to wait on
tables, someone to greet guests and make reservations and at least one or two people to cook the food. You also may need bus boys to clean up the dishes, an office manager to make sure the restaurant flows smoothly and a pastry chef to make desserts. An ideal employee will have some prior restaurant experience, a clean appearance, a calm demeanor and a love of food. Hire people you feel you can work with easily.

Seating
3. Unless you are opening a strictly take-out restaurant, you'll need to provide people with
places to sit. Seating can range from plastic chairs to upscale upholstered furniture pieces. Seats should be plush yet enable someone to get in and out easily. Provide flexible seating arrangements for couples, and tables and chairs that can form larger arrangements for groups of multiple diners.

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Permits
4. Make sure you have all necessary permits to operate your restaurant. You will need to
make sure the space has passed fire and safety inspections. If you want to serve wine and other alcoholic beverages, you'll need to have a liquor license. Contact local authorities for an application. Be prepared, as processing the application may take weeks or even months.

Cooking Equipment
5. You will need appliances to store food, as well as cooking equipment such as woks,
double broilers and pots and pans to prepare it. Purchase durable items that will enable you to serve the highest quality food. You also will need to purchase food items such as salt and pepper to stock the pantry initially. Work with your chefs to determine the quantities necessary. You also should line up a food supplier to make sure that you have a consistent supply of quality food items that can be turned into finished dishes.

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Why Theme Restaurants Fail

(and How They Succeed)
Planet Hollywoods orbit is degenerating. Hard Rock Cafe is falling on hard times. Fashion
Cafe is looking threadbare. In an effort to discover why some restaurants fail and why others succeed, E.S.P. put the question to a handful of very busy real estate brokers around the country who specialize in restaurants. Wall Street and its echo, the daily press, tends to look at all failures as a function of cost vs. revenue, and all successes as revenue vs. cost (When the only tool you have is a wrench, everything starts to look like a nut). While cost vs. revenue is the mathematics of profit and loss, the forces behind the formula are food and service, according to the brokers we interviewed.

Theme restaurants will continue to grow with or without Wall Streets help.
"If the focus is on dancing gorillas, or guitars signed by Madonna, or whatever, theyre going to have a problem. You have to focus on the food," said John Higden of Higden & Higden (512-343-0418), an Austin, Texas-based restaurant brokerage firm. "People will only buy so many T-shirts or squeaking frogs." Higden recalled that during Bill Clintons election campaign, the buzz-phrase was "Its the economy, stupid. Well, its the food, stupid." No argument to Higdens view could be obtained from Thomas P. McCarty of Restaurant Brokerage (303-432-0047) in Arvada, Colorado, or from Paul G.W. Fetscher of the Great American Brokerage (212-557-7272) in New York City, or from Jerry Becker of Hiffman Shaffer Associates Inc. (312-332-3555) in Chicago. Each has his own way of approaching the topic, but all agree that consistently good food and excellent customer service are the only essential ingredients in a successful restaurant recipe. "The only way you build loyalty is through good food," said Fetscher. "I dont have to go to a theme restaurant, but I do have a propensity to eat two to three times a day." "The rumors concerning the demise of theme restaurants are greatly exaggerated," said Becker. "Wall Street investors may have abandoned the restaurant concepts that relied more on hype than on consistent good food. Theme restaurants will continue to grow with or without Wall Streets help. The well thought-out restaurants that consistently deliver on food and service will be around. Currently, theme restaurant concepts such as Buca di Beppo, Dave & Busters, and Champps Americana, to name a few, fit this criteria. On the other hand, Country Star, Fashion Cafe and Planet Hollywood, who rely on hype and glitz rather than good food, are destined to experience problems or death. Theme restaurants have been around for some time and will continue, provided they deliver on a well-crafted environment, with good food and service." 27

"The theme concept is a business concept, not a restaurant concept. A chain is a function of finance more than food."
"These places are not known for great food," said Leslie Siben, a restaurant broker with Winick Realty (212-792-2643) in New York City. "Its very hard to operate with food as your primary concern in what I call stadium dining, the 80s concept, which is what these places are doing, catering to the mainstream palate." "So they focus on the tourist, and the problem with the theme is that they (tourists) get tired of it. Themes dont maintain a fresh interest for repeat business, they dont cultivate your mainstay audience, by definition. Then, when you get too big, you become more of an overhead operation. The theme concept is a business concept, not a restaurant concept. A chain is a function of finance more than food." What is a theme restaurant? Is there any such thing as a non-theme restaurant? E.S.P.s consulting brokers agreed that, for the most part, every restaurant has a theme it tries to convey to its customers, some more successfully than others. In searching for weird themes, we found a few that havent received national attention yet. For example there is Adam & Eves, located in a resort called Naked City in Indiana, whose theme is nudity neither the customers nor the employees wear any clothing. Not a candidate for national exposure, but perhaps a limited rollout. Then there is Live Bait, a New York joint that looks like a trip to the rest room will land you in a wood shack with a hole in the floor and a bucket of corncobs hanging on the wall. A Confederate flag adorns one fractured wall, and the menu is 40s Mississippi sharecropper. Wall Street is not knocking down their door, but maybe itll fall off on its own. Every restaurant, from JoJos Pizza & Bar (theme: pizza and booze, know-the-owner casual) to Smith & Wollenskys (theme: the best steaks in the country) has a theme. Its in the name, the image and the reputation, if not the decor. If its in the food and service too, and theyre a hit, thats all that matters. The problem arises when the theme is everything and the restaurant is relegated to third-class status or worse. Customers will return the sentiment, and investors will soon follow. To be sure, there are those in the restaurant business who still believe that there is a difference between a "theme" or "specialty" restaurant and any other restaurant, and that the "theme" restaurant industry is suffering a setback. These are the cost-vs.-profits Wall Street believers like Gaylord Entertainment. This company recently bought out the 49 percent of Wild Horse Saloons it didnt already own from Levy Restaurants and, in its announcement of that purchase, declared that "the specialty restaurant industry is not in an expansion mode right now." That statement was attributed to Terry London, CEO, who also said, "We view Wildhorse Saloons as entertainment venues more than restaurants..." Indeed, a heavy entertainment and-or tourism draw can make an otherwise bad restaurant financially successful, because it eliminates the need for repeat customers, which is the desired result of establishing good food and service. 28

"If your customer base is non-repeat," said McCarty, "such as in tourist areas, you dont have to execute well. In Cancun, for example, you might go into a Planet Hollywood and buy a Tshirt, but not in Denver."

"If your customer base is non-repeat, such as in tourist areas, you dont have to execute well"
The very nature of celebrity-spawned restaurants creates additional problems with staffing, McCarty said. "The staff attracted are there for the glitter, rather than to provide a good guest experience. They want to hang out there in case the stars show up." Higden echoed that observation: "There was more attention on who showed up at an opening party" than on the food and service fundamentals, at the trendy celebrity bistros, he said. The industrys problem now is one of overcrowding in what Higden tagged the "hypertheme" restaurant genre, or what Fetscher calls "eatertainment" centers. "There are now more than 600 eatertainment restaurants, many of them sharing the same market," Fetscher said. "As much of a fan as I am of restaurants, I dont know that Landrys Inc. needs five restaurants in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, or that I need in Myrtle Beach a Hard Rock Cafe, a Planet Hollywood, and an All Star Cafe all within sight of each other." He characterized the Myrtle Beach restaurants as "underperforming, according to reports."

The problem arises when the theme is everything and the restaurant is relegated to third-class status or worse.
Even the cost of building a trendy restaurant, which often runs to $400 per square foot, is not necessarily a factor, if the restaurants emphasis is on the fundamentals, McCarty said. "Palamino, The Cheescake Factory, Puccinis, they all spend $300 to $400 a square foot... Cost is clearly a factor as the sales drop," he noted. "The restaurant business is not rocket science. The most expensive cost you have is losing a customer. If a customer has a positive experience, hell tell one person. If he has a negative experience, hell tell 10 people." Wall Street, in fact, can be part of the problem, McCarty agreed. If a restaurants focus is on dollars rather than food and service, and the numbers slip a little, then the bean-counters start putting pressure on to tighten up on costs. A deadly cycle is started. "Wall Street tightens the screws," said McCarty, "then, instead of giving a customer a free dessert because of a problem, the waiter has to ask the manager. The manager knows he needs another half a percent profit this month, so he says no, just tell them youre sorry. Now youve lost a customer." As sales decline, the screw tightens further and customer service suffers more. "Then it becomes exponential and logarithmic," McCarty said.

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"Another piece of the formula is people," said Higden. "If youre growing too fast, you cant grow your culture. You need to recreate the enthusiasm and the corporate culture, and if it grows too fast you cant do that. Without those factors, the real estate can be brilliant, and youre going to have to do it again. You have to have passion for food and passion for serving people." Cost is certainly a factor to investors, Fetscher noted. Investors want to see a minimum return of 15 percent, meaning that "a comfortable ratio is 1.5-to-1 sales to investment." For a mammoth undertaking like David Copperfields in New York Citys Times Square, he said, this may never happen. "Its going to cost more to build David Copperfields in New York than any other restaurant ever built. Current reports are that it will cost $30 million to turn the key. For this unit to be successful its got to at least gross the investment." "The center area (of David Copperfields) will be 100 feet high. A table of patrons will be swept to the top of it, sawn in half and will reappear elsewhere in the restaurant, without knowing themselves quite how it happened. Thats an illusion. The delusion is the expectation of this being a $30 million gross operation," Fetscher said. Good food will help, but it wont do it all, he added. "With the Joseph Baum/Michael Whitehead Co. involved, I expect the food to be, not gourmet, but substantially above the mark of most other eatertainment restaurants." Fetscher said the second location for David Copperfields in Orlando, Florida, "with a buildout more like $20 million, will have a better probability of grossing their investment." Design is another critical factor. Fetscher talked about the original Dive in Los Angeles. "It was cute the Yellow Submarine come to life. The Levy Brothers out of Chicago did a very interesting job, especially in developing a submarine menu... But when I went there, there was no one there. It seats nearly 300, but no place you sat did you get a feel for the excitement of having a lot of people there. It was far too fragmented and broken up into areas." The underwater illusion, which included a very expensive series of "portholes" that were linked video screens allowing a digital fish to swim across one screen and show up in the next. But because of the underwater theme, "there was a blue tone to the lights. In blue light, people dont look good, and food doesnt look good. So Im sitting with 20 people who dont look too healthy, food that doesnt look very appetizing, but the fish swims from screen to screen."

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"After the first year it grossed $6 million on a $9 million investment, then settled into $5 million a year on 60 percent local and 40 percent tourist business. An astronomical marketing budget of six to 10 percent of gross was spent in order to attempt to continue attracting customers. They just announced the closing of this store. It finally out-grossed the investment, it just took too long to do it." The new Las Vegas Dive unit, Fetscher said, is likely to do better because it has "more of a central area, better lighting tones, and a dining balcony, so whether 50 or 200 people are seated, the scale is correct and you can see lots more people enjoying themselves. Plus, the Las Vegas unit is 90 percent tourist customers with a strong merchandise component." In a nutshell, its the food that drives a successful theme restaurant.

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Type of theme
Madrid Theme Restaurant
Our Madrid theme restaurant guide includes some of the most entertaining diners throughout the city. Ideal if you are looking for somewhere a little different to eat out one night during your Madrid visit? As in most cities the variety of food on offer is enormous so in this section weve included some of our personal favourites although there are certainly many more out there!

Madrid restaurant listings

This list of Madrid theme restaurants is by no means carved in stone and we are always looking for more dinners, cafes and restaurants to include on the list. If you find somewhere worthy of inclusion please let us know!

Hard Rock Cafe Specialities:

This internationally acclaimed chain of American restaurants really needs no introduction. The highly decorated walls show off a large amount of Rock memorabilia and the Madrid Hard rock caf is no different. The experience is completed with high volume music to accompany huge portions of each dish! Be sure to check out the car suspended from the ceiling that makes this probably the most chic Madrid theme restaurant! Easily accessible from the main thoroughfare Paseo Castellana, via Metro: Colon or bus its ideal for both lunch and dinner. One can expect to pay around 20 per person including drinks for lunch and 5 more if going for an evening meal. It is also possible to simply have a drink without actually dining. Reservations strongly advised for weekends

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Fosters Hollywood
Specialities:
Based loosely on the typical American diner this chain of restaurants is in a number of locations within central Madrid and throughout the province as a whole. Food served is based around such favourites as ribs, hamburgers, coleslaw, nachos and the ever welcome bottomless cup! It is not necessary to reserve a table at Fosters Hollywood restaurants although at peak times (2200 to 2300 on Friday and Saturday nights) you may have to wait 10 minutes to be seated. Depending on how many starters you choose to share between the diners a full evening meal will cost around 15-20 per person.

La Vaca Argentina

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Opening Times: Varies according to restaurant but normally Mon - Sun 1300 1600 and
then 2100- 00:00AM Website:Location and online reservation Specialities: Argentinean beef steakhouse providing some of the best steaks available in Madrid. Restaurants from La vaca Argentina are well liked by Madrileos and with a reputation for serving fresh cuts of prime Argentine beef in classy surroundings its not surprising. Cooked over open coals the steaks take on a distinct flavour. Other specialities include home made sausages and numerous other beef cuts. For those who arent big beef eaters there is also a wide selection of chicken dishes and salads. Reserving in advance (direct from the website) is strongly advised as the restaurants, although large, are very popular. Even with such popularity a full evening meal will still only cost around 23 per person.

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How to Start a Jungle Themed Restaurant

Overview
Jungle-themed restaurants feature colorful dcor and themed menu offerings. These unconventional surroundings provide an ideal setting for an experience that satisfies the senses, although restaurant staff must fulfill those customer expectations. "Entrepreneur" Magazine spotlights a rainforest jungle themed restaurant that has met that challenge in many locations.

Step 1
Establish your restaurant business structure. Select a business structure with a certified public accountant with restaurant expertise. Common business structures include sole proprietorships, limited liability companies and Subchapter S corporations. Meet with a commercial insurance agent with liability experience. Visit your city or county clerk's office for a business license and needed permits. Ask your city's health department about a preopening inspection. Contact your state Department of Revenue for a sales tax license (See Resources).

Step 2
Lease a visible and accessible location. Find a building easily reached by main roads and with plenty of parking. Look for a site adjacent to a busy retail center or office park. Obtain written zoning approval before you sign a lease. Work with a sign-making company to create building signage with colorful jungle-themed graphics.

Step 3
List your regional restaurant competition. Identify regional niche and themed restaurants. Niche restaurants include vegetarian or soup and salad establishments. Themed restaurants include those with auto racing or Wild West dcor (See Resources). Visit your local Chamber of Commerce for demographic data on residents' age, income and education levels. This data helps you assess the overall pool of restaurant customers. Locate your chamber through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (See Resources).

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Step 4
Develop your jungle themed restaurant dcor. Select an African safari jungle (See Resources) or an Amazon rainforest jungle motif (See Resources). Work with an interior designer to select your dcor and furniture. Consider faux animal wall skins or lush leaved wallpaper borders, plus tables and chairs in jungle colors and textures. Purchase jungle-themed artwork and trees, and add appropriate water features. Locate an interior designer through the American Society of Interior Designers (See Resources).

Step 5
Publish your themed restaurant menu. Develop menu selections that mesh with your jungle restaurant theme. Adopt wildly creative names for common menu items, such as hamburgers and steaks, and develop signature menu choices. Work with a food stylist and a graphic designer to create an appealing menu that will hold customers' interest (See Resources).

Step 6
Buy your restaurant equipment and fixtures. Order equipment, such as commercial refrigerators and ovens, along with food preparation tables and serving ware. Determine your specialty equipment, such as bread makers and grilling machines, after you evaluate your menu selections. Ask about a discount on the complete order (See Resources).

Step 7
Hire experienced restaurant staff. Find outgoing and adventurous employees of all ages through carefully worded newspaper Help Wanted ads, as well as through business networking groups. Contact local culinary schools or college hospitality management programs, and ask about recent graduates or students eligible for work/study programs. Outfit staff in jungle-themed attire, and conduct team-building trivia contests. Offer prizes for the team with the better knowledge of your menu and service policies.

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Step 8
Host a jungle-filled grand opening gala. Welcome your customers with a grand opening that features a special menu and a celebratory cake. Show jungle exploration videos to enhance customers' dining experience. Conduct drawings for restaurant gift cards, and create a mailing list with the entry forms. Offer a frequent diner program that rewards a customer when he fulfills his dining frequency requirements. Advertise the event in newspapers' lifestyle sections, along with regional magazines and websites.

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How to Start Up a Sports Bar

Overview
Sports bars provide a venue for sports fans to watch televised sporting events in a comfortable environment. Some sports bars feature a cozy neighborhood pub ambience, while other establishments showcase a high-gloss dcor. "Entrepreneur" magazine stresses that sports bar owners should research the regional market for demographic information about the bar's potential customers. Obtain information on residents' age, income levels and leisure time preferences through your city's Chamber of Commerce. Learn about popular regional and national sports, as well as teams that are perennial local favorites.

Step 1
Structure your sports bar business. Meet with a Certified Public Accountant experienced with bar and restaurant businesses. Select a sole proprietorship, limited liability company or corporation as your business structure. Consult with a commercial insurance agent with similar background and strong liability experience. Visit your city or county clerk's office for a business license, and confirm that your sports bar is legally permitted within city or county boundaries. Contact your state department of revenue about a sales tax license on your food and alcohol sales.

Step 2
Lease a visible and accessible location. Find a highly visible site with good access from main roads, and with plenty of parking. Obtain written zoning approval before you sign a lease. Work with a sign-making company to create colorful building graphics that attract attention and describe your sports bar.

Step 3
Visit sports bars in your regional market. Identify other sports bars in your city and surrounding towns. Visit during a weeknight and again during the weekend, and observe the facility's cleanliness and customer traffic. Obtain a food and drink menu, along with information on popular nightly specials. Note the sports bar's coverage of popular regional and national sporting events (See Resources).

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Step 4
Finalize your sports bar dcor and menu. Design your sports bar dcor around popular regional sports. If collegiate football fans are likely to congregate at your bar, for example, prominently display team colors and memorabilia. Frame championship posters and newspaper clippings for patrons' favorite teams. Add or rotate other sports' dcor as sporting seasons change. Evaluate your competitors' menus to determine popular regional items such as flavored chicken wings and other finger foods. Utilize this data to develop signature offerings for your own sports bar.

Step 5
Order your equipment and supplies. Purchase a finely crafted wooden bar to serve as your sports bar's centerpiece. Ensure that the bar's dimensions match the room's scale so customers do not feel crowded (See Resources). Compile an equipment list that includes bar fixtures and serving ware, as well as booths and seating groups. Coordinate furniture styles and colors, and obtain bulk discounts where possible (See Resources). Purchase a large screen bar television, as well as smaller televisions for booths and wall surfaces, from a liquidation service that offers bulk lots of new merchandise (See Resources).

Step 6
Activate your sports television services. Work with cable or satellite television service providers to select a well-rounded sporting events package. Include national sports, such as football and baseball, as well as regional sporting events, such as NASCAR races. Focus on popular college sports leagues, especially on teams that have enthusiastic followings in your city. Ensure that your satellite sports package includes all television receivers on your premises.

Step 7
Hire outgoing and sports-savvy staff. Find employees with customer service experience and with an affinity for multiple sports. Look for candidates among college and recreational sports teams, as well as local fitness centers. Conduct team-building exercises to build a staff that focuses on customers' enjoyment of your sports bar. Ensure that all employees complete a state-approved alcohol training program designed to prevent underage drinking, intoxication and drunken driving.

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Step 8
Host a grand opening Sports Fest. Open your sports bar during a widely publicized national championship week or other popular week-long event. Conduct daily giveaways of sports apparel or sporting goods, and utilize the entry forms to compile a mailing list. Offer food and drink discounts on higher-margin items. Invite popular local sports figures to appear during your Sports Fest event. Advertise the event in your newspaper's sports pages, on regional sports' websites and in local sporting goods shops.

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China's first shark-themed restaurant opens in Xiamen

Well located on bustling Zhongshan Road in Xiamen, the Shark Story Concept Restaurant is the first shark-themed restaurant in China.

With a four metres high sharks head placed at the entrance, the restaurant can easily grab passerbys attention. Walking into the shark's gaping mouth, you are fully drawn into the world of sharks.

With a four metres high sharks head placed at the entrance, the restaurant can easily grab passerbys attention. Looking up at the ceiling you can see a group of sharks swimming in the sea. Customers sit on the shark cartilages and enjoy the delicious shark dishes on the shark vertebrae.

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Shark Story Concept Restaurant provides a series of shark dishes The signature dish of the Shark Story Concept Restaurant is shark ball. As the sister store of Yuan Xiang Kou, a 200-years-old shark ball store, their shark ball is famous for fresh flavor, tender taste and juicy fillings. Worth it for the name alone, the restaurant provides a series of shark dishes such as curried shark, shark and pickled pepper, braised shark in soy sauce and fried shark skin. Besides shark dishes, they also supply traditional Chinese cuisine like baked chicken with spices, bell peppers frog and hot pot.

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Firehouse-themed BBQ restaurant opening in Englewood

ENGLEWOOD A new barbecue restaurant with a firehouse theme, Company 7 BBQ, will open at 11 a.m. today at 1001 S. Main St. Company 7 BBQ opens with 56 employees. It seats 170 in its main dining room, 120 in a community room and 60 on a patio. A grand opening is in the works for January. The restaurant which will evoke the look of a 1920s-era firehouse is owned by Bill and Mary Grilliot along with their son Will Grilliot and son-in-law Patrick Murty. The three men are long-time volunteer firefighters in West Milton, where the families live. Bill and Mary Grilliot owned Morning Pride Manufacturing, maker of protective clothing for firefighters, until they sold the company in 2008. We felt it was time to reinvest in the community, Mary Grilliot said. The Grilliots purchased a 14,000-square-food former medical building and began renovating it for restaurant use, adding the patio and installing two slow-cookers, each of which can cook 1,000 pounds of meat at a time. The restaurant will smoke pork, beef brisket, chicken, turkey and sausage on-site. In October, Bill and Mary Grilliot completed their certification as Kansas City Barbecue Society BBQ judges. Were slow-cooking some cuts for 18 hours, Grilliot said. The restaurant has a full liquor license. Drive-through service is available, and those eating inside the restaurant can choose between full table service or a quick-serve line that avoids the need to tip. Company 7 will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The restaurants pub will stay open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on

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Toilet Themed Restaurant

A toilet-themed restaurant is proving a huge draw for customers in Taiwan, eager to eat food off plates and bowls shaped like western loo seats and Japanese "squat" toilets. Marton Theme Restaurant, named after the Chinese word "Matong" for toilet, has become a hit in Taiwan's second largest city since its opening in May 2004. Though bathroom decor seems a bizarre way to whet the appetites of diners, the idea has been so successful owner Eric Wang opened a second and bigger branch just seven months later. "We not only sell food but also laughter. The food is just as good as any restaurant but we offer additional fun," says 26-year-old Wang, who gave up a career in banking to launch the business. "Most customers think the more disgusting and exaggerated (the restaurant is), the funnier the dining experience is," he says. The top orders are curry hot pot, curry chicken rice and chocolate ice cream because, well, "they look most like the real thing", Wang says. The price ranges from 150 to 250 Taiwan dollars ($6 - $10) for a meal set including soup and ice cream. Customers, however, flock to Marton Restaurant mainly for its quirky dining wares and interior decor. "This is such a funny and strange restaurant," says patron Chen Bi-fang, while sitting atop a colorful toilet seat - the standard chair at the restaurant. She sits by a table converted from a bathtub with a glass cover while looking at a wall decorated with neon-lit faucets and urinals turned into lamps. Chen first came to the restaurant after seeing it featured on television and has brought nine co-workers along for lunch on her second visit. "I think this is the most special restaurant I've ever been to. The menu also looks good and I'd like to try more next time," says newcomer Cheng Hung-chi, who found out the restaurant over the Internet and took her mother and brother with her. They are exactly the kind of customers owner Wang are counting on - drawn by novelty and who return with friends in a city crowded by a wide variety of restaurants. "Our restaurant is the first and only of its kind in Kaohsiung and that gives us an advantage in the saturated market here. Our major challenge is to lure customers back after the initial fun," he says. Other gimmicky restaurants in Taiwan using themes such as a prison, zombies and even China's Mao Zedong achieved quick success but folded within a few years after the novelty wore off. To make sure his investment wouldn't go down the pan, Wang first tested the water for the toilet food gimmick by peddling ice cream in toilet-shaped cones in street booths four months before opening his restaurant. It was an instant hit as he so up to 1,000 ice-cream cones daily for $30 dollars each ($1.20) - 5 to 10 dollars higher than a regular one. His idea came from a popular Japanese comic featuring a robot doll fond of 44

eating excrement in ice cream cones. "The success with 'toilet ice cream' was a leap of faith for me to quit the stable but boring banking job and start my business despite strong objections from my family," he says. The young entrepreneur is planning to expand his business to other cities on the island though franchising after adding more items to the menu. "After the curiosity fades, we have to hold on to customers with upgraded food and services," Wang says.

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46

Death-themed restaurant.

There are certain cross-cultural no-nos when it comes to designing, naming and theming a restaurant, the primary among them being, dont associate your restaurant in peoples minds with things that taste bad, and things you should under no circumstances eat. Poison, for instance, makes a good band name but a terrible restaurant name. (See example at left.) A close second, in my book, is death, dying or dead people Ive always found it extremely weird when people put out little snacks and coffee at funeral parlors, for instance. Im near dead people; I dont want anything in my mouth. But just as with every seemingly hard-andfast rule, there are people out there to break them; much to our amazement there are not one but several restaurants that trade on death as a theme.

Eternity
Nestled at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains home, not inappropriately, to Draculas Castle is Ukraines newest eatery, Eternity. The building itself is fashioned in the shape of a giant coffin, 20 meters by 6 meters, and decorated on the inside with wreath displays and, naturally, more coffins. Its dishes sport mysterious titles like Nine Days, Forty Days and Lets Meet in Heaven, the third of which seems a foregone conclusion after youve ingested the first two. Apparently its owners are hoping to get into the Guinness Book as the worlds largest coffin

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The Lucky Hotel

Amazingly, Eternity isnt the worlds only death-themed restaurant. Theres another one in Ahmedabad, India, the key difference being that in this eatery, the coffins arent just there for display there are dead people in em. 22 Muslim tombs rest between the tables, which waiters hop over while making their way around the restaurant. So whats on the menu? What else Indian food.

The Heart Attack Grill

Tempe, Arizonas Heart Attack Grill has a motto taste worth dying for. With fanciful offerings like flatliner fries cooked in pure lard and the quadruple bypass burger, at least you know what youre getting and if you can finish the whole burger, which contains a whopping 8,000 calories, the waitresses dressed like sexy nurses reward you with a ride to your car in a wheelchair. That nurse bit got the restaurant in trouble with the Arizona board of nurses a controversy that this very non-pc establishment relished, to be sure. Heres a silly news piece on the kerfluffle

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Theme park restaurant

Introduction
I was born on October 12th 1973, in Strasbourg, France. I'm married since 1999, and we have a fantastic boy aged six. I am an entrepreneur, fond of Internet & new technologies, gadgets of all sort, games, books, movies, music, cigars, food, good beers & wines, and fine spirits. I enjoy cracking jokes, even in tense situations, and I don't like people who don't respect people, unfair situations, lack of commitment and attention to the detail.

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I started blogging in 2003, way before my choice made me move my blog to Typepad in June 2004. I change the look'n'feel of my blog roughly once a year, but the general idea is always evolving around Project Management and related disciplines. In 2009, the blog changes name from "Digital Addictions" to "Lost in Chaos", as I'm starting to work on my PhD thesis subject, and in March 2010, another shift to "Controlling Chaos", as it better reflects the fact that you manage your project, and not the other way around.

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Eat out-of-box at theme-based restaurants!

You can sit on a sofa of ice sipping chilled beer at a shivering minus 5 degrees Celsius, right in the heart of Delhi! Or you can enjoy an Xbox 360 session while ordering your favourite Lebanese cuisine at a restaurant. Eating out with the family is becoming more than just a food, music and dim lights proposition as restaurants and lounges come up with out-of-the-box themes to woo customers. "The hospitality industry has evolved in the past 15-20 years and the people who are a part of it have realised they have to offer much more than just food to maintain the footfall. Thus they are coming up with new and innovative ideas to sustain the business," said Puneet Sharma, vice president, BluO at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. BluO is believed to be India's largest 24-lane cosmic bowling centre, where people enjoy drinks, food with rocking music in dim blue lights. It also offers its patrons some exceptional concepts like Xbox 360 (video game) lounge, private karaoke lounge, exclusive platinum lounges, a pulsating music den and tattoo studio among others. And with it is a mouthwatering spread of cuisines like Lebanese, Thai and Chinese. Ice Lounge in Saket, The Sports Bar in Noida, Manchester United Restaurant Bar in Gurgaon, Keya-Kainoosh at DLF Promenade in Vasant Kunj and Golfworx at Ambience Mall in Gurgaon are some of the lounges and restaurants which offer patrons an experience to remember. People can enjoy freshly brewed beer at the Rockman's Beer Island lounge at Ambience mall. "People want to try their hand at new things, they demand better service and value for money. In a fast paced world, one has to come up with newer and brighter ideas to stay ahead in the race," said Rahul Singh, MD, Golfworx. "Golfworx has not only experimented with the sports theme but tried to get almost everything under one roof - food, music, bar, cigar lounge, art gallery, retail outlet, indoor golfing and golf academy," he added. "People are willing to spend money on the best they can get," said Sachin Aggarwal, assistant manager, The Sports Bar. Enjoying a glass of chilled beer or whisky at a shivering temperature of minus 5 degrees 51

Celsius is one such experience that has found many takers. For those who wish to have a memorable time, there could be no better place than the Ice Lounge in Saket. Everything there is made of ice, whether it's a sofa, a glass to sip your fiery drink or the walls. The temperature here remains minus five degrees Celsius. The lounge serves a selection of world cuisine, including Lebanese, Continental and Oriental. The IIFA Buzz Lounge and Culture Gully in Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon also make fine dining an experience to remember. While Culture Gully provides authentic food from different states of India, the IIFA Buzz Lounge has a complete Bollywood theme where people can sit, relax and enjoy their drinks. It even has a lookalike of the IIFA trophy placed there. While competition among owners of theme-based restaurants is fierce, some experts warn that customers' interest in theme-based restaurants may not last long. Ravinder Kumar, GM (corporate), The Lalit Group, said such concepts have a short life as people get bored very easily. "These theme-based restaurants have a short life. Innovative ambience would indeed help them attract customers in the beginning but at the end people would take the family back to normal restaurants," he said. According to Puneet Tayal, co-owner Ice Lounge, people don't mind experimenting even though they are yet to accept some changing trends wholeheartedly. "People by large are yet to accept the changes or the changed trend. People are still happy going to their favourite restaurant or bar. But yes they will not mind experimenting in future as they have supported theme bars," said Tayal. Sharma of BluO said constant brainstorming is required to compete in the business. "The competition is fierce so we have to be on our toes all the time and ensure that we offer customers something new, so that they come back to us. A lot of brainstorming is done to introduce freshness so that our cash registers keep ringing," he said.

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Hitler-Themed Restaurant
If you are in the restaurant business, you are always on the lookout of the next different theme that will attract people. Punit Sablok had a similar brainwave when he decided to model his new restaurant in Khaghar, Navi Mumbai on Hitler (yup, there is just one in the world) [hat tip: Amol Sardesai]. Hitlers Cross choses to stand out among other Mumbai restaurants by adorning its walls with a mass murderer. Sabloks justification We wanted to be different. This is one name that will stay in peoples minds. The interior is done in the Nazi colors of red, white, and black with large sized Swastika symbols (not the traditional Indian ones) and a huge portrait of the Fuhrer. The actor, Murli Sharma called as a guest of honor to inaugurate the restuarant was amused by the theme but later admitted to having dozed off in his school history period and having lived in a cave since then. Sablok stressed the different factor just like every Bollywood director does before a new release. He thinks Hitler was hmmmdifferent. What does he think he was? Maggi ketchup? Different indeed. Whats next? Jack the Ripper fast food chain complete with strings of raw intestine or Saddam burgers. Sepia Mutinys comment thread is already abuzz with anger and sarcastic suggestions for the next restaurant theme. Since the restaurant is in Khaghar, not too far from where my folks back home live, I am tempted to ask them to send me pictures so that I can rest all doubts regarding the existence of this place. But in a city where ignorance is rampant, I bet people will shrug their shoulders and say, so what? Then go right ahead and dig into their chicken kadai under the Nazi salute. Knowledge of German influence is restricted to the advertising slogan, Achtung Baby and the Max Mueller Bhavan. Heil Hitler! is a war cry that you can safely chant in India without anyone batting an eyelid.

Cherry Creek, Colorado also has a eatery themed on yet another mass murderer, Mao [some of my Chinese friends might disagree]. A Taipei restaurant had a prison cell/concentration camp decor that they thankfully removed: In one of the cells, a picture of the entrance to a concentration camp hangs on the wall. The words on a prison gate in the picture read Arbeit Macht Frei or Work BringsFreedom, the same sign that greeted Jewish prisoners who went to the camps during the World War II. Nearby is another picture of an emaciated concentration camp inmate who stands in the foreground, his ribs protruding, while others huddle on bunks behind him. Would you like to eat in that booth? 53

Update#2: Via BD, I got this picture of Hitlers Cross:

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Chokhi Dhani Rajasthani Village Resort

With innovative village theme restaurant in Pune, Chokhi Dhani makes a perfect location for complete family entertainment in rajasthani style. Chokhi Dhani Pune captures ...

Capturing the spirit of Rajasthan and ensuring the perfect Rajasthani experience is Chokhi Dhani, a unique Village Resort. Chokhi Dhani literally means a fine ... From the magical land of Rajasthan comes Chokhi Dhani, an ethnic village resort with a blend of rustic environment and modern amenities making it your favorite destinationCapturing the spirit of Rajasthan and ensuring the perfect Rajasthani experience is Chokhi Dhani, a unique Village Resort. Chokhi Dhani literally means a fine ... Chokhi Dhani,village resort around Jaipur,Rajasthan ... C hokhi Dhani is an ethnic 5 star village resort near Jaipur. The resort situated around Jaipur is spread over ...

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From the magical land of Rajasthan comes Chokhi Dhani, an ethnic village resort with a blend of rustic environment and modern amenities making it your favorite ... From the magical land of Rajasthan comes Chokhi Dhani, an ethnic village resort with a blend of rustic environment and modern amenities making it your favorite destination : With innovative village theme restaurant in Pune, Chokhi Dhani makes a perfect location for complete family entertainment in rajasthani style. Chokhi Dhani Pune captures ... A village resort offers Rajasthani food and culture near Sanganer. Details of room and reservations. Chokhi Dhani,village resort around Jaipur,Rajasthan ... C hokhi Dhani is an ethnic 5 star village resort near Jaipur. The resort situated around Jaipur is spread over ... Chokhi Dhani Resort (Five Star Ethnic Village Resort) Chokhi Dhani Resort 12 Miles, Tonk Road, Jaipur 303905 Rajasthan (India) About Chokhi Dhani Resort

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A village resort offers Rajasthani food and culture near Sanganer. Details of room and reservations. A village resort offers Rajasthani food and culture near Sanganer. Details of room and reservations. Capturing the spirit of Rajasthan and ensuring the perfect Rajasthani experience is Chokhi Dhani, a unique Village Resort. Chokhi Dhani literally means a fine ...

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Bollywood theme
Ohris opens themed restaurants in Hyderabad; plans to expand internationally

Established in 1981, the Ohris Group, one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in South India launches uniquely themed two restaurants namely Havmor-70MM and 1857 both in Hyderabad recently. According to the group, Havmor-70MM is Indias first Bollywood themed restaurant and 1857 is a colonial themed Restro-Bar. With these two new restaurants being added, Ohris have altogether fifteen themed restaurants in its kitty as of now. We have designed Havmor - 70 MM with five zones viz., Romantic Zone, Action Zone, Comedy Zone, Villain Zone and Vamp Zone just like a Bollywood movie and each zone is themed in that look and feel, informs Ravi Ohri, Chairman, Ohriss Group. The interior of the restaurant essentially captures the nostalgic moments associated with Bollywood and even some of the most memorable movies will be shown on giant screens of multiple LCDs in a regular intervention. The interior will also have some of the epic moments of song, dance, romance, action and treachery in the form of statues enacting the same and the authentic Bollywood memorabilia such as LP records, posters and hoardings depicting the golden era of Indian cinema. The Colonial themed Restro-Bar 1857 is themed like a colonial club reflecting the life-style from the days of the British period in India and offers the global cuisine of yesteryears with 58

multiple beer towers. We tried to design the interiors that are reflecting the life-style from the days of the British colonial times in India on the walls of this Restro-Bar, states Amar Ohri, Executive Director, Ohris Group. As a plan of expansion and focused in launching only theme based restaurants, Ohris targets to open seven more theme restaurants in the metros and major cities in India like Bangalore, Delhi and Pune. The group also plans to foray in Singapore and London by the end of the current financial year. The Hyderabad based group started with Hotel Baseraa, the first three star hotel in Secunderabad and then Mehfil, the multi-cuisine restaurant in the city which is the only restaurant to offer live ghazals to its customers from 1861. Hotel Basera also houses Pickles, the only 24 hour speciality coffee shop in Secunderabad. The group also owns JIVA, a fast food outlet and a multi-cuisine Wood Fire Pizza Oven, one of the early restaurants of its kind in South India. Apart from these, Ohris have opened several theme restaurants like Mings Court, Silver Metro, Gufaa, Ohris Banjara, Far East and African theme restaurant Serengity

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Image via LA Times

At Buns & Guns in Beirut, Lebanon, everything is military themed from the dcor and names of the menu items to the helicopter sounds that play constantly in the background. Manager Yussef Ibrahim says that the theme reflects the mood of the city during Lebanons 2006 war with Israel, and that while some patrons may find it disturbing, most are amused. You can order yourself an M16 Carbine meat sandwich, a Mortar burger or a Terrorist meal (which happens to be vegetarian). Displayed at the entrance is the restaurants slogan, Sandwiches Can Kill You. Cannabalistic Sushi Tokyo, Japan

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Image via Weird Asia News

Nyotaimori in Japanese literally means female body plate, and this restaurant named after the tradition of eating sushi and sashimi off a nude womans body takes the concept to a whole new level. An edible body, with dough skin and sauce blood is wheeled into the room on a hospital gurney and placed upon a table. The hostess begins the meal by cutting into the body with a scalpel and then patrons dig in, operating on the body to reveal edible organs. Cabbages and Condoms Bangkok, Thailand

Image via PDA

The only restaurant in the world dedicated to birth control, Cabbages & Condoms in Bangkok, Thailand offers not mints on your way out the door, but condoms. Their slogan, 61

emblazoned on t-shirts in the gift shop, is Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy. Menu items include the Spicy Condom Salad, fried Shanghai noodles spiced with herbs. The restaurant benefits the Population and Community Development Association (PDA). Modern Toilet Taipei, Taiwan

Image via Fun Fever

Perhaps the best-known strangely themed restaurant is Modern Toilet in Taipei, Taiwan, where hungry customers take a seat on Western-style commodes and enjoy feces-shaped chocolate soft serve in miniature toilet bowls. Toilet rolls are hung over the tables for use as napkins, and drinks come in miniature urinals. The toilet theme continues throughout the restaurant, with WC signs hung as dcor. Hitlers Cross Mumbai, India

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Image via Flickr user Patrix Blogs

Hitlers Cross, in Mumbai, India, understandably provoked a lot of anger from the community when it debuted in August of 2006. On display was a giant poster of Hitler, and the o in cross on the restaurants large illuminated sign contained a swastika. Just one week later, the restaurant was forced to change its name to the ambiguous The Cross and remove all Hitler and nazi memorabilia. Maid Cafes Tokyo, Japan

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Image via The National Post

Those with maid fetishes and fans of Japanese otaku (geek) culture can enjoy a meal like no other at one of the many maid-themed cafes in the Tokyo area, including this one called @home. Giggling women in cartoonish maid costumes call patrons master and pat them on the heads like babies. Its not about the food here which is usually overpriced and less than appetizing, like spaghetti topped with ketchup. Its about the service, which often includes playing games like Barrel of Monkeys (for a fee, of course) and, uh, ear cleaning. Pitch-Black Restaurant Beijing, China

Image via Gizmodo

Its often said that if you take away one or more of your senses, the remaining ones get stronger. Thats the idea behind Pitch Black, a Beijing restaurant where patrons eat in complete darkness. Illuminating devices like cell phones and watches are strictly forbidden, and its so dark you cant see your hand in front of your face. Dont think you can get away with any funny business, however the waiters wear night-vision goggles. Graveyard Restaurant Ahmadabad, India

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Image via The Seattle Times

Being surrounded by coffins while you eat is one thing, but its an entirely different matter when theyre occupied. The New Lucky Restaurant in Ahmadabad, India began as a tea stall outside a centuries-old Muslim cemetery, and grew to encompass it over the years. The graves, situated between tables and often topped with candles, and resemble green-painted concrete coffins. One is said to contain a 16th century Sufi saint. Business is brisk, and the owners say that the graves bring them good luck. Death Themed Restaurant Truskavets, Ukraine

Image via ContractJou

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Image via ContractJournal.com

When a group of undertakers set out to start a restaurant, you know its going to be weird. And indeed, Eternity restaurant in Truskavets, Ukraine is a windowless building shaped like a giant coffin. Inside youll find funeral wreaths, black shrouded walls and human-sized coffins. Menu items include dishes with names like Lets meet in paradise. The Hellfire Club Manchester, UK

Image via Top Table

The Hellfire Club, with its gothic dcor and creepy theme, might not seem like a likely place to enjoy a world-class meal, but the food here is said to be divine. Its located in a reportedly haunted 19th century building and resembles a dungeon, with skeletons, coffins and red lights

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strewn throughout. Menu items include steaks named Kiss of the Vampire and Cannibal Holocaust. Vampire Caf Tokyo, Japan

Image via Marianne Mancusi

Continuing the creepy, otherwordly themes is the Vampire Caf in the Ginza section of Tokyo, where the interior is almost entirely blood red. Guests are ushered down a long hallway with red blood cells superimposed on the floor. Inside, the dcor includes heavy velvet drapes, black coffins dripping with red candle wax, skulls and crosses. Many of the meals are vampire-themed, and diners drink red cocktails from martini glasses. Hobbit House Manila, Phillipines

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Image via HobbitHouseManila.com

Long before the Lord of the Rings trilogy debuted on theatre screens, the Hobbit House was founded in Manila by former Peace Corps volunteer and Tolkein fan Jim Turner. Dont expect to find the sort of lush Middle Earth scenery that filled the movies, however what youll encounter instead if you stop to dine at the Hobbit House is a staff of the smallest waiters in the world. Thats right, check your political correctness at the door this is one group of little people who are okay with being referred to as hobbits. Robot-Staffed Restaurant Nuremburg, Germany

Image via Gizmodo

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One restaurant in Nuremburg, Germany cut out waitstaff altogether, relying on robots instead. Alas, they werent walking, talking robots wearing aprons or anything really fun like that. Rather, it was centered around automation customers ordered via touch screens, and moments later the food traveled to their tables on a spiral slide. It might have saved diners money on tips, but apparently the concept didnt go over too well, as the restaurant was not open long. Mao-Era Red Guards Restaurant Nanning, China

Image via Trifter.com

You wouldnt think the Chinese people would be eager to relive the Mao era while casually dining, but patrons at Shaoshan Chong line up to consume local delicacies served by waiters in the Red Guard uniform. The Red Guard was the army unit formed by Mao Tse Tung during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), which aimed to wipe the country free of revisionist and Western influence. Christon Caf Tokyo, Japan

69

Image via Not Quite Nigella

Catholics might get a bit squeamish about the dcor at the Christon chain of cafes in Tokyo, which is a bit on the gothic side. At the entrance youll find a glass display of the Virgin Mary, and inside is an elaborate and slightly macabre display of gargoyles, statues of saints, stained glass windows and even an authentic altar. For those interested in checking it out in person, the food is said to be fabulous and quite reasonable.

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Established in 1981, the Ohris Group, one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in South India, launches uniquely themed two restaurants namely Havmor-70MM and 1857 in Hyderabad. According to the group, Havmor-70MM is Indias first Bollywood themed restaurant and 1857 is a colonial themed Restro-Bar. With these two new restaurants being added, Ohris have altogether fifteen themed restaurants in its kitty as of now. We have designed Havmor-70 MM with five zones viz., Romantic Zone, Action Zone, Comedy Zone, Villain Zone and Vamp Zone just like a Bollywood movie and each zone is themed in that look and feel, informs Ravi Ohri, chairman, Ohris Group. The interior of the restaurant essentially captures the nostalgic moments associated with Bollywood and even some of the most memorable movies will be shown on giant screens of multiple LCDs in a regular intervention. The interior will also have some of the epic moments of song, dance, romance, action and treachery in the form of statues enacting the same and the authentic Bollywood memorabilia such as LP records, posters and hoardings depicting the golden era of Indian cinema. The Colonial themed Restro-Bar 1857 is themed like a colonial club reflecting the lifestyle from the days of the British period in India and offers the global cuisine of yesteryears with multiple beer towers. We tried to design the interiors that are reflecting the life-style from the days of the British colonial times in India on the walls of this Restro-Bar, states Amar Ohri, executive director, Ohris Group. As a plan of expansion and focused in launching only theme based restaurants, Ohris targets to open seven more theme restaurants in the metros and major cities in India like Bengaluru, Delhi and Pune. The group also plans to foray in Singapore and London by the end of the current financial year. The Hyderabad-based group started with Hotel Banjara, the first three star hotel in Secunderabad and then Mehfil, the multi-cuisine restaurant in the city which is the only restaurant to offer live ghazals to its customers from 1861. Hotel Banjara also houses Pickles, the only 24 hour speciality coffee shop in Secunderabad. The group also owns JIVA, a fast food outlet and a multi-cuisine Wood Fire Pizza Oven, one of the early restaurants of its kind in South India.

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Kinds of restaurants
There exist many possible organizations for restaurants, depending on local customs and the formality and price of the meal: one sits down, a waiter comes to take one's order, and later brings the food; one pays after finishing eating one collects food from a counter and pays, then sits down and starts eating (self-service restaurant); sub-varieties: one collects ready portions one serves oneself from containers one is served at the counter a special procedure is that one first pays at the cash desk, collects a ticket and then goes to the food counter, where one gets the food in exchange for the ticket

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one orders at the counter; after preparation the food is brought to one's table; paying may be on ordering or after eating. Depending on local customs and the establishment, restaurants may or may not serve alcoholic beverages. Often, laws governing the sale of alcohol prohibit restaurants from selling alcohol without a meal (which would be an activity for a bar, often with more severe restrictions). Restaurants range from unpretentious lunching or dining places catering to people working nearby, with simple food served in simple settings at low prices, to expensive establishments serving refined food and wines in a formal setting. In the former case, clients are not expected to wear formal attire. In the latter case, clients generally wear formal clothing, though this varies between cultures. Restaurants often specialize in certain types of food. For example, there are seafood restaurants, vegetarian restaurants or ethnic restaurants. Generally speaking, restaurants selling "local" food are simply called restaurants, while restaurants selling food of foreign origin are called accordingly (Chinese restaurant, French restaurant, etc...).

Restaurant Guides
Restaurant guides list the best places to eat. One of the most famous of these, in Western Europe, is the Michelin series of guides which accord from 1 to 3 stars to restaurants they perceive to be of high culinary merit. Restaurants with stars in the Michelin guide are formal, expensive establishments; in general the more stars awarded, the higher will be the prices. In the United States, the Mobil Travel Guides and the American Automobile Association rate restaurants on a similar 1 to 5 star (Mobil) or Diamond (AAA) scale. Three, four, and five star ratings are roughly to the Michelin one, two, and three star ratings while one and two star ratings typically indicate good casual restaurants. The popular Zagat Survey compiles individual

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Fast Food Restaurant

Fast food is the most familiar restaurant to most people. Chains like McDonalds and Burger King became popular in the 1950s, and helped spawn countless other concepts like Taco Bell, KFC and In&Out Burger. Fast food service attracted customers for its speed and convenience. Fast food restaurants are typically chains. If you are thinking of opening a fast food franchise, keep in mind that the initial costs of franchising are more expensive than opening an independent restaurant.

Fast Casual Dining

This is one of the biggest trends right now. Fast casual is slightly more upscale than fast food. Fast casual restaurants offer disposable dishes and flatware, but their food tends to be presented as more upscale, such as gourmet breads and organic ingredients. Open kitchens are popular with fast casual chains, where customers can see their food being prepared. Boston Market is classified as fast casual.

Caf
A caf is a restaurant that does not offer table service. Customers order their food from a counter and serve themselves. A caf menu traditionally offers things such as coffee, espresso, pastries and sandwiches. Cafes originated in Europe and are strongly associated with France. They are known for their casual, unhurried atmosphere. Outdoor seating is another trademark of a caf. Panera Bread is an example of a popular bakery-caf chain. The term bistro is sometimes interchanged with caf. A bistro is actually a caf that offers full meals (albeit, cheaper than a full fledged sit down restaurant).

Pub
Short for Public House, pubs date back hundred of years to Europe, especially Great Britain. Pubs have a timeless appeal, for their laid back atmosphere. Brewpubs offer beer made in house, as well as a wide selection of other beers and ales. Pubs can offer full menus, as well as appetizers. Many casual style restaurants have a separate pub side to their establishment.

Casual Style Dining

Also known as family style dining in the United States. Casual style restaurants offer moderately priced entrees. This is one of the largest markets in the US right now. Causal style dining can be any number of themes, from Italian (Olive Garden) to seafood (Red Lobster) to Mexican (Chilis). Casual style restaurants offer table side service, non-disposable dishes, while still keeping the menu moderately priced.

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Fine Dining
Just as the name implies, fine dining is used to describe a much more upscale restaurant, one that offers diners an elegant atmosphere with high quality service. The chefs in fine dining restaurants are usually professionally trained, and the food is fairly expensive, but worth it. s comments about restaurants. Nearly all major American newspapers employ restaurant critics and publish online dining guides for the cities they serve. Unlike their European counterparts, American newspaper restaurant critics typically visit dining establishments anonymously and return several times so as to sample the entire menu. Newspaper restaurant guides, therefore, tend to provide the most thorough coverage of various cities' dining options.

Top 10 Tips for Developing Your Concept

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Restaurant concepts are only limited by imagination and budget. There are so many possibilities, how do you know what kind of restaurant to run? Here's a guide to help you decide.

1. Make Sure Your Concept is Different Enough

If there're a lot of traditional red-sauce Italian restaurants in your area, for example, then maybe you shouldn't open another one, even if you think your mom's recipe for lasagna is out of this world. Make sure that your concept will be distinguishable by the average consumer. The restaurant business is competitive enough without you having to go head-to-head with established eateries. Remember, one of the keys to a restaurant's success is having a concept that stands out from the crowd.

2. Don't Be Too Far Ahead of Your Time

While you need to be different, don't be so different in your concept that customers won't "get it." If you're too weird or too different, you'll have to spend too much time educating your clientele. Opening a raw food eatery in Pocatello, Idaho, for instance, may not fly. Do your research and make sure friends easily understand your concept. Remember, the best concepts are variations on a theme -- not a totally new theme.

3. Don't Price Yourself Out of the Market

Be careful your concept will allow you to offer menu items at prices that the market will bear. You may have a great idea for a fine steak and seafood eatery, but if you're planning to open in an area where poor students and struggling artists mainly live, you better make sure that customers who can afford your prices will be banging down your door. Remember that the concept needs to be right and the prices need to be within reach of local patrons.

4. Don't Design A Menu that Will Make Food Costs Skyrocket

Grandiose menus with many exotic ingredients don't pay off unless you're a top restaurant charging over $100 a head. Smart menu design uses the same ingredients over and over again in clever ways, so that food buying can be done efficiently. A well-thought-out menu will have chicken breast in one dish, for example, chicken stock in another and gizzard stuffing as a side, so that the entire chicken can be used, saving money on buying just breasts. 76

5. Make Sure Your Concept Will Be Profitable

Some concepts look good on the drawing board, but in reality they can't make money. Either they take too long in the kitchen, require too much labor, or cause patrons to linger and slow turns. Make sure that your concept will make money with up to 50% less business and 50% more costs. With spreadsheet programs, it's easy to change your numbers. Don't rely on the best case scenario. Stuff happens. Make sure your concept is flexible enough so that you can make adustments.

6. Good Concepts Are On-Trend

Strong concepts take a current trend like healthy fast-food, the rise in popularity of tea, or the growing love of Latina food and run with them. They leverage the popularity of a growing trend, not a fad. They deliver solid execution, fair prices, good service and offer menu items in an atmosphere that is current and popular. Remember that you'll going against the current if you try to be too avant garde or too retro.

7. Your Concept Has to be Easily Identifiable

If people can't pronounce or spell the name of your restaurant it's not good. Don't think it's uber trendy. If the name is too foreign or the font you choose for your logo is so unusual that it's hard to read, you're shooting yourself in the foot. Spend some time to come up with a unique name that is easy to spell and preferably starts with one of the first letters in the alphabet. The name of our restaurant was "Beyond Measure."

8. Take Inspiration from Other Sources

It's ok to borrow from other eateries and museums that you've seen in your travels. Maybe a museum in Texas had a great exhibit that gave you an idea for the lighting in your restaurant. Maybe a restaurant in Chicago had a cocktail that was dynamite and inspired you to create a similar one in Florida. Recipes and unpatented ideas are in the public domain and are out there to inspire you.

9. Make Sure Your Concept Fits the Location

So you had this great idea for a burger joint, but you lucked out and got a seaside location. You now serve burgers and fries in a place that attracts lovebirds seeking a romantic seafood 77

meal. Oops! Maybe you should re-think your concept. How 'bout dressing up the menu and dining area for dinner, offering fresh broiled fish and offering lobster burgers at lunch, removing the candles and flowers from the tables.

10. Make Sure You Love the Concept

Any successful restaurateur will tell you that they created their concept because it's the type of restaurant they love to eat at. If you create a restaurant because you think it'll be popular or because a silent partner convinced you to -- beware. With all the time, energy, and money you'll be putting into the place, make sure you love the idea and are passionate about the menu.

Tips & Warnings

Focus on your business. Don't sit back and wait for the people to come. Keep up with an ongoing marketing campaign, and try to see what is working. Everyone loves to meet and chat with the owner of the restaurant. Analyze successful restaurants for ideas. Make sure that you have enough money to keep the business going until you are established.

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List of Equipment Needed for a Kitchen Restaurant

List of Equipment Needed for a Kitchen Restaurant

Starting a restaurant takes a great deal of time, consideration and money. Purchasing equipment for the kitchen requires high upfront costs, but you probably won't need every piece of equipment listed in the catalog. Sit down with your head chef and kitchen manager before you buy in order to use startup money most effectively. Choose quality, long-lasting equipment that won't falter when your business is getting off the ground.

1. Ovens and Ranges

A number of oven and range designs and models are available to fit any style and space needs for the kitchen. Both standard and convection ovens are considered necessary, but combination ovens, which combine elements of the two, can be useful if space is an issue. 79

Stove-top space for a griddle, char broiler and burners also need to be considered and will depend on the overall restaurant menu theme. On the line, a steam table for holding hot foods is also required.

Pots and Pans

Quality cookware sized for restaurant volume is a must. Stockpots from 4- to 20-quart capacity is a good place to start along with varying sizes of saute and sauce pans. These will be the workhorses of your kitchen, so buying the best quality will save money in the long run. You will also need 2- and 4-inch hotel pans, baking sheets and loaf pans. Other equipment can include braziers, pasta cookers, steamers, cast-iron cookware and woks.

The Prep Area

Having a good prep table, shelving and adequate equipment for preparing food will save time and money. An industrial mixer, immersion blender, food processor, microwave oven and a commercial meat slicer are some of the bigger ticket items needed.

Utensils and Small Wares

Other items that you will need for your restaurant equipment include bowls for mixing, cutlery, a food scale, spatulas, whisks, long-handled spoons, juicers, zesters, graters and peelers. Larger prep equipment that you need are bus tubs, cutting boards, salad spinners, commercial can openers and food storage containers.

Cold Storage
Like ovens and stove tops, your refrigeration and freezer capacity might be dictated by the projected volume of meals served in your restaurant and the space available. Many commercial restaurants use walk-in refrigerator units, and some can even house walk-in freezers. However, good quality stand-alone units are available and can be used safely and efficiently.

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BAR EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

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DINING

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FLATWARE

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We are your source for commercial flatware. We carry all the essential commercial flatware and accessories required by bars, restauran...

GLASSWARE

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"Going Green" is the phrase that is sweeping the nation with restaurants, bars, resorts, institutions, and even homes. At Restaurant S...

KITCHEN

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We carry the essential commercial kitchen equipment required by bars, restaurants, institutions, catering companies and more at the lo...

REFRIGERATION

Our selection of commercial refrigeration equipment will meet the needs of bars, restaurants, institutions, and catering companies by ...

RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT

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We carry all essential commercial restaurant equipment required by bars, restaurants, institutions, catering companies and more to con...

BUDGET EQUIPMENT

Restaurant Source through its industry relationships has compiled a list of commercial equipment that has been heavily discounted. Al...

Restaurant plans:-

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BUSINESS PLAN FOR RESTAURANT ? THINGS TO CONSIDER

Most of the business plans have similar section, but for few sectors like restaurant industry, it entails certain new classifications. Mentioned below is the summary of the standard restaurant business plan. Managerial Summary: Provide an overview of the entire business to attract your target audience's attraction. Give the reader a fundamental idea about the style, name and location of your new business venture. Explain whether you have any prior experience in restaurant business, and if not then elucidate on the fact as to why you are still the right person for this venture. Company Profile: This section of the plan is more like a business analysis. As it describes the authorized name, setting and type of restaurant you desire to initiate. Provide comprehensive explanation about your population base, market rivalry and other vital information. Market Assessment: Also known as marketing strategy, market assessment is divided in three parts namely which industry the joint will fall in ? families, single professionals or senior citizens; the market competition and promotional strategies. Explain your client base and what would attract them to your restaurant, explain on how to expand your consumer base, talk about the menu, prices and business hours and especial marketing tactics such as children eating for free at nights, happy hours, etc. Business process: Referred to as Products and Services, business process deals with the work force the company is expecting to deploy, advantages of your venture for clients such as convenient location, etc., prospective tie-ups with domestic restaurant retailers, food supply firms or domestic farms, to provide a your presentation Administration & Ownership: In this section deal with the administrative authority who is going to run the business. Explain the role of the staff and top executives who can contribute significantly to the new restaurant. Capital growth: List the estimated expansion of the new restaurant including the profit and loss statement that reveals how much the expenditure will be and how much the future revenue will be. Talk about the distinguishing aspects of the new restaurant and other vital features.

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BUSINESS PLAN FOR RESTAURANT ? FORMAT

Mentioned below is the standard format for the Business Plan for Restaurant: 1. Executive Summary 2. Table of Contents 3. Company Description o Mission Statement o Development & Status o Future Prospects 4. Industry Analysis o Present Restaurant Industry o Future Trends & Strategic Prospects 5. Products & Related Services o Menu o Production o Service o Future Prospects 6. Target Market o Market Location & Clients o Product image o Market Trends 7. Market Rivalry o Rival's Profile o Competitive policy 8. Promotional Plan & Sales Strategy o Market Reach o Medium of Communication ? print, electronic, direct mail, etc o Public Relations o Strategic Prospects 9. Company's Functions o Facilities & Offices o Functional Hours o Staff Training o Systems & Controls 89

Food Production

10. Administration & Organization o Chief Employees and Objectives o Payment & Inducements o Company's Board of Directors o Advisors & Professional Assistance Resources o Future Inclusions in the Management o Organization Structure o Type of Ownership

11. Long-Term Expansion & Exit Strategy o Objectives o Plans o Highlights o Risk Assessment o Exit Plan

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Theme Restaurant Came up in 1997

Successes of theme cafs in Hong Kong, such as the Hello Kitty Caf, Rainforest Caf, Planet Holly- wood and Igors, may show that Hong Kong people find this new type of caf interesting and enjoyable. Nevertheless, according to Mr. Christopher Lenz, owner of Igors, the situation is completely different.

Hong Kong people think that the quality of food is the most important, said Mr. Lenz. People from other countries are concerned about the whole dining experience rather than food quality, said Mr. Lenz. Mr. Lenz used Hard Rock Caf as an example. The Hard Rock Caf in Hong Kong closed recently and had only been open for about 4 years, said Mr. Lenz. However, the one in Singapore has been open for about 10 years and is still doing good business, said Mr. Lenz.

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Hong Kong people like to try new things and this is the main reason why theme cafs are successful now, said Mr. Lenz. Mr. Lenz started Igors 2 years ago. He came up with this idea in 1997. I decide to open a theme caf because an ordinary caf bores me and is unexciting, said Mr. Lenz. Mr. Lenz admitted that Hong Kong was not the perfect location for Igors. I chose Hong Kong because I have lived here for about 10 years. I know the rules. I know the people. I know the market, said Mr. Lenz. It seemed logical to start my business here, said Mr. Lenz. Horror is the theme of Igors. Horror is an exciting theme. It is universal. Everybody understands it, explained Mr. Lenz. Igors is not a normal theme caf. Actually, it is a dinner-theatre caf. In normal theme cafs, you choose food from the menu, you eat and you leave, said Mr. Lenz. But in Igors, there are musical shows, dancing, a live band and theme tour. I think Igors is more like an entertainment caf, said Mr. Lenz. Customers from the Kowloon side could go to Igors on the Transylvania Express, which is a doubledecker, open top bus. There is a bus terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui. Customers then experience a theme tour. They are led and entertained through different scenes. These scenes include the Endless Corridor, the Cylinder of Death, the Haunted House and the Garden of Doom. Finally, customers are invited to a make-up room where they can get their faces painted. After the theme tour, customers arrive at the main restaurant area. The main restaurant area was also specially decorated to give customers the feeling of horror. It is a replica of a medieval castles dining hall with long wooden tables and benches, long chandeliers, antique paintings with strange twists and colourful old flags. Igors does not have a menu, but customers have a choice of nine appetizers, four main courses and nine desserts to choose from.

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One of the characteristics of this three-course set dinner buffet is that the food is served on long platters using the patented lazy Lenz system. There is a trolley on each table. The platter is placed on the trolley. The trolley then slides up and down the length of the table. Then, even though the table is so long, all customers can be served, explained Mr. Lenz. This system is the first of its kind in Hong Kong, Mr. Lenz said proudly. There are also musical shows between courses. On this particular day, when all the food was served, a live band called The Rolling Bones began to perform. At the same time, customers were given a green glowing bone, which was actually a noisemaker. They were required to shake the bone, dance on the benches and sing with the band.

Mr. Lenz said that Igors was unique in Hong Kong. Igors differs from other cafs in a number of ways: the way you book the caf, the way you enter the caf, the way you eat and the way you are served, said Mr. Lenz. In addition, theme cafs like the Rainforest Caf, Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Caf are American concepts. However, Igors is the only one that is originally a Hong Kong idea, said Mr. Lenz.

Apart from the decorations, there are other aspects that go with the theme. 93

All waiters and waitresses dress in horror costumes and have scary make-up on their faces, said Mr. Lenz. For the food we serve, take roast beef as an example, there will be a skull and a broken arm beside it, just like a dead body of human, said Mr. Lenz, laughing. The live band is also specially designed to suit the theme. The Rolling Bones wear black costumes with bones, thus they look like skeletons singing and dancing on the stage, said Mr. Lenz. Mr. Lenz said that Igors does not have a specific target market. Our customers range from 18 to 60 years old. Our real target markets are groups, said Mr. Lenz. Igors is good for club dinners and all kinds of parties, said Mr. Lenz. For instance, 17 graduation parties took place at Igors last year, said Mr. Lenz. Mr. Lenz then compared Igors with hotels for holding graduation parties. You can travel on a double-decker, open top bus and you can enjoy a theme tour, a threecourse set dinner buffet, musical shows, live band and dancing, said Mr. Lenz. For the same price in a hotel, you may have a buffet in a banquet room. If you want a live band, then you have to pay extra. You want to have a musical show, forget it! said Mr. Lenz. Nevertheless, Mr. Lenz admitted that they also have weaknesses. There are altogether 220 seats in Igors. As we have to ensure that all customers are served at the same time, we cannot guarantee the quality of food, said Mr. Lenz. Our food is good, but not excellent. We do not sell food, we sell fun, Mr. Lenz said confidently. Although the Igors Caf in Stanley has received positive comments, Mr. Lenz said that the new Igors Caf damaged the name of Igors. The Igors Caf in Stanley opened only 1 year ago. The two cafs differ a lot, said Mr. Lenz. The Igors Caf is an ordinary theme caf. No musical shows, no live bands and no dancing, said Mr. Lenz.

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People who have gone to the Igors Caf expect the same thing here. However, that is not what we want to provide, said Mr. Lenz. Igors is a member of the Hong Kong Tourist Association. The Hong Kong Tourist Association recommends Igors to tourists. About 10 tourists come every night, said Mr. Lenz. He believes that as Igor's becomes more better known, more tourists will be attracted. Mr. Lenz plans to open another Igors restaurant at a better location. He chose this location for its low rent initially. Two busy nights per week are enough for Igor's survival. However, I am confident that if Igors moves to a busier location, like Tsim Sha Tsui, our business will be greatly improved, said Mr. Lenz. Although there are many theme restaurants open now, Mr. Lenz believes that it will not become a major trend. Theme restaurants have to struggle to survive, especially in Hong Kong. If Hong Kong has two Igors, both businesses will suffer, said Mr.Lenz. Mr. Keith Poon is a customer of Igors. My foreign friends recommend this theme restaurant to me. This type of restaurant is unique in Hong Kong, but is not a strange thing in foreign countries, said Mr. Poon. I learned about this restaurant from a Hong Kong magazine. I like the musical shows. This restaurant gives me a Western feeling, said Mr. Stanley Lu, a tourist from Mainland China. Miss Vicky Chan also gave a favorable review. I love the atmosphere of this restaurant. All people are dressed in costumes, said Miss Chan.

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Restaurant Theme Ideas

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While your menu and food quality will be key factors in the success of your new restaurant, there are other factors you should consider. One of those is the theme of your restaurant--often a crucial decision when opening your own establishment. It is often wise to try and fill a niche in your area, one you think will appeal to customers.

Cultural Theme
A culturally-themed restaurant can be a breath of fresh air to your community, offering a welcome diversion from the usual fast food. Create a decor that complements your theme, including artwork, music and apparel for staff members that help create an authentic feel. For example, for an Indian-style restaurant, include elements from Indian culture like religious statutes, tapestries and traditional Indian attire for staff. This will bring an ambiance that makes patrons feel like they have traveled to a different culture.

Unique Dcor
A quirky dcor can help draw attention to your restaurant. There are several ways to do this, from your building's design to your staff's uniforms. For example, if you want to open a seafood restaurant, create an entrance that looks like a ship that has run aground. Have pirate statues adjoining the entrance looking at their wrecked ship. Consider appealing to a specific group, like children or teens, creating an atmosphere they will find irresistible.

Quirky Approach
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A restaurant with a quirky approach could include a 1950s-style drive in or perhaps a minimalistic angle---without tables and chairs. Instead, patrons sit on pillows with dishes placed on the floor. It is important to make your restaurant type compatible with your area. For instance, a small, rural town might not be the best place to open a minimalistic restaurant. These types of trendy establishments work best in large cosmopolitan cities.

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Restaurant Theme Night Ideas

Theme nights are a good way to encourage new and repeat visits to a restaurant. Theme nights are a good way to introduce new customers to your restaurant while providing a little variety and entertainment for regular visitors. According to Run a Restaurant, solid planning and carefully placed advertising are the keys to successful theme nights.

1. Tribute
Host a tribute band night. Almost any popular artist or band has a tribute band that covers its material. Social networks can be a good way to locate bands and some also work through agencies. A university might be a good place to find bands and advertise your restaurant at the same time. Add a special menu and include dinner in the price of admission.

Seasonal

A seasonal theme should include seasonal foods, such as fruit. Develop a theme around the season. In the summer, you may want to feature dishes that contain fruit in the menu, for example. A seasonal theme should be relatively easy to include in your advertising. 99

Culinary
A culinary theme night is another good idea. The menu for each culinary night might highlight foods from a different country each time. Run a Restaurant suggests a three-course meal or buffet for this type of a theme, to let customers sample a variety of the menu offerings. A set price for the entire meal is a good idea regardless of the setup

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Hotel Policies

Accommodation - Terms and Conditions

Thank you for choosing to stay with us at the Royal on the Park Brisbane. Below is the hotels terms and conditions, please read them carefully and acknowledge your acceptance.

Bookings:
All bookings must be paid in full by a valid credit card at the time of booking. Upon Check In photo ID will be required to prevent credit card fraud.

Check In and Check Out Times

Check In from 1.00pm Check Out prior to 11.00am Early arrivals may be requested however are not guaranteed. The hotel has limited luggage storage facilities available. Should you require an early Check In please contact the hotel directly (a fee may apply). For a late Check Out, please contact reception on the day of departure (fees may apply)

Cancellations and/or Non Arrival

Cancellations and amendments can be made up to 24 hours prior to 1800 on the day of arrival and a refund will be organised. Any cancellation made after this time results in full prepayment being forfeited.

Children Policy
12 years and under - Children 12 and above - Adult Baby Cots free of charge Additional bedding from $25.00 per night (pp)

Non Smoking Hotel

Royal on the Park Brisbane is a Non Smoking Hotel, and we ask that you refrain from smoking in your room. Evidence of smoking in rooms will incur a $500.00 cleaning fee on your account. Please help us keep the hotel a smoke free environment. 101

GLOBAL PRIVACY POLICY FOR EMPLOYEES

1Introduction
We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of the personal information that we gather concerning our prospective, current and former employees (you or employees) for management, human resources and payroll purposes.

2The Application of this Policy

This Global Privacy Policy for Employees (the Policy) applies to employees personal information and to the management of that personal information in any form whether oral, electronic or written. This Policy gives effect to Hyatts commitment to protect your information and has been adopted by all of the separate and distinct legal entities that manage, operate, franchise, own and/or provide services to the various Hyatt Hotels & Resorts (whether branded Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz , Hyatt Place or Hyatt Summerfield Suites ) or Hyatt Vacation Club properties around the world. Those entities include Hyatt Hotels Corporation and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, and all of the separate and distinct legal entities that own the individual Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt Vacation Club properties worldwide. References to Hyatt, we and our throughout this Policy, depending on the context, collectively refer to those separate and distinct legal entities. If we disclose the personal information we hold about you to other of our affiliated hospitality businesses, those entities must first have agreed to be bound by this Policy with respect to their processing of your personal information. While this Policy is intended to describe the broadest range of our information processing activities globally, those processing activities may be more limited in some jurisdictions based on the restrictions of their laws. For example, the laws of a particular country may limit the types of personal information we can collect or the manner in which we process that information. In those instances, we adjust our internal policies and practices to reflect the requirements of local law.

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3The Types of Personal Information We Process

The term personal information in this Policy refers to information which does or is capable of identifying you as an individual. The types of personal information that we process (which may vary by jurisdiction based on applicable law and the nature of the employees position and duties) include: name, gender, home address and telephone number, date of birth, marital status, emergency contacts; residency and work permit status, military status, nationality and passport information; social security or other taxpayer identification number, banking details; sick pay, pensions, insurance and other benefits information (including the gender, age, nationality and passport information for any spouse, minor children or other eligible dependants and beneficiaries); date of hire, date(s) of promotions(s), work history, technical skills, educational background, professional certifications and registrations, language capabilities, training courses attended; height, weight and clothing sizes, photograph, physical limitations and special needs; records of work absences, vacation entitlement and requests, salary history and expectations, performance appraisals, letters of appreciation and commendation, and disciplinary and grievance procedures (including monitoring compliance with and enforcing Hyatt policies); where permitted by law and proportionate in view of the function to be carried out by an employee or prospective employee, the results of credit and criminal background checks, the results of drug and alcohol testing, screening, health certifications, driving licence number, vehicle registration and driving history; information required to comply with laws, the requests and directions of law enforcement authorities or court orders (e.g. child support and debt payment information); acknowledgements regarding Hyatt policies, including ethics and/or conflicts of interest policies and computer and other corporate resource usage policies; information captured on security systems, including CCTV and key card entry systems; voicemails, e-mails, correspondence and other work product and communications created, stored or transmitted by an employee using Hyatts computer or communications equipment; date of resignation or termination, reason for resignation or termination, information relating to administering termination of employment (e.g. references). 103

Most of the personal information we process is information that you knowingly provide to us. However, in some instances, we process personal information that we are able to infer about you based on other information you provide to us or on our interactions with you, or personal information about you that we receive from a third party with your knowledge. There may be instances in which the personal information that you provide to us is considered Sensitive Personal Information under the privacy laws of some countries. Those laws define Sensitive Personal Information to mean personal information from which we can determine or infer an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature, membership of a trade union, physical or mental health or condition, sexual life, or judicial data (including information concerning the commission or alleged commission of a criminal offence).

4How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information concerning employees in order to: evaluate applications for employment; manage all aspects of an employees employment relationship, including, but not limited to, payroll, benefits, corporate travel and other reimbursable expenses, development and training, absence monitoring, performance appraisal, disciplinary and grievance processes and other general administrative and human resource related processes; develop manpower and succession plans; maintain sickness records and occupational health programmes; protect the safety and security of Hyatt guests, staff and property (including controlling and facilitating access to and monitoring activity in secured premises and activity using Hyatt computers, communications and other resources); investigate and respond to claims against Hyatt and its guests; conduct employee opinion surveys and administer employee recognition programs; administer termination of employment and provide and maintain references; maintain emergency contact and beneficiary details (which involves Hyatt holding information on those you nominate in this respect); and

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comply with applicable laws (e.g. health and safety), including judicial or administrative orders regarding individual employees (e.g., garnishments, child support payments). There are Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in operation within and around our hotels and other premises, which are used for the following purposes: to prevent and detect crime; to protect the health and safety of Hyatt guests and staff; to manage and protect Hyatts property and the property of Hyatts guests and other visitors; and for quality assurance purposes. We also utilise Secret Shopper or Mystery Guest programs, to monitor the quality of our customer service. We monitor internet use and communications in accordance with the Policy for the Use of Technology Resources and any other acceptable use policies that may replace, amend or supplement that policy from time to time.

5Disclosures of your Personal Information

5.1General
In order to carry out the purposes outlined above, your information will be disclosed for the purposes set out above to human resources staff, line managers, consultants, advisers and other appropriate persons in our hotels and offices.

5.2Our Agents, Service Providers and Suppliers

Like many businesses, from time to time, we outsource the processing of certain functions and/or information to third parties. Please note that when you apply for a position with us online, you may be transferred to a third party site with whom Hyatt have contracted to process your personal information on our behalf. When we do outsource the processing of your personal information to third parties or provide your personal information to third party service providers, we oblige those third parties to protect your personal information with appropriate security measures and prohibit them from using your personal information for their own purposes or from disclosing your personal information to others.

5.3Business Transfers

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As we continue to develop our business, we may buy or sell hotels and other assets. In such transactions, employee information is generally one of the transferred business assets and we reserve the right to include your personal information as an asset in any such transfer. Also, in the unlikely event that we, or substantially all of our assets, are acquired, employee information may be one of the transferred assets.

5.4Legal Requirements
We reserve the right to disclose any personal information we have concerning you if we are compelled to do so by a court of law or requested to do so by a governmental entity or if we determine it is necessary or desirable to comply with the law or to protect or defend our rights or property. We also reserve the right to retain information collected and to process such information to comply with accounting and tax rules and regulations.

6Centralized Data Processing Activities

Like most international businesses, we have centralized certain aspects of our data processing and human resources administration in order to allow us to better manage our business. That centralization may result in the transfer of personal information from one country to another. For example, your personal information will be transferred to and processed in the United States if you are employed, or are a candidate for employment: (a) by any Hyatt affiliate located outside of the United States; or (b) as an Executive Committee Member, Department Head or other key employee of any of our entities or affiliated hospitality businesses located outside the United States. If you are being considered for a position with a Hyatt hotel or affiliated hospitality business in a different country, some personal information concerning you will be transferred to the country where the job opening is located. Personal information concerning you may also be transferred to managers and/or human resources staff of Hyatt Affiliates in other locations in order for them to be able to contact you with respect to applying for a different position. There will be an opportunity for you to opt out of this on the application form. The jurisdictions where the information will be transferred may or may not have laws that seek to preserve the privacy of personal information. However, whenever your personal information is transferred within Hyatt, your personal information will be processed in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Policy.

7 Updating or Accessing Your Personal Information

With some limited exceptions, you may inquire about the personal information we maintain about you by sending us a written request by letter or e-mail to the addresses set out in Section 9 below. Please be sure to include your full name, current (or last) job title and place of employment with Hyatt so we can ascertain your identity and the personal information we maintain about you. We may not disclose data that you are not entitled to receive under applicable laws (e.g. data revealing information about another individual). 106

We reserve the right to charge you a fee, if permitted under applicable law, which is usually approximately $20, for processing any such request. Where you make more than one request in quick succession, we may respond to your subsequent request by referring to our earlier response and only identifying any items that have changed materially. You may request that we correct, or stop processing, personal information that we hold about you by sending a letter or email to the address set out in Section 9 below. If we agree that the information is incorrect or that the processing should be stopped, we will delete or correct the information. If we do not agree that the information is incorrect, we will, nevertheless, record the fact that you consider that information to be incorrect in the relevant file(s).

8Changes to the Policy

Just as our business changes constantly, this Policy may also change. To assist you, this Policy is dated and has an associated version number at the end of this document.

9Request for Access to Personal Information / Questions or Complaints

If you have any questions about this Policy, or any concerns or complaints with regard to the administration of the Policy, or if you would like to submit a request (in the manner described in Section 7 above ) for access to the personal information that we maintain about you, please contact us by any of the following means: for current employees, by contacting your line manager or your human resources manager; and for applicants and former employees, by contacting the Hyatt Application Coordinator at Privacy.ApplicantCoordinator@hyatt.com . For complaints, further escalation at the employees option, can be made to the relevant Hotel General Manager and finally to the Chief Privacy Officer. In addition to the commitments set out in this Policy, Hyatt has also ensured compliance with some of their legal obligations in some countries in relation to Personal Information by creating a set of binding Standards and Policies (known in some countries as binding corporate rules), approved by a number of national privacy regulators. As a result, depending on your circumstances and location, you may be able to enforce your privacy rights using those Standards or Policies through that regulator or a court. If you would like to know more about these standards and commitments please contact the Chief Privacy Officer by sending an email to privacy@hyatt.com. As indicated above, all requests for access to your personal information must be submitted in writing.

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Restaurant Sample Business Plan Outline

Company Description
Kundo, Inc., a Massachusetts based company, will operate Abonda, a single unit, mediumsize restaurant serving healthy, contemporary style food. The restaurant will be located at 645 Deacon Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mission

Statement

The company's goal is that of a multi-faceted success. Our first responsibility is to the financial well-being of the restaurant. We will meet this goal while trying to consider; 1) the effect of our products on the health and well being of our customers (and our staff), 2) the impact that our business practices and choices will have on the environment, and 3) the high quality of attitude, fairness, understanding, and generosity between management, staff, customers, and vendors. Awareness of all these factors and the responsible actions that result will give our efforts a sense of purpose and meaning beyond our basic financial goals.

Development & Status

The company was incorporated in September of 1995 and elected sub-chapter S. The founders are Jack Morton and Wilma Mason. Jack is the President and Wilma the Vice President. There is a total of 10,000 shares of common stock issued. Wilma and Jack each own 3,000 and the remainder are retained by the company for future distribution. In addition they have loaned the company $25,000 of their own money for research and start-up costs. A suitable site for the first restaurant was found last month and lease negotiations are in the final stages. The location will be on Deacon Street, just outside Harvard Square and close to a dense population of the target market. When the lease is signed there will be three months of free rent for construction and in that time the balance of the start-up funds must be raised. With that phase completed, Abonda Restaurant can then open and the operations phase of the project can begin. Future Plans If the business is meeting its projections by month nine, we will start scouting for a second location and develop plans for the next unit. Our five year goal is to have 3 restaurants in the greater Boston area with a combined annual profit of between $500,000 and $1,000,000.

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Industry Analysis
Although the restaurant industry is very competitive, the lifestyle changes created by modern living continue to fuel its steady growth. More and more people have less time, resources, and ability to cook for themselves. Trends are very important and Abonda is well positioned for the current interest in lighter, healthier foods at moderate to low prices.

The Restaurant Industry Today

The food service business is the third largest industry in the country. It accounts for over $240 billion annually in sales. The independent restaurant accounts for 15% of that total. The average American spends 15% of his/her income on meals away from home. This number has been increasing for the past seven years. In the past five years the restaurant industry has out-performed the national GNP by 40%. The reasons given by the Folkney Report (November 1994) are 1) lifestyle changes, 2) economic climate, and 3) increase of product variety. There are 600 new restaurants opening every month and over 200 more needed to keep pace with increasing demand.

Future Trends & Strategic Opportunities

The predicated growth trend is very positive both in short and long-term projections. Folkney states again that as modern living creates more demands, people will be compelled to eat more meals away from home. The DMR Industrial Report (April 1995) estimates this as high as 30% over the next five years. In 1988 The National Restaurant Association released the Foodservice Industry 2000 report that forcasted how the industry might look in the year 2000. Some highlights from the panel's findings:

"Consumers will spend a greater proportion of their food dollar away from home. Independent operators and entrepreneurs will be the main source of new restaurant concepts. Nutritional concerns will be critical at all types of foodservice operations, and food flavors will be important. Environmental concerns will receive increased attention."

Products & Related Services

Abonda Restaurant will be offering a menu of food and beverages with a distinctive image. There will be three ways to purchase these products; table service at the restaurant, take-out from the restaurant, and delivery to home or office.

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The Menu
The Abonda menu (see appendices) is moderate sized, and moderate-low priced offering a collection of ethnic and American items with a common theme -- healthy (low-fat, low cholesterol, natural ingredients), flavorful, and familiar. Our goal is to create the image of light satisfying and still nutritious food. There has been an increased awareness of nutritional and health concerns in recent years and a growing market of people who now eat this style of cooking regularly.

Production
Food production and assembly will take place in the kitchen of the restaurant. Fresh vegetables, meat and dairy products will be used to crate most of the dishes from scratch. The chef will exercise strict standards of sanitation, quality production, and presentation or packaging over the kitchen and service staff.

Service
There will be three ways a customer can purchase food. They may sit down at one of the 54 seats in the dining room and get full service from a waitperson. A separate take-out counter will service those who wish to pick up their food. Most take-out food will be prepared to order with orders coming from either the telephone or fax. Delivery (an indirect form of takeout) will be available at certain times and to a limited area.

Future Opportunities
There is a market segment that prefers to eat this type of cooking at home although they do not have the time to cook. There are already caterers and even mail order companies that provide individuals and families with up to a month's supply of pre-prepared meals. This opportunity will be researched and developed on a trial basis. If successful, it could become a major new source of income without creating the need for additional staff or production space.

The Target Market

The market for Abonda's products covers a large area of diverse and densely populated groups. Although it will be located in a downtown urban setting, it is an area where people travel to eat out and one that is also frequented by tourists. It is also an area known for and catering to the demographic group we are targeting.

Market Location & Customers

The Harvard Square area is one of the most desirable retail locations in New England. The 110

Mass. Chamber of Commerce rates it as the third best retail market in the state. There are more than 400 businesses in a 1/4 square mile area with average sales of $330 per square foot. The customer base will come from 3 major segments;
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the city of Cambridge with a year-round population of 145,000 is centrally located in the Boston area and is within 15 minutes drive of 8 major suburbs. Colleges and Universities -- Harvard alone has 6 different schools within walking Local population distance of Deacon Street and a seasonal population of 22,000. In addition 5 more colleges near the square have large student bodies. Tourism -- between hotels, motels, bed & breakfast rooms and inns, there are over 8,500 rooms available. Last year they were at 92% occupancy. Local businesses -- The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce lists over 900 businesses with an average of 12 employees in the Harvard square area.

The food concept and product image of Abonda will attract 3 different customer profiles;

The student -- more and more young people have developed healthy eating habits. Some also go through a "health food phase" while in college. The health conscious person of any age or sex -- this includes anyone on a restricted or prescribed diet or those who have committed to a healthy diet. Curious and open-minded -- "if you try it, you will like it." Through marketing, publicity, and word-of-mouth, people will seek out a new experience and learn that nutritious food can be tasty, fun, convenient, and inexpensive.

Market Trends & The Future

The population and demographics of Harvard square have remained steady for the last 14 years. Tourism has increased 24% over the last 3 years and is predicted to keep growing. Local businesses are increasing at a rate of 18% yearly. The idea of a health consciousness through nutritional awareness and dietary change has been slowly building for the last 7 years. The extensive government studies and new Food Guide Pyramid have given everyone a new definition of a balanced, healthy diet. This is not a fad but a true dietary trend backed by the scientific and medical community, the media, the government, and endorsed by the big food manufacturers. As the Foodservice 2000 report stated, this trend will be even more important by the turn of the century. As people want to stay home more and cook less our strategy of delivering prepared meals on a weekly or monthly arrangement may be a widespread accepted new way of eating.

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The Competition
There are over two dozen restaurants in the Harvard Square area that sell food at similar prices. Although this presents an obvious challenge in terms of market share, it also indicates the presence of a large, strong potential. The newest competitors have made their successful entry based on an innovative concept or novelty. Abonda will offer an innovative product in a familiar style at a competitive price. Our aggressive plans of take-out and delivery will also give us an advantage to create a good market share before the competition can adjust or similar concepts appear.

Competitor's Profile
Competing with Abonda for the target market are these categories of food providers:

Independent table service restaurants of similar menu and price structure. Chain " " " " " Commercial foodservice companies serving students directly.

Independent operators include Grendel's Den, Iako, Bombay Club, Iruna, and The Border Cafe. Most are ethnic based and will carry at least two similar menu items. Grendel's and Iruna are long-standing businesses while the others are fairly new. They all are doing very well. The major chain restaurants are House of Blues, Chili's and Bertucci's. All are relatively new but well established and profitable. They have big resources of marketing and/or a specialty product or attraction (House of Blues is also a live music club). Ogden Foods and Cysco both service 24,000 Harvard students but their product is not appealing enough to prevent students from eating out 5 to 7 meals a week. In addition there are two local catering companies that deliver prepared meals daily to offices.

Competitive Strategy
There are three major ways in which we will create an advantage over our competitors;

product identity, quality, and novelty high employee motivation and good sales attitude 112

innovative and aggressive service options.

Abonda will be the only restaurant among all the competition which focuses the entire menu on healthy, low-fat cooking. Each of the competitors offers at least one "healthy" selection on their menu. Grendel's Den even has an entire section called "On the Lighter Side" but in all cases they are always seen as alternatives to the main style being offered. The target market will perceive Abonda as the destination location for healthy, low-fat cooking. Once they have tried the restaurant, their experience will be reinforced by friendly, efficient, knowledgeable service. Return and repeat business will be facilitated by accessable take-out and delivery options. At the time of this writing all of the competitors offered take-out but only two (Bertucci''s & Chili's).

Marketing Plan & Sales Strategy

Market Penetration
Entry into the market should not be a problem. The store has high visibility with heavy foot traffic all day long. The local residents and students always support new restaurants and the tourists do not have fixed preferences. In addition, $10,000 has been budgeted for a preopening advertising and public relations campaign.

Marketing Strategy
Focusing on the unique aspect of the product theme (healthy, tasty foods) a mix of marketing vehicles will be created to convey our presence, our image, and our message.

Print media -- local newspapers, magazines and student publications Broadcast media -- local programming and special interest shows Hotel guides, concierge relations, Chamber of Commerce brochures Direct mail -- subscriber lists, offices for delivery 113

Misc. -- yellow pages, charity events

A public relations firm has been retained to create special events and solicit print and broadcast coverage, especially at the start-up. The marketing effort will be split into 3 phases; 1) Opening -- An advanced notice (press packet) sent out by the PR firm to all media and printed announcement ads in key places. Budget - $10,000 2) Ongoing -- A flexible campaign (using the above media), assessed regularly for effectiveness. Budget - $10,000 3) Point of sale -- A well-trained staff can increase the average check as well as enhancing the customer's overall experience. Word-of-mouth referral is very important in building a customer base.

Future plans and Strategic Opportunities

Catering to offices (even outside of our local area) may become a large part of gross sales. At that point a sales agent would be hired to directly market our products for daily delivery or catered functions.

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Operations
Facilities & Offices
The restaurant at 645 Deacon Street is a 2400 Square foot space. It was formerly a restaurant and needs on minor structural modifications. The licenses and codes' issues are all in order. New equipment and dining room furnishings will be purchased and installed by the general contractor. Offices of the corporation are presently at Jack Morton's home but will be moved to the restaurant after opening.

Hours of Operation
The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Service will begin at 11:00 AM and end at 11:00 PM. The restaurant will be closed Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July.

Employee Training & Education

Employees will be trained not only in their specific operational duties but in the philosophy and applications of our concept. They will receive extensive information from the chef and be kept informed of the latest information on healthy eating.

Systems & Controls

A big emphasis is being placed on extensive research into the quality and integrity of our products. They will constantly be tested for our own high standards of freshness and purity. Food costs and inventory control will be handled by our computer system and checked daily by management.

Food Production
Most food will be prepared on the premises. The kitchen will be designed for high standards of sanitary efficiency and cleaned daily. Food will be made mostly to order and stored in large coolers in the basement.

Delivery & Catering

Food for delivery may be similar to take-out (prepared to order) or it may be prepared earlier and stocked. Catering will be treated as deliveries.

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Management & Organization

Key Employees & Principals
Jack Morton, President. Jack Morton is also the owner and manager of Grains & Beans, a local natural food wholesaler and retail store. Since 1977 his company has created a highprofile mainstream image for natural foods. In 1992 Grains & Beans opened a small cafe within the retail store that became so popular and profitable, he decided to expand the concept into a full service restaurant. Jack brings with him a track record of success in the natural foods industry. His management style is innovative and in keeping with the corporate style outlined in the mission statement.

Compensation & Incentives

Abonda will offer competitive wages and salaries to all employees with benefit packages available to key personnel only.

Board of Directors
An impressive board of directors has been assembled that represents some top professional from the area. They will be a great asset to the development of the company.

Consultants & Professional Support Resources

At the present, no outside consults have been retained, excepting the design department at Best Equipment.

Management to be Added
We are presently searching for a general manager and executive chef. These key employees will be well chosen and given incentives for performance and growth.

Management Structure & Style

Jack Morton will be the President and Chief Operating Officer. The general manager and chef will report to him. The assistant manager and sous-chef will report to their respective managers, and all other employees will be subordinate to them.

Ownership
Jack Morton and the stockholders will retain ownership with the possibility of offering stock to key employees if deemed appropriate.

Long-Term Development & Exit Plan

Goals
Abonda is an innovative concept that targets a new, growing market. We assume that the 116

market will respond, and grow quickly in the next 5 years. Our goals are to create a reputation of quality, consistancy and security (safety of food) that will make us the leader of a new style of dining.

Strategies
Our marketing efforts will be concentrated on take-out and delivery, the areas of most promising growth. As the market changes, new products may be added to maintain sales.

Milestones
After the restaurant opens, we will keep a close eye on sales and profit. If we are on target at the end of year 1, we will look to expand to a second unit.

Risk Evaluation
With any new venture, there is risk involved. The success of our project hinges on the strength and acceptance of a fairly new market. After year 1, we expect some copycat competition in the form of other independent units. Chain competition will be much later.

Exit Plan
Ideally, Abonda will expand to five units in the next 10 years. At that time, we will entertain the possibility of a buy-out by a larger restaurant concern or actively seek to sell to a new owner.

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