Is it as simple as that? Unfortunately, run headlong into this and you may just live to regret it. The romantic notion that you will spend time in your restaurant surrounded by good food, great wine and chocolate desserts (for the chocoholics) couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, running a restaurant is hard work.  It requires creativity, business acumen, perseverence, sheer guts … and a love for long working hours.  And if you haven’t got all those, then you must have a restaurant business plan so that you know where you have to compensate.

The movie Julie and Julia romanticises the food industry … but running a successful restaurant is all about planning, execution and a very small pinch of luck. The folklore in the industry suggests that up to 80% of a restaurant’s success is sealed before the doors are even opened. So – before you jump in feet first, make sure you plan properly or you WILL be planning to fail!