Restaurants and Institutions

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earth2table: Year in Review
January 8, 2007

Stu Stein

January 8, 2007
It seems to be that time of the year when everyone, including yours truly, looks back and forward. One thing I will not be doing is one of those “what’s in and what’s out” articles that usually are one year behind and more about what’s trendy than what’s cutting edge. According to my local newspaper, pork and bacon are in. My question is when did they go out? But I digress.

The process of opening my restaurant certainly goes back further than November 2005, but that’s when I started serious development of what, we hope, will become Terroir Restaurant & Wine Bar in May 2007. So where are we today?

Over the past year or so, we developed a business plan and, with numerous revisions and additions, talked an architect into coming along for the ride. We eventually found a leased location in what I believe to be the right neighborhood. For those following my ramblings, you know we then had to find a better “right” location (see “New Lease on Life.”) With the help of my trusty lawyer, we formed our restaurant company, negotiated the best lease possible and finally, signed on the bottom line.

After months of meetings, swatch samples, flow diagrams and various boxes of colored pencils, my architects, kitchen designers/engineers and I have completed the architectural and interior design. The designs have been submitted to the city for approval and permitting; we are awaiting final approval.

Designs have gone to the foodservice equipment company to price out equipment, furniture, fixtures and smallwares (and re-price out my options, revise some, eliminate some and present me with a range of other options). We have an almost-completed, revised equipment budget, and after a few additional changes, we will set up the ordering schedule. The designs also have gone to three general contracting companies to bid on the build-out. I have one completed bid and am waiting for revised bids from the last two. It is a bit of a tight timeline, as I expect to begin building within the month.

Let’s talk permitting. I have an approved City of Portland Business License, and my liquor license is going through the approval process as we speak. I also made sure my Oregon Liquor Control Commission Service Permit and my Oregon Food Handler Certificate are current. (Oregon law requires you to have a service permit if you work at a business with a liquor license that allows customers to drink on the premises and you mix, serve, or sell alcohol in any manner. Managers who supervise employees who mix, serve, or sell alcohol must also have a service permit.)

How about that financing? Luckily, our equity contribution is still intact and we are eagerly waiting for what I affectionately call “the month of 50% deposits” to hit. I have a commitment for a Small Business Administration-guaranteed loan from a major bank, and my banker is completing and helping me accumulate all the last details required for closing the loan.

I have lined up a local bamboo furniture artist to make various pieces for the restaurant including all the table tops (see It’s a Grass).

Finally, I have signed a local PR agent and firm to represent Terroir and me. I will give you the details and what we are working on in an upcoming entry.

I’ll leave you for now with a last piece of advice. Take a camera, preferably a digital camera, with you … always. I use mine to take pictures of food, restaurant design, plates, flatware and waiter uniforms. I’ve used it to document Terroir’s construction and to show Mary, my wife, potential chairs and various construction elements.

Next up, “If You Don't Know Where You're Going, You'll Probably End Up Somewhere Else.”

And the journey continues.

Cheers!

Stu

Posted by Stu Stein on January 8, 2007 | Comments (0)