I have two neighbors that are principles in Bartaco (and Barcelona’s) and after growing into a wide ranging franchise, they are apparently selling to some bigger restaraunt group for something like $350M. When you own 20% and sell for that money, I’m not sure what the net is, but it’s enough to realize that there are some success stories out there.... in the midst of challenges and failures.
It's not so different from saying "I'm going to make a living racing motorcycles in the US". Sure, there are some people doing it, but the odds are stacked against you. Now if it's absolutely your dream and the only thing you think about all day. And it's not going to bankrupt you otherwise, then hell, go for it. Or fuck it, maybe go for it anyway and beat the odds.
Why not try a food truck?. That to me would be a cool way to do it as a hobby and eork on the recipies. Set up outside a contruction site. Hell, you can make decent money just refilling coffee thermoses and selling street tacos.
I worked with some managers that absolutely loved the industry, so there's a chance it might be your thing, but it is an awful lot of work. It's not a job, it's a lifestyle. When everyone else is off, you're working.
Wife and I want to do that when we retire. Travel down through the states during the winter in an RV towing a food trailer, cooking whatever local stuff we can, and making up the menu's as we go. Try and create a bit of a buzz a couple weeks prior to arriving at a spot via social media (if it exists in 15-20 years) and stick around a couple days to a week then move on to the next spot. Not planning on making a killing doing it, but if it pays the bills for the trip and I don't have to shovel and plow snow all winter I'll consider it a success.
That's actually one of my big concerns, but not totally insurmountable. Just need to figure out how to supply the right palms with the right amount of cash. I've got a few years between now and then to try and figure it out.
Health department regulations can vary from city to city, not just state to state. Then there is the business license thing. Not trying to rain on your parade, because it actually sounds like fun, but damn.
Not raining on my parade at all. I know OF the permitting and licensing bull, as well as the need for renting/leasing a spot to set up shop. It's not as simple as pulling up to a spot rolling the awning down and start slinging tacos out the side window. lol. No point in getting into it and figuring it all out now as we're still 15-20 years away and everything will change 1000 times over between then and now. Everything first starts with an idea, THEN you figure out the details to make it happen.....
I bartend on weekends for my friend who owns a restaurant/tavern. Aside from all of the labor issues with younglings calling out or just not showing up, unsavory bartenders that swipe money because it's easy to do..or customers wanting their meal and drinks comped for the most minor reason like French fries are too crunchy..or what gets me the most upset is someone will order a drink like a Manhattan because they never tried one..then they say ohh its made wrong or there must be something In the shaker..aside from all that my friend loves the business but he has to be on top of everything all the time ..ALL OF THE TIME. It's a labor of love he says. So as a non owner I would suggest that you be prepared to work a boatload of hours.
Just as an example of how silly some of the regulations have gotten...Augusta is an evacuation destination for folks on the Atlantic coast when they are sent inland for storm events. Local churches set up grills and we cooking to feed the refugees and were shut down because their grills were not FEMA certified.
Any regulations against selling maps? I could just sell maps, and give them to customers wrapped around burgers.
Sell tickets and exchange them for burgers. That's how we got around the alcohol regulations in our college dorm.