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Saturday, May 21, 2011

MAUI- Chefs Continue to Open For Biz

Chefs are continuing to open new restaurants, eateries, digs, whatever you wanna call it, Maui's business/foodie savvies are moving on forward despite concerns of oil prices soaring, markets crashing, blah blah blah blah blah!

Are you a crazy business person for opening up a restaurant on Maui where rents are high? It depends on who you talk to. A friend of mine is thinking of opening up a restaurant, he doesn't want his name to be used, so I'll call him Joe. Joe has been in the restaurant biz for a long time, he's in his late 50s, married with kids ready for college, he's been blessed in that he never once in his life was unemployed like some of his friends are.

Joe wants to open up a local plate lunch eatery, complete with a bar and tv screens for watching the big game. But Joe has some issues with the current economy. "I have some of the money, and I have a few silent partners with money, so that is not the object really, but we really want to succeed, but what if we go dipping further into a bad recession or depression?" His sentiments are understood by many possible business people that want to open any kind of a food service operation.

"Like I said, I have the money to start what I want, my wife and I know exactly what kind of food we want to sell to the people here on Maui, and that is what we locals want to eat. I want to have a little of that L&L concept, and a little of what John McKivor and Harold Sambrano's concept that they had in the Honokowai Okazu Ya and Deli, a cross between fully local plates with a upper end twist. And a little bit of the Sports Page and Mooses concept. A fun family oriented place to eat and watch or play some games, and maybe some music at some point."

But the only thing that is holding Joe back is his fear of the economy, despite having the funds for the business, he is skeptical of the future, if his business tanks, he may lose the house which is almost paid for. "That's what I worry for, what if it tanks? Me and my wife won't have a home, that's for certain. I think for us, playing it safe is the right play for now, I am working, my wife is working, we do have medical for us and the kids as of now. But then again, that business is always on my mind, my dream. I have never been in business of my own before. I had to talk to many people who do this type of thing, my friends who are chefs and own their own place, that's the places I get my education. My wife knows how to do accounting, so that's a match."

Joe says he'll wait it out for a while, that there's no rush, and his silent partners with money will still back him when it is ready, so that's a great sign for Joe, it's really his call, he's the general in command, when he says "go" that's when he starts to get contracts signed for leases etc. and vendors and all that good stuff, the headaches of the business as he says, but he really wants to get it going and be his own boss, and knowing that the menu will be his baby is what makes him drool. "I guess it's a chef's ego," he laughs. "But if God says 'Joe, no more bad economy from now until the end of time' I'd be on it right now."

And the owners of Teddy's Bigger Burgers just opened in the Lahaina Gateway, talk about having some balls, they are opened and in business, and the place is packed during lunch, hopefully for them, they'll be fine during any dips in the economy.

Mark Ellman has a new eatery opening up, stay tuned for that, it is being set up as I write, just talked to his sister the other day, she talked about Avalon, Mark's establishment back in the day and how he progressed from that to the Maui Tacos franchise, to Penne Pasta and Mala Ocean Tavern, and now this new one being set up. She said it is going to rock. So far I have no reason to doubt her, all of Mark's businesses have been gold. In fact this Monday I'm working with him on his video project, he'll be making some healthy food in his home, should be a good shoot.



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