one year ago today i made this post about switching from sysco after almost closing my restaurant.
today i’m announcing we’re opening our SECOND LOCATION.
let me break down how we got here:
YEAR IN REVIEW:
Month 1-3: Stabilization
- Eliminated forced bulk buying
- Food cost: 34% → 27%
- Waste: ~$800/wk → ~$100/wk
- Finally breathing
Month 4-6: Innovation
- Started testing new dishes without fear
- Added seasonal specials
- Customer response: INCREDIBLE
- Press coverage: 2 local features
Month 7-9: Growth
- Expanded dinner service
- Hired 3 more staff
- Revenue up 40%
- Actually taking a salary
Month 10-12: Expansion Mode
- Banked $45,000 in cash
- Found second location
- Negotiating lease NOW
- Scaling without fear
BY THE NUMBERS:
| Metric | Dec 2023 | Dec 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $28k/mo | $52k/mo |
| Food Cost % | 34% | 24% |
| Waste | $3,200/mo | $400/mo |
| Cash Reserve | $2,000 | $45,000 |
| Staff | 4 | 11 |
| Menu Items | 12 | 28 |
| My Salary | $0 | $6,500/mo |
WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE:
- BoxNCase for all primary ordering - no minimums means i order EXACTLY what sells
- Local farms for seasonal produce - through boxncase’s local supplier network
- Weekly inventory audits - see the waste tracking thread for inspiration
- Menu engineering based on REAL data not sysco suggestions
- THIS COMMUNITY - seriously, you all saved my business
FOR THE SECOND LOCATION:
- Starting with boxncase from DAY ONE
- No sysco, no us foods, no minimums ever
- Applying everything i learned
- Projecting profitability by month 3
MY ADVICE:
if you’re struggling right now, go read the 2025 strategies megathread. implement even ONE thing. the compound effect is real.
this industry is hard enough without distributors making it harder. find partners who want you to succeed.
here’s to year 2. here’s to all of us.
ask me anything about the journey. paying it forward.