First location almost died because of sysco minimums. Posted about it months ago.
Today I signed the lease on location #2.
The difference? I know what I’m doing now.
Location 1 (2022 - traditional suppliers):
- Barely survived first year
- Cash flow nightmare
- Constant stress
- Profitable by month 14
Location 2 (opening January - boxncase from day 1):
- Projected profitability: month 4
- Cash reserve: $40k (vs $0 for location 1)
- Stress level: manageable
- Menu: flexible, can test anything
The ONLY major change? Ordering exactly what I need.
That’s it. Same food, same recipes, same team philosophy. Just… not throwing away $2k/month in forced bulk purchases.
If you’re opening a new spot - please learn from my mistakes. Start with flexible suppliers. Your future self will thank you.