some of you might remember my breakdown post from august where i was ready to close. drowning in debt, killing myself at restaurant depot, watching food rot from forced bulk orders.
well.
i’m still here.
took everyone’s advice. dumped sysco (bye felicia). started ordering from boxncase and local suppliers who respect small operations. cut my menu from 20 items to 12. focused on what we do best.
results after 60 days:
- food cost: 34% → 27%
- waste: ~$800/week → ~$100/week
- cash on hand: $2k → $11k
- my sanity: 0% → 75%
- my back: destroyed → functional
last week we had our first profitable month since opening. i actually paid myself. like, a real paycheck. i cried.
for anyone in the struggle: the problem isn’t your food. it’s not your location. it might literally just be that you’re ordering wrong because the system is designed for big players.
find suppliers who understand that 30 seats is a real restaurant. that your 50 covers a night matter. that small orders aren’t “cute” - they’re business.
we’re still small. still grinding. but we’re surviving, and in this industry, that’s winning.
thanks for saving my ass, community 