The food business is a tough one. I, for one, know personally since I am a co-owner of a restaurant in Lewes. It is these cold, hard months of December and January that are especially tough on those brave souls who have ventured into the merciless business of food.
But opening a business, any business for that matter, is an endeavor not for the faint of heart. It's someone braving an unknown storm that has devoured countless souls never to be heard from again.
It's your hopes and dreams that one anticipates will change one's life forever. Sometimes I drive through the Lewes area, and I see a closed sign on a business and it breaks my heart. Because with that closed sign many other things came to an end, and closing was possibly the most difficult decision they never wanted to make.
Did people not like our food? Could we have done better? How many times have people asked themselves these questions, not just in Lewes, but in anyone trying to get their little slice of the pie. This business is not for everyone, and especially not for those with timid hearts. This business requires you to rise to your feet no matter how hard the brutal blows to you are. If you can't take it, stay down; others will get up.
But if you are crazy enough and bold enough to put everything on the line, then you go open your restaurant. Because no one ever bought a Lamborghini working an eight-to-five job (the car payments are too high). Long hours and many sleepless nights await those who choose the business of food in the Lewes area. And it's a tough business made for tough people who I only assume live off nail and steak to keep nourished. And it has to be a passion because if it's not, you're just wasting your time; your customers will taste it in their food.
And just remember you can't satisfy everyone because people will say your food is awful, but they will also say your food is wonderful. So never be afraid to live your dream even if it's a suicide mission, since the equivalent is opening a restaurant. I read an article once that said "Why opening up a restaurant was the worst idea ever." I felt a tiny kick in the gut when I was reading it. But at the end of the article it concluded by saying so this why opening up a restaurant is the worst idea ever, but it can also be the worst, best idea you ever had.
Joaquin R. Cortez
Lewes
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