Whole Food Restaurant?

[EmilyK]

So...I got a little bit of a crazy hair last week and applied to culinary school.  It's been something I've wanted to do for most of my adult life, and I finally just started to feel like I could swing it now.

 

I've been mulling over my end game with that for the last few days.  I've been wondering about how much in demand a whole-food restaurant (or honestly, more likely, a food truck to begin with) would be.  I know that I often wish something like that was an option for myself, but I'm not sure how accessible something like that would be to the general public.

 

So, Whole30-ers, tell me--would you patronize a restaurant or food truck whose menu was built on the idea of Whole30?  What kinds of menus would you like to see?  Do you think such an idea could be sustainable, or what would need to be included to make it accessible for those who are "strict" Whole30 as well as companions who might not be?

 

Catchy kind of name for such a place?

 

Help me braindream, guys.  ;-D

[Rebe_J]

I don't go out to eat very often, and when I do, it's usually a special occasion and dietary rules are relaxed. While doing W30, I am less likely to go out. But that's one person's viewpoint.

 

As a former restaurant owner, my immediate thought is that it's a great idea on paper, but in reality...not so much. Of course, my experience in the biz was many years ago...

 

I think you would have to appeal to a wider range of clientele, and offer a special selection for W30, Paleo, Primal, etc. That concept is working right now in a few places in my area. 

 

You might check out Mark Sisson's pitch for partners/franchisors in a Primal Kitchen restaurant idea. I just tried to access his website, Mark's Daily Apple, for more details, but the page is not loading right now.

[EmilyK]

I appreciate the feedback. 

 

I also generally relaxed my rules some, but I also react really violently to dairy and I don't like having to just assume that I'm going to feel like hell if I eat a meal that someone else has cooked--which has definitely been my experience.  I would really love to not have to make that concession all the time.

 

This is still a long way off. But I know we don't really have anything around here that's paleo/primal/whole at all--not sure if there's not the demand, or what. 

 

I will definitely check out Sisson's website.  Thanks!

[Tom Denham]

I loved a "healthy eating" restaurant that opened in my neighborhood back in the 1980s. I thought the food was good. They went out of business in less than one year. Of course, many, if not most, restaurants go out of business in less than one year. Typically, they don't have enough money to make it when they start and run out of money before they have time to grow the business. The other big problem with restaurants is owners with cocaine or other drug problems. They start using more when they begin with a big success and flame out within months because quality control is destroyed. 

 

The coolest, low-risk culinary start-up model I've seen is at a church near me. The church allows the chef they hired to cook for church events to run his catering business out of the church. Lots of church members hire him for special occasions, he handles the Rotary Club breakfast every week, etc. If he wanted to start a restaurant or food truck after a year or two, he would have a clientele established.

[CaGirl]

I think is a great Idea and surprised someone hasn't jumped on the band wagon yet!!!!

[ultrarunnergirl]

Been thinking a LOT about this myself. Haven't worked in the food industry since my teen years, so I don't have the business experience or the culinary experience I'd want before undertaking such a project (aside from my own cooking, of course, which is pretty damn good but I suspect that might not translate all that easily to a restaurant model). Plus, running a restaurant is TIME CONSUMING!

 

That aside, I think I'd start with something like a Grassfed Burger model, with lettuce wrap options on the menu as well as the standard french fries, so when SAD types wander in, they have no idea there are "healthy options" -- they just see a "burger place" where they can bring their family.

 

From there, offer one or two interesting Whole30 sides, including a standard salad option.

 

Maybe merge two concepts -- burger place + salad place. We have a great salad place called Sweetgreen and they have amazing choices, you just tell them what protein, veggies, greens, dressing you want and most of it is compliant. Depending on how Melissa & Dallas handle these things, you could have a little note on the menu touting the Whole30 options next to each item.

 

As for the name, I'm not sure I'd make it really Whole30 or Paleo focused. When I think of the places that offer compliant options, Whole30ers find out through word of mouth (think Chipotle carnitas, here in my area, Elevation Burger which offers grassfed burgers and gluten-free fries). By the way, I think they offer franchises!

[EmilyK]

Those are some awesome suggestions, ultrarunnergirl. 

 

I also have like, no restaurant experience and I mostly just registered for culinary arts classes because I want to--I need something new to put my energies into.  I love cooking and miss school.  So it seemed natural.

 

I definitely wouldn't call myself anything related to paleo/primal/whole30/caveman.  I actually don't even say that I eat paleo because it has really become a joke. Plus, I wouldn't necessarily want to hang on the gimmicky aspect of it, but just offering yummy food that is compliant and offer more options than just a burger and broccoli for people who eat like we do.

[Zyriel]

We have a couple where I live that opened up a "Cultured Caveman" foodcart and they were so successful they opened up two more and a brick and mortar restaurant. To be fair, Foodcarts are VERY popular where I live, as are various alternative diets.

 

I think it really depends on your market. But I can tell you, it can be viable.

 

My favorite thing they server are their meatloaf or meatballs. They are 50% muscle meat and 50% organ meat and they are SOOOO good. I'm really looking forward to going to their restaurant, I haven't been yet. They were also the first place in town to serve broth, way before the "broth bar" craze started. I don't care for theirs, but I have yet to find a place whose broth I like so...

[GFChris]

Name-wise, you could do a spin-off on JERF: Just Eat Real Food   

Find out if your culinary school curriculum includes market research classes where you can research a geographic area for viability of your idea. You might also see if your local area offers resources/counseling for first time women entrepreneurs. 

[jent103]

I like Chris's idea of the JERF concept! I think anything labeled paleo/Whole30/even gluten- or dairy-free would appeal very strongly to people who eat that way, but is often met with eye rolls by people who don't, so you might lose clientele. If you play up the "real food, no additives, etc" concept, I think you're more likely to appeal to people who just want to eat "healthier" without alienating people who think gluten-free is a passing craze, for example. Plus it gives you some flexibility with regards to potatoes, desserts, etc, if you felt like doing that. If possible, marking Whole30-compliant menu options would be awesome.

 

I'm a single professional who eats out fairly frequently, and I would LOVE if a restaurant like this were available to me, especially with sit-down and takeout options. LOVE. You would get so much of my money.

[NY2LA2MONTREAL]

So...I got a little bit of a crazy hair last week and applied to culinary school.  It's been something I've wanted to do for most of my adult life, and I finally just started to feel like I could swing it now.

 

I've been mulling over my end game with that for the last few days.  I've been wondering about how much in demand a whole-food restaurant (or honestly, more likely, a food truck to begin with) would be.  I know that I often wish something like that was an option for myself, but I'm not sure how accessible something like that would be to the general public.

 

So, Whole30-ers, tell me--would you patronize a restaurant or food truck whose menu was built on the idea of Whole30?  What kinds of menus would you like to see?  Do you think such an idea could be sustainable, or what would need to be included to make it accessible for those who are "strict" Whole30 as well as companions who might not be?

 

Catchy kind of name for such a place?

 

Help me braindream, guys.  ;-D

There was a place I used to go to in Burbank, CA....they made the best salads.  It was take out....the salads were amazing and worth every penny.  They were thriving when I left....but that was 3 years ago.

 

Like Tom said above, most restaurants go out of business in the first year...doesn't matter what kind.  You need to do a lot of homework, feasibility studies, and figure out if it is worth the investment.  

 

Another thought is a "pop up restaurant"...check out this link....I saw something like this on tv months ago.

 

http://restaurants.about.com/od/restaurantconcepts/ht/How-To-Open-A-Pop-Up-Restaurant.htm

 

Good Luck

[Seafarer]

I'm not sure a restaurant with a narrow focus would survive, unless you are in a really big market, but one of the most successful restaurants in my area (and longest-running) is one that has a "normal" menu, but also a "specialty" menu. The specialty menu is smaller than the regular menu, but has several pages and for each type of specialized need, there is a page dedicated to that type, for example, gluten-free, low-fat, low carb, SFL compliant, etc. The items might also be found on the main menu, but for people who are very specific in their needs, it's great to just have your own page & not need to search through ALL the available options to find something. It saves time for the servers too - far fewer questions about ingredients.

 

I like Tom's idea of building a clientele before launching bricks & mortar. Catering would do that. Or preparing meals that families can pick up & take home to have a "family meal" around the table. When I was working full time I would have paid significant bucks to have the convenience of take-out with a real food concept.

[Raven]

Hey, EmilyK!

 

Like Zyriel said, Cultured Caveman is awesome!  I went to visit them in 2012 and their food was delicious and Heather was super nice!  Maybe contact them and see if they can give you some pointers.  

 

http://culturedcavemanpdx.com/

 

And to go along with what you said about not naming yourself "anything related to paleo/primal/whole30/caveman," I think the people at Hu Kitchen have a good idea...focus on Human Food.

 

http://hukitchen.com/

[patriciablack]

I would definitely want to go to a place with the offerings you describe. And I can't tell  you how many times I've heard friends say they wish there was someplace they could stop and have something healthy when they're out on the road in the middle of fast-food wasteland. 

 

I think there are more and more of us who are conscious about what we eat and would be so happy to find compliant offerings. Of course, if you can make the menu friendly to those who are more mainstream too, then I could go there with my family and everyone could eat. I guess it depends on what the location you choose can support.

 

Best of luck. Let us know how it goes!

[GetnFitr]

I would LOVE to have a place like what you're talking about. In fact, I'd probably go three times a week. My daughter has dairy and egg allergies, and it is very hard to find a place to eat out where I don't have to ask a billion questions about every ingredient on the menu. Another plus, is that more and more people are, unfortunately, impacted by food allergies and intolerances, so from my viewpoint, you'd be ahead of the trend. Food carts are huge in my town, and would be an awesome way to get started. Some of the best chefs in our town, have taken their shows on the road so to speak, and opened up food carts, as mini extensions of their restaurants.

I say go for it! It's a brilliant idea, follow your passion, life is short. If it doesn't work out, you will at least know you gave it a try!