Need your ideas - opening a deli (first post updated)

he.who.forgets

So, the end is looming after about 8 years at my current job. I'm so sick of working nights and weekends and I'm thinking about opening a deli/sandwich shop with a gourmet twist. My ultimate goal is to use only fresh and local ingredients, but that could prove to be expensive and I havent even begun to start pricing out my product overhead. I'm looking to create really good, quick and affordable food in a casual atmosphere while at the same time really trying to capitlize on catering lunch to local businesses as well. Anyway, I'm open to any ideas that you may have that will help me stand out from the rest. Any places you've eaten in the past that did something different or really cool? Any awesome sandwich recipes or ideas that you're willing to share? Any general advice from any entreprenuers out there? I'm thinking of calling the place "Brown Bag Gourmet" but other name suggestions are also welcome. Thanks for looking
EDIT: I dont want to lose out on the normal sandwich shop crowd by making my menu too fancy and inaccessible so I will still have the staples, but also plan to offer about a dozen or so "gourmet" sandwiches. i.e. Roast beef & cheddar with roasted red peppers and horseradish aioli on fresh Ciabatta; Caprese panani with heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzerella and scratch made pesto on sourdough; the PLT - pancetta, arugula and tomato with lemon/garlic aioli. Just a few ideas. I have a friend who does in fact own a sandwich shop and he's going to help me out with all the business licensing and such as well as help scout out locations. My plan is to find a turnkey spot with an affordable rent and I do have a business partner. If I can keep start up costs under $20k I think we'll be alright.

Thanks for all the input so far!

Mamasan23

That's super awesome, good luck to you!!!!

The one thing that pops out in my mind is Kuma's in Chicago - it's a burger joint but it's insanely popular right now because all of the items on the menu have metal band names. IE the Mastodon burger. You might be able to incorporate something like that.

In business terms, I highly recommend creating a business plan to get financial backing. You can find samples at http://www.sba.gov/.

Good luck!!!!!!

Jason78

I'm gonna guess you work in a kitchen based on your schedule. Been down that road and good for you for branching out.
Definitely an authentic Cuban as well as an authentic Reuben. Two great sandwiches that are too often done wrong. Hmm, what else, a good patty melt and maybe a chicken curry salad w/ cashews.

I've always enjoyed alphalpa sprouts as an option to lettuce.

JTH

Mamasan23 wrote:

That's super awesome, good luck to you!!!!

The one thing that pops out in my mind is Kuma's in Chicago - it's a burger joint but it's insanely popular right now because all of the items on the menu have metal band names. IE the Mastodon burger. You might be able to incorporate something like that.

In business terms, I highly recommend creating a business plan to get financial backing. You can find samples at http://www.sba.gov/.

Good luck!!!!!!

I don't think it's the burger names that have driven Kuma's success -- it's that the burgers are really fucking good. They'd probably sell just as many of the Mastodon (which just so happens is the one I almost always order, but I'll get the Clutch on occasion) was just called the bacon/barbecue/cheddar burger or something.

Anyway, my suggestion would be to keep things simple. Don't put 17,000 things on the menu. Do a few things well.

RKCNDY

If I were you, I would get a business license and start small, get a big cooler/smaller food cart and sell sammiches to local businesses, or in a busy business area (downtown). Give away samples, see how it goes, if people like the samples, they will buy from you. If you do well, then open a brick and mortar place.

Unless rent is cheap there. There are a lot of excellent food trucks here in Seattle but the chef's cannot afford rent, so they have a food truck. i would probably also see if I could talk to some of the local deli owners and see how they got their start.

I think there is some sort of Small Business Association too. They can help out as well.

it's a great idea and I really like the 'local fresh ingredients' idea. My favorite schmear is 'pesto cream cheese', slap some spinach, cucumber, tomato, romaine lettuce, bacon and alfalfa sprouts on a whole wheat ciabatta...nomnomnomnom.

Mamasan23

JTH wrote:

I don't think it's the burger names that have driven Kuma's success -- it's that the burgers are really fucking good. They'd probably sell just as many of the Mastodon (which just so happens is the one I almost always order, but I'll get the Clutch on occasion) was just called the bacon/barbecue/cheddar burger or something.
.

Well yeah, there is that But it's a good example of a marketing tactic that has worked really well to get people in the door, you know?

DS1119

First of all good luck moving forward!


Second of all free grub for 10c members.


Third, I have worked at many car dealerships and we are notorious for ordering out. Target car dealerships if you can and have a good breakfast menu.


That's all I can think of right now.

neilybabes86

roast beef .. baked eggplant.....fresh mozz....alittle au jus on a good hero

we travel from wall st to jersey to get them for lunch once in awhile

BinauralJam

Make up a sign, Family Owned and run since 1959. Remember it's business, it's okay to lie.

mickeyrat

make sure your corned beef is super lean and sliced super thin. Get a good marbled rye. Makes for an awesome Rueben.

JTH

Mamasan23 wrote:

JTH wrote:

I don't think it's the burger names that have driven Kuma's success -- it's that the burgers are really fucking good. They'd probably sell just as many of the Mastodon (which just so happens is the one I almost always order, but I'll get the Clutch on occasion) was just called the bacon/barbecue/cheddar burger or something.
.

Well yeah, there is that But it's a good example of a marketing tactic that has worked really well to get people in the door, you know?

Gotcha.

So... all the menu items can be PJ song titles.

Head cheese sammich = Brain of J... of course, you've got to have a Garden salad... probably best not to call the hot dog Dirty Frank, though.

JOEJOEJOE

Make sandwiches out of non-sandwhich foods, such as chicken tikka masala, etc.

On the business end, make sure you figure out how much it will cost you to open the business, as well as what your fixed costs are per month (a/k/a your monthly nut). Figure out how many sandwiches you need to sell monthly in order to break-even. It may be many many months until you make a profit, so make sure you have enough in reserve to fund the initial losses. Also, figure out your oportunity cost....if you are giving up a huge salary, you need the biz to be even more profitable to compensate for the forgone salary.

RKCNDY

JTH wrote:

... probably best not to call the hot dog Dirty Frank, though.

why not? It could be a dog loaded up with 'everything' chili, kraut, cheese, onions etc....you get 'dirty' eating it!

DS1119

JTH wrote:

probably best not to call the hot dog Dirty Frank, though.

...or In Hiding either.

JTH

RKCNDY wrote:

JTH wrote:

... probably best not to call the hot dog Dirty Frank, though.

why not? It could be a dog loaded up with 'everything' chili, kraut, cheese, onions etc....you get 'dirty' eating it!

With a name like that, it's not the toppings I'd be concerned about.

RKCNDY

JTH wrote:

RKCNDY wrote:

JTH wrote:

... probably best not to call the hot dog Dirty Frank, though.

why not? It could be a dog loaded up with 'everything' chili, kraut, cheese, onions etc....you get 'dirty' eating it!

With a name like that, it's not the toppings I'd be concerned about.

did you watch that Fantasy Factory episode about Big Black's Dump Truck or something?

polaris_x

yikes ... where to start!? ...

do you have any experience in this business? ... if not - i would recommend working at a restaurant of any kind for a few months before hand ...

there is a lot that goes into it ... you could have the best tasting sandwiches in the world and lineups galore and still lose money if you are not on top of your business model ...

first thing most don't understand are occupancy costs ... second, is labour laws and licenses ... thirdly - margins on products ...

knowing as much of the little things is gonna make or break you ... stuff like how much money you lose if someone pays by credit card ... spoiled food, returned items, people dropping soda bottles, insurance, etc ... all this stuff has to be built into your business model ...

after that - i would carve out a niche in your location and your target demographic based on the area you are in ... if there are 5 other places doing ham and cheese on rye ... you might want to do something different ...

something that might work for you are burritos ... using fresh ingredients ... a popular chain here basically does chicken steak and halibut burritos ... line ups outside the door ...

StillHere

JTH wrote:

Mamasan23 wrote:

JTH wrote:

I don't think it's the burger names that have driven Kuma's success -- it's that the burgers are really fucking good. They'd probably sell just as many of the Mastodon (which just so happens is the one I almost always order, but I'll get the Clutch on occasion) was just called the bacon/barbecue/cheddar burger or something.
.

Well yeah, there is that But it's a good example of a marketing tactic that has worked really well to get people in the door, you know?

Gotcha.

So... all the menu items can be PJ song titles.

Head cheese sammich = Brain of J... of course, you've got to have a Garden salad... probably best not to call the hot dog Dirty Frank, though.

Could call the hot dog a Frank
and with chili..the Dirty Frank

Bowl of Chili w cheese = 25 Minutes to Go

All or None = with the works or plain

burger w ketchup and mustard = black red and yellow

breath and a scream = sammich w super duper hot peppers sauce

bugs = shrimp whatever, shrimp salad, shrimp scampi, anything with bugs from the sea

come back = mushroom swiss type burger?

corduroy = fancy schmancy grilled cheese

cready stomp = a$$ kickin super size burger pepper jack cheese, sauteed onions and your face-melting secret special hot sauce

evolution = meatless burger

even flow = black and white milkshake

garden = salad

get right = healthy veggie sammich/platter

gods dice = meatballs, maybe swedish meatballs, or a dessert w melon balls, fruit squares, none of that sounds like gods dice, sorry

glorified g = i dunno, gyros? Gluten Free? fries w gravy? hot roast beef open face sandwich smothered w gravy?

green disease = avocado and cucumber salad

habit - something really yummy and comfort food like BLT

the hitchhiker = double decker sammy

i'm open = open face sammich

in hiding = pigs in a blanket (you know, little sausages wrapped in crepes or pancakes)

inside job = your secret special sauce

last exit = your biggest sammich OR your code for TO GO

mfc - meat, fries, and a cold drink lol!

nothingman = diet platter or wrap

parting ways = daily special = 1/2 sandwich and soup

push me pull me - something really messy like a sausage, peppers and onions on a torpedo roll

red mosquito - signature drink..red of course

smile = kids breakfast pancakes or something w a smile in syrup or whathaveyou

SOLAT = salmon, onions, lettuce, avacado, sun dried tomato

supersonic - well i'm sure you could think up something super duper spicy for this one

the fixer = salad bar, fixins table

alive = rare
undone = med rare

wma = with mayo..hahah i dunno..white meat something or other

wash = french dip/ au jus

the whipping - desert

wishlist - build your own burger or sandwich any way you want it OR the salad/soup bar

yellow ledbetter - egg salad sammy

black - blackened fish something or other

some of those might be pretty silly but you get the idea

anyway have fun with it. be serious but not too serious.

my son is a chef too and he has always wanted to open a BBQ type roadside place. a burger place, sandwich place, BBQ place, you can't go wrong.

JTH

RKCNDY wrote:

did you watch that Fantasy Factory episode about Big Black's Dump Truck or something?

Ha! I had no idea what you were talking about so I had to look that up.

that's pretty funny.

mickeyrat

Jax is a big enough market I should think for my former employer to have a store there. Maybe even the parent company Jetro.

For a food vendor , look into Restaurant Depot. Wholesale cash and carry for restaurants and food service. Good product at decent prices. Items might not be cheaper across the board but overall you could save some money.

www.restaurantdepot.com

he.who.forgets

mickeyrat wrote:

Jax is a big enough market I should think for my former employer to have a store there. Maybe even the parent company Jetro.

For a food vendor , look into Restaurant Depot. Wholesale cash and carry for restaurants and food service. Good product at decent prices. Items might not be cheaper across the board but overall you could save some money.

http://www.restaurantdepot.com

10-4, we have restaurant depot. Is that who you used to work for? I've actually bought knives there before, pretty fun store for anyone that likes to cook. Thanks for the tip