![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
An Evening Out
May. 16th, 2003 08:52 amHad an extremely pleasant evening last night. Some of us drove about 20 kms outside Beauvais to a restaurant that has recently been bought by an old acquaintance. Andy is a Geordie who met a French girl who was studying in Newcastle. They married, and tried settling in the UK, but soon returned to France. Andy learnt French (with a broad Geordie accent) and worked as a manager in our favourite hotel in Beauvais. After seeing the restaurant I can understand why he took the plunge to open his own place. It’s a huge rundown restaurant with 70-100 covers and a function room for a further 100. He’s inherited a lot of the previous owner’s staff and customers; both of which are old, ultra-conservative and inflexible! He’s making steps to get rid of the former without alienating the latter.
We had a great meal and then had a few drinks with Andy. He’s got lots of plans, but I was encouraged to find that he understands cashflow and is taking things very steadily. He’s resisted a common urge top rip out all of the old fixtures and he recognise the importance of marketing the restaurant to the right client-base. I left him with sincere wishes for success and a pledge that I would spread the word for him. I may even be able to persuade the Project to have their celebration party (for 150) in the restaurant. I know that he’d give us a good deal, but more importantly, he’d do everything and more to make the event a success (150 potential return customers!).
As we drove away I felt a slight twinge of jealousy. Most of you know I love to cook and I could easily see myself running a place like that – I just wouldn’t have the guts to walk away from the stability that I’ve got. I’m also inherently lazy and would balk at the enormous task that Andy and his wife have ahead of them to make their restaurant a success.
We had a great meal and then had a few drinks with Andy. He’s got lots of plans, but I was encouraged to find that he understands cashflow and is taking things very steadily. He’s resisted a common urge top rip out all of the old fixtures and he recognise the importance of marketing the restaurant to the right client-base. I left him with sincere wishes for success and a pledge that I would spread the word for him. I may even be able to persuade the Project to have their celebration party (for 150) in the restaurant. I know that he’d give us a good deal, but more importantly, he’d do everything and more to make the event a success (150 potential return customers!).
As we drove away I felt a slight twinge of jealousy. Most of you know I love to cook and I could easily see myself running a place like that – I just wouldn’t have the guts to walk away from the stability that I’ve got. I’m also inherently lazy and would balk at the enormous task that Andy and his wife have ahead of them to make their restaurant a success.
