Restaurants Kinds and Characteristics

Broadly speaking, restaurants can be segmented into a number of categories:
1-  Chain or independent (indy) and franchise restaurants. McDonald's, Union Square Cafe, or KFC
2-  Quick service (QSR), sandwich. Burger, chicken, and so on; convenience store, noodle, pizza
3-  Fast casual. Panera Bread, Atlanta Bread Company, Au Bon Pain, and so on
4-  Family. Bob Evans, Perkins, Friendly's, Steak 'n Shake, Waffle House
5-  Casual. Applebee's, Hard Rock Caf´e, Chili's, TGI Friday's
6-  Fine dining. Charlie Trotter's, Morton's The Steakhouse, Flemming's, The Palm, Four Seasons
7-  Other. Steakhouses, seafood, ethnic, dinner houses, celebrity, and so on. Of course, some restaurants fall into more than one category. For example, an Italian restaurant could be casual and ethnic. Leading restaurant concepts in terms of sales have been tracked for years by the magazine Restaurants and
Institutions.

CHAIN OR INDEPENDENT
The impression that a few huge quick-service chains completely dominate the restaurant business is misleading. Chain restaurants have some advantages and some disadvantages over independent restaurants. The advantages include:

1-  Recognition in the marketplace
2-  Greater advertising clout
3-  Sophisticated systems development
4-  Discounted purchasing

When franchising, various kinds of assistance are available. Independent restaurants are relatively easy to open. All you need is a few thousand dollars, a knowledge of restaurant operations, and a strong desire to
succeed. The advantage for independent restaurateurs is that they can ''do their own thing'' in terms of concept development, menus, decor, and so on. Unless our habits and taste change drastically, there is plenty of room for independent restaurants in certain locations. Restaurants come and go. Some independent restaurants will grow into small chains, and larger companies will buy out small chains.

Once small chains display growth and popularity, they are likely to be bought out by a larger company or will be able to acquire financing for expansion. A temptation for the beginning restaurateur is to observe large restaurants in big cities and to believe that their success can be duplicated in secondary cities. Reading the restaurant reviews in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., or San Francisco may give the impression that unusual restaurants can be replicated in Des Moines, Kansas City, or Main Town, USA. Because of demographics, these high-style or ethnic restaurants will not click in small cities and towns.

5-  Will go for training from the bottom up and cover all areas of the restaurant's operation Franchising involves the least financial risk in that the restaurant format, including building design, menu, and marketing plans, already have been tested in the marketplace. Franchise restaurants are less likely to go belly up than independent restaurants. The reason is that the concept is proven and the operating procedures are established with all (or most) of the kinks worked out. Training is provided, and marketing and management support are available. The increased likelihood of success does not come cheap, however.

There is a franchising fee, a royalty fee, advertising royalty, and requirements of substantial personal net worth. For those lacking substantial restaurant experience, franchising may be a way to get into the restaurant business-providing they are prepared to start at the bottom and take a crash training course. Restaurant franchisees are entrepreneurs who prefer to own, operate, develop, and extend an existing business concept through a form of contractual business arrangement called franchising.1 Several franchises have ended up with multiple stores and made the big time. Naturally, most aspiring restaurateurs want to do their own thing-they have a concept in mind and can't wait to go for it.

Here are samples of the costs involved in franchising:

1-  A Miami Subs traditional restaurant has a $30,000 fee, a royalty of 4.5 percent, and requires at least five years' experience as a multi-unit operator, a personal/business equity of $1 million, and a personal/business
net worth of $5 million.

2-  Chili's requires a monthly fee based on the restaurant's sales performance (currently a service fee of 4 percent of monthly sales) plus the greater of (a) monthly base rent or (b) percentage rent that is at least 8.5 percent of monthly sales.

3-  McDonald's requires $200,000 of nonborrowed personal resources and an initial fee of $45,000, plus a monthly service fee based on the restaurant's sales performance (about 4 percent) and rent, which is a
monthly base rent or a percentage of monthly sales. Equipment and preopening costs range from $461,000 to $788,500.

4-  Pizza Factory Express Units (200 to 999 square feet) require a $5,000 franchise fee, a royalty of 5 percent, and an advertising fee of 2 percent. Equipment costs range from $25,000 to $90,000, with miscellaneous costs of $3,200 to $9,000 and opening inventory of $6,000.

5-  Earl of Sandwich has options for one unit with a net worth requirement of $750,000 and liquidity of $300,000; for 5 units, a net worth of $1 million and liquidity of $500,000 is required; for 10 units, net worth
of $2 million and liquidity of $800,000. The franchise fee is $25,000 per location, and the royalty is 6 percent.

What do you get for all this money? Franchisors will provide:

1-  Help with site selection and a review of any proposed sites
2-  Assistance with the design and building preparation
3-  Help with preparation for opening
4-  Training of managers and staff
5-  Planning and implementation of pre-opening marketing strategies
6-  Unit visits and ongoing operating advice

There are hundreds of restaurant franchise concepts, and they are not without risks. The restaurant owned or leased by a franchisee may fail even though it is part of a well-known chain that is highly successful. Franchisers also fail. A case in point is the highly touted Boston Market, which was based in Golden, Colorado. In 1993, when the company's stock was first offered to the public at $20 per share, it was eagerly bought, increasing the price to a high of $50 a share. In 1999, after the company declared bankruptcy, the share price sank to 75 cents. The contents of many of its stores were auctioned off at
a fraction of their cost.7 Fortunes were made and lost. One group that did not lose was the investment bankers who put together and sold the stock offering and received a sizable fee for services.

The offering group also did well; they were able to sell their shares while the stocks were high. Quick-service food chains as well-known as Hardee's and Carl's Jr. have also gone through periods of red ink. Both companies, now under one owner called CKE, experienced periods as long as four years when real earnings, as a company, were negative. (Individual stores, company owned or franchised, however, may have done well during the down periods.) There is no assurance that a franchised chain will prosper.

At one time in the mid-1970s, A&W Restaurants, Inc., of Farmington Hills, Michigan, had 2,400 units. In 1995, the chain numbered a few more than 600. After a buyout that year, the chain expanded by 400 stores. Some of the expansions took place in nontraditional locations, such as kiosks, truck stops, colleges, and convenience stores, where the full-service restaurant experience is not important. A restaurant concept may do well in one region but not in another. The style of operation may be highly compatible with the personality of one operator and not another.

Most franchised operations call for a lot of hard work and long hours, which many people perceive as drudgery. If the franchisee lacks sufficient capital and leases a building or land, there is the risk of paying more for the lease than the business can support. Relations between franchisers and the franchisees are often strained, even in the largest companies. The goals of each usually differ; franchisers want maximum fees, while franchisees want maximum support in marketing and franchised service such as employee training. At times, franchise chains get involved in litigation with their franchisees.

As franchise companies have set up hundreds of franchises across America, some regions are saturated: More franchised units were built than the area can support. Current franchise holders complain that adding more franchises serves only to reduce sales of existing stores. Pizza Hut, for example, stopped selling
franchises except to well-heeled buyers who can take on a number of units. Overseas markets constitute a large source of the income of several quick-service chains. As might be expected, McDonald's has been the leader in overseas expansions, with units in 119 countries.

With its roughly 30,000 restaurants serving some 50 million customers daily, about half of the company's profits come from outside the United States. A number of other quick-service chains also have large numbers of franchised units abroad.While the beginning restaurateur quite rightly concentrates on being successful here and now, many bright, ambitious, and energetic restaurateurs think of future possibilities abroad. Once a concept is established, the entrepreneur may sell out to a franchiser or, with a lot of guidance, take the format overseas via the franchise. (It is folly to build or buy in a foreign country without a partner who is financially secure and well versed in the local laws and culture.).

The McDonald's success story in the United States and abroad illustrates the importance of adaptability to local conditions. The company opens units in unlikely locations and closes those that do not do well. Abroad, menus are tailored to fit local customs. In the Indonesia crisis, for example, french fries that had to be imported were taken off the menu, and rice was substituted. Reading the life stories of big franchise winners may suggest that once a franchise is well established, the way is clear sailing. Thomas Monaghan, founder of Domino Pizza, tells a different story. At one time, the chain had accumulated a debt of $500 million. Monaghan, a devout Catholic, said that he changed his life by renouncing his greatest sin, pride, and rededicating his life to ''God, family, and pizza.''

A meeting with Pope John Paul II had changed his life and his feeling about good and evil as ''personal and abiding.'' Fortunately, in Mr. Monaghan's case, the rededication worked well. There are 7,096 Domino Pizza outlets worldwide, with sales of about $3.78 billion a year. Monaghan sold most of his interest in the company for a reported $1 billion and announced that he would use his fortune to further Catholic church causes. In the recent past, most food-service millionaires have been franchisers, yet a large number of would-be restaurateurs, especially those enrolled in university degree courses in hotel and restaurant management, are not very excited about being a quick-service franchisee.

They prefer owning or managing a full-service restaurant. Prospective franchisees should review their food experience and their access to money and decide which franchise would be appropriate for them. If they have little or no food experience, they can consider starting their restaurant career with a less expensive franchise, one that provides start-up training. For those with some experience who want a proven concept, the Friendly's chain, which began franchising in 1999, may be a good choice. The chain has more than 700 units. The restaurants are considered family dining and feature ice cream specialties, sandwiches, soups, and quickservice meals.

Let's emphasize this point again: Work in a restaurant you enjoy and perhaps would like to emulate in your own restaurant. If you have enough experience and money, you can strike out on your own. Better yet, work in a successful restaurant where a partnership or proprietorship might be possible or where the owner is thinking about retiring and, for tax or other reasons, may be willing to take payments over time.
Franchisees are, in effect, entrepreneurs, many of whom create chains within chains.

McDonald's had the highest system-wide sales of a quick-service chain, followed by Burger King. Wendy's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC came next. Subway, as one among hundreds of franchisers, gained total sales of $3.9 billion. There is no doubt that 10 years from now, a listing of the companies with the highest sales will be different. Some of the current leaders will experience sales declines, and some will merge with or be bought out by other companies-some of which may be financial giants not previously engaged in the restaurant business.

Hyderabadi Biryani at Bombay Palace - Restaurants in Hyderabad

What you see - Right along the chaotic Lakdi-ka-Pul junction is The Hampshire Plaza hotel. The huge lobby leads to a corridor to the restaurant - Bombay Palace. The door resembles that of a palatial chamber. Inside is the small restaurant which has a Mughlai feel to it. The walls have images of Bombay as it was in the earlier years. You are greeted with pictures of the Victoria Terminus, The Gateway of India, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Building. There is a deep sense of nostalgia attached to it. It is really like a slice of Bombay in Hyderabad.

A famous international chain of restaurants serving Indian food in New York, Kuala Lumpur, Budapest, Toronto and London. The uniqueness of cuisine here lies in its adaptation to tastes of the local people. The place, therefore, mainly serves Mughlai cuisine with special Hyderabadi and Andhra dishes.

What you get - The restaurant has a very elaborate wine list. In fact, even water is served in long stemmed wine glasses. On the menu are a delectable selection of Kebabs from Shikampur to Sheek and a very good selection of Tandoori seafood thrown in. Even the roasted Papads are very tangy and tasty.

In the vegetarian starters there is a unique selection of Chaat dishes such as Ragda Patties (an ode to the iconic Chowpatty Chaat) to choose from along with other popular ones like Paneer Tikka, Aloo Wraps etc. The platter is the best choice if you want to savor the taste of all that is on offer.

Coming to the main course there is a very wide range of Biryanis. The traditional Hyderabadi Biryani is prepared in three different styles! Must-try is the aromatic Nizami Prawn Biryani. Then there is the traditional Mughlai fare which includes Murgh Makkhanwala, Kadhai Murgh and seafood like Fish Amritsari with cream.

Our verdict - For a unique experience as far as Hyderabadi Biryani is concerned go to Bombay Palace (sounds paradoxical but it's true). The seafood is indeed one of the best in the city and the service is quite good. The restaurant staff is very courteous and makes efforts to make the guest feel at ease. For a good experience try the white wines with white meats and the red wine with the red meats.

The ambiance complements the food very well with light music playing in the background. Valet parking is available. The place is currently open only for dinner and in the day is available for large or party bookings with special packages on offer.

What you pay for a meal for two - Rs. 650 (without wine).

America's Favorite Restaurants Secret Recipes Revealed

What exactly are the secrets behind America's favorite restaurant recipes? Millions of people all over the country line up at the doors, waiting forever in long lines, just to experience the unique taste of these foods. Restaurants such as, Chili's, Applebee's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, KFC, and even Burger King and McDonald's profit millions of dollars every day by giving America delicious meals they can't seem to find else where. What are the secret ingredients that make these foods taste so good and cause us to spend so much money to enjoy?

The truth is there are no secret ingredients in the recipes of America's favorite restaurants. The truth is you can make these same dishes in your very own kitchen. The only real secret is how to use a combination of common ingredients, spices and herbs, and the method of cooking, in order to get the great taste.

Olive Garden's Bread Sticks for instance, what makes them different from other recipes we make at home? Most of the bread stick recipes we find in cookbooks suggest you lightly coat the dough with egg whites before baking. This gives a shining look to your bread sticks however; it does not add to flavor or help the bread sticks come out of the oven nice and soft. Other recipes suggest dusting the dough with garlic. Still, they are not the same as the one's we experience at Olive Garden.

To make Olive Garden Bread Sticks, use a loaf of frozen bread dough. Once it is thawed and soft, coat your hands with Pam Spray or oil and knead the dough. Form the dough into 8 to 10 logs. Let them rise in a warm place until doubled (1-1 ½ hours). Then lightly spray the dough with Pam Vegetable Spray. The secret behind the great taste is to take garlic powder and finely rubbed oregano and lightly powder the sticks. Preheat the oven to 375 and bake for only 20 to 25 minutes. For even softer bread sticks, place a pan of water in the oven while baking. This adds moisture and keeps your bread sticks from over browning and getting too hard.

What makes KFC Original Recipe Chicken so much better than the chicken we deep-fry at home? A side from the combination of common ingredients, the method of cooking it is what makes all the difference. Many people use regular deep fryers when making fried chicken. If you are attempting this with nice plump chicken breasts, the end result is a piece of chicken that is juicy deep inside next to the bone, but hard, crunchy, and over cooked on the outside. Using a pressurized deep fryer will make your chicken breast plump, juicy and delicious inside and out.

There are many ways to cook and make fabulous meals. Knowing the ingredient combinations, methods of cooking, and using the proper tools is what turns ordinary dishes into our favorite restaurant dishes.

Top 10 Restaurants to Dine at When Visiting New York - Written by a New Yorker

Usually out of towners when they think of New York dining, they think of very lavish, expensive food with interior décor designed by well known star-chitects with even more well known celebrity chef's endorsing the restaurant name.  While those restaurants (Olive, Spice Market, or all the Jean Georges for that matter) are fantastic restaurants- they should be, because outrageous sums of money are dedicated to their marketing, and management team, where the taste, quality of food is just one of the important factor in the well oiled machine that is the culinary food experience.  However, I want to highlight some of my favorite restaurants that are all a bit under the radar, and should be on your list of restaurants to hit if you are visiting from out of town.

Incidentally, in case you're wondering, I have been living in New York for 7 years, and have tried lots of local cuisine from Asia to Africa, so I do have a palette that enjoys and recognizes ethnic foods. I should also mention that I eat out pretty regularly, about 5 times a week, but I am not in the restaurant biz, nor endorsing any particular restaurant.  Just my faves, since great food/ experiences are meant to be shared!

Below is the list of restaurants that I will actually leave my neighborhood on the UWS to dine at- and repeatedly dine at:

1.    Casa Mono- Tapas-

Incredibly small space- but they do have a sister wine bar next door called Bar Jamon that allows you to sip on excellent Riojas while you wait.  This is also a really smart business tactic, so they never really lose customers to long waits.  The food is really based on Catalan style tapas, and not the northern Pinxchos variety, and it is more "done up" than you're typical run of the mill tapas bar that serve tortillas (Spanish omelets loaded in butter and potatoes) and croquettes. They serve a mean razor clam dish, and braised short rib.  Although I'm not a fan of sweet bread (that would be brain...) it's pretty darn good from what I've heard.  Décor is simple, dark woods, and ambiance is dark and cozy.

2.    Sakagura- Japanese/ Sake Bar

A completely random location in the basement in midtown east, but if you're looking for the best braised pork belly, authentic yet exquisite Japanese street food and sake served the way it should be (not in a box, but iced in a traditional hollowed out glass server) this is where you should try.  It is in the basement of an office building, but if you go around late April, early May, it is filled with actual cherry blossoms attached to each column.  Sensational!  There is no sushi there- only prepared cooked food, and no, you won't find any chicken teriyaki there either.  The miso eggplant and green tea truffles are to die for.

3.    Bon Chon Chicken- Fried Chicken/ Korean-

More of a late night spot, this K-town bar/ restaurant is located on Fifth right off 32nd, and has a seedy looking entrance with a random red velvet rope to go upstairs.  Twice I have gone and it has smelled like baby powder, but if you can get past that disconcerting smell- once you taste the fried chicken, you will never have fried chicken anywhere else.  Deep fried in olive oil, there are two flavors- garlic and garlic.  Go with either one =)  And get the spicy ones.  They also have popcorn made with cayenne pepper and raisins- bizarre combination, but really tasty.  Beer is served by the pitcher.  Other Korean food available too- but if you're just looking for K-food- there's more options right around the corner.  Here's fried chicken at its best.  Incidentally, lots of non-Koreans frequent this spot as well.

4.    Bobo- Pan- American cuisine-

Bobo stands for bohemian bourgeoisie- it is hidden downstairs on the corner of 10th street and 7th Ave, and once you enter, you'll feel that you're in someone's townhouse that you secretly wished you lived in.  I really go there because the ambiance is so spectacular which almost discredits the excellent menu there, but the décor is to die for.  Bookshelves lined with vintage books- crusty chandeliers, and a staircase clad in plaid and wool.  Very chic yet intimate.  In the summer, the outdoor garden opens up and is a real treat to out outside (sans tents).  Get the Wagyu sirloin or the seared sea scallops.  Good date spot.

5.    Morimoto- Big Box Japanese

It's easy to dislike this meat-packing, cavernous, overly loud Japanese restaurant filled with wait staff trained on ex-banker expense accounts.  Owned by Iron Chef Morimoto- filled with beautiful people (on weekdays), it happens to be a cut above the other  "Nobu knock-off's" around the corner- Matsuri, Buddah bar, Buddahkan, Tao, or Asia de Cuba- really because Tadao Ando designed the interior.  Walking through the half semi circle door with massive flapping curtains makes you feel like you're entering into a time warp, but sensibly done.  The large bi-level open space is utilized well by frosted/ dotted glass partitions set on an angle to maximize user space, yet create semi-intimate dining areas.  The food is, well, spectacular.  Miso glazed cod, rock shrimp tempura are the staples.

6.    Fornino- Pizza

Trekking to Brooklyn for good pizza hardly seems worth it, though it seems that enough people do it for that other pizza place (Grimaldi's)- which is highly overrated owing to good PR and press.  Fornino's is located on Bedford Ave off 7th and they make the most killer truffle oil/ mushroom pizza.  For a closer slice (in Manhattan)- John's Pizzeria is pretty good and worth the hype, though on the wet side.  Another nod to good pizza is- Posto pizza in Murray Hill- though they recently kicked out Jimmy Fallon because he bad mouthed another establishment on Twitter with the same management- which is just really just bad for business. Every New Yorker loves Jimmy Fallon.

7.    Peter Lugar's Steakhouse- Steakhouse-

Anywhere where they mock you for asking for an espresso or cappuccino is legit in my book.  This place actually lives up to the hype, and isn't laden in butter like Ruth Chris or a hit/miss like Prime 112.  There are certainly lots of great places for a slab of juicy meat in the city, but I'm listing this place as a steak house because you come here only for steak, and really nothing else though there is fish on the menu.  In addition to their steak for share, they have the best key lime pie, and tomato salad (best when loaded with the Lugar steak sauce on top!)  It used to be only construction workers, and men in blue shirts that go, but nowadays if you can get a table, its worth making the trip to BK.  They only take cash, and yes, their own credit card- the Peter Lugar credit card. 

8.    Malatesta- Italian Trattoria

Located on the corner of Christopher and Washington, this small intimate Italian restaurant is completely no frills- and only takes cash.  The cool wait staff  all speak Italian, and they don't take reservations- partially because they know they'll fill their tables at any given night- and partially because they just really don't care about making anyone a priority no matter who you are.  (They once made Christy Turlington wait behind me- what?) Pasta is simple, home made, and the way it should be.  Get the Spinach Gorgonzola Gnocchi or the rack of baby lamb.

9.    Ippudo- Japanese Ramen, cooked food

In the heels of Momofuku Noodle Shop, and Sobaya, comes this new ramen hot spot, Ippudo in the East Village.  As much as I love David Chang's usage of Berkshire pork in everything- his soup bases are almost too salty, and "Anglo-saxon-afied" whereas Ippudo's house ramen gets it just right.  In addition, the pork buns are also a cut above their competitors.  Get the Shisito peppers, pork buns, and try the sake unfiltered if you've never had it that way before.  Plan in waiting about 90 minutes for a table, even on a Monday night.  There's a bar across the street to get your drink on first, but it's worth the wait.

10.    Peasant (downstairs)- Rustic Italian

If you've ever dined at Peasant upstairs, you'll realize just how much Italian you really don't know.  Obscure phrases such as "Polpi in Purgatorio" (is that octopus in purgatory?) make you wonder what you've been eating all along in those other Italians places.  Food is exquisite, but lets face it, it's easy to find stellar food at $25 per entrée, but how about the same quality food at half price just downstairs?  Peasant downstairs is literally right below the one upstairs.  You walk through these large wooden doors that are unmarked which feels like you're entering into a bomb shelter- but once you're inside, it's the completely unexpected warm exposed brick and beam construction, thick heavy curtains lining the walls, and flickering candle light on each long slab wooden table that makes you feel that you've just entered a dimly lit Michelangelo Antonioni movie in the 1970's.  Romantic, inviting, and the noise level at a good boisterous, but still low enough hear your friends talking.  The food is generally meant for sharing- simple salads, rustic pizzas, and a fierce charcuterie plate make this a low key, yet supremely rich dining experience.

Noodles and More at Noodle Bar - Restaurants in Hyderabad

What you see - Simple yet elegant, and small yet big, the Noodle Bar at Hyderabad Central offers a lot more besides loads of noodle delights. Now it seems to be a modestly sized restaurant from the foyer but the saying, 'Looks can be deceptive' turns out to be dead right with this one! Because very soon you will learn that the three juxtaposed restaurants - Bombay Blue, Noodle Bar and Copper Chimney - are owned by a single family and come under the Blue Foods banner.

Enter into any of these three restaurants where glass acts as a dividing wall, and you, by all means will get a feel of being present in one huge restaurant. Though the kitchens are separate since they serve different cuisines, the bar is common for all the three. The bar serves cocktails, mocktails and alcohol.

What you get - Basically serving lunch and dinner, the menu at the Noodle Bar features Thai, Japanese, Chinese and other types of Oriental cuisine and is quite vast with both the starters as well as the main course. One good thing about the menu is that it is self-explanatory. If the quaint names of some of the dishes make you wonder, then the accompanying description give you a lucid account of what to expect.

Try their special Tom Yam Thai (Thai soup with noodles, veggies and wantons) and dim sums for starters. Another specialty of the place is the Teppanyaki sizzlers. Try these out if you would like to get an idea of the Japanese style of cooking. These are available in both the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian variety.

If you, however, are of the kinds who prefers to stick to what you usually eat then go ahead and get your own choice of tossed noodles made. The servings here are (more than) sufficient for one person. Otherwise the Noodle Bar Signature - a combo of rice and noodles with vegetables - can stand as a meal in itself. By the way, there is no better way of ending it than with the sizzling brownie here. A scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with heavenly hot chocolate fudge is how we would define it.

The verdict - If your craving for a perfect Chinese luncheon has remained unfulfilled of late, then Noodle Bar is a good and a gratifying option. Veggies have enough to choose from over here even though it serves non-vegetarian food as well. You need not wait long for your meal to arrive here. Hospitality, in fact, may just become another reason for you to step in again. All in all, a great way to end your shopping endeavor at Hyderabad Central.