would you believe it…

Hard to believe but true: as of today I am officially also running a restaurant! How come?
Well, in the past we used to rent out the restaurant at our premises. We figured, a professional is much better equipped and able to provide the necessary services than us, the golfservice-crowd. However, the leaseholders fluctuated regularly, staying only for three years on average. Given, running a restaurant on a golf course is a special task and in many ways different from running a restaurant on main street. Which also meant for me to explain the golfworld anew to any new gastronome we had. A tedious task, I grew tired of over the years. So this time over, when our last tenant cancelled his contract in September, effective to the end of 2014, I already suggested to try it ourselves. Earlier in my career I wouldn’t have trusted myself to be able to organize a restaurant. But after all this time watching and after talking to colleagues of mine, who do run their restaurants at the golf club, I was confident to go ahead. If only to find out, whether the various reasons for packing in, given by those doing so, are valid. Over the years, I found that the people in charge of food and drink were not exactly Nobel price claimants, although each of them had special qualities and good ideas, I liked and was able to learn from.
But the rest of those in charge, namely my CEO and the president, were reluctant and would much rather find another tenant. My CEO’s expertise in kitchen affairs ends with heating water, as he put it, and he was too scared to try. As I was well aware of the extra workload, this would also bring for me, I was fine with his decision.
So we interviewed about 12 firms interested in taking over. As per usual, in the end only three seemed suitable to us, two of wich withdrew their application after discussing business in detail. The last one agreed, started to organize themselves, already interviewing staff and even agreeing in writing to the former owners to buy the fixtures and equipment. All that was missing, was the ink on the contract. Entirely out of the blue, they decided to not do it after all. Mid of December, mind you, leaving us with no manoeuvering time what so ever.
This was it. My CEO has had it and came back to me on my suggestion. So within a fortnight, he and I went to work and set everything in motion. Founding a subsidiary company, hiring staff, setting up structures, finding and talking to suppliers, renovating kitchen and restaurant. Up to yesterday, when our new head waitress and I went to get the last fixtures and supplies for opening the restaurant today. Till February 6th, when the kitchen will be fully operating, we have coffee, drinks and a little snack menue on offer.

I’m all excited! Wish me luck for this big, new challenge, please.