Opening a Restaurant: SLC or KCMO (Salt Lake City: income, restaurants, prices)

[fordingtons]

I am planning on opening a restaurant. Where would be better, Kansas City or Salt Lake City? Thanks for any help!

[kaytidid]

What kind of restaurant? SLC has tons of restaurants, as I'm sure KC does. Which lifestyle would suit you better? I know my smallish town could use a good steak restaurant. We don't like driving to SL to go out to eat a decent meal all the time.

[markg91359]

You'll have to be a little more specific than that. What kind of food do you plan on serving and who do you see as your clientele? Do you have a price range in mind for your menu?

I'll give you what I think are some general rules for operating a successful restaurant here:
1. Plan on catering to families. There are so many here that if you set up a restaurant that only caters to single people, you'll be at a disadvantage.
2. Avoid more exotic foods. I won't call this a "meat and potatoes" culture anymore, but there are definitely some foods that would be out of favor.
3. Worry about costs, costs, and costs.
4. Don't assume you can get a liquor license. Only a certain number are available in given areas. Sometimes they have already reached the maximum.
5. Be prepared to keep prices down to some reasonable level. Per capita income in Utah is in the bottom quartile of states. There are a limited number of people willing to pay big prices to eat out.

Good luck, if you decide to come here.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Yes, please clarify what type of restaurant you envision.

Maybe you should open a famous K.C. barbecue type restaurant in SLC, one of the really, really good ones. Then in return you could open a SLC- style restaurant in K.C. and serve "Fry Sauce."

J/K.

Hope to hear more about your plans.


MSR

[dcisive]

While there are MORE than enough chains restaurants with the usual boring affair available, indeed SLC could sure use a higher quality barbecue place perhaps located more central or south in the Valley. About all we have are a few located in a few different spots, but by no means are there enough in my opinion. Just don't open up another burger joint. There is a true glut of those right now and we most certainly don't need more.

[alexei27]

I recommend a good NY City style deli...SLC sorely needs one of those. *drooling*

[kaytidid]

Originally Posted by alexei27

I recommend a good NY City style deli...SLC sorely needs one of those. *drooling*

Oh yeah! One of those! *wiping drool from my chin also*

[dcisive]

Yeah you know the ones with the 5" thick pastrami on rye sandwiches and the fresh cut french fries cooked in peanut oil. The Ruben's 10" long and the East Coast drinks. Yep I would go for that in a heartbeat. On another note I only WISH there was a restaurant that did NOT cater to families but rather to couples or singles. I'd also patronize that restaurant. I went to a high priced one a few weeks ago that was recommended (Tiburon) the food sucked and I couldn't even hear my wife speak because of the loud family next to us. I'm telling you Utah completely sucks in this regard. I have few of these problems just about in any other State. I have to wait till we go on a vacation out of State to enjoy a meal out without the din of brats screaming all over the place. I'm beginning to think they don't have a frigging clue what an "adult night out" is in this State. The problem is in their minds it's dragging the 6 kids out in the mormon assault vehicle (SUV) to just about every and anywhere regardless. You'd think they were attached at the hip. No wonder they completely lose their identity outside of the ch-rch as they have no life outside of it.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Try the New Yorker. I've never seen anyone under 18 in there at night.

[frogandtoad]

I've never seen kids in most of the places I've been. Where do you go? Red Robin? Or are you out in the burbs or something?