Starting a restaurant is hard work. There are many things you have to decide before starting a restaurant. In fact, size is little guide to how much hassle you are going to have, except in the largest restaurants where things can become very tricky indeed. Before starting your own restaurant business it is worth considering a small list of points. These are things you’ve seen every new restaurant owner struggle with. Never under budget. In our own experience most people starting a restaurant business spend the most money on refurbishment, then they overstaff during the opening period but they don’t spend enough on marketing, management or on a quality menu. This keeps turnover low and customer loyalty low which means business for the restaurant is tough from the start. You need to allocate at least 3% of your projected turnover for marketing. Forget its your own restaurant business and play the hard nosed customer. Ask your self constantly; Why should anyone come to my restaurant? Why would anyone pay these prices. Restaurant businesses need a great location. Before starting a restaurant, or more likely taking over an existing restaurant business, you need to take a guided tour of the location or choice of locations. Your guide should be anyone that knows the area intimately and eats out regularly in restaurants. Analysing this, before you open and looking at the local competition is essential. The restaurant business varies enourmously from site to site. Some sites have huge footfall during the day or during the evening. Some sites are badly positioned or in poor areas, while others attract wealthy clients. Some sites are seasonal while others are a good bet all year round. Starting in the right location can boost your turnover considerably. More than any other factor, your location will affect your cashflow. Keep in mind that the worse the location the more you must spend on marketing and the better your food, ambience and service have to be. Starting a restaurant by saving money and getting a poor location, starting with a cheap offering and spending very little on marketing is a recipe for disaster.

The Lobster Pot situated on the corner of a noisy major road junction in Kennington, this rather dirty old grey London building certainly did not lean itself to what I was expecting. I think the fact that the main door was decidedly locked didn’t help. This was looking more like a very suspect area with a “get me out of here” feel. However I needn’t have worried, with a few bangs on the door, it flew open and there in the doorway stood our very excitable host Herve Regent, including huge handlebars moustache and winning smile!

He took us to our table where we were surrounded by the sounds of squarking seagulls. The interior was decked out (if you excuse the pun) of the inside of a large boat complete with portholes and live fish swimming past! On the ceiling hung enormous fishing nets. As we purused the setting a ships loud foghorn blasted into life! Nearly scared the pants of me!

I began to forget the ugly surroundings outside and concentrated on the eight course menu in front of me. I was in awe and had gone to gastro heaven! There’s no mistaking their intention here, every meal is a feast! There is no doubt this guy is a specialist in fish. When most of us are still in the land of nod, Herve is on his early morning wanderings around Billingate Fish Market in the heart of the city to discover some strange new fish to put on the menu.

The surprise came at the end, we actually managed to finish all the eight courses! Fantastic evening, superb service and unusual but delightful surroundings.

Herve even accompanied all six of us across that busy road junction to the waiting taxi’s with the passion only a frenchman can muster.