nevermind

nevermind

There is already a very nice place caled Espresso Cafe on Kedzie on the SE side of the brown line tracks - almost directly across from the Starbucks you're talking about.

Unfortunately, it is gone. It is now an empty storefront--I am unsure why, as it seemed to be a thriving business.

do you have years of experience in the food industry? if the answer is no, i'd stop this line of thought this moment. @ the very least, the first thing you need to do is get a job in the industry and see what it takes to survive. work @ a couple places. that way, you can learn what not to do just as much as, how to do. after a couple years, then you'll be in better shape to decide on the risk of a small volatile business. and you'll have a realistic outlook on what it takes to succeed. or fail.

taking out a fat loan for something you know little or nothing about is not prudent. even under the best of circumstances w/years of knowledge, you can fail miserably. look around. most restaurants fail within 3 yrs. it's an extremely difficult and physically demanding business that is well known for long arduous hrs. kiss your personal life goodbye.

for some reason unknown to myself, people jump into careers they know nothing about and expect to succeed. as an analogy, would you buy a camera and think you could compete w/a professional photographer if you never took a picture? would you risk your life savings because you saw something pretty?

trust me here, i've made a career of holding the hands of amateurs in this business. they get into it for whatever reason, but realize quickly that they're in over their heads and need help. that's where i come in. you may as well open a brain surgery store in a mall.

i never understood people risking their life savings or taking on huge loans for something they know nothing about. but they do it all the time. lucky for me.

now if the answer to the question is yes, and you do have years of experience in the industry, that's another thing all together. i'd still be cautious and error on the conservitive side in your business plan though. if it's truely your dream, then i'd go for it.

if you do go for it, good luck. i'd be glad to look @ your plan and tell you if i think you're accurate in your cost projections.

hope this dose of reality doesn't harsh your mellow to much.

I appreciate your sage advice. I do have experience in this area, as I used to be a supervisor at a cafe in Madison.

Regardless, I have put the brakes on this idea. Mostly because I don't have them money and am not the type to enter into debt willingly.

Thanks though for the thoughtful response.

you're welcome.