For the second time around, I closed the same restaurant I own in a span of four months and I did not regret it.
I am an entrepreneur by heart and I love venturing into different small-medium scale businesses where I have passion in. From education, to travel, to accommodation, to food services, etc. The first thing that I consider in putting up something is that, “Do I have a heart for it?” Because, If I would just be doing it solely for money, and with less purpose, I don’t think I will win in a bigger perspective.
When I decided to reopen my defunct restaurant, I had bigger plans. I wanted to hire a capable chef, to renovate and redesign the place, to shop for necessary equipment, and it wouldn’t really matter even until my purse go drain. I will go all out, because I have a heart for food, every kind of it, from citruses, to carbs, dairies, meat, condiments, etc. And when I travel abroad with family, it will always be the quality of food a locality offers that makes me remember how wonderful the place is and the people are.
The second opening has been successful as the restaurant is serene and that’s what I really wanted it to be. Serene. Calm. Organized. It was a place where I can sit all day and just sip tea, face my laptop and become productive. A place where people like me, can eventually enjoy.
But then, over a month of operation, and situations seem to be out of hand because of certain factors like purchasing, compensation, human resource management. It has been so much loved by the people that I began to lose grasp in the operations, professionally, entirely depending on what the future holds from whether food will come out or not of the kitchen and I am fully aware that that’s not just how a restaurant should be to thrive long term. It doesn’t just start and end at food preparation, because it isn’t a one -man team but should be played by the right people with equal or different skill-sets who are willing to become assets of the company in the next three years and counting.
When I decided to close a very busy, crowded restaurant at a premature stage, of course, I thought of the money that should be coming in but wouldn’t. However, over it, I was looking into deeper matters that only my brain and heart could decipher, having the same Intelligent Quotient of Einstein and with above average Emotional Quotient, it’s really quite chaotic to understand, why I had to do stuff I did, like taking out the perspective that my business can only become successful at the mercy of one person, which totally I could say, is in a very bad taste if… it’s what others only believe in. Truly, how pitiful blind mindset.
When I plan something, it will always be for the greater good. Will I be helping people and their families? Will the business matter in the community? Because, truly these make me even happier! But then, when I consider these factors, I also ask, “Do the people I hire to work for me deserve the goodness that I put on their plate should they stay longer in my company?” By means, “Do they have a bigger heart in their craft and for the company aside from personal gains?” For I require loyalty to the company over loyalty to what one can gain from temporary success. Because if that is so, I would also be willing to offer that rare person a dessert cup.
Thus, these past days, when I was weighing things, I realized that I just did what I had to, in the direction I plan to head, because business success is uncertain after all and that I can always stop betting when I’m in the middle of losing the value and purpose of what I am doing.
They say, business is a gamble and that you should always be willing to lose anytime. Then bet again, when you feel like it and the resources can. Who knows, you might win next time.
And that I mean, win with your people in.
