Thursday, December 30, 2010

Start at the Beginning

I came up with the concept of Southern Burger Co. over the course of 8 months, but the idea of opening a restaurant had been brewing for more than 2 years. At the turning point was a suggestion from my mother, whose business advice I really respect.

The suggestion was after a long conversation about the cost of starting just a franchise, the type of food I wanted to serve, and what all that meant in terms of building and equipment cost. "Well, maybe you should look at one of those kitchen-on-wheels in a trailer" she offhandedly said. Quickly, a trailer turned into a truck, and a truck turned into a concept. I soon was taking a trip to North Carolina to check out what they are doing with food trucks. While they all were great trucks with fantastic food, it was the OnlyBurger truck that had people beating down the doors. They convinced me to scale down my menu, which was a very good decision.

In the end, I think a food truck is amazingly unique way to serve food: they're clean, fast service, adaptable, and catchy. Chattanooga is ready for one of her own, and by concentrating on quality of ingredients and ease of access, Southern Burger Co. is ready to deliver.