jayagauranitai Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Haribol I was wanting some input from devotees. I live in a beach town in Southern California and have been thinking about opening a prasadam restaurant here. I was just wondering if anyone here has opened one, or managed one and how it went? We are right in the middle of Laguna Beach temple and Los Angeles, so it would be a great way to preach in our town, without being pushy. We only have 2 other vegan or vegetarian rest. in town and neither serves Indian food, I was thinking of a scaled down version of LA's restaurant. Any input? Hare Krishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 I am in another country and have the same idea. I am taking over 1 dev cafe here in 2 months. I plan to have a bainmaries for hot rice and about 4 diff subjis. This will stand next 2 a confectionary fridge that has cheese cake and carobcake ...various sweets...vegan ones tooo....no washing of plates....take away system. also have pie warmer....2 tables that seat 4 each ... Just do it in your area!!!! Dis the best bizz any1 can do....spread mercy in da form of prasad!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 in Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita there is very detailed instruction from Srila Prabhupada on how best to set up and mantain restaurant business. I wanted to do this also at one time - it is very nice service - if you can do it please go ahead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayagauranitai Posted June 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 but I have no experience in a restaurant. I know that I could probably get experienced devotees to work and consult. Can you give me any ideas for what the ideal prasadam restaurant is like? LA's is very nice, but a lot larger than I could handle. They also have a lot of devotee's who work in the kitchen. I am really thinking about it, I just need the money! If Krishna wants it to happen, it will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 and a lot of it. KISS - Keep It Simple Sadhaka is my moto. I would consider the take out idea as the other prabhu has planned. I sometimes picture a large vegan/prasad resteraunt close to where I live next to a major university. I see it as take out only. That would save so much work with serving and busing tables, taking orders, washing dishes etc. Then place that energy into making a wider variety of preps and allow you to turn over customers quickly. The pricing would be as inexspensive as possible depending on volumn for profit. The portions would be as large as possible. An unusually good deal quickly becomes one's advertising through word of mouth. The resteraunt would be subtitled Big Food Little Money. Quick and easy for the customer and for us. Remember the focus is on students at a big university and it is tailored for them. I would try to make them as dependent on the prasad for their daily food as possible and not just an occasional treat type place. The whole point would be to offer the prasad and a few moments of some friendly association with Prabhupada chanting constantly. That impression alone will imprint the soul in such a way as to give them eternal benefit which is the point. Actually in my dream I have built a whole vegan all purpose shopping center next door surrounded by a variagated collection of wholistic healing centers including hatha-yoga centers and martial arts studios. LOL. What was that verse about such actions that never get past the dreaming stae being stuckin a certain mode or something? I have worked in such a resteraunt and believe me you want to make things as easy as possible. What would work well for my vision I figured out was to allow the use of the kitchen as a certified up to code place for devotees to make their own preps and take a fair piece of the profit as in so much of each sale goes to them. This would eliminate the need to keep individual employees to a great extent and all the paper work and effort that goes with doing that. It would also keep them motivated to do it well. And devotees always need a way to make some money for their own households. Anyway this would be nice for where I am but your locale may require just the opposite approach. Really spend time analysizng your targeted customer base, know their needs, tastes and desires and then try to meet those. Well I gotta go now, I've a lot of dreamin' to do today. May Krsna bless your noble endeavor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kulapavana Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 ...for a LOT of hard work... and make sure you have some reliable help. I have seen quite a few devotees getting very frustrated in this line of work. and please do your homework as theistji suggested. and lots of luck! prasadam rules! /images/graemlins/smile.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Just be sure 2 keep the kitchen clean and have nice sealable containers for spices and flours. Cook in nice consciousness and offer to Krsna. Lotsa people will be naturally attracted. Sit down places can be blood draining in terms of needs and manpower....simple take away is nicer for me....no washing of dishes...etc. can employ someone to do deliveries in offices blocks...offer specials on platters of savouries that people may buy for parties etc. like i mentioned above ....i am doing this in 2 months....the sm all shop is just a shuttle for bigger things.....including cooking lessons... i too need the money...so i figured that i rather give sweat n blood to this bizz and get extra spiritual credits too....also theres a lot of joy to c others get attached to prasad. i previously ran a Govindas for 1 temple....was pure bliss....that was a 60 seater....lotsa hard work....but was so fufilling 2 c karmis come in for prasad.....cuz i knew dis was also changing their karma!!!! Just do it!!!!Keep everything clean and u will attract people... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 60 seater? /images/graemlins/shocked.gif /images/graemlins/shocked.gif /images/graemlins/shocked.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonehearted Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 As Kulapavana says, you should be ready for a lot of hard work. I helped open the very first Govinda's Restaurant, in Honolulu in 1974. We worked hard all day and into the evening, and we didn't make much money. But it was really cool seeing folks go crazy for prasadam. I believe we invented the sandwich now called the "wrap." We made cheese and avocado sandwiches, but with chapatis instead of bread. This was the brilliant idea of my friend Revatiramana, who passed away about 13 years ago. Along with the sandwiches, our "Govinda's Vegetable Soup" was a big favorite. It was very hearty dal, served with two hot chapatis. One night, just after we had closed and pulled the tables off the sidewalk, mopped up, and put everything away, a group of young folks showed up. After we apologized, one guy, crestfallen, lamented, "I've been hiking back in Manoa Valley all day, and all I could think about was getting back to town and having a bowl of Govinda's Vegetable Soup." We whipped a table out onto the sidewalk, put the pot of dal on the stove, and made a bunch of chapatis. Wish we'd had a video tape of that conversation. But hard, hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayagauranitai Posted June 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 I know it would be a lot of hard work, but to be able to distribute Prasadam to karmis here in our town would be great. We never have Harinam here or anything like that, so it would be so nice. I was also envisioning a nice gift area, with prabhupada's books and some little things people like to buy from India. We get so many tourists in the summer time and surf contests also that bring in so many people. I know that there is not one single vegetarian indian restaurant in the area also. Many serve vegetarian dishes, but they also serve meat. (yuck!) I really appreciate all the input, if anyone wants to keep adding ideas PLEASE DO! I am in ecstasy hearing all of this! Hare Krishna!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pankaja_Dasa Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 This may sound negative comment, but it's not meant to be. I did hear that back here in the Uk, in the restaraunt, they have to employ karmis [?] because they cannot get the staff. I suspect that you expect devotees to work for free. But like everybody is saying it IS hard work. I once worked in a kitchen cleaning pots/pans. It was very hard labour. So DO expect people to jump up and down when they hear your idea, but don't expect the same when you ask them for some help. [unless you can pay them]. Then who wants to work for free? Dandavats again, to your idea. Your inspiration to us all!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayagauranitai Posted June 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Why would you think that I don't want to pay them? I never said that. Of course I would pay them. You cannot expect someone to be able to devote themselves to working in a restaurant in a beach town, not get paid and be able to pay their bills. When I said I didn't have the money, I was speaking about starting the business itself, not paying employees. Even if I did have to employ Karmis, I would make sure they were vegetarian at least, and they would likely work in the front and not cook the prasadam. That would be done by a devotee for sure and also the offering would be done by a devotee, obviously. Why did you say also that it was not meant to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pankaja_Dasa Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 No I never said will never be. How negative are you? You want to do this or not.? Anyway, I was just commenting. I think many take short-cuts when things don't work out, like hiring karmis to cook [yes actually cook] the prasadam. Maybe under supervision this is alright. I do not really know how far you can take this. I didn't mean to put you off. But if I did then I guess you don't really want to do this in the 1st place. Oh yeah by the way can you cook? /images/graemlins/wink.gif /images/graemlins/crazy.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Just wanted 2 let u know that in my venture that i mentioned above that will start in two months i do intend to also employ helpers to wash pots and clean kitchen and wash room....i shall cook....have nice pressure cookers....takes less than 2hrs 2 cook all i need. Pressure cooker cooks dhal in 10minutes....nice vegan subjis in same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayagauranitai Posted June 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 ...that you are looking way too deep into any response I had. I simply asked why you thought that I was not going to pay employees. I was not being negative, actually, you were. But I am not going to engage in back and forth with you about whethre I was or not. yes I do want to do this, and yes I can cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pankaja_Dasa Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 I was just passing on a comment. haribol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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