10 Restaurateurs Share Why They Opened Their Own Spot

As any restaurateur already knows, opening a restaurant is no easy feat. 

Between coming up with a solid business plan and scouring the best location, there’s a lot to get done. But despite all these hoops and hurdles to open a restaurant, there’s over a whopping 1 million restaurant locations in the United States alone. 

So what’s the draw to starting a business that requires so much effort just to open, and a constant eye on things like inventory and staffing? 

In short...why did you open?

Aside from opening up shop in a lucrative $800 billion dollar industry, restaurant owners are oftentimes fueled by universal goals and passions:

• Garnering a strong sense of community with their business.

• Providing for their families.

• Creating new opportunities.

As I mentioned above, the constant rush of day-to-day activities like labor reporting, managing public relations, and handling restaurant finances makes the life of a business owner a chaotic one. 

To understand our customers in the restaurant world better, we wanted to know what fueled their decision to embark on the journey towards opening a restaurant. These restaurant owners took a moment to sit and reflect with us on how their passion has shaped their careers.

We call this "I Opened Because...", and we'll be highlighting our favorite inspiring stories on our social media pages over the next month. 

Now, it's your turn to join the conversation! Comment here with your story, and follow us on social media @toasttab on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to post your #IOpenedBecause story and to see more videos from the restaurants using Toast! 

I Opened Because....

1. Opportunity

312 Beef and Sausage, Freeport, Illinois

“I opened because I have always had a passion for the restaurant industry and saw a void in the market that I thought I could fill.”

– Adam Talbert, Owner 

Lucky Slice, Utah

“I opened because I was an upstart kid that worked in restaurants my whole life and was convinced I could do it better.”

– Nick VanArsdell, Owner

1. Family

Bernie O’s, North Muskegon, Michigan

“I opened because I wanted to build a legacy for my family.”

– Addam Oliver, Co-Owner

(swah-rey), St. Petersburg, Florida

“I opened because I couldn’t find my wife good chocolate cake, and trust me, I looked hard.”

– Gregg Ciccone, Co-Owner

1. Community

1894 Lodge, New Washington, Indiana

“I opened because I wanted to bring something to my community that they would be proud of.” 

– Logan Hostettler, General Manager

The Corner Q, Lorton, Virginia

“I opened because I wanted to introduce and share delicious Filipino cuisine to everyone in our community. My daughter has been in the restaurant business for many, many years and I thought it would be great to use her talent and skills managing our own full-service restaurant.”

– Teresita Herradura, Owner 

Costa Vida, Various Locations

“My partners and I opened our first restaurant because we love food and serving people. We love the fast pace of a restaurant. We saw it as an opportunity to earn a living doing what we love.”

– Jeff Jacobson, COO 

Sutton Legion, Sutton, Nebraska

“I opened because there was a need in my community to keep the American Legion Ball open and my wife and I are good at this business. It provided an opportunity to become part of our new community, as well as create jobs for it.”

– Brian Bonnell, Owner 

Koehn Bakery, Butler, Montana

“I opened because I was looking for a local opportunity to make people smile!”

– Kim Wilhelmson, Owner