0:00:02 > 0:00:05The only thing that stands between success and failure at the moment
0:00:05 > 0:00:07is chance.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10'Many of us fantasise about opening our own restaurant,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13'but with restaurants up to three times more likely to fail
0:00:13 > 0:00:17'than any other business, it's not for the faint-hearted.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Opening a restaurant just to make money is wrong,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23but it's very important that it does make money.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24'I'm Russell Norman.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26'After years of dreaming,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29'I set up a series of acclaimed restaurants that now serve
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'half a million customers a year in the cut-throat London market,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'all during the recent recession.'
0:00:36 > 0:00:38I'd definitely say that there are rules to opening and running
0:00:38 > 0:00:41a successful restaurant.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44You must know your numbers. You must do your research.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47You must be prepared to work very long hours.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'Now I'm helping six first-timers gambling their life savings
0:00:51 > 0:00:53'to start their own restaurants.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I've got no food and I'm opening in less than 48 hours.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59It is work in progress,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02but it needs to be work that isn't in progress quite soon.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05'From floor plans to finance, and menus to marketing,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08'I'll have to shatter a few illusions.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I mean, this is cute but very impractical.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I'm going to have to show it to him. It's almost inedible.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Well, what's the solution, Russell? Tell me. You get another plumber?
0:01:16 > 0:01:17It's exactly what you do.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'Each of these plucky entrepreneurs is hoping their new venture
0:01:21 > 0:01:23'will give them a better life.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:27You know, this is all mine. Isn't it gorgeous? Thank you.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29'But unless they get every detail spot on,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33'it could mean bankruptcy and personal disaster.'
0:01:33 > 0:01:34I'm scared now, yeah.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36I'm very scared.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40'This time...
0:01:41 > 0:01:43'Scandinavian food hits Macclesfield.'
0:01:46 > 0:01:47It's pretty tasty.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48'But with no eye for detail...'
0:01:48 > 0:01:50We need the scaffolding down -
0:01:50 > 0:01:52can we not just get another company to come and take it down?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54'..no staff...'
0:01:54 > 0:01:58You can't expect two people to work 12 hours a day seven days a week.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59No.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01'..and a refusal to look at the figures...'
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Yeah, that scares me.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08'..can this enthusiastic amateur ever run a professional restaurant?'
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- Oh, God.- It'll be all right. - I'm so scared. I really am.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27I'm heading north to Macclesfield to meet Debbie.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Debbie has decided to ignore current food trends,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and she's opening a Scandinavian restaurant. It's quite brave.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35It's quite a bold move, I think.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38But then again, I opened a Venetian wine bar
0:02:38 > 0:02:41in the back streets of Soho in London, and that worked.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I'm not against risk as long as it's calculated.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51We've been to Scandinavia, we've been to Stockholm a couple of times.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Went to Copenhagen last year.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Finland's not really part of Scandinavia, not strictly,
0:02:57 > 0:02:58but it's...
0:03:01 > 0:03:03So I just thought, "Well, I love Scandinavia,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06"love Scandinavian food, let's go down that road."
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- That was your business plan. - Yeah, that's it, really.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Yeah, yeah, I'm going to do it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15It's been Debbie's lifelong dream to open a restaurant,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19so when a property came up on this cobbled street of her hometown,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21she jumped at the chance.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I turned 50 in March. I thought, "Right, I'm taking it.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26"I'm going to open a restaurant."
0:03:26 > 0:03:28SHE GROANS There we go.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29If we don't do this,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33we could sit down and we could get old...gracefully.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Who wants to get old gracefully? I want to get old disgracefully.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38This is going to be the way to do it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Debbie sold her online business,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44supposedly her nest egg for retirement,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and borrowed from the bank to pursue her dream.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51This project means absolutely everything to me.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55I'm desperately, desperately excited. I can't wait. This is all mine.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Isn't it gorgeous?
0:03:57 > 0:03:59With no experience of the restaurant trade,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02she's gambling with her financial future.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05If this fails, the financial implications are that
0:04:05 > 0:04:09I don't think about it. I'm really not thinking about it.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I don't want to think about it, because it is a lot of money.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Now I've found what I feel I should be doing,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19that would be awful to fail.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20It really would.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25'Even though we're coming out of recession,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'it's a tough time for independent restaurants.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31'They've got to work harder than ever to lure cash-strapped customers
0:04:31 > 0:04:34'away from the big chains.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'On first impressions, it seems Macclesfield is no exception.'
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I just noticed a delicatessen which seems to have closed down.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I can see one, two, three...
0:04:48 > 0:04:53..four, five pubs within walking distance of the station.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54It's a little quiet.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01'In fact, the town has lost six restaurants in the last year alone.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'Three in Debbie's neighbourhood.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:06I think it's just a really strong indication
0:05:06 > 0:05:08that it's by no means a sure thing,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11opening a restaurant in this part of Macclesfield.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13But where others failed,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Debbie is hoping her Scandinavian fare will be a winning formula.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24These days we dine out more than ever, spending, on average,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28more than £40,000 at restaurants in our lifetime.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31But we're not as adventurous as we'd like to think.
0:05:31 > 0:05:3685% of that spend is on Indian, Chinese and Italian meals.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38Scandinavian food,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42with its meatballs, cured fish, rye bread and beetroot,
0:05:42 > 0:05:47accounts for less than 1%. It's just not very popular.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50If I were to say that there's a Scandinavian restaurant
0:05:50 > 0:05:53being planned in Macclesfield, how would you react to that?
0:05:53 > 0:05:54- Total indifference.- Oh, really?
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Yes.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00I like Thai, I like Chinese, I like Indian. We're well covered for that.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05- Scandinavian food? No idea at all? - I guess it's a bit fishy.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- How do you think the town would take it?- Is it fish?
0:06:08 > 0:06:09RUSSELL LAUGHS
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- Yeah, some fish, yeah.- Right.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Do you think Macclesfield's getting more cosmopolitan?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Eh, no. But I think it needs to.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17OK.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Debbie has set herself a deadline of opening her Scandinavian restaurant
0:06:24 > 0:06:26in just six weeks' time.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29So today I need to get my head around her business plan,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33the premises, the menu and, of course, the numbers.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34- Hello.- Hello.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38- How very nice to meet you, finally. - Very nice to meet you to.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39- This is it.- This is it.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- This is the Salt Bar. - Well, it is compact.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- Bijou.- Bijou, is that what it is? OK.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47So can I ask a really obvious question? Why Scandinavian food?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50When I decided to open a bar, it just seemed natural to say,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52"OK, yeah, let's go for Scandinavian.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54"That's something that's a bit different."
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Do you think the people of Macclesfield
0:06:56 > 0:06:58will think that it's a bit different?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I think that they will, but I think that the people of Macclesfield
0:07:01 > 0:07:03are really open to something new.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07- What have you done in the past...? - Nothing.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- In restaurants, in service?- No. - In hospitality?- No.- Nothing at all?
0:07:10 > 0:07:14- I worked behind a bar...- OK, that's something.- ..for about two weeks.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Two weeks. When was that?
0:07:16 > 0:07:17It was about 20 years ago.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Do you remember anything?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22No. No. No.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Looking around, I worry that the build
0:07:24 > 0:07:26won't be finished in six weeks,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29so Debbie had better be further down the track with her food.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- Do you have your chef already? - I do have a chef already.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34I found him on Gumtree.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Oh, did you?
0:07:36 > 0:07:40- Fantastic.- I Googled Swedish chef, which you can imagine I had...
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Muppets.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42Lots and lots of Muppets come up.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Debbie's Swedish chef isn't due to start work at the restaurant
0:07:49 > 0:07:52until a fortnight before it opens, so husband Bob is bringing
0:07:52 > 0:07:56over a couple of the home-cooked dishes she hopes to put on the menu.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59What have we got here?
0:07:59 > 0:08:03OK, so, first of all we have a bit of a squish open sandwich
0:08:03 > 0:08:07on wholemeal and oat bread that I made myself.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09- You baked yourself, fantastic. - I baked myself.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Smoked salmon, radish, creme fraiche and lots of lemon.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14A little...as well.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Mm.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22That's really tasty. Mm.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Then we have the meatballs.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- I put cardamom in them.- Mm.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32That's really distinctive, the cardamom flavour.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- Do you like it? - Mm, I do.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36What would that cost?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Yeah, I haven't quite... Yeah, I haven't worked out my costs.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- Do you know what it costs you? - No.- OK.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I-I-I just keep thinking that, you know,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48once the floor's down and once something else...then I'll start.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Once you're two or three days away from opening the restaurant...
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- Yeah, yeah. I know that I can't do that.- ..then get the calculator out.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- I think we need to get the calculator out today.- Right, OK.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07In terms of what's on the plate, everything that I tasted was good.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09The worrying thing was the fact that she hadn't even considered
0:09:09 > 0:09:11what she was going to be charging for those dishes.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14I don't think she even knew how much they cost her.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Debbie needs to start thinking about questions
0:09:16 > 0:09:19of price and cost immediately.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20Six weeks will whizz by.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Unless she's got answers to the questions that I've been asking her,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26I don't think things are going to go particularly well.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The cost of preparing every dish on the menu is just one
0:09:31 > 0:09:35of a range of figures that Debbie should have at her fingertips.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38In my experience, if a restaurant doesn't work on a spreadsheet,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40it doesn't work full stop.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44'She needs to build her new venture on the solid foundations
0:09:44 > 0:09:46'of carefully researched numbers.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47'I always start with footfall.'
0:09:49 > 0:09:51When I opened Polpo nearly four years ago,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I spent a good half hour, 45 minutes on the street outside
0:09:54 > 0:09:58before we signed on the premises just looking at the types of people
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and counting the numbers that came by.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03When I got to about 1,000, I realised that was probably enough.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's not Piccadilly Circus.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16There doesn't seem to be a business community here.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19There's not much really in the way of footfall at all.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Without a high volume of passing trade,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26the restaurant will really need to succeed as a destination.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29So Debbie shouldn't assume her restaurant will be full
0:10:29 > 0:10:31every day of the week.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36So this is the...this is the business end of the site, I suppose.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- This is the space that will be full of customers...- Yes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42'Next, I want to establish the total number of people
0:10:42 > 0:10:46'Debbie thinks the restaurant will serve on a good day.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:51I would estimate seating here for probably 40 people in total.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Is that what you're thinking?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Yeah, with the bar stools as well, probably about 48.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58- 48.- Yeah.- How many other people will we see with you, Debbie?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- What do you mean? - Will it just be you on your own?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04I see myself doing everything, because it's small.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09My ratio of staff to customers is normally around one to 15.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11So for a space this size,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I'd have three or maybe four members of staff looking after 50 people.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16OK. OK.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I suppose the difference is that this is Macclesfield and you're in London.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- Yeah, but 50 seats is 50 seats wherever it is.- Yeah, yeah.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Extra staff will be a hefty additional cost
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Debbie hadn't bargained for.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30- How many days a week are you planning to open, Debbie?- Seven.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- Seven days a week, lunch and dinner? - Yeah.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36You can't expect two people to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37No.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- It might be illegal, actually. - Yeah, OK.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43So you're looking at four rather than two.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- Your assistant in the kitchen needs to be two rather than one.- Right.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49And your head chef needs some time off, I would have thought,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- so you need a pretty competent assistant for him as well.- Right.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55In addition to that, I think it's really important that you have
0:11:55 > 0:12:00an idea of what the revenue will be in a typical week from this place.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- Have you had a chance to do that? - No.- You need to.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07You really do.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09In order, simply,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12to calculate what this as a business is going to generate.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15But, God, I'm rubbish at that type of thing. It's so hard.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18You have to learn the lessons of every restaurant
0:12:18 > 0:12:20that never got to the state that it could open its door
0:12:20 > 0:12:21on the first day.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24So many business fail before they get a chance to open.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25Right.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26You owe it to yourself
0:12:26 > 0:12:29to make sure that you're not one of those businesses,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32because you've dreamt about this for such a long time.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I've been avoiding all this.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37Oh, God.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It's a head-in-sand moment.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47At the moment, you have a business that could succeed
0:12:47 > 0:12:50when it opens in six weeks' time but could fail.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55The only thing that stands between success and failure at the moment
0:12:55 > 0:12:57is chance.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- You're in a situation when you're going to leave it to chance.- Yeah.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It's just not good enough.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06It's a harsh reality check for Debbie,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10but you can't run a business on enthusiasm alone.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14If she keeps on ducking the finances, she could lose everything.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18There's an awful lot to do here.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Over the next six weeks,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Debbie needs to motivate the builders, recruit staff,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25finalise her menu and pin down her costings.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32The thing that is most troubling is Debbie's attitude to the business.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35She thinks in broad brushstrokes rather than in detail.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I don't see anything like the amount of thought
0:13:38 > 0:13:41that's required for a business like this to succeed.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Oh, God.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45Come on now.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48I'm sorry.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I'm not feeling quite as positive as I was before, actually.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Russell's absolutely right.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Opening a Scandinavian restaurant and muddling it
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and hoping that it would work out for the best
0:14:00 > 0:14:02is a high-risk strategy.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07I am being foolish and rushing in without doing the homework
0:14:07 > 0:14:08that I should have done,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10because I wanted it so badly.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I've set Debbie some homework on her numbers,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but for now, I want to focus on her menu.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32With such a niche offering, Debbie needs to know for sure
0:14:32 > 0:14:34her Scandinavian food isn't a step too far
0:14:34 > 0:14:36for the people of Macclesfield.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39When you're opening a restaurant,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41it's essential to stick to the sort of food that you love
0:14:41 > 0:14:43and that you're passionate about,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45but it's also vital to do your research
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and to make sure that other people share that passion.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50If there's no market, there's no business.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55At my restaurants, we constantly monitor the popularity of every dish
0:14:55 > 0:14:57so that we can weed out any duds.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02We do the eggs a bit softer, Ray, that would be great.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03To give Debbie a head start,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I've arranged for her to road-test three of her dishes
0:15:06 > 0:15:09at a cafe in town.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- Hello.- Hi, hi, how are you doing? - I'm very well. How are you?
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Nice to see you again.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17- You're looking...- Sweaty. - ..fresh-faced.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19SHE LAUGHS
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- So this is your kitchen for the day. - It is indeed.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23What are you preparing today?
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Potato and egg salad with a buttermilk dressing.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28We've got meatballs with mashed potato,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and then we've got the Swedish hash with fried egg.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32That looks really good.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35There aren't many business owners that get the opportunity
0:15:35 > 0:15:36that you've got to road-test their dishes
0:15:36 > 0:15:38before they open a restaurant.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41It's unique, really. I've never been able to do it.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Well, I'm dreading people saying that they don't like it.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- Meatballs and sauce.- Meatballs.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52First order.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54The meatballs.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56As the cafe fills up for the lunchtime rush,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00there's one dish in particular that's showing signs of promise.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Can I have the meatballs?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05One meatballs, one hash.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06Thank you.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09You were having the meatballs.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12What made you go for the meatballs?
0:16:12 > 0:16:16I would have had the salad, but it didn't sound very appealing.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I think the road test is going really well.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Everyone seems to be enjoying the food.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Interestingly, just looking round the room,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25not a single salad has been sold this afternoon.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29We'll all be having egg and potato salad for dinner.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Everything on Debbie's menu will have to pull its weight.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37The average restaurant throws out 21 tonnes of food waste a year,
0:16:37 > 0:16:38and that's profit in the bin.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42So your salad section is untouched.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Untouched, completely, which is quite sad, really.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Why do you think that was? It's a sunny day.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52The salads not appealing enough, we've not had any vegetarians.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54It's funny, isn't it?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56As the customers finish their meals,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58I'm keen to hear how the best sellers went down.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01- How was your hash?- It was very nice.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04- Simple, filling.- Good. - A lot of meat there.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Full of flavour, lots of meat,
0:17:06 > 0:17:07but I found it got a little dry after a while.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- Really?- Yeah.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Jam on meatballs is not the obvious choice,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14but it's actually really nice.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15Really enjoyed it.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18With the lunch service over, it's time for the final tally.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- It was one salad... - Ten hash.- Ten hash.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- I think there was 15 meatballs. - 15 meatballs.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I thought what we should do is just go through the feedback.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29OK, go on, then. Let's hear it.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31So this is the hash.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32"A little dry after a while."
0:17:32 > 0:17:35There were a couple of comments along the same lines.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- Mm.- Meatballs.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40"Hearty meal, filling, interesting jam."
0:17:40 > 0:17:41OK.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43"Very well presented, nice and tasty,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47"love the lingonberry jam." Another tick for the meatballs.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49- I mean...- Wow.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51The plates that we were bringing back to the kitchen
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- you probably didn't see. - No, I didn't.- I did.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57I don't think there was a single meatball plate that came back
0:17:57 > 0:17:59with anything left on the plate.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03People in Macclesfield are clearly much more inclined
0:18:03 > 0:18:06to go for meatballs over other dishes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I wonder whether there's an opportunity on your menu
0:18:09 > 0:18:11for an expanded meatball section.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15That's definitely something that I would think about.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17There's a real opportunity here.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20If Debbie's restaurant is going to draw customers in
0:18:20 > 0:18:22despite its sleepy location,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26the food must have a strong and marketable identity.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29It all hangs on getting her signature dishes just right.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The Salt Bar needs to be known for its meatballs.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36It needs to draw people in with its fantastic collection
0:18:36 > 0:18:39of six or seven meatballs with interesting ingredients,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42with a definite Swedish accent.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Debbie needs to listen to her customers
0:18:45 > 0:18:49and start working on new meatball recipes.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I need to move on and look at the layout of her restaurant.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Being inventive with design in such a small space
0:18:55 > 0:18:56is going to be crucial.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59I've opened many restaurants in small spaces,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02it can definitely be done. It just requires creative thinking.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04You need to make sure that you maximise your covers,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07but you also want to make sure that the customer experience
0:19:07 > 0:19:08is as good as it can be.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Kitchen here. - Very small kitchen, actually.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- OK.- But hoping to make the most of the area.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18The space for Debbie's kitchen is tiny,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and that's without any equipment.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- A challenging kitchen, I have to say.- Yeah.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27It's one of the smallest I've seen. As far as I can see, sealed.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- What do you mean? Oh, yes. - There's no extract...- There will be.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- We have a chimney area in the corner here.- You do, OK.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38'Even with an extraction system, this small space will be very hot
0:19:38 > 0:19:41'and very tough for the kitchen staff.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43'We need to find a solution.'
0:19:43 > 0:19:47This kitchen is hidden behind this door.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48OK.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- When the door is closed, you don't really know it's there.- No.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56What I noticed, Debbie, is that this wall is pretty much plasterboard.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- It's not supporting anything.- OK.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02It hides One of the features, I think, of your restaurant,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06which is the kitchen making these amazing
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Swedish, Norwegian, Danish dishes.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12You take out this section here so that you can see through
0:20:12 > 0:20:17to the drama and the theatre of what's going on back of house.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18I really like that idea.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21But I've noticed there's a bigger issue with this kitchen space
0:20:21 > 0:20:25that only someone with no restaurant experience could have overlooked.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- Storage?- Mm.- There's no storage. - There's no storage.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31I'm not talking about where you put your spare chairs
0:20:31 > 0:20:32and stuff like that.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34No, no, no. Beer, wine, yes, yes.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40I do have a...a unit which is just a five-minute drive away.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41Not ideal.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45I think the answer is staring us in the face.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49- You've got a big space back here with two big loos.- Right.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- No storage.- You've got to have two loos.- No, you don't.- Yeah, you do.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Men and ladies. It's revolting. I'm sorry.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- It's revolting. - You've got a very small space here.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I can't bear the thought.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- Come with me.- OK. - It goes all the way back here.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05What I'm assuming you're planning on doing
0:21:05 > 0:21:08is putting one of the loos here with a door at the front here
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and then having all of this space here as lobby, is that right?
0:21:12 > 0:21:13That's right, yeah.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19I would suggest you draw this and you take out all of these.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Just look at the whole space as it is, cos it's a big space.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25You don't have any storage and you've got a massive loo.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28I just think if you put those two statements together,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and the solution presents itself, I think.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34I'm not going to back down over the two toilets.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37It's not nice for women to have to share with men.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39You can be revolting objects when you're drunk,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41it's as simple as that.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Really?
0:21:42 > 0:21:44OK.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49A week later, I'm relieved to hear that Debbie
0:21:49 > 0:21:52is following through some of my suggestions for the layout.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55Ooh, so exciting.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Proper building work. Our building work being down.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03She's opening up the kitchen.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Despite not budging on two separate loos,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11she's planning to shift one forward to create some storage space.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19So she can calculate her takings, I've asked her to plot out
0:22:19 > 0:22:23the number of covers, but that's revealed some shocking news.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Originally, I had worked out that we could get 50 covers.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Now we've done it properly, we can only fit 32 covers in.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35For a restaurant of this size,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39that could be close on £3,000 less a week.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42The difference between success and bankruptcy.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Without a detailed business plan, based on realistic estimates,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48she's racing ahead blind.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Russell sent me a copy of this spreadsheet...
0:22:54 > 0:22:56..to work out my sales assumption.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59However, in order to do that, he asked me to work out my menus
0:22:59 > 0:23:02so that I could work out my menu costings.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04He asked me to work out the staff rota
0:23:04 > 0:23:08so that I could work out the staff salaries.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Unfortunately, I've not finished any of them yet.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Debbie has got to make time to do her figures.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Until she does, she's gambling her business
0:23:17 > 0:23:22and her future prosperity on nothing more than inexperienced guesswork.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28As well as moving forward with her numbers,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Debbie needs to keep refining her menu.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34I think her meatballs are her unique selling point.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36So to help her develop this section of the menu,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38I've brought her to Stockholm.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42What Debbie is offering at the moment in the Salt Bar
0:23:42 > 0:23:44is a little bit cliched.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48It's obvious and it ticks the boxes that you'd expect
0:23:48 > 0:23:51a Swedish restaurant to tick.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54It's not just enough to present a theme park version
0:23:54 > 0:23:55of a city or of a cuisine.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59It's really important that Debbie puts a lot of herself into it,
0:23:59 > 0:24:00because it becomes more interesting.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04To replace her unpopular egg and potato salad,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Debbie's created a new vegetarian meatball.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11To put it to the test, I'm taking her to 19 Glas,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15a restaurant in the heart of the old town, to work with friend
0:24:15 > 0:24:16and top chef Olle Tagesson.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22What's your understanding of the classic Swedish meatball?
0:24:22 > 0:24:27The classic Swedish is just pork meatballs, boiled potato,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29cream sauce and lingonberries.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32That's the way we know it and that's the way you eat it in Britain
0:24:32 > 0:24:36with IKEA, and in the States, wherever you go, really.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- That's your understanding as well, isn't it?- Yes, yeah.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Meatballs is what it is. People left it alone, I don't really know why.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46If Debbie can win over the gastronomically conservative locals
0:24:46 > 0:24:48with her twist on their beloved national dish,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52it will give her restaurant a real seal of authenticity.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It would be great if you could create that dish for us
0:24:57 > 0:24:58in Olle's kitchen.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00If it passes muster,
0:25:00 > 0:25:05maybe even get it on the menu for Olle's customers at lunchtime today.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07What do you think about that, Debbie?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Oh, God.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Debbie's creation is made from chickpeas, spinach and Parmesan.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17How does it taste?
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Nice?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20No, I think it needs a bit more cheese, personally.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24On a restaurant menu, vegetarian dishes are essential.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27They need to be just as carefully executed as meat dishes.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30It looks like it's holding.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Does it?
0:25:32 > 0:25:36To make his margins, Olle needs to charge 15 euros.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39So he won't put it on his menu if it's not up to scratch.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42So what do you think?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- I'm glad to have it on my menu. - Excellent. Well, get on with it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47- Well done.- Yay!
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- I'm delighted with that.- Very good.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51You better get rolling. Come on.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- Yeah, yeah.- It's nearly lunchtime.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57You're not going to nick my recipe, are you?
0:25:58 > 0:25:59- SHE LAUGHS - No comment.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Once again, Debbie has impressed me with her cooking,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06but she needs to develop an eye for detail.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I have no idea.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Her presentation is far from perfect.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13How a dish looks is very important.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I would have just given it a little bit of height.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22You don't want it too structured and too deliberate. Yeah.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25I don't think it needs that much more than that, actually.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30When you need to communicate to a new member of staff or a trainee
0:26:30 > 0:26:31how you want the dish to look,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34there is no better way of doing it than showing them a photograph.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- Take a photograph. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39- In your back pocket.- Thank you.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49So this is the chickpea and spinach meatballs.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51What do you think?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53- It was delicious.- Oh, good.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- Really? - Delicious but not a meatball.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57No, not a meatball.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- It's very good.- Oh, good. So that's a thumb's up, yes?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- Yes, thumbs up.- I shall tell the chef, she will be very pleased.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- Thank you.- Nice plate as well. - Oh, nice presentation.- Yeah.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Oh, she will be doubly pleased.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12- I think they were a little bit too soft.- OK.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16They could be a little bit more...solid.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The flavour was good. I liked the flavour.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23It's good to get inspired by travel,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26but I wonder what impression this trip has made on Debbie.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31In terms of its menu, do you think the Salt Bar is going to be
0:27:31 > 0:27:33a modern Scandinavian restaurant?
0:27:33 > 0:27:39I do, now. I'd actually gone out and bought 20 Scandinavian cook books.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Spent the whole time flicking through them.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- They were all traditional recipes? - Yes.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46The gravlax was there, the meatballs were there.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I think that I was being too formal.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I think that because of what I've learned today,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56I can make changes to the menu and feel confident about going forward.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- It's good, isn't it? - It is.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00- Today's been a great day. - Hasn't it?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Back in Macclesfield, it's a month since I suggested the changes
0:28:09 > 0:28:11to Debbie's restaurant layout.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I want to see how things are shaping up.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- Come on in.- Thank you.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Wow!
0:28:19 > 0:28:21What a difference. There's floors. Fantastic.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23'The newly opened up kitchen is beginning
0:28:23 > 0:28:26'to make this space feel bigger.'
0:28:26 > 0:28:27It's taking space, isn't it?
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- It is.- Mm.- Slowly but surely.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33'But there's still a lot left to finish -
0:28:33 > 0:28:34'the kitchen needs to be installed,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37'there's wiring and plumbing still to be done.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39'None of the furniture has been built.'
0:28:39 > 0:28:43We're due to open three weeks on Friday, so...
0:28:43 > 0:28:44- Three weeks on Friday.- Yeah.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46You won't be open three weeks on Friday, will you?
0:28:46 > 0:28:49- Do you really believe that? - Yeah, I do. Yeah, absolutely.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52So why have you got this date fixed in your mind as your opening day?
0:28:52 > 0:28:53Because...
0:28:55 > 0:28:58..financially, I've got to start trading.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01I've got to start paying for everything
0:29:01 > 0:29:03from the beginning of August.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07'There is one crucial bit of the restaurant that's yet to be built
0:29:07 > 0:29:09'and that's the bar.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13'Drinks sales should make up 40% of a restaurant's income,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15'so ensuring the space encourages customers to drink
0:29:15 > 0:29:19'could make all the difference to Debbie's bottom line.'
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Before I opened my first restaurant,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24I spent a lot of time going round other people's bars
0:29:24 > 0:29:26and surreptitiously measuring
0:29:26 > 0:29:30the height between the floor and the bar surface,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34between the top of the stool and the bar top.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Also between the front of the bar and the edge of the bar surface
0:29:37 > 0:29:39to see how far my knees could go underneath.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42I obsessed with getting those measurements right.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Because when I went into a badly designed bar, it really upset me.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50- Right.- So, you know, I could bore you stiff with...- Figures.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52No, with how my bars are always 109cm high
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and how the stools are always 75cm.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Well, rather than me do it then, why don't I just take your figures
0:29:58 > 0:29:59and use those?
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Because I would never have done that setting up a restaurant myself.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04I would never have trusted anybody else. It had to be me
0:30:04 > 0:30:07and it had to be me sitting there thinking, "This is right."
0:30:10 > 0:30:13I want to encourage Debbie to start obsessing at this level
0:30:13 > 0:30:17of detail for every aspect of her restaurant.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19I try to imagine my customers' experience from walking
0:30:19 > 0:30:22through the front door at the start to leaving the restaurant
0:30:22 > 0:30:25at the end, and then I plot every point along that journey.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27That then becomes my template,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30and I use that to ensure consistent customer service.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37With just three weeks to go, Debbie has yet to hire any of her staff,
0:30:37 > 0:30:39leaving precious little time to train them.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42If she's going to avoid poor customer experience,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45she'll need a rigorously detailed sequence of service.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Hello there.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49To help her create her own blueprint,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52I've arranged for some guinea pigs.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55What I'm going to do for your first point of your sequence
0:30:55 > 0:30:57is greet and seat.
0:31:00 > 0:31:07OK, there's the menu. The special of the day is on the board, because...
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Erm... I'll get you some water.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13A glass of water.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15What you've done by offering a glass of water and a menu
0:31:15 > 0:31:17- is you've bought yourself some time.- OK.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Time to greet the customers that are coming through the door to sit
0:31:20 > 0:31:22on a different table, whatever else it is.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24- It's quite hospitable, isn't it? - Yes, it is.
0:31:24 > 0:31:25It's like, "Here's something to read
0:31:25 > 0:31:28"and here's something free before we even start." Yeah.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29Over to you, Debbie.
0:31:29 > 0:31:35- Can I take your food orders, ladies? - A ham open sandwich, please.- OK.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- Could I have the vegetarian meatballs?- OK.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43- And would you like wine with your meal?- Shiraz, please, thank you.- OK.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46OK, and stop. Something you need to think about.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48- Do they need their menus any more? - Oh, yeah, sorry.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51What next?
0:31:55 > 0:31:59- What on the table? The water glasses...- Cutlery.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01- So what do we need to do? - I've got cutlery for you.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- What, is it just in your hand? - No, no, no. Absolutely not.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08- Where is the cutlery?- I don't know where it is yet.- Is it on a tray?
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Er... It might be.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- Is it wrapped in a serviette? - It...might be.- Cutlery.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17I'm going to put it in capital letters,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20because it's an important part of this sequence
0:32:20 > 0:32:22that you haven't decided upon yet.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26But you need to make a decision about this, because you don't want
0:32:26 > 0:32:28your staff coming to you and saying, "What do we do?"
0:32:28 > 0:32:31And then you saying to your staff, "Oh, I haven't decided yet."
0:32:31 > 0:32:35- Could I have some English mustard, please?- OK. English mustard?!
0:32:35 > 0:32:39- This is Scandinavian! - It's turning into Fawlty Towers!
0:32:41 > 0:32:45And as her customers finish up their pretend meal...
0:32:45 > 0:32:48- How was everything? - Everything was lovely.- OK.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52..Debbie's got a 13-point sequence of service that should enhance
0:32:52 > 0:32:55her diners' experience from start to finish.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57The nearer you get to the end of the sequence,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01the more it can become frayed, because the waiter or whoever
0:33:01 > 0:33:05it is that's looking after the table thinks it's the home run.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08And it's at that point of the meal where if things do go wrong,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10they're remembered. First impressions are important,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13but last impressions are pretty important too.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14So your staff need to understand that,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17and if they see people leaving, they should make an effort and say,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- "Thank you very much," even if it's across the room.- Right.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21And give them - and this is very important -
0:33:21 > 0:33:24- an opportunity to thank you too. - Right.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28- Because what it does is it just seals the whole experience.- Right.
0:33:29 > 0:33:30It's evident to all of us
0:33:30 > 0:33:34that Debbie hasn't thought any of this through.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Debbie, I feel a bit like Moses coming down from the mountains
0:33:37 > 0:33:38handing you a tablet.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42This is your sequence of service. Over to you.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Thank you.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46I'm glad that I gave her an opportunity to highlight
0:33:46 > 0:33:47those shortcomings,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51and I hope that she now takes that sequence that we chalked
0:33:51 > 0:33:53up on the board and makes use of it,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56cos it will be essential to the smooth running of her restaurant.
0:34:01 > 0:34:02It's two weeks to opening,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06and Debbie's chef, Anders, has finally flown in from Sweden.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Wholemeal bread, gravlax, creme fraiche.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10Knackebrot with the smoked mackerel,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13and then blinis with the beetroot salad and the egg.
0:34:13 > 0:34:14- Yeah.- OK?
0:34:14 > 0:34:18She's worked on her menu, but she's not followed my advice -
0:34:18 > 0:34:21making meatballs the star of the show.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23You have three meatball dishes here.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25You've got the traditional with cardamom, chickpea,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27spinach and veggie balls,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30and the lightly toasted sourdough topped with hot or cold meatballs,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33which sounds fantastic, I've got to say.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36- We talked about having a meatball section.- Yes.- So, where is it?
0:34:36 > 0:34:38You've got these three fantastic dishes,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41which are absorbed within the eight main courses.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43But that's what they are, is they're main courses.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48But it doesn't draw my eye to this unique aspect of the Salt Bar.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52And by putting it in the little box within the main courses still,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55it's a trick that's a lot of restaurateurs,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57operators use all the time.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58It waters down the main courses,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00cos we haven't got that many main courses.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04- It doesn't water them down at all. - How... But how... How do you do that?
0:35:04 > 0:35:07You've got main courses, how can you put meatballs under the main courses?
0:35:07 > 0:35:10- You put it in a box.- Right. Oh, OK. - I think it sounds clever.- Ah, OK.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12- To box in the meatballs.- Very good.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16- OK.- Two against one.- Oh, no, no, I'm with you. Now you've said box.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19God, that was hard work.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26When I first met Debbie, she had no idea how much one of her dishes
0:35:26 > 0:35:29cost to make. Her prices look reasonable,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32but I just hope they've been properly calculated.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- Did you talk to Anders about the cost of ingredients?- No.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38- We haven't costed ingredients yet, no.- OK.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40I feel like tearing my hair out.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42I don't think I could've stressed the importance of costing
0:35:42 > 0:35:46ingredients any more. This is financial madness.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50There's a chance that you're going to be selling
0:35:50 > 0:35:55- a dish at a price that means you're not making any money.- Yeah.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58There is also a chance that you will price it so low that it's actually
0:35:58 > 0:36:01cheaper for your customer to buy it than it was for you to create it.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Yes, that would be a nightmare.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Debbie has also failed to do any proper marketing.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Macclesfield is an affluent area, and there's plenty of people
0:36:14 > 0:36:17with disposable income living in the surrounding villages.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Just the kind of customers she needs to attract.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24It's not enough for Debbie to rely on passing trade
0:36:24 > 0:36:27to fill her restaurant. She needs to reach out to people,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30she needs to reach out to the right sort of people as well.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33So as part of a campaign to get the word out, I've asked her
0:36:33 > 0:36:37to prepare a few dishes for the ladies at a golf club just outside town.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39We were talking earlier, Debbie and I,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41and I asked her about her ideal customer,
0:36:41 > 0:36:47and she said somebody with taste, discernment, sophistication, charm
0:36:47 > 0:36:52and intelligence, which has brought me directly to the Avro Golf Club.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59This is knackebrot, which is a crispbread with a caviar..
0:36:59 > 0:37:03Scandinavian cod roe, boiled egg with a beetroot salad,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06which is very typically Scandinavian,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and this is gravlax with a dill cream,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and then this is smoked mackerel with creme fraiche.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Ooh!
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- Very nice.- Both of us particularly like the beetroot salad.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- Beetroot salad. Yes, we did.- Yes.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24It's novel, and I think it really takes off.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27In an area like this, you never know.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30We will definitely go just for drinks and nibbles.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Ladies, I don't want to put you on the spot, but is this
0:37:33 > 0:37:37the sort of food that you're used to eating on a regular basis? No?
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Is this the sort of food that you would like to eat?
0:37:40 > 0:37:42- THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER - Very nice, yes.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45That was pretty resounding. Is there room for them all on Saturday?
0:37:48 > 0:37:50This event is only the start.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Debbie needs to think of other inventive ways of attracting
0:37:53 > 0:37:54interest in the Salt Bar.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00But as the clock ticks down to opening day, all Debbie's energy
0:38:00 > 0:38:03is focused on getting her restaurant finished on time.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05I'm rushing the builders.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07We need to open. I need to start making some money.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10I can't just keep spending it - I've got to actually start making it.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Now with just four days left to go,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I'm back to check on the final preparations.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20I was expecting it to be a little bit further on, I've got to admit.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24There are plenty of builders but no sign of any waiting staff.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- Are you up to speed on staff? - Yes. Yeah, we're fully staffed.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Friday's a full day of training.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33- Training on Friday, opening to the public on...- Saturday.- Evening?
0:38:33 > 0:38:37- Er, day.- It's actually during the day?- 11.- 11? Saturday morning?
0:38:37 > 0:38:39- Mm-hm.- You're making your life difficult, aren't you?
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Well, I, you know, didn't think of that
0:38:41 > 0:38:45until I actually said we're opening at 11. Too bad. We're doing it now.
0:38:45 > 0:38:50I'm so terrified. I feel sick. I feel... I feel physically sick.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- I'm sure that that's fear.- Yeah.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59- Yeah.- It'll be all right.- Oh, God. - It'll be all right.- I'm so scared.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01I really am.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Deep breaths.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08- Give us a hug.- Oh! - It's going to be all right.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12- It's going to be all right.- God, I hope so. I'm just terrified of erm...
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Of making a fool of myself.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20Now's not the time to tell her I'm really worried,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23but Debbie is running out of cash and needs to get customers in,
0:39:23 > 0:39:27and that means opening in three days, come what may.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29We've got loads to do.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Get all the mirrors on the wall, the pictures on the wall,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35the tables need putting together, the bar needs finishing...
0:39:37 > 0:39:39..lights need putting up. Er...
0:39:46 > 0:39:48I'm tired...
0:39:48 > 0:39:53Long nights, early mornings, up at half five this morning.
0:39:53 > 0:39:54Still haven't ordered everything.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58Unbelievably, Debbie has still not done her costings and has no idea
0:39:58 > 0:40:02of her overheads, but this is just one of her many worries.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03What about Saturday?
0:40:05 > 0:40:10Oh, God. I've got no food and I'm opening in less than 48 hours.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14We need the scaffolding down!
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Can we not just get another company to come and take it down?
0:40:20 > 0:40:22That bloody builder.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24And as the deliveries start to come in,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27her newly created storeroom proves vital.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31If we hadn't got this store, oh, my God, what would we have done?
0:40:32 > 0:40:35It's a good job Russell suggested we have this.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39We're taking plates off tables...
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Well, we'll normally pop them on there or...
0:40:41 > 0:40:45I'm delighted she's now got her full team of nine staff,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47but that's eight more than she originally planned
0:40:47 > 0:40:52and a shocking hike to her wage bill of at least £1,500 a week.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56I keep my staff costs to 25% of income.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00If Debbie's are any higher than that, she'll be in trouble.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03But without a business plan, she has no idea where she stands.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08If she's offering her coat up, just say, "Can I take your coat?"
0:41:08 > 0:41:10She's taken my advice by drilling her staff
0:41:10 > 0:41:15- in the sequence of service... - That's how it's going to be set up.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18..which will be essential to the smooth running of her restaurant
0:41:18 > 0:41:19come opening night.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Yes, the food's gotta be good, but customer service is most important.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28And she's beginning to share my obsession with detail.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32That gap's too big at the bottom. I'm not happy with it being so high.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35I would like it similar to this.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38I'll do whatever she wants. As long as I get a brew.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41That's better, isn't it? Oh, that's much better.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48But with almost no time for thorough marketing,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51she's left wondering, as she works late into the night,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54if any customers will turn up for her opening day.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I don't know. I don't know what to expect, to be honest with you.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04I'm starting to panic. We'll do as well as we can.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Today Macclesfield gets its first Scandinavian restaurant.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Since I first met Debbie six weeks ago, she's worked day and night
0:42:18 > 0:42:22to ensure that she opens on time, but she's rushed headlong into this.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26It's too complicated.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Are the kitchen and staff up to speed? And will she make any money?
0:42:31 > 0:42:37Well, it's opening day for the Salt Bar, and for her own reasons,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Debbie decided to open at 11am on her first day.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43It's exactly 11 o'clock now.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50- How are you?- Good, thanks. - So, this is it.- Yes, this is it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53- What do you think? It looks great, huh?- It looks amazing.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56I got her to stand just in the kitchen doorway last night,
0:42:56 > 0:43:00she was having a bit of a sob, and, er...
0:43:00 > 0:43:01I said, "You're sobbing." I said,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05"Just turn around now and look at what you've produced."
0:43:07 > 0:43:12Remarkably, in just six weeks, Debbie has transformed this small space
0:43:12 > 0:43:15into a light, airy restaurant.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18The open kitchen and bar area is a dramatic focal point.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23The nods to Scandinavia are both subtle and charming.
0:43:26 > 0:43:31Debbie has spent £40,000 on setting up, and with her initial investment
0:43:31 > 0:43:35all gone, she needs this restaurant to turn a profit from the start.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39- It looks like a restaurant, doesn't it?- It does.- It's a real restaurant.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43- Absolutely.- How does that feel? - Yeah. I'm delighted.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47- Do you like the fact you can see the kitchen?- I do, yeah.- I love it.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49I reckon the noises of the kitchen add to the theatre.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52- You're in a working environment. - Yeah.- That's a nice height, isn't it?
0:43:52 > 0:43:53Isn't it? Yeah.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Where's your tape measure, then?
0:44:01 > 0:44:03I think you've got a really great vibe
0:44:03 > 0:44:06and a really lovely restaurant space behind us.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09- Just needs to be full of people, doesn't it?- It does.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11- I've had a few panics this morning. - What have been the panics?
0:44:11 > 0:44:15- We've only just printed the menus. - You've only just printed the menus?
0:44:15 > 0:44:20- We were still pricing up drinks at 11 o'clock last night.- OK.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22A bit disorganised.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25And I'm relieved to see that she's highlighted her signature
0:44:25 > 0:44:28meatball dishes by framing them in a box.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31I think it really lifts out your house specialities.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33- But there are only two of them. - Yeah, actually...
0:44:33 > 0:44:35And then I spotted one up here.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37That's because I did it so last minute.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41I'm just praying that in the scramble to get open,
0:44:41 > 0:44:46Debbie hasn't forgotten everything she's learned about customer service, presentation and food.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50Today is very important for Debbie,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53because it will give her a snapshot - a shaky one,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57but a snapshot nonetheless - of how her restaurant operates.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00So far, this has just been one big theory.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Today is about seeing whether the sum of the individual parts
0:45:03 > 0:45:07makes up to something that could be described as a restaurant.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09Do you want to take a seat here?
0:45:09 > 0:45:12As the first customers enter the Salt Bar,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Debbie's sequence of service is put to the test.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20That was quite impressive. These guys came in
0:45:20 > 0:45:22maybe 12, 15 minutes ago.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26They've just ordered main courses and they're on the table already.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28It's a good sign.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31And with her restaurant filling up more quickly than she expected...
0:45:31 > 0:45:33Panic!
0:45:33 > 0:45:36..head chef Anders and her team are under pressure to keep up
0:45:36 > 0:45:42with the incoming orders. It feels productive and it feels energetic.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44It feels, you know, feels like a proper working kitchen,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47even though you've only been open a couple of hours.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51But do the customers think the food is any good?
0:45:51 > 0:45:55- In terms of what you ate today, it was all good?- It was delicious.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58- Just like home.- Yeah. Do you have a connection with Scandinavia?
0:45:58 > 0:46:01- Yeah, I'm Swedish. - Ah, there we go. OK.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03We booked in for your birthday.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07- You're already booked again?- Yeah. - Booked in for 11 people.- Wow. 11?
0:46:07 > 0:46:09- Yeah.- My goodness.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Lunchtime has been busy
0:46:11 > 0:46:14and it's also fully booked for the evening.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17But there's a problem that has slipped through the net.
0:46:17 > 0:46:18This is Debbie's diary.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22It's her bookings page as well for tonight, but one thing I noticed is
0:46:22 > 0:46:25that everybody, without exception, is coming at eight o'clock.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28What do you say when they ring up
0:46:28 > 0:46:30and they say, "I want a table at eight o'clock"?
0:46:30 > 0:46:34You say, "Yes, of course, but could I ask you to come at 7.45."
0:46:34 > 0:46:37- Right, OK.- Just to help these guys in the kitchen, cos they're going
0:46:37 > 0:46:39- to feel it more than anybody else. - Right.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43Cos what they're going to get is, they're going to get 22 dishes
0:46:43 > 0:46:45ordered simultaneously.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47But also if everybody orders at the same time,
0:46:47 > 0:46:50they're going to experience delays.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Would it be possible for me to ask you to either come in
0:46:52 > 0:46:54at 7.45 or 8.15?
0:46:57 > 0:46:59Come to your table.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01With a completely packed restaurant,
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Debbie and her staff have their work cut out
0:47:04 > 0:47:06to ensure a smooth first night.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08But at least now, with staggered bookings,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11they stand some chance of coping.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15The service was very friendly, great welcome,
0:47:15 > 0:47:20little up and down, but we got there in the end.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23- How's things with your meal? - Really good.- Good.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26The meal was superb. Just walked round the corner and discovered it.
0:47:26 > 0:47:27It was lovely.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32It's just so nice and really buzzing.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35You know, the kitchen, how fantastic and they're coming out
0:47:35 > 0:47:38with these fantastic dishes. Way better than I ever thought.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42There's a really good sound in this restaurant.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45- What it is is the sound of people enjoying themselves.- Yeah, yeah.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48- And you created it all.- Yeah.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- Well done, Debbie. - Thank you.
0:47:51 > 0:47:56Here we are in such a short amount of time down the line,
0:47:56 > 0:48:00and I've got this...this...this thing running.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10The journey that Debbie has made so far has been towards today
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and towards opening the restaurant,
0:48:12 > 0:48:16but the real journey starts today and caries on into the future,
0:48:16 > 0:48:18and that is the journey of the restaurant as a business.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25Over the next two months, I'm going to be keeping an eye on Debbie.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29She's had an encouraging opening night,
0:48:29 > 0:48:33but until she works out her figures, there's no way of knowing
0:48:33 > 0:48:34if it's a success.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38- See you tomorrow.- Good job. Goodbye!- See you later.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Oh, God, I can't believe we've got to do this at the end of the night.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45Ain't this is what it's all about?
0:48:49 > 0:48:55£1,300 for a whole day with all the staff.
0:48:55 > 0:49:00- 100 quid an hour, isn't that? Cos you've been open 12 hours.- Yeah.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06But when you say £100 an hour, that doesn't sound enough, but then...
0:49:06 > 0:49:09I don't know. I don't know whether it is or not.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12- Yeah, that scares me. - And so it should.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16Until Debbie establishes her costs, she runs the risk of serving food
0:49:16 > 0:49:20to a packed restaurant every night but losing money hand over fist.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27But in the days that follow, every spare moment
0:49:27 > 0:49:30she has is focused purely on keeping things running.
0:49:30 > 0:49:35It's eight in the morning, and I got to bed at quarter to one last night,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38so I'm pretty tired.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41She's the first one in every day.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44- Caster sugar?- Yeah. I think there is.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48- That Greek-style yogurt's OK, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52As the business owner, she's taking a far more hands-on approach
0:49:52 > 0:49:54than she should.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58I have to go to the shops every day for fresh stuff.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01It's horrible when Anders has a really busy night,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04and then we're desperate for everything
0:50:04 > 0:50:05first thing in the morning.
0:50:05 > 0:50:10Shop, shop, shop, shop, shop.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Dash, dash, dash, dash, dash.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19Her decision to open the Salt Bar for 12 hours a day,
0:50:19 > 0:50:23seven days a week is starting to take its toll.
0:50:23 > 0:50:29I can't go home and relax, not when I should be here.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31I feel like I should be here.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35I know from bitter experience that this sort of relentless hard work
0:50:35 > 0:50:37can be soul-destroying.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41It's certainly no way of getting to grips with big underlying issues
0:50:41 > 0:50:42like finance.
0:50:45 > 0:50:4712 days after the Salt Bar opened,
0:50:47 > 0:50:51I'm back to experience the restaurant as a customer
0:50:51 > 0:50:53and to see how Debbie is coping with the pressure.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55'How many is it for?'
0:50:55 > 0:50:56It's just for one.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59- 'Just for one. And the name?' - It's Russell Norman.
0:51:01 > 0:51:02Is that Debbie?
0:51:02 > 0:51:03DEBBIE LAUGHS
0:51:03 > 0:51:05- 'It is.'- Hi, Debbie.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08I'll be there in about 10 or 15 minutes, is that all right?
0:51:08 > 0:51:12- 'OK, well, I'll reserve a table for you, sir.'- Thank you.- 'OK, bye.'
0:51:12 > 0:51:14See you, bye.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16I'm quite hungry.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18Opening night was packed,
0:51:18 > 0:51:22but I'm keen to see how things are on a regular Thursday lunchtime.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26That was apple, not rhubarb.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30There's a nice atmosphere, interesting mix of people.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33They've got a specials board now, I'm pleased to see.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36Yeah, the general first impression is very good. It feels great.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40- Mr Norman.- Oh, look at this.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43So that's your duck and your prawn skagen.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- Enjoy your meal. - Thanks very much, Debbie.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48It's a really pretty plate of food.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52I think if all the food going out in this restaurant looks like this,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55then the customers will be very happy indeed.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59There we go. Drinks are on the other side.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Running a restaurant means that you have to be
0:52:02 > 0:52:05- all smiles for your customers. - Thank you very much.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08But I know it can be tough putting on a brave face.
0:52:09 > 0:52:15When I opened my first restaurant, I worked 16, 17, sometimes 18 hours
0:52:15 > 0:52:18a day, six days a week. I had Sundays off,
0:52:18 > 0:52:21but pretty much for six months. I lost about a stone.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24- It was really rough. - Hmm.- Are you finding it tough?
0:52:27 > 0:52:28Don't...
0:52:34 > 0:52:37- Are you finding it tough because it's long hours...?- I'm just tired.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Is it just that you're not getting any breaks?
0:52:40 > 0:52:42- Are you not getting any support? - I'm getting some breaks.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44The staff are brilliant, but...
0:52:46 > 0:52:50I'm going to bed at half 12, one o'clock in the morning and...
0:52:51 > 0:52:53I'm still waking up at seven.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57I'm having to go to the bloomin' cash and carry every day.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00It takes up a huge chunk of your time.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03I'm being told at ten o'clock at night this is what we need,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06we need it for tomorrow, so I need to go to the cash and carry,
0:53:06 > 0:53:08but then I have on go maybe to the supermarket,
0:53:08 > 0:53:12because I can't get everything at the cash and carry either.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Why aren't you using your suppliers?
0:53:14 > 0:53:17You need to give them 24 hours' notice.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21I think it's very important to stop that reactive buying
0:53:21 > 0:53:24that you're talking about sooner rather than later and say,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27"This is the problem, Anders, I need you to help me fix it."
0:53:27 > 0:53:28And it's really up to him
0:53:28 > 0:53:31and his kitchen team to make those intelligent predictions for you,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33so that you can place the orders,
0:53:33 > 0:53:35and if they're wrong, then adjust them.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38But to do what you're doing at the moment, which is, as you described,
0:53:38 > 0:53:42reacting to those shortcomings in the kitchen, is just not healthy.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46- No.- You know, not healthy in so many ways, including your own health.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53It's really difficult for Debbie, I really feel for her.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57I think she's only just starting to realise that it's exhausting
0:53:57 > 0:54:00and it's difficult owning and running your own restaurant.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05Debbie's reactive buying is taking up time and costing her money,
0:54:05 > 0:54:10and she still has no idea if her business is financially viable.
0:54:10 > 0:54:11Enough is enough now.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15She must tackle those figures head on or risk losing everything
0:54:15 > 0:54:16she's worked for.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Two months after the Salt Bar's opening,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24and I'm back for a final visit.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31- Are you enjoying your restaurant a bit more these days, Debbie?- I am.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34Cos I think there was an element last time when it was almost like
0:54:34 > 0:54:37you'd created a monster that was controlling you
0:54:37 > 0:54:41rather than you having control over it. How do you feel now?
0:54:41 > 0:54:43I feel good, but I have never known
0:54:43 > 0:54:47so much money come in and go out in all my life.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49But there's really only one thing on my mind.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Has Debbie knuckled down and done her figures,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55or is she still flying by the seat of her pants?
0:54:55 > 0:54:57The question is - are you in profit, Debbie?
0:54:57 > 0:54:59- Er, we are.- You are?
0:54:59 > 0:55:05For the month of September, we have a profit on paper of £2,800.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07- That's fantastic.- Yeah, yeah.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09Debbie has now established that food,
0:55:09 > 0:55:14staff and other overheads come in at £2,200 per week.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17And she's worked out what she need to take to allow her
0:55:17 > 0:55:19to pay off her original investment.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23- I know now we need to take at last 5,000 a week...- OK.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25..to keep that in line.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29Your initial set-up costs, I think, were about £40,000, weren't they?
0:55:29 > 0:55:34- About that, yeah.- You could feasibly be paying off the entire
0:55:34 > 0:55:38set-up costs for the Salt Bar in 14, 15 months' time,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41- which is phenomenal. - That'd be great. Yeah, absolutely.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44There are many businesses that spend 10, 20 years
0:55:44 > 0:55:46and still don't achieve that.
0:55:46 > 0:55:51So please reassure me that you're not going to put this to one side
0:55:51 > 0:55:52and think, "Oh, everything's fine,
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- "and the business is fine," and then just carry on.- No, no, no.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58I've put too much in this to ignore the figures now.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00We know it's about the figures.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Finally Debbie has worked her figures out.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09She actually knows how much profit she needs to be making to ensure
0:56:09 > 0:56:12her restaurant is a success.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15And since opening night, she's had great reviews
0:56:15 > 0:56:18and been fully booked every Friday and Saturday night.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22Do you ever think about how you started and where you are now?
0:56:22 > 0:56:26On a Friday or Saturday night, when we're full and the music's loud,
0:56:26 > 0:56:30but you can't hear the music cos of the roar of the conversation,
0:56:30 > 0:56:34and it makes me feel wonderful that I've created this place
0:56:34 > 0:56:38where people are very, very obviously having a really good time.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42- It's quite an achievement. I've got a little present for you...- OK.
0:56:42 > 0:56:47..which I'd like you to keep and use from time to time,
0:56:47 > 0:56:51because I think you need to take a more measured approach to life.
0:56:51 > 0:56:52You are such a nerd.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55This is, I hope, something that will help you achieve that.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59Well, it's very, very beautiful. My own little tape measure.
0:56:59 > 0:57:04- And I want you to use it. - It will always be 109cm high.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07- Thank you very much. - 74cm high.- Very good.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10They're ingrained on my memory.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14- Ah.- I'm very proud. - Ah. Ah, thank you.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18- Well done.- Ah, thank you.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25What really distinguishes this restaurant
0:57:25 > 0:57:27is Debbie's clarity and vision.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31She had an idea, she saw it through, and here it is, the Salt Bar.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36It feels like it's been here for a very long time,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39and I think it's going to be here for many more years to come.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41What would you like to drink?
0:57:41 > 0:57:45Russell has had a huge impact on the way that the Salt Bar is now.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48We would've been doing things the difficult way,
0:57:48 > 0:57:52whereas here, now, I think we're running as it should be.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56For somebody who wants to set up their own restaurant, I would say
0:57:56 > 0:58:00do it, but go and get Russell Norman to give you a hand at the same time.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10'Next time, I'm helping Tony bring his family-run Italian restaurant
0:58:10 > 0:58:12'to Gravesend.'
0:58:12 > 0:58:14You should've been here at ten o'clock.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16'But this controlling patriarch...'
0:58:16 > 0:58:19No! Stop! He doesn't ever listen.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21'..struggles to take advice from anyone.'
0:58:21 > 0:58:24What you're doing now is you're bulldozing me with...
0:58:24 > 0:58:25It's got to be done my way.
0:58:25 > 0:58:29'With building delays, staffing problems and no food...'
0:58:29 > 0:58:31Oh! There's not even a menu.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34'..will this restaurant ever open?'
0:58:34 > 0:58:37If Russell came down today, he'd have a heart attack.
0:58:37 > 0:58:43MUSIC: "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA