This is a bad idea. You started and stopped Uni twice so far. You admit to a lack of ambition and drive in getting in your hours at poker. You are going to run into so much bullshit in the high-end restaurant business that it will make your head asplode. Seriously, you are better off buying a franchise as suggested by MK, although not subway since Doctors Associates (corporate head of Subway Restaurants) are rat bastards to their franchisees (use google, you will see what I mean). But another franchise would be fine. Get the business experience. Make sure that owning a business is something you want to do (I spent all fucking day yesterday and today looking at office space for my new business, and I will be working on this pretty much full time for the next month or more before even getting the doors open - so much time invested before actually making the first dollar that it kind of boggles the mind).

Bottom line: Don't do it. Make money elsewhere, then eat at fine restaurants. In Prague or wherever. Just for the love of all that is holy don't go and try to open one.

Also keep in mind with franchises you're kinda limited to what you can make. It might be good for a business experience as far as owning a business. If you wanna try making money in a food business open a pizza joint. Good profit compared to what it actually costs to make a pie and you'll get some experience dealing with people in the food business. But DON'T just jump into something like a high end restaurant business. The results more than likely would be similar to someone brand new to poker depositing a chunk of money into poker site and deciding they won't play lower than 50/100 NL.

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Giantgrwth (6:13:50 PM): His [Roys] pallete isn't even very decent
Giantgrwth (6:14:25 PM): I could out restaraunt review him any day of the week

ZZZZZZZZZZOMG ROY YOU GONNA TAKE THAT?!?! THEM SOUNDS LIKE FIGHTIN WORDS TO ME...I DONNO A SINGLE GAYBAR IN CALI THAT YOU CAN SAY STUFF LIKE THAT IN AND NOT GET HIT OVER THE HEAD WITH A PURSE OR STABBED WITH A NAIL FILE...

fightfightfightfight

All good points and I've been thinking about it more and agree with most that this is a bad idea.

I do like the idea of starting a franchise and think that may be what I will do. I also want to get an investment property as I have wanted to do this for ages now and finally am able to put down a deposit without my BR being destroyed. That leaves the question.. investment property or franchise?

Anyway, I still want to open a high end restaurant some day but let's put that in the "long-term goals that sound great but that may or may not ever happen" column.

property...

Also, while you may consider investing in such a thing when you have, say, one million to spare and want to invest 10% of it in a risky but possibly interesting gamble, making this your first and main investment is really unwise, especially if you don't have a lot of expertise and very good connections in the business.

Just try to open a small business where you invest only a small portion of your net worth. Btw what's wrong with just getting a degree and doing things the old fashioned way?