New Businesses Coming to Southern Maryland

[Gilligan]

Cursed or not, the Bottom of the Hill is not worth going back to, IMO. The food is mediocre at best and the beer selection SUX.

I've only been once...as I noted in an early post, I was unimpressed too.

 

[BernieP]

Why is this such a terrible location for a restaurant? Or is it the kind of restaurant that has a problem?
Does it need to be a national chain to succeed, so it has name recognition first?

So I almost posted a myth before I decided to do a little research. Even so, success isn't a given.

Sometimes, the idea of owning a restaurant can guide you to launch a new business and can very easily hide real obligations and problems that owning a restaurant entails. It all leads to inexperienced owners closing down their businesses in the first year. Don’t be one of them.
If you know the most common reasons why restaurants fail you will be able to recognize bad signals and pay attention on time, make a right decisions and hopefully not to experience a failure.
It is not easy to decide to engage yourself in hard working job like restaurant business and to take great responsibility in these difficult financial times.
Simply close your eyes and run into something where others assured you that it is impossible, and then after a while you realize that these same “friends” are jealous on you and your abilities.

How to Survive the First year of Business ?
If you run a restaurant business few years you have certainly encountered many problems on your skin, but you’re still there and your restaurant is still open, right? The fact that restaurants fail at an alarmingly high rate, as 90 to 95 percent in the first year, is actually wrong. According to recent studies done by Professor Dr. HG Parsa 59% of hospitality facilities fail in the period of 3 years. In the first year, is the highest level of failure, 26%, 19% in the second and 14% in the third year of business. According to him, the myth that restaurant failure rates from 90% could not be confirmed. “Any model which I used for study, the results of the failure of restaurants have always moved about 55% to 60%. If we compared this research result to other businesses, restaurant industry is quite prosperous business.
Common Reasons of Restaurants Failure
I met people at different levels in the food industry, from owners of expensive exclusive restaurants to owners of cafes on the corner, who teach me about the most common pitfalls and mistakes of beginners in the hospitality industry. So I decided to share my learned lessons and to help to restaurant owners of new restaurants to minimize the most common beginner’s mistakes .

The most common reasons why failure rate increase in the beginning of the business :

• 
  [*]Low start-up capital
  [*]Poor knowledge about competition
  [*]Wrong Location
  [*]Poor restaurant promotion
  [*]Inconstant offer
  [*]The bad partnerships relations
  [*]Poor inventory and staff management
  [*]The lack of original ideas

All of these are valuable lessons and important points to consider. But I want to dive deep into the problem and point out the mistakes that are vital when running a restaurant business.Lack of money – wisely use the initial capitalOne thing is certain .Opening the restaurant is very expensive venture.

Location should be addressed as part of their business model, before they even get financing.
Off the top of my head I would say that location doesn't have the customer pool that places along 235 have.
So it would have to be much better than it's competition to attract customers to that location.

 

[lovinmaryland]

Cursed or not, the Bottom of the Hill is not worth going back to, IMO. The food is mediocre at best and the beer selection SUX.

I've only been once...as I noted in an early post, I was unimpressed too.

I concur! We went once and it wasn't worth a return visit.

 

[ltown81]

That's the issue. That is the only chain sized, stand alone restaurant in Leonardtown. Because of it's size and cost, you need to be a rock star to pull enough volume from Mechanicsville, Hollywood, and Lexington Park. Good enough to make people drive ast 235 all the way to Leonardtown. Arizona Pizza almost had it, but their quality fell short.

The biggest indicator really is....no established chain wants that location. They do all the demographics research and have no interest in that site.

If I owned it I would subdivide it into a nail place and a liquor mattress place or something.

 

[Merlin99]

So I almost posted a myth before I decided to do a little research. Even so, success isn't a given.



Location should be addressed as part of their business model, before they even get financing.
Off the top of my head I would say that location doesn't have the customer pool that places along 235 have.
So it would have to be much better than it's competition to attract customers to that location.

That kind of says that the ale house has the deck stacked against them.

 

[ltown81]

I went to the Ale House last Wednesday

Here are my thoughts...

Overall okay job remodeling a pretty gloomy place.
Apps were expensive for what you get
I found myself wishing the menu had more Entrees
The place is owned by people who ran a diner before hand. Anyone who has been to a diner in Baltimore knows they are most all run by Greeks. The influence shows in the menu.
Also since it is run by ex diner owners, the food "looks" kinda plain. It tastes good though
I did not like the cook walking around the restaurant with nasty apron on.
Bar as insanely busy
The location is an issue...not sure how much I would go down there

It's like maybe a 3-4 out of 5 starts kinda place.

That kind of says that the ale house has the deck stacked against them.

 

[glhs837]

I went to the Ale House last Wednesday

Here are my thoughts...

Overall okay job remodeling a pretty gloomy place.
Apps were expensive for what you get
I found myself wishing the menu had more Entrees
The place is owned by people who ran a diner before hand. Anyone who has been to a diner in Baltimore knows they are most all run by Greeks. The influence shows in the menu.
Also since it is run by ex diner owners, the food "looks" kinda plain. It tastes good though
I did not like the cook walking around the restaurant with nasty apron on.
Bar as insanely busy
The location is an issue...not sure how much I would go down there
It's like maybe a 3-4 out of 5 starts kinda place.

Really? Now, I say this a guy who has no problem going to Ollies at 830PM, so there's that, but really the odds of bad stuff happening there is really pretty low. Hang out at 2am for a while, maybe an issue, but entering and leaving during normal business hours should place you in less risk than some of the back street in L-town.

 

[Restitution]

Bar as insanely busy

Welcome to SOMD

 

[luvmygdaughters]

Has anyone tried the new French restaurant in Leonardtown yet? I think the name is La Rive Breton, its where the old Café Des Artist was.

 

[lovinmaryland]

Really? Now, I say this a guy who has no problem going to Ollies at 830PM, so there's that, but really the odds of bad stuff happening there is really pretty low. Hang out at 2am for a while, maybe an issue, but entering and leaving during normal business hours should place you in less risk than some of the back street in L-town.

Well she says Leonardtown girl so I'm assuming she lives in Leonardtown and driving 25 minutes for so so food doesn't sound like much fun I know I've tried to go there several times but I head out the door and say to myself why risk it when the Pub is right here and you know they've got great food & lots of beer choices.

Has anyone tried the new French restaurant in Leonardtown yet? I think the name is La Rive Breton, its where the old Café Des Artist was.

No I just drove past there this morning and wondered if it was even open it doesn't look like they have a sign up which makes it look a little under construction.

 

[BernieP]

That kind of says that the ale house has the deck stacked against them.

No, the Ale House is on 235, more conveniently located
They are getting lunch business and happy hour business.
I don't see Bottom of the Hill getting that volume of traffic

 

[Bird Dog]

Has anyone tried the new French restaurant in Leonardtown yet? I think the name is La Rive Breton, its where the old Café Des Artist was.

I've been twice...it's great. A little pricey for the chain restaurant crowd on these forums, but well worth it.

 

[BernieP]

I went to the Ale House last Wednesday

Here are my thoughts...

Overall okay job remodeling a pretty gloomy place.
Apps were expensive for what you get
I found myself wishing the menu had more Entrees
The place is owned by people who ran a diner before hand. Anyone who has been to a diner in Baltimore knows they are most all run by Greeks. The influence shows in the menu.
Also since it is run by ex diner owners, the food "looks" kinda plain. It tastes good though
I did not like the cook walking around the restaurant with nasty apron on.
Bar as insanely busy
The location is an issue...not sure how much I would go down there

It's like maybe a 3-4 out of 5 starts kinda place.

Most people who have eaten there liked the food, I mean it's a pub, it has pub food, it's not a gourmet restaurant, the food is presented as pub food.
Other than after dark the location is great and I don't think unless it's late night you are at any risk.

BUT, I can see where people might consider it a sketchy area after dark, that was one of my concerns.
But I've gone to Radio Shack just before they closed at night, and Advanced Auto. I don't see that area of LP city as all that much of a problem.
iHOP has survived in that area all these years so the location can't be that bad, so has Foot Locker, and Ledos

 

[luvmygdaughters]

I've been twice...it's great. A little pricey for the chain restaurant crowd on these forums, but well worth it.

We are thinking about going on Valentines Day weekend, any menu and wine recommendations?

 

[ltown81]

The location is what it is. It is one of the few restaurants in the county where someone has been murdered. Its not a bad crowd...just not sure how much I will drive down there.

Bew French place is good, but if you are expecting a Café De Artistes kinda meal you will be unhappy.

 

[Bird Dog]

We are thinking about going on Valentines Day weekend, any menu and wine recommendations?

The menu changes pretty regularly.....

From their website..
Tuesday Date Night
excluding Valentine’s Day, Tuesday February 14, 2017
Prix fixe special date night menu (indicated by red hearts on Tuesday’s Dinner Menu)
$79 per couple; no substitutions please.
Includes one bottle of wine, one appetizer to share, two dinner entrees,
one dessert to share, and coffee.

Wine Not Wednesdays?!
1/2 price on select bottles of wine and $5 select glasses all evening

Thursday evenings: European Vacation
Each Thursday evening, we’ll feature a special dish from a European region and a paired specialty cocktail or glass of wine

Makes it fun....

 

[RoseRed]

Went to Le Rive last Friday night. It was good but no specials that night. I'll give it another try.

 

[kom526]

Went to Le Rive last Friday night. It was good but no specials that night. I'll give it another try.

I've heard that a tip for the bartender is included with every drink poured and the wait for your food can be a bit lengthy. Until I hear a couple of solid reviews, I'll keep hitting the Front Porch because they have been on point the last several times we've been there.

 

[luvmygdaughters]

Hmm... sounds good. May give it a try, Hubby suggested Dock of the Bay, sounds like they have a pretty good special for Valentines Day too. After thinking about it, Valentines Day will probably have a pretty good crowd at the La Reve and hearing how there was some considerable time before being served, may pick another weekend to try it out.

 

[lovinmaryland]

Hmm... sounds good. May give it a try, Hubby suggested Dock of the Bay, sounds like they have a pretty good special for Valentines Day too. After thinking about it, Valentines Day will probably have a pretty good crowd at the La Reve and hearing how there was some considerable time before being served, may pick another weekend to try it out.

I was just discussing this w/ my son last night. His girlfriend is dead set on going out VD. I said just do it this once and you'll be free TRUST ME! Its always crowded as hell, service sucks cause its crowded, food usually isn't good either cause its so busy! Until you experience it you never know though!