Restaurants are a tricky business to become highly profitable, but one of the longest-running restaurants in the U.S. is approaching its 150th year in business. They’ve kept running through over 30 recessions and are the largest purchasers of Kahlúa in the galaxy!

James Louie bought his share of Huber's Cafe in 1991. Today he’s generating over $2 million in revenue. James grew up in the restaurant business and started working at Huber’s at the age of 14. He had dreamed of becoming a baseball player, but Uncle Sam drafted him instead. He went to a few years of college before deciding to join the family business.

In 1999, James was named Restaurateur of the Year. He’ll share his customer service strategies, marketing tips, and how to get 40% of your revenue from drinks.

He’ll even share what he learned while keeping his business afloat with the Paycheck Protection Program and the Restaurant Revitalization Grants. That’s quite an accomplishment since over 70,000 restaurants closed during the pandemic. Get ready to find out how to open a restaurant business.

If you’re looking for more advice from business owners, check out some of our past interviews:

From $50 to $1,750/day Revenue►
https://youtu.be/5qPrumnFF4E

Want to Open a Coffee Shop? Watch This First ►
https://youtu.be/BzVgpmu6clQ

Resources
https://hubers.com/ - Find out more about Hubers on their website
https://alohancr.com/aloha-pos/aloha/ - Huber’s preferred Point-of-Sale (PoS) system
https://www.adp.com/ - Manage payroll and taxes with ADP
https://www.upflip.com/ - Find businesses for sale on the UpFlip listing

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
01:05 - How Family Businesses Start
02:16 - Touring The Hubers Cafe
02:45 - How To Handle Inflation
03:37 - Tips for Beginner Restaurant Owners
04:57 - How To Keep Employees Long-Term
06:00 - Exploring The Food Prep Area
6:37 - The Importance of Leadership Style
07:42 - James’ Best Sellers
08:58 - How Much a Restaurant Makes Per Month
10:21 - What Makes Hubers Cafe Unique
11:24 - The $1 Purchase
12:38 - Breaking Down Revenue
13:35 - The Benefits of Loyalty Programs
14:33 - The Key To Hiring Good Employees
15:15 - Systems and Processes
15:58 - Blitz Time with James
16:29 - Maintaining the Restaurant
17:57 - Expanding Hubers Cafe
18:46 - Tools for Great Management
19:44 - How To Have Loyal Employees
20:52 - Tips for Advertising
21:26 - Advice on Formulating a Menu
22:11 - The History of Hubers Cafe
22:59 - How Kahlua Got Popular
24:21 - The Reason for James’ Success
25:00 - James’ Family Tree
25:48 - How The Restaurant Industry Has Changed

#restaurant #restaurantbusiness #openarestaurant