Hoping to find future restaurateurs, alumnus and founder of the Rx restaurant Greg Salisbury discussed his career in the dining industry at a Weiss Tech House event last night.
Salisbury opened the American BYOB, Rx, in the fall of 2001. Located at 45th and Spruce streets, his restaurant features organic, seasonal foods, which distinguish it from the typical neighborhood eatery.
He described the many challenges involved in starting one's own business, referring specifically to his restaurant. According to the College '89 graduate, a restaurant owner "really has to love" the business.
His first step involved speaking with the executive chef of White Dog Cafe, located near 34th and Sansom streets. The chef told Salisbury about a few farmers to contact for organic produce who, after talking with Salisbury, also recommended him to other farmers.
"Connections are very important," said Salisbury. "My contacts from a previous publishing job were definitely an advantage when we first opened."
In fact, the restaurant received so much publicity within its first two months of opening that he had to double the size of the establishment.
According to Salisbury, community relations is also an issue for such a restaurant, as each neighborhood has its own requirements.
Salisbury was not allowed to obtain a liquor license and could not keep late hours.
For prospective entrepreneurs, however, he recommends acquiring a liquor license, as it will "drive in a whole lot more revenue since the margins off of liquor are a lot more than off of food."
"One of the surprises when opening Rx," said Salisbury, "was the lack of neighborhood support when we opened."
He noted the large "anarchist presence" in the community as the primary obstacle he faced, noting that many residents were not happy about the restaurant when it first opened.
Another issue was that of money.
According to Salisbury -- who invested $120,000 of his own money in opening Rx -- running a restaurant is a capital-intensive business, and would-be restaurant owners must be aware of that from the beginning.
"So many restaurants fail the first year because of a lack of capital," Salisbury said.
Approximately 25 people attended the discussion.
"I found [it] really interesting because innovation in the service industry doesn't get talked about much," Engineering junior Mudit Jaju said.
