Sally Kane is the first to admit that running a restaurant isn't exactly the same as running a mom's shop or a small service business.
“Restaurants are very different from other small businesses,” said Coronet's co-owner. “This is a uniquely difficult and rewarding business.”
Before opening Tucson's popular restaurants, cafes and bars, he owned Surface Works, a local commercial and residential remodeling and painting company.
Nevertheless, the lessons Kane has learned from running The Coronet (which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary) have made the 55-year-old entrepreneur an excellent source of advice for anyone wanting to start their own small business. It became.
“If a child came to me asking for advice, I would first want to know if they have a really good idea of the path they're on and what they're walking towards. “Yes,” Kane said. “You can't just think, 'I'm good at software, so I'm going to start a software company.' You have to be able to really visualize what you want to create, even if it's in an area that doesn't seem like it. , business is a creative endeavor.”
Tucson is home to clear creative passion projects such as Lizzie Mead's Silver Sea Jewelry, now in its 28th year selling locally handcrafted jewelry, and Gail Sebastian's The Battery Guy. Whether you're a mobile business in Tucson or on-site golf cart battery replacement.
Regardless of the field, it all starts with having a clear vision for your business, then creating a space, whether physical or online, that reflects the small business owner's personal spirit and passion.
“To me, there's very little difference,” Kane said. “If you're a painter, you have to be able to visualize the image before you take the steps necessary to create it. It's the same with business. You have to see your goal and know what you're moving towards.” You need to understand what's going on.
“And,” Kane added, “you better be the most persistent (expletive) in the room!”
Jackie Cooder, owner and chef of Tucson's Kingfisher Bar & Grill, understands the interplay of creativity and business acumen required to run a successful small business.
“We have no desire to fix what isn’t broken,” says Kingfisher owner and chef Jackie Kuder. “But so far, the changes we've made have been well received.”
Several years ago, Ms. Cooder and her husband, Ted Burhans, were regular customers at Kingfisher. Kingfisher is a venerable seafood restaurant founded in East Grant in 1993 by Jeff Azelsky and Jim “Murph” Murphy, long before the boulevard became a gourmet hub.
“It was my dream to own a restaurant,” Kuder said.
She previously worked as a chef with Janos Wilder at his eponymous restaurant at the Westin La Paloma Resort (where Burhans also worked at the front desk), before spending about 12 years in the healthcare field. She used to work there, but the pandemic has made things “horrible” there, she said.
“I needed some kind of life change and the timing worked out,” Kuder said. “At the time, Jeff and Murph wanted to retire, and when they saw Kingfisher for sale, they secured a small business loan and used their retirement accounts to fund it. , we are here!”
The couple bought the restaurant in October 2022 and have only made minor changes so far, including “some updates to the interior, a new paint color, and some unique art,” but they're keeping the spirit of Kingfisher alive. We are careful to continue to make an impression while making the most of this. Unique style and menu enhancements.
“There's no desire to fix something that isn't broken,” Cooder said. “But so far, the changes we've made have been well received.”
Both Kuder and Cain stress that the key to restaurant success, and by extension, small business success, starts with a vision, but businesses need to have employees who understand and support that vision.
“This is an abusive work situation,” Kane said of her field. “That's why I don't want to hire people that I can't actually care about. That's how I hire, and I say, “The person sitting across from me is someone who I can see for real and feel deeply about.'' Do you understand?'' I ask myself. He's not the only type of person I'm looking for. The only type is “real”. And “present”. If someone cares about what they're doing and cares about me and them, that's what we need. ”
Kane said the industry lost a lot of jobs as hospitality workers returned for better treatment and pay after reopening after the pandemic.
“I think the industry was losing a lot of talent because they didn’t feel seen or valued,” she said. “Employees must feel like more than just cogs in a machine. They can only feel that if the entire ecosystem is working.”
Mr. Kuder also believes in the importance of creating a supportive work environment and a symbiotic relationship between companies and their employees.
“One of my philosophies is to really take care of our employees,” she said. “The really good thing about us is that we pay a living wage front and back.”
Kuder also said that many of Kingfisher's staff have been with the restaurant for decades, and that the longevity and dedication of her employees contributes to the restaurant's family atmosphere and well-functioning operations. It pointed out.
The next rule for small business success is to go beyond concepts and understand how business works. Work experience alone is not enough. Having a deep understanding of the inner workings of the industry is critical for business owners.
“I feel like most employees don't understand how a restaurant business works,” Cain says. “While you may get a pretty good idea of how a job is run by working at one job for a long time, it doesn't really give you a comprehensive overview of how the business operates.”
“These are abusive working conditions,” say The Coronet co-owner Sally Kane and executive chef Tanner Fleming. “That's why I don't want to hire people I don't really value.”
However, Kane said that sometimes it helps not to know all the work involved when diving into a seemingly unassailable industry, and that tackling big new things sometimes requires a combination of naivety and boldness. he pointed out.
“Idealism and lack of experience go a long way when jumping into this business,” she adds with a laugh. “I learned a lot, but you never really learn until you do it.”
Finally, restaurateurs emphasized the importance of fostering creativity and authenticity in small businesses as well. Kane said his passion for all creative endeavors stems from a desire to provide a special experience for his customers, rather than simply running a business for financial gain.
“In the same way that self-taught artists and musicians don’t necessarily go to school to create, they figure out what they want to create, so they can shape a business to fit their vision. There’s a joy that comes from doing it,” she said.
“In any business, there are certain rules that constrain you just to keep the doors open,” Kane added. “But there's a huge range of how you can make the pictures you want to make. I like what happens when you understand things and then make things fit the way you see them.'' is.”
Kane said the beauty of small businesses is that they don't get too big and lose sight of their vision.
“It’s this big picture of a small thing that moves me,” she said. “But there's a limit to how far it can go until it stops grabbing someone.”
