# Shared space concept. Different restaurants, same roof.



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Some people want to open a breakfast pastry place.  Some people want to open a dinner only bistro.  Some people want maybe a lunch/dinner place five days a week.  Some people just want to do catering.

I was thinking again (don't shoot me) what if they all could share space under one roof?  A large dock area with room for different coolers and walkins, one kitchen, one catering/pastry kitchen, one dining area.

I know it sounds crazy but could it work?  Start with maybe breakfast and dinner restaurant sharing the same space.  The different owners would not even see each other.


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## eloki (Apr 3, 2006)

there'd have to be  alot of trust there.  Sharing the same space would mean using the same stoves, oven, equipment, service fridges and stuff.  Who pays for breakages and stuff?


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Even before breakage and such, what if the dinner crew comes in and the breakfast crew hasn't bothered to clean up? Who's responsible?

I think it could work. But the contracts would have to be drawn very carefully, and spell out, in detail, who's responsible for upkeep, maintainance, etc.

I wonder if it wouldn't be better with a third-party owner. But, instead of renting the facility, he would have an equity position in each of the businesses, but would still be responsible for capital goods etc.


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

KYHeirloomer said:


> Even before breakage and such, what if the dinner crew comes in and the breakfast crew hasn't bothered to clean up? Who's responsible?
> 
> I think it could work. But the contracts would have to be drawn very carefully, and spell out, in detail, who's responsible for upkeep, maintainance, etc.
> 
> I wonder if it wouldn't be better with a third-party owner. But, instead of renting the facility, he would have an equity position in each of the businesses, but would still be responsible for capital goods etc.


I was cooking in this sort of situation over the past couple of years as a side-thing. One of the parties was responsible for all of the breakages, capital goods, etc... maintenance, "the site-owner". Each of the users of the kitchen and dining area were responsible for returning it to a mutually agreed upon state after each use. If someone failed to keep up this responsibility, the "space-owner" would have some of his staff do the work. This "space-owner" was in another part of the building with crews assigned for things vastly different than cooking, but still readily available. I think that's why it worked. Being on site and being able to check the place after each use, this "space-owner" also knew who did the damage or whatever and could charge accordingly.

We did not share refrigerator, freezer or pantry space. Each of us had a lock for our own so that nobody could poach. That did take up room though. Luckily, it was a large, multi-use facility.


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