The talent it takes to run a successful kitchen isn't enough to run a successful restaurant. Be honest with yourself when examining both the strengths and weaknesses you are bringing to the table. Ask for help when necessary.

August in Chicago is hot, humid and a great time not to be working in front of an 800-degree-Fahrenheit French flat-top stove. Standing over this gas-fired monster isn't for everyone - heck, it isn't for anyone - but finishing a braised pork and olive oil jus to order in a small copper pot makes my eyes wide. I taste the light sauce, adjusting the seasoning with a pinch of sea salt, and then finalizing the acidity with a touch of champagne vinegar before spooning it over the organic Berkshire shoulder from Crawford Farm. Served in an expensive Euro porcelain dish, the rim gently wiped with some moist cheesecloth, then whisked away on a polished silver tray - that food is as good as cooking can be. The sweat that pours down my back is totally ignored; we are cooking, and cooking well.

Making the jump to owner is a real wakeup call for most chefs. Unless the chef has been wooed to a restaurant system like Lettuce Entertain You and made partner, becoming a chef-owner means learning more, doing more and being in a lot more places at the same time than ever before. Because of article space, let's assume you have a working business plan. If not, stop reading and start writing one. No business plan, no business. Even if you are the second coming of celebrated New York chef Danny Meyer, proving your ideas in print, coupled with plenty of financials is what people with money have to see. In the beginning there was money. -- Michael Tsonton

Sounds great, doesn't it? Short of a hot kitchen, to which most every chef is accustomed, creating, cooking and teaching in a professional kitchen may be challenging, but surely rewarding. Focused on the back-of-the-house, a chef who is hardworking, organized and committed to craft will find solace in the confines of the kitchen. But what happens when that same comfortable chef decides to step out from the back, and place his or her name on the front door? Everything changes. Everything. And the hardest part in all of the chaos is just finding time to cook.

A Wakeup Call

Making the jump to owner is a real wakeup call for most chefs. Unless the chef has been wooed to a restaurant system like Lettuce Entertain You and made partner, becoming a chef-owner means learning more, doing more and being in a lot more places at the same time than ever before. Because of article space, let's assume you have a working business plan. If not, stop reading and start writing one. No business plan, no business. Even if you are the second coming of celebrated New York chef Danny Meyer, proving your ideas in print, coupled with plenty of financials is what people with money have to see. In the beginning there was money.

Nothing happens without the almighty dollar. Whether using personal money, investors' money, family money, SBA (Small Business Administration) government-backed bank loan, or like most first-timers, a combination of all the above, understanding how to raise the funds, when to collect those funds, and how the funds are to be paid back is not like solving a Sunday newspaper crossword puzzle. There's more than one answer to funding your project, and just as many ways to pay everyone back. Family and friends often want to help get you started, and mostly lend small amounts of money. Borrowing money from people close to you can be tricky, and can quickly change a relationship, so make sure everyone understands the risk involved. Reality is they may never get their money back, and best to be frank on that point. Make sure you have a legally clear plan for how the people closest are going to get their money back.

Introducing the Note Purchase Agreement

Your brother's good for 5K, and Mom and Dad have enough saved to give you 8K. That crabby old uncle on your mom's side is getting old and finally wants to help; he's in for 3K. Small investments like these are typical from family or friends that have followed your career. A simple "Note Purchase Agreement" will work fine. An NPA is a straightforward legal document in which both parties understand the risk, and agree on an interest rate and a scheduled payback date. If your business does well, everyone makes a little money on their investment and feels great helping get you started. If not ... well ... their investment wasn't going to put them out on the street. You should draft "Demand Letters" for your family and friends in case things go south. Demand letters will protect their ability to write the lost investment off their taxes, helping take some sting from their loss. Larger-sum investors become partners. They get a percentage of your business and deals can be worked many ways, from timed buyouts to long-term relationships, and everything in between.

Know what you want from your partners and what they want from their investment. Keep all deals in writing. Lawyer fees are much cheaper upfront than later on if things go sour. Partnerships become most successful when everyone understands their role in the organization. No one needs a partner with 15 percent ownership adjusting the lights or music during service. It's their restaurant, but it's not. Be clear from the get-go. The money always is the biggest headache. Once funds are secured, setting up the company is next. Creating a corporation isn't tough, but quality advice from your attorney and accountant is paramount. Understanding the difference between an LLC and an S-Corp is as important as choosing a produce purveyor; maybe more so. Do the homework, listen to the legal and tax pros and decide what protects the business best.

Wondering when you get to be a chef again is probably festering, but there is so much to do. Find the right location, then decide to buy or lease. Better make a good deal, too, because there's only one chance. A bad lease can end the restaurant's run before it gets started. Work with a broker who's experienced in restaurant deals. The restaurant's interior and possibly the infrastructure will need to be updated; picking the right people to handle that will take some research. And of course the construction budget will need watching closely; very closely. The list of decisions that need attention will seem daunting. Choosing important items like china, flatware and stemware require thought and a lot of time. Kitchen equipment needs to be selected, from big-ticket items like stoves, ovens and refrigeration, down to a multipage smallwares list of ladles, spatulas and sixth pans. Then there's staffing, training, advertising, marketing, public relations, signage, and picking a color for the napkins. Holy mother of Fernand Point, with so many decisions, and all of it tied to opening day, a detailed punch list better be in place.

The punch list breaks down the "to-do list" into categories like construction, permits, staffing, and front-of-the-house equipment and so on. The punch list might be 20 or more pages, but keeping everything that needs to be done in one place and organized is the only way to make sure things get done. The punch list should have columns for who is assigned to complete the task, when the task must be finished, and finally a space to check the item off the list. Leave room for notes on each line. Some assignments aren't so cut and dry. Dealing with City Hall or a suburban permit division can be frustrating. Keep copious notes of who you talk to and where the process is at each step.

Like Dancing With a Bear

Opening a restaurant is like dancing with a bear. Don't tire or fall asleep or, well, the rest is pretty obvious. With so much happening at the same time, tie the punch list to a time line. Build an accurate time line from which projects can be marked and moved, if necessary. The time line is imperative for directing traffic, and staying on course for a target opening. Use a desk calendar for the time line. The large format makes it easy to hang and leaves plenty of space for detailed information when projects are completed and keeps the restaurant's progress at eye level.

The key to opening a restaurant - any restaurant - is staying organized, focused, motivated and being able to truly multitask. Don't get overly frustrated, either. There will be days when the punch list is your best friend, and days when you want to settle down with a fifth of whiskey and just chuck the whole thing. Keep a keen eye on your goal, and be ready to go with the flow. Much of what you think will happen won't. Patience will be tested, and the steady will prevail. No matter how many people are involved in the project, as the chef/owner, all of the decisions made should at least be signed off by you; meaning this giant step forward from the kitchen is bigger than imagined.

The talent it takes to run a successful kitchen isn't enough to run a successful restaurant. Be honest with yourself when examining both the strengths and weaknesses you are bringing to the table. Ask for help when necessary. This is no time for pride and selfishness. Whatever is best for the restaurant and the concept is best for you, too. Keep your ego in check. But don't be afraid to go with gut feelings when tough decisions need to be made. Often the things that got you to this point will serve you best when everybody is looking for a definitive answer. If something doesn't feel right, it most likely isn't. Trust those hard-learned instincts.

Had enough yet? This is the point when many chefs may wonder just what the hell they got into. Stepping out from the cozy kitchen to overseeing a restaurant of your own is crazy at best, but as I can attest to, it was something I had to do.