What happened when I opened a restaurant in Portland
I can personally relate to their struggles to get a business going, retain staff, and to be one step ahead of everything when you&#x27;re just trying to survive.<p>And I lived right next door to Renard.<p>It&#x27;s hard to imagine that during the planning, budgeting, and all the upfront work that someone didn&#x27;t caution him against the unscrupulous landlord. The landlord was a guy that wrapped a chain around our neighboring building to pull his building back onto its foundation. This is a guy that had public, outstanding violations and complaints on his building and unpermitted work.<p>And they moved in to a microscopic kitchen to do white-tablecloth dining in a local neighborhood. Yes, they moved in right after a hot restaurant, St Jack, moved out, but St Jack had a marketing&#x2F;advertising&#x2F;buzz machine behind it. They systematically created success, not the other-way around.<p>I guess the moral of the story is take this to heart:<p>&gt;I told myself what I&#x27;m sure every single novice restauranteur tells themselves: I&#x27;ll be in the 1 percent that make it, by sheer will.<p>Take the leap, but you&#x27;ve got to do your diligence. Listen to the feedback and concerns people voice about your endeavor.