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Starr Restaurant Group Founder Stephen Starr explains how he turned his small business into 17 restaurants worth millions.
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Talk about a small business big idea -- you take one restaurant in Philadelphia and turn it into a multi million dollar operation will Stephen Starr.
The founder of star restaurant group has done just that he's got seventeen popular restaurant brands.
In Philadelphia at New York Atlantic City Fort Lauderdale.
And Miami got -- a 125 million dollars I was just last year what's he doing minister Stephen Starr joins me now an end.
You're restaurants are some of the hottest restaurants in the industry right now more remote -- here in new York and Philadelphia Buddha -- Celeb central here in New York.
You how to create these concepts were Republican -- Well you know it all began I think in my early days I was it.
I was in television when I was 1819 years all the wanted to be a TV producer.
I wanted to be Lauren Michaels actually met him work out so I got into the music business putting on shows and I was a pretty successful concert promoter during Madonna's first -- And things like that I think the the sense of theatrics helped me.
Do things in the restaurant business that had not previously been done.
Do you think that's why Hollywood has responded you're the way they had I mean and an even that behind clientele that you're catering to.
Philly Miami New York I mean if you walk and it is restaurants I mean they're they're beautiful the spaces are.
Artistic creations of the food is great as well but it's seems like -- the experience that people are buying into I think.
It's it's of course it has to be the food but when I first started and and wanted to do to kind in New York.
I put a lot of time and and and energy into the design into the theater of it.
And I remember Steven Spielberg walked into -- -- one night and I sat next to my talked to for a moment.
And he told me walking into the restaurant was like walking into a movie so that was like them the best compliment I could have ever gotten.
And I think that had something to do with it.
-- -- -- konduz then and movies many of them in particular Sex and the City that for the first many of those that is featured prominently.
Let's talk about what's next for you mean you've got these huge high end properties they're you're making money hand over fist do you want -- -- word you wanna expand for the share.
We're looking to expand we just expended a little bit more in Philadelphia.
With two or three new concepts of a beer garden and a farm to table restaurant things more simple -- concepts.
And then in New York were about to announce next week to.
New restaurants that we're doing here smaller.
Them but it kind memorial -- but equally -- I think impressive -- terms of its concept both from a design sampling and Colin -- What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own business and ended may be a restaurant maybe something else times have been very tough for a lot of folks.
A lot of them have dreams like you did when you -- young what would you say that.
In terms of business or restaurant business either one.
In terms of the restaurant business I would be very very careful -- now because.
The economy is not great we we -- feeling it but we're surviving was just such an infrastructure.
We have such a customer base I'd be really careful the main thing I would suggest in any business just before you tackle the idea.
Is to really play devil's advocate with an idea rip it apart.
Figure out all -- reasons why it stinks why it won't work instead of being idealistic and thinking you're a genius is -- -- god everyone's gonna love this.
Think the opposite.
Go through that process and if you survive that process then go forward with the idea.
What about financing a lot of young business owners out there are looking for financing it's tough to come -- right now.
It's brutal to -- -- -- -- honest with all of our success.
We have a hard time getting financing the way we want to it.
-- and you don't even me Stephen Starr can't get financing I have heard it all now.
But.
We have to do is be creative you know if you do things cheaper smarter.
And you have to be persuasive and selling.
Your idea.
Stephen Starr from Philadelphia the world you you've been doing great -- galaxy we do next I can't wait either can wait to show you.
Now Republican -- Ted Stevens star of course that's our restaurant -- thank.
