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REACHING FOR YOUR DREAM
By Chef Bruno
To my faithful readers, who are all in search of success, I want to share a story with you that will show how dreams can and do come true. I want to introduce brothers Michael and Craig Laquerre, who spent years in the mortgage and real estate business, but were looking to diversify and do something they truly loved…pizza. Like so many others who have found success in non-restaurant related ventures, they knew about business, but not about the pizza business. Thinking that the restaurant industry is like anything else jumping in the deep end without checking the depth of the water can prove fatal. But these brothers did their homework and they came across some of my articles I have written and some of the articles that were written about my restaurants and me and decided to give me a call. As luck would have it, I own a restaurant and pizzeria in Tampa, Florida, only about 20 minutes from their proposed location in Valrico, Florida. Shortly after being contacted, we met at my restaurant and that is where they proposed an idea: to start and authentic New York style brick oven pizzeria that would be a franchisable concept, and they wanted me to assist them in every step of the way. I could see their desire, ambition and ability, so I agreed and together we created Giovani’s Brick Oven Pizza.
I helped them in just about every stage of planning and through the set-up. I obtained all of the equipment, pointing them in the right directions. If you have never been in the restaurant business you can easily be persuaded by ‘bells and whistles’ and/or price and end up wasting money purchasing things that either you don’t need or that won’t do the job. I also helped keep everything within the budget they had set before the work began. This is where calling in someone with experience helps in finding the things that will do the job you want to do. I assisted them in the menu creation, one that is already taking the area by storm. According to the feedback I have seen and heard firsthand, the pizzeria concept is soaring…and we haven’t even started the advertising campaign yet.
In addition to Michael and Craig’s success, they are already in the process of franchise licensing as well as opening new locations. They wish to continue the pursuit of their goals of opening additional locations and continue to focus on the quality of their food, offering the best customer service and affordable franchise concepts. Remember this, just because you have been successful in one venture, doesn’t mean you will succeed in another. Don’t be afraid to call in people with experience and ask for help. After the success of their first Giovani’s, the brothers have already asked me to be part of the continued growth. I thank both of them for allowing me to be part of their dream and wish them all the success.