The Daily Bulletin Archive

Buffalo State is getting ready to launch a program designed to help would-be restaurateurs open independent establishments and manage them effectively. The Restaurant Institute, which begins its pilot program in January, is an initiative that includes the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Hospitality and Tourism Department, Campus House, and the Research Foundation.

“This is an example of Buffalo State’s core values,” said Kevin Mulcahy, chair and associate professor of the Hospitality and Tourism Department. “We’re collaborating internally and with the community.”

Designs for the Restaurant Institute began in spring 2006, but the need has existed much longer. According to Susan McCartney, director of the SBDC, many of her clients over the years—who come to the center for one-to-one counseling on starting and expanding businesses—would like to open restaurants. Now, after months of careful planning, she teamed up with the right collaborators to turn the idea of the institute into a reality. The Hospitality and Tourism Department is providing faculty and the use of Campus House for classes. The Research Foundation is providing professional staff support and a $7,000 incentive grant toward curriculum development costs. They also will continue to look for more grant support. Additionally, the Institutional Advancement and Development Office will help to secure funding from local private foundations and corporations.

The collaboration, however, goes beyond the Buffalo State campus. Earlier this year, organizers assembled an advisory team to solicit advice for the program. This “super group of consultants,” as Kathleen O’Brien, hospitality and tourism lecturer and director of Campus House, puts it, includes restaurant owners of renowned casual, mid-scale, and high-end establishments, including Hutch’s, Oliver’s, Ilio DiPaolo’s, the Empire Grill, Rue Franklin, Pizza Plant, and others.

“Their responses helped drive our curriculum,” said O’Brien. “When we had our orientation meeting back on September 10, many of them attended, and their feedback provided credibility. The restaurant industry is very networked, and the advisory team members are recognizable names around town.”

McCartney says the SBDC, which is the only school-based center for Erie and Wyoming counties, is now the only center in the state to offer a Restaurant Institute program. So far, 12 participants are registered. Mulcahy says organizers are looking for 15 to 20 participants, so things are on track.

“The Restaurant Institute is unique in the way it delivers content,” he said. “And for the pilot price of $1,000, it’s a bargain.”

McCartney agrees. “The institute will offer [restaurateurs] far greater support than a franchise [would],” she said.

McCartney, Mulcahy, and O’Brien are three of the Restaurant Institute’s steering committee members who are currently organizing the curriculum. The other members are Joseph Giambra, a counselor with the SBDC, Angelo Conorozzo, the Research Foundation liaison to the School of the Professions (which oversees both the SBDC and the Hospitality and Tourism Department), and Mary Kren, the coordinator of training and development for the Research Foundation.

The curriculum consists of a two-week “boot camp” at Campus House in early January, which is typically the slowest time of the year for the restaurant industry. Topics will include menu creation, financial strategies, service excellence, and more. After the two-week program orientation and educational programs, the institute will have “Progressive Monday” conferences every first and third Monday from February through May. The sessions, which will last three and a half hours each, will feature content on business planning; regional economics and differentiation; emotional intelligence and health; and trends in products, places, and people.

McCartney says the Progressive Monday sessions might take place at different area restaurants. Her staff will help teach these meetings, while O’Brien’s staff will primarily teach the “boot camp.” In mid-June, the institute will conclude with a four-day stretch that includes site visits throughout Western New York for observational education and networking opportunities. But beyond all the learning, the ultimate goal is to get new restaurants open.

“We’re pushing for independent, successful restaurants for the city,” said Conorozzo. “There is a 62 percent failure rate during the first two to three years for new restaurants. Through the Restaurant Institute, we want to lower that number. We want new restaurants to be successful both financially and in the way they provide service.”

Conorozzo also says that banks are reluctant to finance new restaurants. Through participation in the institute, he says, restaurateurs can establish credibility. This should increase the chances for them to receive much-needed startup loans.

McCartney is grateful for the collaboration on the Restaurant Institute and says the results could have far-reaching effects.

“When you think of Buffalo, good restaurants come to mind,” she said. “Independent establishments like Anchor Bar and Hutch’s help our area with tourism. And more importantly, they make up the fabric of the city.”