The Welcome To Sweetie Pie’s reality series has long been a staple in must-see programming for the OWN network and with their seventh season currently underway, there’s certainly been no shortage of memorable moments. Two of the show’s stars recently stopped by the ESSENCE officers to dish out some keen advice about what it really takes to own and operate a restaurant, as reports show that more than half of new restaurants fail within the first year. Check out what helpful tips Sweetie Pie’s owner Miss Robbie and her son Tim, had for new restaurant owners.
Don’t try to do it all yourself: “It’s important to make sure you have enough support around you and don’t try to do so much alone,” Miss Robbie tells ESSENCE. “You have to make sure you have enough help around you. We put a lot on ourselves trying to grow the brand and expand without having the correct infrastructure in place, so sometimes you want to make sure you have everything aligned.
You can’t always work with family: “It’s sometimes very hard to work with family and friends because they have different expectations of you,” Tim says. “That’s why having a nice infrastructure in place is important for making moves towards that goal.”
Be prepared to put in the work: “You have to be prepared and dedicated,” Miss Robbie adds. “Make sure it’s something you really love because the money might not come until later on. You also want to have something for back up, like working capital, because you might open a restaurant today and two months could pass before you get clientele, but that restaurant must go on.”
Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s airs Saturdays at 9/8CT on OWN