Background: this ESL Podcast is about opening up a restaurant and starting your own business. Learn about business English and some things you should think about before starting a business.
Discussion forum
Restaurant:
ESL Reading
| A: I’m thinking of opening my own restaurant. I’ve always loved going to restaurants so I think it would be fun to own one.
B: Every restaurant owner I’ve ever talked to said it’s a tougher job than most people think. Long hours and thin margins. Because it seems so easy and glamorous, it has become one of the most competitive industries. A large % of restaurants go out of business within the first 2 years. A: I think I can beat the odds. I believe I can make the best hamburgers in the city. B: There’s a lot more to being successful than making good food. A lot of restaurants with average food do well because of advertising and the image they create. Consumers even realize that the food is only average, yet they still go. It’s a weird phenomenon. |
Phrases and Vocabulary used:
Thin margins - Here, “margin” refers to the difference between the cost to the restaurant and the selling price. For example, if it costs you $10 dollars to buy something and you sell it for $100, you have a huge margin. If you buy it for $10 and sell it for $10.50 you have a very small or thin profit margin. A thin profit margin is a very small difference between the cost and the price. Obviously businesses love when they can have huge profit margins.
Glamorous - If something is glamorous, it means it is exciting, desirable, and fashionable. We often think that movie stars have a very glamorous lifestyle.
Go out of business - If something “goes out of business” it means it closes down. Businesses often go out of business when they lose money and can’t figure out a way to change things.
His company went out of business mainly because the competition from large corporations was too strong.
Beat the odds - If you “beat the odds” it means that you were able to accomplish something that most people in your situation couldn’t. She had cancer and the doctors told her she only had a 10% chance to survive. Her positive attitude and the love and support from her family and friends helped her to beat the odds. She cured the disease and is now leading a happy and healthy life.
There’s a lot more to - If you say, “there is a lot more to something” it means that this “something” is a little more complicated than it first appears. There is a lot more to being a model than standing in front of a camera trying to look pretty.
Phenomenon - a phenomenon is a fact that is fascinating and perhaps a little surprising. That economist is trying to explain the phenomenon of coffee being more than double the price in big cities.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hey guys!
Very nice history here. You two are the best that I’ve ever seen. I’m learning too much with you. Thanks Thanks!
And I think that you Addison can make, for sure, a good hamburguer but is more secure to stay at home and make it for Andrew and you only coz the marketing that you would have to use would be too hard, you know. :P. Like the Andrew said the marketing is the key, coz if the Mac Donalds depends on its hamburguers they’ll not be so rich..:P.
Here in Brazil I like the Mac’s ice cream only. well, nobody is perfect..haha!
Hugs guys and God bless you forever.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Hi my name is Pablo and now I’m studing some english in UK, I want to thank you because your lessons help me very much, you have now one new fan
Hugs and keep doing good lessons!!!
Best Regards,
Pablo.
PS: sorry if my english is not the best
July 18th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Hello all of you ,
Well , all business setting up is hard , mainly in the beginning . Still , it all depends on one’s good reading of the area s/he wants set up the business in . Of course , having huge expercience is a must too if one wants succeed . Otherwise , it ’s like heading for a tempestuous maelstorm and would soon go out of business . Is not it ?
Guys , let me tell you one thing I am pretty sur of : coming here and reading your lessons is a huge-margin profit business for me . Every time I log on this site , l get new words , have fun . I am sure the other guys look at it alike as I do . Do not you guys ?
Keep the good work , and give us more .
Tks from all the hearts !
// Adam //
July 18th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Hi guys
It is awesome!! every day I find new juicy vocabulary, and it is very useful; I’m glad to hear new stories because my listening has improved a lot of.
Thanks guys!!! and keep working on that.
Big hug
Maria F
July 19th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Hey guys,
Great lesson as always.
Well,I agree with you guys.The key of success in evey business like a restaurant has to do with marketing,publicity,a good quality product,bla,bla,bla…all of this is true.
BUT,in my opinion, the most important thing to have success in these kind of businesses is work;I mean,be willing to spend long hours working and manage to force a big smile when your customer say something like:
Hey Addison!(for example),this hamburguer is totally rubbish!Where did you learn to cook ?
I don’t know guys,if you’d be willing to put up with that kind of customer…(trust me,there’re millions of them on this planet).By all means guys,if you are rethinking in opening a new restaurant you can do it,that’s not a problem,…but knowing the glamorous life you’re live in(with lots of free time and surrounded by beautiful girls at the beach)I don’t really know about that…(just joking of course,but not totally)
PS:You’re great guys.Thanks for the good times I spend listening to you and take care.
July 20th, 2008 at 3:23 am
hey, guys thank you for these english lessons they are very useful. I really learn new vocabulary everyday. I would like to hear new conversations everyday.
July 21st, 2008 at 7:11 pm
your podcast is very interesting. And it is useful for me.
Thank you very much. keep it on guys
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Hello, guys. Thank you first for your wonderful lessons. I’ve been following the course for months. Only one thing I do not like is the music at the beginning and the end of each episode. It’s ok or probably sounds fun to listen it once for a while. But really making people’s nerve not very comfortable if you have it repeatedly. Would you consider to change a bit after 100 clips? Thanks for your great effort. just one small step to go further to make it better I think.
July 24th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I strongly agree with Sunny. This intro music,sound,jingle or whatever you may say should be definetly changed. I have been listening to you for about a year and this music has become boring . It will be absouletly great if you can replace it with new one after 100.lesson. In this way, we will face fresh air. I kindly suggest it. And my second suggestion is that , can’t you prepare two lessons / per week ?. Since only one lesson can not be enough for us, for loyal listeners. Will be waiting for your response. Thanks
July 24th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hey everyone,
Andy and I are in Canada on vacation now and still have a few podcasts that have the music unfortunately. When we get back to Shanghai we will change the music though!
I can understand about the music being annoying
July 25th, 2008 at 6:30 am
good
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:03 am
i can spend 24hours listening to your podcasts without even drinking or eating
January 29th, 2009 at 4:41 am
fantastic episod. hope you open your own restarount some day.
April 28th, 2009 at 2:31 am
I think I can beat the odds one day and get the Nobel Prize in literature.