16: How to Open With No Cash, No Chef, & No Time | Jennifer Peters, Just BE Kitchen

04/11/23 • 41 min

“I wanted to close the gap between who I was and what I did.”

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Jennifer Peters is the Founder & Foodie of Just BE Kitchen, a two-unit fast casual concept in Colorado, with an allergen friendly menu focused on serving “mindful mouthfuls from a conscious kitchen” through meals that are gluten, grain, refined sugar, and dairy-free.
As you’ll hear in our conversation, Jen’s mettle was tested several times along the way to opening and sustaining Just BE, from having her funding fall through right before she opened, to her Head Chef leaving to film a TV show two weeks before opening day.
We discuss how she overcame these challenges, as well as:
- How the idea started from an MBA class project
- Signing 56 letters of intent before finalizing her first location lease
- Why growing your business only unveils new challenges to overcome
- How owning a business is the “most expensive and fastest self development course”
Please enjoy my conversation with Jennifer Peters!
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Where to find Just BE Kitchen:

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Where to find Jennifer:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-peters-61013a/

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Where to find Bryan:

Website: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/
Twitter: @btublin

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Where to find Kitava:

Website: https://www.kitava.com/
Instagram: @kitavakitchen

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Referenced:

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In this episode, we cover:

(01:27) Jen’s transition from a corporate job to opening a restaurant
(04:34) The name and inspiration behind Just BE Kitchen
(05:47) How meeting a mentor convinced her to take the plunge
(07:15) Jen’s journey to find a lease without funding, and funding without a lease
(12:17) How much money it took for Jen to open her first location
(14:42) Setting up the business knowing she wanted to scale
(16:28) Opening team structure, and dealing with her Head Chef leaving 2 weeks before opening
(20:07) Why every level of success continues to reveal its own set of challenges
(23:56) How owning a business is the “most expensive and fastest self development course”
(28:52) An example of one good hire can changing the culture of the entire team
(30:57) Just BE’s team structure today
(32:14) Partnering with a brewery to open her second location
(34:15) On The Fly Segment

“I wanted to close the gap between who I was and what I did.”

––
Where to find Jennifer:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-peters-61013a/

––
Where to find Bryan:

Website: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/
Twitter: @btublin

––
Where to find Kitava:

Website: https://www.kitava.com/
Instagram: @kitavakitchen

––
Referenced:

––
In this episode, we cover:

(01:27) Jen’s transition from a corporate job to opening a restaurant
(04:34) The name and inspiration behind Just BE Kitchen
(05:47) How meeting a mentor convinced her to take the plunge
(07:15) Jen’s journey to find a lease without funding, and funding without a lease
(12:17) How much money it took for Jen to open her first location
(14:42) Setting up the business knowing she wanted to scale
(16:28) Opening team structure, and dealing with her Head Chef leaving 2 weeks before opening
(20:07) Why every level of success continues to reveal its own set of challenges
(23:56) How owning a business is the “most expensive and fastest self development course”
(28:52) An example of one good hire can changing the culture of the entire team
(30:57) Just BE’s team structure today
(32:14) Partnering with a brewery to open her second location
(34:15) On The Fly Segment

Previous Episode

15: SPECIAL GUEST - The Kitava Story | Sam Oches interviews Bryan Tublin about Kitava

This week we’re flipping the script.

Guest host Sam Oches, Editorial Director of Informa’s Restaurant & Food Group, interviews Bryan about his journey to start and grow Kitava.

Sam and Bryan discuss Kitava’s origin story, including the path from pop-ups and farmers markets to opening a brick-and-mortar location inside an old McDonald’s.

Next Episode

17: The Restaurant Lease Episode | Roberta Economidis, GE Law Group

“At some point you have to say, ‘I’m not going to make a bad business decision to get my dream space.’”
—
Today our guest is Roberta Economidis, co-founder and partner of Georgopoulos & Economidis, a boutique business law firm based in San Francisco, with a specialty in the hospitality industry. Roberta has helped restaurants and hospitality businesses throughout California and the US with everything from corporate structure, to lease negotiations, private equity offerings, licensing, permitting, and much more.
The focus of our conversation today is the restaurant lease, a VERY important topic for anyone looking to open a restaurant, whether it’s their first or 51st. Signing a favorable lease can make the difference between a successful or unsuccessful restaurant business.
Roberta helps demystify the restaurant lease, covering topics like:
- What the typical lease negotiation process looks like
- The purpose of an LOI
- Breaking down different types of restaurant leases
- Important clauses to consider, and
- Tips for how to negotiate favorable lease terms
Get your notepad ready, cuz the information you’re about to hear would normally cost a pretty penny in legal fees!
Please enjoy my chat about restaurant leases with Roberta Economidis.
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Where to find GE Law Group:

Website: www.gelawgroup.com
Twitter: @GroupGe

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Where to find Roberta:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberta-economidis-495177/

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Where to find Bryan:

Website: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/
Twitter: @btublin

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Where to find Kitava:

Website: https://www.kitava.com/
Instagram: @kitavakitchen

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In this episode, we cover:

(01:44) Roberta’s background & credentials working with restaurants
(0:2:48) When to get an attorney involved in lease negotiations
(03:39) The purpose of a Letter of Intent (LOI)
(08:15) How to negotiate alongside competing offers
(10:59) What happens after a lease is signed?
(11:55) The different types of restaurant leases – gross rent, triple net, and % rent
(16:13) Factors to consider with % rent deals, calculating break points, and when % rent makes sense
(20:54) Roberta’s preferred lease structure – gross rent with fixed increases
(23:30) The structure of a typical lease, and important clauses to consider
(25:07) How to negotiate out of a personal guaranty
(27:29) Tips for negotiating favorable terms
(30:30) How to close on a lease when you don’t have funding yet
(32:16) The biggest mistake she sees restaurant owners make when negotiating a lease
(36:19) The importance of understanding your maintenance obligations
(38:52) Recent lease negotiation success stories
(42:10) Mechanics of taking over a space with an existing lease
(46:20) Roberta’s biggest piece of advice for restaurant owners negotiating a lease
(47:32) On The Fly Segment