Opening Expenses?

[halfpint]

Hello to all!
I am working on the opening of a 14,000 square foot brewpub in California. There are so many improvements and rennovations that I would like to see happen if money was no object. Since I am working with a budget, I am interested in hearing what you feel are the most important items to invest in.
I realize what a general question this is- but am doing so intentionally.

The skinny: Successful brewpub that closed due to unfortunate influences- My main objective when we open is this: I do not want people to think that we are simply the former business with a new name. An extensive face-lift is being developed and finalized- I am unsure if all of our improvements can be met at this time.

What are the things that you would notice? What are the things that would influence an opinion on our business (good or bad)?
Thanks for your help-

[tylerpeters]

I think the most important thing to a brewpub is most obviously the atmosphere. If you can have as much as your brewery portion open to the public so that they may see as much of the process as possible, they may sit there longer (gaining you profits) while they watch your brewers work. When I say 'open to the public' i mean behind glass of course. There isnt much else other than friendly service, good food and great beer that is going to change what people think.

[Diamond Knot]

In addition to what tylerpeters has already pointed out, what works in our "Brewery with an Alehouse" is a combination of 3 things: Good Service, Good Beer, and Good Atmosphere.

Good Service
I don't go back to places with poor service. I don't care how good the product is. In our business, we try real hard to make sure everyone who comes in is treated well.

Good Beer
Some customers will give a little on service if the beer is spectacular. If you have bad service and bad beer, make some serious changes or you're heading for trouble.

Good Atmosphere
I don't prefer drinking a beer in a place that looks like a Denny's with a Brewery bolted on. Have some character. Comfortable lighting is crucial.

Anyway, probably things you had already known......Good Luck!

[Sintillator]

More to consider

I agree with everything everyone has said so far but I would like to go a bit further if it is not to late.
Almost everyone I know in the business all strive for service, atmosphere, quality etc. So why do so many fail and often miserably? I like to call it the "Concept Honeymoon" or the "Wouldn't it be great if" period. Thats when we get caught up in our ideas and the pictures we create in our minds as what we want something to be. Now I know we have to start somewhere but in the end its in the execution of these ideas and dreams where the success and failures occur.
I think you could open your business without spending anything addtional (assuming everything you need for your concept is in place) except the name change and operate a successful business. Why? Because unless your location isn't reachable you'll get the one thing you really need and that is a chance. Almost universally a "NEW" business is going to get action. Most of us want to try the new place. We want to see if it is any good. We want to be the first ones to find the next new great place. We want to be able to tell our friends and aquaintances about it.
That's why it is SO IMPORTANT that WHATEVER you do you do it as best you can right from the start.
To that end here's just a few things to consider:
Take it easy DON'T have a grand opening - you don't want a crush of customers at first if you can help it. It will make every little thing you missed glaringly obvious from the first day you open. And every mistake will affect your new customers and their impressions of your business. Instead try and have a soft opening. The press coverage and accolades can wait until your ready for them.
KISS - I'm assuming your offering food (brewpub) have a limited opening menu - somewhere between 50% and 75% of your easier to prepare yet fair sampling of what you are going to want to offer. Include a list of things to come to show you are going to have more later. Remember this is everyones first time so everyone doesn't have their favorites yet. This approach will help your kitchen work out the kinks and allow your servers to be more secure with what they are selling.
YOU ONLY GET ONE OPENING - What you want to achieve is DOING IT RIGHT from the beginning. Truly having the opportunity to satisfy EVERYONE that walks in the door. Then they will insure that you get another chance to satisfy them and the friends they bring with them quite soon.
FIX THINGS QUICKLY - that's why I wouldn't spend a cent on the atmosphere, equipment etc until you know what you NEED. If your strapped to open you can't react to the realities of what you find out after you open. You can paint, decorate, buy new tables & chairs, move the bar, add a dance floor a week, month or year after you figure out how to deal with the long lines each day because your beer, food and service are the best in your market.
No - GREAT ATMOSPHERE, GREAT LOCATION, DEEP POCKETS, GREAT CONCEPT, ever kept a poorly run business. If your staff is poorly trained and equiped, your systems don't work, you run out of beer, your kitchen is overwhelmed, you can't get a beer to a customer for 15 minutes, it takes the kitchen 30 minutes for an appetizer that isn't appetizing and the entree takes another 30 minutes, no refills, the server keeps apologizing, the POS won't process Visa, your KM forgets to order burgers (I've seen them all) and this is just 1/100th of what could happen. YOU WON'T BE IN BUSINESS LONG.

So in short (Ha ha ha) forget the extensive facelift and start thinking about the BASICS. Do them right and you'll have all the $ you'll need to do what you want later. Remember that your business will be a business, day in and day out hopefully for many years past the time when everything was possible and exciting. Its what you do after year 1, 5, 10 etc that is truly the goal of any successfull business. But if I can't get a refill on my IPA, clean silverware good hot food or a server/bartender without an attitude I'm not coming back.

Best of Luck