When I think about the industries that have shaped my life, the food and beverage industry is always at the top of the list. My very first job was in an Indian restaurant—washing dishes and delivering takeaways. Over time, I worked almost every role you can imagine: cashier, cleaner, prep assistant, purchasing. The only thing I never did was cooking. And that’s why I like to say—I was never the chef, but I was the strongest supporting player.

The restaurant business is one of the toughest industries I know. It’s long hours, hard work, and constant pressure. But it’s also one of the few industries where cash flow can be managed in real time, and that’s what makes it so unique.

In New Zealand, small and medium-sized restaurants face familiar pain points: high labor costs, unpredictable ingredient prices, heavy rent and overheads, tight cash flow, strict compliance, fierce competition, and a lack of proper systems or online marketing.

So how do you survive? First, you need a true specialty. Marketing can bring customers through the door, but only great food keeps them coming back. And running a restaurant is like playing a video game—you clear one stage, you solve one problem, and with each step your profit margin goes up.

And maybe the happiest moment for every restaurant owner comes at the end of the day. When the lights are off, the chairs are stacked, and all that hard work is finally visible—in the cash register, and in the bank account. That’s the reward for the struggle.