Bathrooms, Booze & Big Returns
Before you fall in love with a restaurant space … or a space that could be a restaurant … listen to this: Bruce Russo and Diane Armitage open with a behind-the-scenes look at the real cost of developing a restaurant in where zoning, parking, and historic preservation turn dream projects into endurance sports. In this candid conversation, they unpack what can go wrong (and what still could go right) using a Laguna Beach development they're both familiar with. Then, the conversation shifts into something no one talks about – but everyone feels: The two most important rooms in your restaurant aren’t what you think! Whether you're dealing with city permitting hell or trying to create lasting loyalty, this episode hits where it counts – right between the drywall and the design psychology.
Key Points
- ✅ Parking equations that make zero sense – and drive new concepts out
- ✅ How moving a front door can change everything for the better
- ✅ Why the bar drives profit (and why the right-side bar wins)
- ✅ The restroom as the final foreplay – and what cheap finishes are costing you
- ✅ Purse hooks, power strips, and why ADA bar design should be built for women
- ✅ The bathroom mirror trick that earns you a second visit
Chapters
| 0:00 | |
| 1:22 | |
| 3:23 | |
| 7:36 | |
| 10:58 | |
| 17:37 | |
| 22:44 | |
| 25:01 | |
| 27:01 | |
| 29:01 | |
| 30:16 | |
| 34:36 | |
| 44:26 | |
| 47:41 | |
| 49:11 | |
| 49:59 |
Transcript
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