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Most of us, use to think, Google as just search engine. Even, I had the same belief, till I first tried their Gmail. Following is the list of the Google services I have compiled. It looks complete list. How many of these Google services you have tried?

Accessible Search
Google Accessible Search is a search engine, aimed at the blind and visually impaired. It prioritizes usable and accessible web sites in the search results, so the user incurs minimal distractions when browsing.Visit Service

AdSense
AdSense is an advertisement program run by Google. Website owners can enroll in this program to enable text, image and recently, video advertisements on their sites. These ads are administered by Google and generate revenue on either a per-click or per-thousand-ads-displayed basis. Advertisements shown are from the Google "pool" using contextual relevancy to determine the subject matter of the page, and display a related advertisement. (Ads are placed via AdWords) Visit Service

AdWords
AdWords is Google’s flagship advertising product, and main source of revenue. AdWords offers pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and site-targeted advertising for both text and banner ads. (Source of AdSense Ads)Visit Service

Alerts
Google Alerts are emails automatically sent by Google when there are new Google results for chosen search terms. The service offer four types of alerts: News, Web, News & Web, and Groups. Alerts can be configured to be mailed daily or as soon as news is discovered.Visit Service

Analytics
Google Analytics is a free service that generates detailed statistics about traffic to a website. It was launched on November 18, 2005. The service is mainly aimed at webmasters who can optimize their ad campaigns through the analysis of where visitors came from, how long they stayed on the website, and their geographical location. The service is based on the Urchin software that Google acquired when it acquired Urchin Software Corporation.Visit Service

Answers
Google Answers allows users to pay approved researchers to answer questions for them. Customers ask questions, offer a price for an answer, and researchers answer them. Past questions can be browsed or searched for free.Visit Service

Base
Google Base is a free service, currently in beta, that enables content owners to submit content, have it hosted and make it easily searchable via Google. Information within the database is described using labels and attributes. It was launched on November 15, 2005. Visit Service

Blog Search
Google Blog Search is a search engine for blogs. It was launched on September 14, 2005. Results include all blogs, not just those published through Blogger. Users can currently search in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese.Visit Service

Bookmarks
Google Bookmarks is a free online bookmark storage service available to Google Account holders which organizes bookmarks with tags. Bookmarks labelled homepage will be displayed on the user’s Personalized Homepage.

• Visit Service

Book Search

Formerly Google Print

Google Book Search is a search engine for the full text of books that Google scans and stores in its digital database. Depending on the arrangement with the publishers, users may view: a short extract with their search terms highlighted, sample pages of the book, a limited number of pages, or the entire text. Links to buy the book online are provided. The legality of Google’s scanning texts without the author’s consent is still an open question. It was launched as Google Print in October 2004.
See also: List of digital library projects Visit Service

Blogger
Blogger is a weblog publishing tool. Google acquired Pyra Labs, and with it Blogger services, in 2003. Blogger allows users to create a highly-customisable weblog with features such as photo publishing, comments, group blogs, blogger profiles and mobile-based posting with little technical knowledge. Blogger also provides free weblog hosting. Visit Service

Browser Sync
Google Browser Sync for Firefox is an extension that continuously synchronizes browser settings - including bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords - across multiple computers. It also allows users to restore open tabs and windows across different machines and browser sessions. It was launched on June 7, 2006. Visit Service

Calculator
Google Calculator is a free calculator built into the search function which includes complex functionality.Visit Service Help Page

Calendar
Google Calendar is a free online calendar. It is similar to those offered by Yahoo! and MSN. It was launched on April 13, 2006. Google Calendar can export calendar files in iCal and XML formats. It can import calendar files from Microsoft Office Outlook, Yahoo! Calendar and iCal. Features include: simple Google-style interface, calendar sharing, Gmail integration, and "Quick Add". Visit Service

Catalogs
Google Catalogs is a search engine for over 6,600 print catalogs (acquired through Optical character recognition). Visit Service

Checkout
Google Checkout is an online payment processing service provided by Google aimed at simplifying the process of paying for online purchases. Website administrators can choose to implement Google Checkout as a form of payment. This service is currently only available to US residents. Visit Service

Code
Google Code is Google’s site for developers interested in Google-related development. The site contains Open Source code and lists of their API services. Visit Service

Click-to-Call
Google Click-to-Call is a service which allows users to call advertisers for free at Google’s expense from search results pages. Visit Service FAQ

Compute
Google Compute is a feature of the Google Toolbar that enables a user’s computer to help solve challenging scientific problems when it would otherwise be idle. Visit Service

Co-op
Google Co-op was launched by Google on May 10, 2006. This program enables users to subscribe to two types of content feeds: (1) Content feeds from sites they trust, and: (2) Feeds of sites labeled by subject matter experts. When a user subscribes to links and labels provided by a Google Co-op contributor this information is incorporated into that user’s web search results when they search for a related topic. Visit Service

Desktop
Google Desktop is a desktop search application that runs locally on a Windows XP or Windows 2000 SP3+ PC. The desktop search program allows a user to search their e-mail, computer files, music, photos, chat, and web history. It allows the installation of Google Gadgets, which are similar to Mac OS X’s widgets. The first version was launched on October 14, 2004 Visit Service

Directory
Google Directory is a collection of links arranged into hierarchical subcategories. It was launched in April 2000. The links and their categorization are from the Open Directory Project (ODP), but are sorted by PageRank. The directory can be searched or browsed. Visit Service

dodgeball.com
Dodgeball.com is a social networking site built specifically for use on mobile phones. Google purchased the website in 2005. Users text their location to the service, which then notifies them of crushes, friends, friends’ friends and interesting venues nearby. Visit Service

Earth
Google Earth is a free, downloadable virtual globe application. It maps the entire earth by pasting images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS over a 3D globe. It was released on June 28, 2005. Visit Service

Finance
Google Finance features searchable US business news, opinion, and financial data. It was launched on March 21, 2006 (Official Blog Post). Features include: company-specific pages, blog search, interactive charts (with prices and news stories), information about executives, discussion groups and a portfolio. Visit Service

Froogle
Froogle is a price engine that searches online stores, including auctions, for products. It is also offered in Wireless Markup Language (WML) form. Visit Service

Gmail
Gmail is a free webmail and POP e-mail service provided by Google, known for its abundant storage and advanced interface (based on Ajax technology). It is known as Google Mail in the United Kingdom and Germany. Its competitors include AIM Mail, MSN Hotmail / Windows Live Mail, and Yahoo! Mail. Gmail Notifier runs in the Windows system tray and informs users when they have new mail. It was first released in an invitation-only form on April 1, 2004, leading many to assume that it was an April Fools’ Day joke. Visit Service

Groups
Google Groups (formerly an independent site known as Deja News) is a searchable Usenet archive. Google is currently testing a new version of its Groups service, which archives mailing lists hosted by Google in addition to Usenet posts, using the same interface as Gmail. As well as searching, users can join a group, make a group, publish posts, and track their favorite topics. Visit Service

Hello
Hello is a free application that allows users to send images across the Internet and publish them to their blogs. Visit Service

Images
Google Images is a search engine for images. It was launched in 2001. Results are based on the filename of the image, the link text pointing to the image, and text adjacent to the image. When searching, a thumbnail of each matching image is displayed. When clicking on a thumbnail, the image is displayed in a frame at the top of the page and the URL of the website on which that image was found is displayed in a frame below it. Visit Service

Joga.com
Joga.com is an Internet community for those interested in soccer. It is in the mold of services such as MySpace, in that each member has their own page, and can join groups based on shared interests. The service allows a user to meet other fans, create games and clubs, access athletes from Nike, and watch and upload video clips and photos. Joga.com is a joint venture of Nike Football and Google, launched on March 29, 2006. Visit Service

Labs
Google Labs consists of all of Google’s experimental technologies. Google Labs is akin to a directory page that links to all Google technologies under development or in beta that have not yet been made widely available. From the Google Labs home page, a user can access Google Suggest, Google Desktop Search, and other web technologies. Visit Service

Language Tools

Including Google Translate

Google Language Tools allows users to translate text or web pages from one language to another. It also allows searching in web pages located in a specific country or written in a specific language. It currently supports: English to German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified) and vice versa, and French to German and vice versa. Visit Service

Maps

Formerly Local

Google Maps provides maps, satellite imagery, driving directions and local search for the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. It was launched as a beta on February 8, 2005. It is also available as a mobile service.Visit Service

Mars
Google Mars provides imagery of Mars through the Google Maps interface. Elevation, visible imagery and infrared imagery can be shown. It was released on March 13, 2006, the anniversary of the birth of astronomer Percival Lowell. Visit Service

Measure Map
Measure Map provides statistics for blog writers. It was launched on February 2, 2006. Visit Service

Mobile
Google Mobile allows users to search using Google from wireless devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. Visit Service

Moon
Google Moon provides NASA imagery of the moon through the Google Maps interface. It was launched on July 20, 2005, in honor of the first manned Moon landing on July 20, 1969. As a joke, the closest zoom level features an image of cheese instead of the moon surface. Six moon landings are marked on the map. Visit Service

News
Google News is an automated news compilation service and search engine for news. There are versions of the aggregator for more than 20 languages. While the selection of news stories is fully automated, the sites included are selected by human editors. Google News was launched in April 2002 and left beta testing on January 26, 2006. Visit Service

Notebook
Google Notebook is a free service that provides a simple way to save and organize information when conducting research online. The tool permits users to clip text, images, and links from pages while browsing, save them online, access them from any computer, and share them with others. It was launched on May 15, 2006. Visit Service

orkut
Orkut is a social networking service, where users can list their personal and professional information, create relationships amongst friends and join communities of mutual interest. New Orkut accounts are by invitation only from an existing member. Affinity Engines, a company based in Palo Alto, has filed a lawsuit alleging that their co-founder Orkut B¨y¨kkökten illegally re-used Affinity Engines software code when he moved to Google. [1]

Visit Service

Pack
Google Pack allows users to download the following programs in a single package: Google Earth, Google Desktop, Picasa, Google Toolbar, Google Talk, Google Video Player, Google Pack Screensaver, Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar, Ad-Aware SE Personal, Norton Antivirus Special Edition 2005 (with 6 month trial), Adobe Reader 7, RealPlayer and GalleryPlayer. It was released on January 6, 2006. Visit Service

Page Creator
Google Page Creator is a beta release of a web-publishing program which creates pages and hosts them on Google’s servers. The URL given to members is http://username.googlepages.com/ It was launched on April 20, 2006. Visit Service

Personalized Home

Formerly Portal or Google Fusion

Google Personalized Home is a customizable, modular page which a user can access through their Google Account. It was launched in May 2005. The user selects the content of the page from RSS feeds as well as specialized modules offering services such as: language translation, recipe databases, new emails, Wikipedia search and weather forecasts. Visit Service

Personalized Search
Google Personalized Search prioritizes Google search results based on previous search habits. It makes use of Google’s Search History feature. It was launched on June 28, 2005.

• Visit Service

Picasa
Picasa is a free, downloadable photo-organisation application. It allows users to organise photos into albums and collections, view in various orders, apply simple effects, create sideshows, print and order physical prints. Google Inc. acquired Picasa in August 2004. Visit Service

Picasa Web Albums
Picasa Web Albums is Picasa′s newest feature, designed to help users post and share their photos quickly and easily on the web. It was released on June 13, 2006. Visit Service

Reader
Google Reader is a web-based feed reader, or "news aggregator", capable of reading Atom and RSS feeds. It allows the user to subscribe to feeds by URL, import/export subscription lists using OPML, and search for new feeds. The service also embeds audio enclosures in the page. It was launched on October 7, 2005. Visit Service

Ride Finder
Google Ride Finder is a service that allows users to find a taxi, limousine or shuttle using real time position of vehicles in 14 US cities. Ride Finder uses the Google Maps interface and cooperates with any car service that wishes to participate. It was launched on March 31, 2005 Visit Service

Scholar
Google Scholar a search engine for the full text of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and scholarly fields. Today, the index includes virtually all peer-reviewed journals available online, except those published by Elsevier, the world’s largest scientific publisher. Google Scholar is comparable in function to Elsevier’s Scopus and Thomson ISI’s subscription-based Web of Science service, though more inclusive in sources and languages. It was launched in November 2004. Visit Service

Search History

Part of Personalized Search

Google Personalized Search History keeps a record of all searches and clicked results while a user is logged into a Google Account and allows this to be accessed and searched. This also tracks queries made to Google Images and Google News. Visit Service

Sets
Google Sets attempts to make a list of items when the user enters a few examples. For example, entering "Green, Purple, Red" produces the list "Green, Purple, Red, Blue, Black, White, Yellow, Orange, Brown. It is currently part of Google Labs. Visit Service

Sitemaps
Google Sitemaps allows Webmasters to generate a file that lists the URLs on the site for better indexing. It was released as a beta in June 2005. Visit Service

SketchUp
Google SketchUp is a simple 3D sketching program with many of the tools a professional 3D program has. SketchUp models can be directly imported into Google Earth and can be skinned with various pre made colors and textures. It was released on April 27, 2004. Visit Service

SMS
Google SMS allows users to send text message queries from mobile phones to get information such as stock quotes, movie listings, and driving directions. It was released on October 7, 2004. Visit Service

Special Searches
Google Special Searches allows users to perform special searches such as U.S. Government Search, Linux Search, BSD Search, Apple Macintosh Search, and Microsoft Windows Search. Visit Service

Spreadsheets
Google Spreadsheets allows the creation and editing of spreadsheets online, as well as real-time chat collaboration and editing. It was released on June 6, 2006 on a ‘ limited test basis’. Users were granted access on a first-come, first-serve basis after requesting to sign up. Visit Service

Store
Google Store sells a range of physical Google-branded products. These include clothes, toys, office equipment and lava lamps. Visit Service

Suggest
Google Suggest uses auto-complete while typing to give popular searches. It is still in beta stage. Visit Service

Talk
Google Talk is a windows application for VoIP and instant messaging. Google Talk beta was released on August 24, 2005. It consists of both a service and a client used to connect to the service. It is integrated with Gmail. Visit Service

Toolbar
Google Toolbar is an internet browser toolbar available for Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox (with slightly different features). The two versions together include: a Google search box (for different Google sites, the current site, or other added sites), phishing protection, feed subscription, spellcheck, autolink, autofill, translator, pagerank display, address bar browse by name and pop-up blocker. Visit Service

Transit
Google Transit provides public transport trip planning through the Google Maps interface. Google Transit was released on December 7, 2005, but only for the Portland, Oregon area. Visit Service

Trends
Google Trends shows, as a graph, the popularity of particular search terms over time. Multiple terms can be shown at once. Results can also be displayed by city, region or language. Related news stories are also shown. The service was launched on May 10, 2006. Visit Service

University Search
Google University search allows users to search within a large number of educational institution domains.

• Visit Service

Video
Google Videos allows users to search, buy, watch and upload videos. Users can also see stills and closed caption transcripts of some videos. Search is based on title, keywords, network and transcript. Google has signed agreements with CBS and the NBA to offer some programs online. The service was launched on January 25, 2005.Visit Service

Web Accelerator
Google Web Accelerator is a download that uses various strategies to increase the speed of browsing. It was released on May 4, 2005.Visit Service

Web API
The Google Web API (or Google Web Services) is Google’s public interface for registered developers. Using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), a programmer can write services for search and data mining that rely on Google’s results. Also, users can view cached pages and make suggestions for better spelling. Visit Service

Web Search
Google Search is an internet search engine. It was the company’s first creation, coming out of beta on September 21, 1999, and remains by far their most popular and famous: it receives 200 million requests a day and is the largest search engine on the Internet. It uses a proprietary system (including PageRank) to return the search results from its 8 billion Web site index. A culture has grown around the search engine, and to Google has come to mean, "to search for something on Google." When certain terms are used, Web Search automatically provides: calculations, conversions, definitions, movie information, music information, phonebook details, spellcheck, alternative terms, or weather information.

• Visit Service
• Features

Web Toolkit
Google Web Toolkit allows users to create AJAX interfaces for their website’s. Google claimed it could be used to create similar interfaces to that of Gmail and Google Calendar. It was released on May 15, 2006.

• Visit Service

Writely
Writely is an online word-processor. On March 9, 2006 Google acquired Upstartle, the maker of Writely. It is still in beta and is not available to new users.Visit Service

Zeitgeist
Google Zeitgeist is a collection of lists of the most frequent search queries. There are weekly, monthly and yearly lists, as well as topic and country specific lists.

• Visit Service

Hidden Service

Still there are many more hidden service of Google. Google Sandbox, custom domain, Google hosting. If you know some other Google service, which I have failed to mentioned here, please comment.

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Armed with practical experience, you’re ready to put together your business plan–the most critical element of your restaurant. Map out everything on paper before you buy the first spoon or crack the first egg. According to industry expert Rich Melman, chair of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc., a Chicago-based company that owns, manages and consults with restaurants throughout the country, 80 percent of what will make your restaurant a success will take place before you ever open the doors.

Your business plan should include: a clear definition of your concept; a description of your market; your menu and pricing; detailed financial information, including data on your startup capital (amount and sources) and your long-term income and expense forecasts; a marketing plan; employee hiring, training and retention programs; and detailed plans that outline how you’ll deal with the challenges restaurateurs face every day. Including an exit plan in your strategy is also a good idea.

Funding Your Business

How much money you need to start depends on the type of business, the facility, how much equipment you need, whether you buy new or used, your inventory, marketing, and necessary operating capital (the amount of cash you need on hand to carry you until your business starts generating cash). It’s easy to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars starting a restaurant, but it’s not essential. For instance, when Borealis Breads owner Jim Amaral started his first bakery in Maine, he rented a space that had been a commercial bakery and came complete with mixers, benches, ovens and other equipment. He was able to start with just $10,000 he’d borrowed from family and friends, and used that primarily for inventory.

Regardless of how much you need, you will definitely need some cash to start your food-service business started. Here are some suggestions of where to go to raise your startup funds:

• Your own resources. Do a thorough inventory of your assets. People generally have more assets than they realize, including savings accounts, retirement accounts, equity in real estate, recreation equipment, vehicles, collections and other investments. You may opt to sell assets for cash or use them as collateral for a loan. Also look at your personal line of credit. Many a successful business has been started with credit cards.
• Family and friends. The logical next step after gathering your own resources is to approach friends and relatives who believe in you and want to help you succeed. Be cautious with these arrangements; no matter how close you are with the person, present yourself professionally, put everything in writing, and be sure the individuals you approach can afford to take the risk of investing in your business.
• Partners. Using the "strength in numbers" principle, look around for someone who may want to team up with you in your venture. You may choose someone who has financial resources and wants to work side by side with you in the business. Or you may find someone who has money to invest but no interest in doing the actual work. Be sure to create a written partnership agreement that clearly defines your respective responsibilities and obligations. And choose your partners carefully–especially when it comes to family members.
• Government programs. Take advantage of the abundance of local, state and federal programs designed to support small businesses. Make your first stop the SBA, but be sure to investigate various other programs. Women, minorities and veterans should check out special financing programs designed to help them get into business. The business section of your local library is a good place to begin your research.

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How to Start a Restaurant Carving Your Niche

Before you can begin any serious business planning, you must first decide what specific segment of the food-service industry you want to enter. While there are many commonalities among the various types of food-service businesses, there are also many differences. And while there is much overlap in the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful, your own personality and preferences will dictate whether you choose to open a commercial bakery, a coffee cart, a fine-dining restaurant or another type of operation. Then, once you have decided what business best suits you, you must figure out the niche you’ll occupy in the marketplace.

For example, are you an early riser, or do you prefer to stay up late and sleep late? If you like–or at least don’t mind–getting up before dawn, your niche may be a bakery or a casual breakfast-and-lunch operation. Night owls are going to be drawn to the hours required for bar-and-grill types of restaurants, fine-dining establishments and even pizzerias.

Do you like dealing with the public, or are you happier in the kitchen? If you’re a people person, choose a food-service business that gives you plenty of opportunity to connect with your customers. If you’re not especially gregarious, you’ll probably lean more toward a commercial type of business, perhaps a bakery or even a catering service, where you can deal more with operational issues than with people.

Some other types of questions to ask yourself include, Do you have a passion for a particular type of cuisine? Do you enjoy a predictable routine, or do you prefer something different every day? Are you willing to deal with the additional responsibilities and liabilities that come with serving alcoholic beverages?

As you do this self-analysis, think about your ideal day. If you could be doing exactly what you wanted to do, what would it be?

Once you’ve decided on the best niche for you as an individual, it’s time to determine if you can develop a niche in the market for your food-service business.

Working in a Restaurant

Dealing graciously with customers and playing the role of elegant host are only part of a restaurateur’s many duties. Food-service business operators spend most of their time developing menus; ordering inventory and supplies; managing personnel; creating and implementing marketing campaigns; making sure their operation is in compliance with a myriad of local, state and federal regulations; completing a wide range of paperwork; and performing other administrative chores. Certainly the financial opportunities are there–as are the fun aspects of the business–but starting, running and growing a food-service business is also hard work.

Regardless of the type of food-service business you intend to start, the best way to learn the ropes is to work for a similar operation for a while before striking out on your own. Doing so will give you significant insight into the realities and logistics of the business.

Successful restaurateurs agree that the best preparation for owning a restaurant is to work in someone else’s first. Think of it as getting paid to be educated. Certainly you should read books and take courses, but you should also plan to work in a restaurant for at least a few years doing as many different jobs as possible. And if you’re not actually doing the job, pay attention to the person who is–you may find yourself doing it when your own restaurant is unexpectedly shorthanded.

Ideally, you should work in a restaurant similar to the type you want to open. You may find you don’t like the business. Or you may find you’re more suited to a different type of operation than you originally thought. Hopefully, you’ll discover you’re in exactly the right place.

“As I started working in restaurants, I realized this was my passion,” says Scott Reader, co-owner and founder of Timberline Steakhouse & Grill in Wichita, Kansas. Reader, 42, got his first restaurant job at 15, opened a Chinese fast-food restaurant at 26 that failed in eight months, and now has five successful steakhouses. He also opened two Freddy’s Frozen Custard restaurants. “When you have a busy restaurant and you’re watching everything happen as it should,” he says, “it’s a wonderful feeling of satisfaction.”

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Restaurants are classified into three primary categories: quick-service‚ midscale and upscale. Quick-service restaurants are also known as fast-food restaurants. These establishments offer limited menus of items that are prepared quickly and sold for a relatively low price. In addition to very casual dining areas‚ they typically offer drive-thru windows and take-out service.

When people think of fast-food restaurants‚ they often think of hamburgers and french fries‚ but establishments in this category also serve chicken‚ hot dogs‚ sandwiches‚ pizza‚ seafood and ethnic foods.

Midscale restaurants‚ as the name implies‚ occupy the middle ground between quick-service and upscale restaurants. They offer full meals but charge prices that customers perceive as providing good value. Midscale restaurants offer a range of limited- and full-service options. In a full-service restaurant‚ patrons place and receive their orders at their tables; in a limited-service operation‚ patrons order their food at a counter and then receive their meals at their tables. Many limited-service restaurants offer salad bars and buffets.

Upscale restaurants offer full table service and do not necessarily promote their meals as offering great value; instead‚ they focus on the quality of their cuisine and the ambience of their facilities. Fine-dining establishments are at the highest end of the upscale restaurant category and charge the highest prices.

Selecting a Food Concept

Restaurant patrons want to be delighted with their dining experience‚ but they don’t necessarily want to be surprised. If you’re anticipating a family-style steakhouse (based on the name or the décor of the establishment)‚ but you find yourself in a more formal environment with a bewildering–and pricey–gourmet menu‚ the surprise may keep you from enjoying the restaurant. Concepts give restaurateurs a way to let patrons know in advance what to expect and also to provide some structure for their operation.

Here are some of the more popular restaurant concepts:

• Seafood. Quick-service seafood restaurants generally offer a limited range of choices‚ often restricted to fried seafood. Midscale and upscale seafood restaurants offer a wider selection‚ prepared in ways other than fried‚ such as baked‚ broiled and grilled. Seafood can be a risky area on which to focus‚ as prices are always changing‚ and many kinds of seafood are seasonal. Also‚ quality can vary tremendously. When shopping for seafood‚ make sure the items are fresh and meet your standards of quality. If you are not happy with what a distributor offers‚ you can be sure your customers won’t be‚ either.
• Steakhouses. Steakhouses are part of the midscale and upscale markets. Midscale steakhouses are typically family-oriented and offer a casual environment with meals perceived as good values. In terms of décor‚ comfort is emphasized and Western themes are popular. Upscale steakhouses offer a more formal atmosphere and may serve larger cuts of meat that are of better quality than those served in midscale restaurants. Upscale establishments also charge higher prices‚ and their décor may be similar to that of other fine-dining establishments‚ offering guests more privacy and focusing more on adult patrons than on families.
• Family-style restaurants. As the name implies‚ these establishments are geared toward families. Since they charge reasonable prices‚ they also appeal to seniors. They offer speedy service that falls somewhere between that of quick-service places and full-service restaurants. Their menus offer a variety of selections to appeal to the interests of a broad range of customers‚ from children to seniors. Family-style restaurant prices may be higher than those at fast-food restaurants‚ but these establishments provide table service to compensate. The décor of family-style restaurants is generally comfortable‚ with muted tones‚ unremarkable artwork‚ and plenty of booths and wide chairs. Booster seats and highchairs for children are readily available.
• Casual-dining restaurants. These establishments appeal to a wide audience‚ ranging from members of Generation Y to Generation X to baby boomers with families to seniors‚ and they provide a variety of food items‚ from appetizers and salads to main dishes and desserts. Casual-dining restaurants offer comfortable atmospheres with midrange prices. Many center on a theme that’s incorporated into their menus and décor.
• Ethnic restaurants. Ethnic restaurants enjoy a significant share of the U.S. restaurant market. They range from quick-service places with limited selections to upscale eateries with a wide variety of menu items. Their menus typically include Americanized versions of ethnic dishes‚ as well as more authentic food. The three most popular kinds of ethnic restaurants are Italian‚ Chinese and Mexican. Other popular ethnic restaurant types include Indian‚ Thai‚ Caribbean‚ English‚ French‚ German‚ Japanese‚ Korean‚ Mediterranean and Vietnamese. An even wider variety of ethnic restaurants can thrive in areas with a culturally diverse population‚ such as large metropolitan areas.
• Pizzeria. You have two primary choices when entering starting a pizzeria. One is a to-go restaurant in a modest facility with a specialized menu highlighted by pizza and beer‚ limited seating and a self-service atmosphere. The other is a full-service pizza restaurant with a menu that features not only a variety of pizzas‚ beer and wine‚ but also Italian entrees like spaghetti‚ ravioli and lasagna‚ side dishes such as salads (or even a salad bar)‚ and a few desserts. The foundation of a pizzeria is‚ of course‚ the pizza. If you don’t know how to make a good pizza‚ hire a good pizza cook who does. Invest in top-quality ingredients and preparation methods‚ and make every pizza as if you’re going to eat it yourself. Do that‚ and your customers will keep coming back for more.
• Sandwich Shop/Delicatessen. One reason sandwich shops are so successful is that they enjoy high profit margins. Sandwich shops and delicatessens can also change their menus quickly and easily to adapt to current tastes. For example‚ with the growing interest in health and nutrition in the United States‚ sandwich shops and delicatessens have started offering more low-fat‚ healthy ingredients in their sandwiches‚ salads and other menu items. In addition‚ many sandwich shops and delis have been able to keep up with workers who eat at their workplaces by adding delivery and catering to their sit-down and take-out operations. Sandwich shops and delicatessens can be differentiated by the foods they serve. Most sandwich shops serve only sandwiches‚ possibly with some side dishes or desserts. A delicatessen usually offers a more extensive menu‚ including sandwiches‚ prepared meats‚ smoked fish‚ cheeses‚ salads‚ relishes and various hot entrees.
• Coffeehouse. With more than 400 billion cups consumed every year‚ coffee is the world’s most popular beverage. But beyond the beverage itself‚ people frequent coffeehouses and espresso bars for a variety of reasons: to meet with friends‚ for a quick lunch and a drink to perk up the afternoon‚ or simply to start off each morning with a great cup of coffee to start off each morning. Most successful coffeehouses have heavy foot traffic and high-volume sales. The majority will serve up to 500 customers per day and manage up to five customer turnovers during the lunch hour‚ despite having limited floor space and modest seating capacity. Profit margins for coffee and espresso drinks are extremely high–after all‚ you’re dealing with a product that’s more than 95 percent water. At the same time‚ your average ticket amount is around 3‚ so you need volume to reach and maintain profitability. Besides specialty roasted coffee by the cup‚ most coffeehouses also have espresso-based drinks (cappuccinos‚ lattes‚ etc.)‚ assorted teas‚ bottled water and fruit juices‚ along with an inviting assortment of baked goods‚ a selection of desserts‚ and coffee beans by the pound.
• Bakery. With the emergence of strip malls and competition from supermarkets that have in-store bakeries‚ "bread-only" retail bakeries have almost disappeared from the United States. Bakeries today offer cakes‚ scones‚ bagels and coffee drinks‚ and sometimes even offer full dining menus‚ including sandwiches‚ hot entrees‚ beer and wine. Consumers love fresh bakery goods‚ but the market is extremely competitive. As you develop your particular bakery concept‚ you’ll need to find a way to differentiate yourself from other bakeries in town.

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As increasing numbers of consumers want to dine out or take prepared food home, the number of food-service operations has skyrocketed from 155,000 about 30 years ago to nearly 900,000 today. But there’s still room in the market for your food-service business.

Shifting demographics and changing lifestyles are driving the surge in food-service businesses. Busy consumers don’t have the time or inclination to cook. They want the flavor of fresh bread without the hassle of baking. They want tasty, nutritious meals without dishes to wash. In fact, the rise in popularity of to-go operations underscores some clear trends in the food-service industry. More and more singles, working parents and elderly people are demanding greater convenience when it comes to buying their meals.

Though the future looks bright for the food-service industry overall, there are no guarantees in this business. Even the most successful operators will tell you this isn’t a "get rich quick" industry. It’s more like a "work hard and make a living" industry.

A hard reality is that many restaurants fail during their first year, frequently due to a lack of planning. But that doesn’t mean your food-service business has to be an extremely complex operation. In fact, the more streamlined you can make it, the better your chances for success. Robert V. Owens, owner of RV’s Seafood Restaurant, a casual seafood restaurant in Nags Head, North Carolina, observes, "The restaurant business is a simple business that people make complicated." His formula for success is quality food, good service and great people–an approach that’s worked for him for nearly a quarter century.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled this thorough, but easy-to-digest, guide to starting your own food business. Whether your dream is to open a traditional American diner, a New York-style pizzeria, a Chinese buffet, a deli for busy lunch-goers or a local coffeehouse/hang-out spot, start your business research here.

Target Markets

No single food-service operation has universal appeal. This is a fact that many newer entrepreneurs have trouble accepting, but the reality is that you will never capture 100 percent of the market. When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. So focus on the 5 or 10 percent of the market that you can get, and forget about the rest.

With that said, who is eating at restaurants? Let’s look at the main market categories of food-service business customers:

• Generation Y. This generation, also tagged the "millennial generation," the "echo" or the "booklet" generation, includes those born between 1980 and 2000. Generation Y is the most ethnically diverse generation yet and is more than three times the size of generation X. They are a prime target for a food-service business. Members of Generation Y go for fast-food and quick-service items. About 25 percent of their restaurant visits are to burger franchises, follow by pizza restaurants at 12 percent.
• Generation X. Generation X is a label applied to those who were born between 1965 and 1977. This group is known for strong family values. While earlier generations strove to do better financially than their parents, Gen Xers are more likely to focus on their relationship with their children. They are concerned with value, and they favor quick-service restaurants and midscale operations that offer all-you-can-eat salad bars and buffets. To appeal to this market group, offer a comfortable atmosphere that focuses on value and ambience.
• Baby boomers. Born between 1946 and 1964, baby boomers make up the largest segment of the U.S. population. Prominent in this generation are affluent professionals who can afford to visit upscale restaurants and spend money freely. During the 1980s, they were the main customer group for upscale, trendy restaurants. In the 1990s, many baby boomer were two-income households with children. Today, those on the leading edge of the boomer generation are becoming grandparents, making them a target of restaurants that offer a family-friendly atmosphere and those that provide an upscale, formal dining experience.
• Empty nesters. This group consists of people in the age range between the high end of the baby boomers and seniors (people in their early 50s to about age 64). Empty nesters typically have grown children who no longer live at home, and their ranks will continue to increase as the baby boomers grow older and their children leave home. With the most discretionary income and the highest per-capita income of all the generations, this group typically visits upscale restaurants. They are less concerned with price and are more focused on excellent service and outstanding food. Appeal to this group with elegant surroundings and a sophisticated ambience.
• Seniors. The senior market covers the large age group of people age 65 and older. Generally, the majority of seniors are on fixed incomes and may not often be able to afford upscale restaurants often, so they tend to visit family-style restaurants that offer good service and reasonable prices. "Younger" seniors are likely to be more active and have more disposable income than "older" seniors, whose health may be declining. Seniors typically appreciate restaurants that offer early-bird specials and senior menus with lower prices and smaller portions, since their appetites are less hearty than those of younger people.

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