The WIBO Word -- Spring 2004*

The WIBO Word talks to Farid Ali and George Constantinou about the preparations to open Bogota Latin Bistro in Park Slope, Brooklyn.


What made you want to open a restaurant?

George:  I love to cook and I have always wanted to open a restaurant.  For the past four years, I have been successfully managing the Night of the Cookers Restaurant in Brooklyn and I felt I had all the ingredients for success to enable me to run my own successful restaurant. Even upon graduating college, I was looking forward to getting my first apartment with a kitchen I'd be able to could cook in.


What is the one thing you liked most about WIBO?
Farid:  What I most liked about WIBO (the Workshop In Business Opportunities") is the fact that there was always a facilitator to pick my brain and force me to answer questions I hadn't thought of.  The volunteers and guest speakers continually pushed, probed and questioned me about myself, my business and my personal goals.

George: For us as partners, we were very fortunate to have Beverly Mobley as our class instructor and workgroup leader being that she used to own her own restaurant thus we had a very immediate and special connection with her. Another very valuable volunteer who's presentation we tremendously enjoyed and learned from was Charlene Heyliger. In short, the volunteers, instructors and speakers WIBO has on board, all of whom are excellent in what they do, was the primary thing we enjoyed most about WIBO. WIBO does a great job of bringing on people who make one really think.

What is the mission for your restaurant?
Farid: Our vision is to have a lively place that serves up great latin cuisine and drinks where everyone can come celebrate and be who they are in a warm, welcoming and vibrant latino environment.

George:  Our mission is to elevate the status of latin cuisine to the level of Italian, French and Japanese cooking. Too often, people mistake latin food as being nothing more than rice and beans. When you think of latin food on a national level and what chain represents latino cooking, what comes to mind? For most people, it's Taco Bell. Latin food is much more sophisticated than what many people perceive it to be. We aim to change that.

Who is the target market for Bogota Latin Bistro?
George: The target market is the young professional who enjoys going out to eat, expects a great value and great service in return for the visit and is open to trying new and different cuisines. We want to attract people who are in a good, comfortable place in their lives and use dining out as a means of celebrating their life and their professional and personal successes.

Tell us about your support system.
Farid:  I have made numerous friendships with other business owners many of whom also started out knowing little about being an entrepreneur and running one's own business. It has been very eye opening to see that many successful business owners started out just as George and I have with obstacles and challenges that needed to be overcome on the road to opening up their businesses. We all share a similar language...the language of business and entrepreneurialship. Along the road to opening up Bogota, we've also established relationships with business and financial advisors, vendors, suppliers, the librarians at the Brooklyn Business Library who are all very knowledgeable and supportive in seeing not just our business, but businesses in general, grow and prosper.

George:  My family and my friends have all been very supportive. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by very positive people in my life and they've all encouraged me to pursue my dreams. Many of the recipes we'll be using belong to my mother and my mother happens to be a great cook. I see this restaurant as strengthening the bonds my family already has with each other.

What advice would you give the budding entrepreneur?
George: Be bold and courageous. Ask questions and ask for help. Follow through and use the information that comes to you to take the next step.  I used to be intimidated about asking other restaurateurs questions about their businesses. I've come to understand that there is nothing to be lost and everything to be gained by asking questions.

Farid:  For those interested in opening their own business, I advise them to be open to the help that is out there. There is never a need to question the amount of help that will avail itself to you when you need it. I love the saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." You have to put yourself in the position to be ready for the help. It's out there but you have to do the footwork and put in the time and energy.

I've learned not to attempt to rush the process itself. As long as I'm doing my part, all will come together at the appropriate time. A business is not created overnight. It's a step at a time and a day at a time. Give time time. If you take shortcuts in an attempt to rush the process, you're going to miss out on some incredible and valuable people, experiences and information along the way.

Any last words?
George: After having graduated our WIBO business course, we entered our business plan, which WIBO helped us in creating, into the First Annual PowerUP! Business Plan Competition sponsored by the Brooklyn Public Library and Citibank. Out of over 300 applicants, Farid and I took the top prize for our restaurant concept which is to be Bogota Latin Bistro. WIBO assisted us in organizing our thoughts, ideas and plans which ultimately led us to win the contest.

Farid:  I had no idea that through the course of WIBO's 16 week entrepreneurial workshop that we were actually creating a business plan. WIBO was an incredible launching pad and I'm a big advocate for the program. I encourage anyone with even an idea of a business, whether one is ready or not, to take the course. It's a great program.