Back to the Future

The restaurant life can be exciting in so far as bringing people into my life that I haven't seen in a very long time. And you know how we are all very connected in ways that we don't even know? I suspect that more people I haven't seen in years, many many years, who know the ones who have been here, will sooner or later walk through the doors of Bogota.

It's bound to happen.

What's Your Biz - Restaurant

Want to start up your own business? Why not begin at the Brooklyn Business Public Library? Check out the following article which features us, Bogota Bistro, and a bit of our story.

Bogota's First Resignations

Bogota saw it's first resignations (aka "I quit") yesterday. In one case, it was welcome. It helped avoid what sooner or later was inevitable which most likely was firing the individual. In the other, it was rather sad and not what we wanted but what the individual felt was for the overall good of the restaurant and for himself.

I wish both these individuals well and hope the best for both of them. For one, the door is not closed and the opportunity exisits for him to come back. As for the other, well, it just wasn't working out as much as much as we may have had hope for this person.

As owner of Bogota, I have high expectations for this restaurant and from those working here. I didn't open this restaurant to be just "another restaurant" but to be a great f*cking restaurant. We put a lot of time, effort, and money into creating this restaurant and we aren't going to settle for mediocrity from our food or our employees.

I had one employee tell me early on in his employment here that he quit his last job because "el viejo" there always kept him busy working and never wanted them standing around. I told him, "You know your old boss that you referred to as 'that old man"? I am him here."

Employees are going to come and go. They'll move on, get new jobs, etc. George and I own this place and we have a lot invested here. We're not going anywhere which is why we expect so much. Bogota represents a big chunk of our past, it is our present and our future. For some employees, it's just a job. For us, it's our life.

The departure of these two individuals, as unfortunate as it may be, represents possibility for us to continue to shape this restaurant into what we want it to be. One door closes, another opens up. Onward we go.

Following Your Instinct

Sometimes it's best to not trust your instinct. What do I mean by this? Well, I wanted to close down for 3 days for the Labor Day weekend. Wouldn't you know that last night, Sunday before Labor Day, was the 2nd busiest Sunday since we opened?

Bogota Bistro Sign

These days, if you see me walking up and down 5th avenue in the evening, it's only because I love looking at our sign from up and down 5th Avenue in the evening.