The food blog: running a restaurant in London

The London restaurant scene is finally putting the recession behind it after a recent Zagat survey revealed there has been a "dramatic rise" in restaurant openings in the past 12 months.

I bought my favourite local restaurant two years ago, The Laughing Gravy near Waterloo, a move that many thought was insane. The restaurant had fallen into the wrong hands and had been run into the ground. One friend warned me: "You may as well take your money and throw it into the gutter."

But I was determined and steadfast in my belief that Londoners still wanted good, honest places to go out to eat even if funds were tight.

I knew that this wasn't going to be an easy task. I wanted to create a place that served top quality food and meals but in a relaxed, informal and friendly environment. With the continuing rising cost of food and the overheads of a small business it has become harder and harder to offer quality produce at fair prices.

And so I turned to other sources to try and sustain my ideals. We use herbs and vegetables from a Tate funded community garden right next door to the restaurant.? Our walls our adorned with art from a local gallery based in the Oxo tower and we have a library of books in the bar to add to the cosy feel - all bought from a nearby charity shop, with customers invited to swap books when they come to dine.

It's a tough business for sure. We're open all week and on weekend nights there can be 100 covers. My days are generally16 hours long and I firmly believe that you have to fully immerse yourself in the business to keep it ticking along and to ensure it doesn't sink under the financial strain.

So I work as general manager, PR department, book keeper, accountant, cleaner and when I can? customer. The enjoyment of seeing a busy dining room on a nightly basis when so many said it wasn't possible is enough satisfaction to make all the hard work worth while.? And to then have customers taking time out of their own busy lives to leave reviews on review websites makes it even more rewarding.

So despite the recession this has been proof that if you build a business that caters to peoples' needs, they will come to it.

The Laughing Gravy, 154-156 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8EN (020 7998 1707, thelaughinggravy.co.uk)

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Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/foodanddrink/the-food-blog-running-a-restaurant-in-london-8180449.html

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