Some lawyers love what they do. Those who don’t are vocal about how much they hate their jobs. So what would the naysayers prefer to be doing professionally? Above the Law editors have heard these “dream careers” tossed around: government intelligence analyst, writer/journalist, banker (so they can keep making the bank), and — for those who want to stay in the law, but not Biglaw — assistant U.S. attorney, judge, or law school professor.
Some people are content to stay in the law but need a creative/fun outlet. It’s an added bonus if that outlet also makes money. One such endeavor is to open a restaurant. (The belief that most restaurants fail in the first year is a myth, after all.)
We’ve written before about lawyer-turned-Subway entrepreneur Larry Feldman. But being king of a sandwich-shop franchise is not really the glamorous side of food service. The daydream version involves starting up a place with a bit more character.
For some, being laid off has been a push to tap into a culinary side. Here in New York, a first-year associate caught up in law firm layoffs used the opportunity to open a Taiwanese steamed bun cafe in the Lower East Side, called Baohaus.
Further south, in Washington, D.C., another casualty of the recession layoffs got into the eat-out business. Julie Liu, a former Katten Muchin associate, launched a restaurant in Dupont Circle last year named Scion. She was very thankful to Katten for her three-month severance: it “basically paid for Scion’s kitchen equipment.”
We caught up with Liu about opening a restaurant with her sister, and got some advice for other wannabe restaurateurs.
Liu is a Northwestern law grad and former Teach for America teacher. She spent almost two years in Katten’s Chicago office. After being laid off last year, she moved to D.C. and opened the restaurant with her sister in June 2009. Liu originally planned to return to Biglaw but wound up landing a job at the Department of Education, so now she’s in D.C. (and the restaurant biz) for good.
ATL: How would you describe Scion?
We are a family-owned, neighborhood restaurant that serves great food and drinks. We aim to be affordable so that both my Teach for America friends and my Biglaw friends can enjoy a good meal at Scion. Our menu ranges from a diverse selection of appetizers to $9 burgers/paninis to $25 Buffalo Osso Bucco. We have the same goals for our cocktails and beers. There are fancy options and affordable options.
The long-term goal is to be a place where people want to come back over and over again because of the delicious food and great drinks and don’t feel like it would break the bank.
ATL: You’re working at the Department of Education and running the restaurant? How do you balance the two?
Resilience; and being ok with the fact that I’m pretty much tired all the time.
Actually, Joanne (my sister) is basically a machine, so essentially my role is to cover her on certain nights and weekends so that she can get some sleep or attempt to have a life. Joanne went all in for Scion Restaurant. She gave up her previous career completely and handles the bulk of the work and stress that comes with opening a new restaurant. She’s a CPA, so she handles all of the business and finance issues. She also is a total foodie and follows the food and wine industries very closely, so she works with the chef to create the menu and works with the bar manager on the beers and cocktails…
Joanne and I grew up in a restaurant family, which established our lack of need for sleep and ridiculous work ethic. I initially applied it towards academics (UVA then Northwestern Law) and then towards my initial careers (Teach for America and Biglaw at Katten Chicago). Now, I apply it towards Scion Restaurant, and words cannot describe how much more rewarding, motivating and fulfilling it is to see your efforts go towards your own small business. And to do it all with my sister by my side (and my parents very involved) has been an incredible experience.
When I first moved to D.C., I was offered a Biglaw job, a mid-size firm job (approx. 50 attorneys), and a job at ED (Department of Education). After less than 2 years in Biglaw, I was torn about leaving so soon, but that was mostly motivated by the fact that I still owe $175K in student loans to NU Law and not because I wanted to be a Biglaw attorney. What I realized is that if I could find a legal job that still allowed me to work on Scion Restaurant, it’d be an ideal situation. ED was the perfect solution, and I started chasing the elusive work/life balance and the myth I’ve heard that you can love what you do.
ATL: How’s running a business with your sister?
Joanne is really the brains and heart behind this entire project. She has an intense passion for the restaurant industry and often kids that I’m just her junior associate. We are each other’s #1 fan, but also each other’s toughest critic. We never hesitate to speak our minds and don’t hold back on our verbal spats. Growing up in a restaurant family helped because we learned that during intense moments, things get heated, but at the end of service, you have to let it go. We are constantly communicating (and not always kindly) and never hold grudges or go to bed without settling an issue. Sure, we can annoy each other, but we both agree that there is no one else we’d want to be in the trenches with for Scion Restaurant.
ATL: What’s your favorite part about it?
My favorite part is definitely meeting the customers. Biglaw was not the environment for me. After teaching in the inner city and going to a very social law school, suddenly I was thrown into a situation where I felt very isolated. I completed assignments for hours on end sitting in an office that became very lonely. Yes, I got client interaction, but that’s never the same as getting to know people on a personal level. I felt my personality starting to shrivel away and my usual social outlets had to be sacrificed for the Biglaw hours. As every Biglaw associate knows, we’re anxious when we’re not busy billing hours and we’re exhausted when we are billing hours. A work/life balance or happy medium was impossible. In Biglaw, I began to lose a bit of my enthusiasm and spirit. I’m an extrovert and get much of my energy from interacting with other people. I missed that a lot and it’s a wonderful feeling to have it back.
ATL: Does the legal background help?
The legal background is a huge asset. My major role is to review restaurant contracts and documents and apply for licensing and certifications. My legal training makes it easy to figure out all the steps in the process and most importantly, allows me to complete all the necessary tasks without feeling overwhelmed with all the details. We also have hired legal counsel who has extensive experience in the restaurant industry, but he bills minimal hours and simply points me in the right direction. From there, I can handle the drafting and filing for most of our paperwork.
On a social level, the legal background also helps because people love discussing my Biglaw experience and how I balance a day job along with Scion. It’s a great topic of conversation when I’m working the floor of the restaurant. It also helps when I’m tapping into the Northwestern Law alumni network to set up happy hours, summer associate lunches and firm social events.
ATL: Any tips for lawyers who want to open their own restaurant?
This is a tough question to answer because so much of what we’ve learned about the restaurant industry has come from growing up in our parents’ restaurant. Opening a restaurant is definitely an experience where you’re learning something new every day. In the past six months, I’ve learned more about kitchen equipment, linen pricing and the various kinds of mixed greens than I could have ever hoped to learn.
My first tip is that anyone who wants to open a restaurant must be committed for the long haul and know that there will be a lot of sacrifice in your social life and finances before you’re “living the dream.” Joanne likes to kid that many of her friends are having babies and she decided to give birth to a restaurant. She loses about the same amount of sleep, if not more, and is stuck with it through the good times and bad. Of course, we hope Scion will be profitable sooner than a child would be, but we still have to love it unconditionally while it hasn’t yet given back to us.
My second tip is that as with anything I do in life, you have to have a sense of humor. There’s just nothing you can do when someone sends a dish back because their dog won’t like the leftovers, pukes in your flowers, or bashes you on yelp.com because your cheesecake didn’t taste like what their Mom used to make. Not every dish will come out perfectly and not every customer will love us. We give 110% and want everyone to leave happy, but when things go wrong, you can only laugh about it, support each other and trust that tomorrow is another day.
My final tip is to be flexible. The restaurant industry is unpredictable. You have to be willing to adapt to whatever is thrown at you and survive. We can never tell whether a week will be busy or slow, yet we still have to prepare the right amount of inventory and staff for every shift. I love meetings and agendas and plans of action, but the reality is that everything will not always go according to schedule in a restaurant. Preparation is essential in running a restaurant, but the key to success is being good under pressure and knowing how to handle things when everything goes wrong.
Earlier: Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Entrepreneur / Small (or Not So Small) Business Owner
Like the loudest musical performance appearing in New Orleans, the place was clamorous as the Saints inched closer to a trip to Miami. There’s no venue crazier or wilder than the Superdome, mainly because there’s no team in the league as exciting or electrifying as the Saints.
It’s a franchise, greatly, cherished for charming performances and amplifies mystique with the ability to put fear on teams still alive. Fear their ability to execute on all levels, a dimensional franchise that brought hope to a despairing town after a calamity struck New Orleans.
Sadly, Hurricane Katarina pierced the hearts of a helpless community and much was deprived, until the Saints marched in and lifted sanity. But there’s more to a feel-good story, and not only have a tenacious team cured souls. Realizing nothing the Saints have done is a fluke, the nagging fortitude and energy are elements to fear.
So each moment in the Superdome feels invincible, like the home team cannot lose. Respectively, a loyal crowd is attached to football embracing the franchise with craziness and intense screams, hungrier than the players themselves.
The emotions of euphoria carried the Saints to a level of belief, purging all debates and pontification of immortalities. In case you’re wondering, Mardi Gras has initiated prematurely on Bourbon Street, where a huge block party anticipates sparking a rejoicing celebrations. The fervid crowd will pour onto the streets, soaking in the greatest victory and memorable moment.
In the regular season, timeless flaws evoked dubious notions that the Saints weren’t the boundless contenders individuals had in mind. Late in the season, each moment revealed scary rationalization of New Orleans as a one-and-done team, based on a three-game losing skid to topple regard. During a sudden collapse, the Saints clumsily averaged 14.7 points when it was known for compiling the scoreboards. Every team has strengths and weaknesses.
The spectators entertained at the Superdome, a popular place to witness the aerial extravaganza, saw an efficacious Drew Brees hurl incredible passes to a bottomless receiver core. He exploited plays, designed to torment defenses. He executed plays opponents were unsuccessful stifling. Nothing in the Big Breezy stopped the creativity of jaw-dropping drives, which usually resulted in touchdowns.
Once again, the Saints had the swagger, finding its high-powered offense in time for the NFC Divisional round to literally manhandled the Arizona Cardinals, who again was noticed as the team from the desert with the word miracle written all over. Last year, we were caught by surprise when the Cardinals stunned the world and advanced to the Super Bowl, thanks to veteran quarterback Kurt Warner and wideout Larry Fitzgerald.
Your final score: 45-14
That decisive win punched a ticket to the NFC Championship game. The Saints await the winner of Minnesota and Dallas. But until then, an entire community relishes a moment of greatness. For some time, everyone waited for this moment, a time to erupt with the heroes of the town. The Saints are saviors, popular after alleviating the disastrous perceptions of reality. This is their city, this is their team, and this is their antidote to erase memories of a terrible tragedy.
As of now, New Orleans are marching, not to the nearest restaurant for gumbo, not to the local convenient store, not even to
Franchises are becoming increasingly popular with today's entrepreneur because the pressure of coming up with a “Great Idea” is eliminated. You're handed a product, a service, a brand, a set of policies and everything else you need to run a business-and if you choose correctly, those things are already proven to work in the marketplace. The question, then, becomes where you will set up your franchise, especially in a city as large as Houston, Texas.
West Houston is arguably the fastest growing area of the city, though it has technically been developed for decades. The old neighborhoods of Memorial, Mission Bend, Westchase and Westwood are transitioning into new businesses with modern architecture and fancy signage. So how do you choose a franchise location in West Houston, Texas?
Molly Petersen, the successful owner of a CiCi's franchise in West Houston, was graciously willing to answer my questions about her initial struggle through these neighborhoods. Having already built several locations on the East side, she was unfamiliar with the West and had to use her business sense to find just the right location.
Know the Residential Communities
If you're going to establish a franchise location in West Houston, Texas, the first thing you need to map out are the residential neighborhoods. Where do people lay their head every night? “Although many people work in this area of town,” Petersen explains, “a far greater number live here, and your bread and butter are the men and women who want to take their family out for a bite after work.” They don't want to drive far, so a neighborhood shop or eatery is the way to go.
Check Out the Competition
New franchisees are always wary of setting up a franchise location near a competitor, but according to Petersen, this is the wrong way to think. “Competition creates customers, especially when you're near a restaurant or shop that's showing exceptional profit.” Perhaps this is why you see a Lowe's near every Home Depot in West Houston-competition is the key to entrepreneurial success.
Choose Complementary Businesses
While competition is a great way to choose a franchise location in West Houston, Texas, you can also look for complementary businesses. “A coffee shop next to a bookstore is always going to do well,” Petersen says. “Same with an auto shop next to a gas station.” If you can find a business that complements your franchise, you can use associated business to bolster your profits. You an even work out a referral system with the other business to maximize customers.
Stay On the Beaten Path
One of my favorite restaurants is about to go under here in West Houston, and not because their Mexican food isn't up to par. It's tucked in the back corner of an L-shaped shopping center where it can't be seen from the road, and Peterson agrees this is a poor location for a franchise-or any business. Try to find a location in your budget that is visible from at least once intersection. This is when potential customers are most likely to see it.
Research Schools
Unless you're opening a bar or pub, Petersen says that schools are the primary target in West Houston, Texas. Just based on the sheer volume of educational institutions, you'll find that kids are the driving force behind where their parents shop, eat and congregate. Close proximity to schools will be a boon for your franchise business, so check out the nearest locations.
Some lawyers love what they do. Those who don’t are vocal about how much they hate their jobs. So what would the naysayers prefer to be doing professionally? Above the Law editors have heard these “dream careers” tossed around: government intelligence analyst, writer/journalist, banker (so they can keep making the bank), and — for those who want to stay in the law, but not Biglaw — assistant U.S. attorney, judge, or law school professor.
Some people are content to stay in the law but need a creative/fun outlet. It’s an added bonus if that outlet also makes money. One such endeavor is to open a restaurant. (The belief that most restaurants fail in the first year is a myth, after all.)
We’ve written before about lawyer-turned-Subway entrepreneur Larry Feldman. But being king of a sandwich-shop franchise is not really the glamorous side of food service. The daydream version involves starting up a place with a bit more character.
For some, being laid off has been a push to tap into a culinary side. Here in New York, a first-year associate caught up in law firm layoffs used the opportunity to open a Taiwanese steamed bun cafe in the Lower East Side, called Baohaus.
Further south, in Washington, D.C., another casualty of the recession layoffs got into the eat-out business. Julie Liu, a former Katten Muchin associate, launched a restaurant in Dupont Circle last year named Scion. She was very thankful to Katten for her three-month severance: it “basically paid for Scion’s kitchen equipment.”
We caught up with Liu about opening a restaurant with her sister, and got some advice for other wannabe restaurateurs.
Liu is a Northwestern law grad and former Teach for America teacher. She spent almost two years in Katten’s Chicago office. After being laid off last year, she moved to D.C. and opened the restaurant with her sister in June 2009. Liu originally planned to return to Biglaw but wound up landing a job at the Department of Education, so now she’s in D.C. (and the restaurant biz) for good.
ATL: How would you describe Scion?
We are a family-owned, neighborhood restaurant that serves great food and drinks. We aim to be affordable so that both my Teach for America friends and my Biglaw friends can enjoy a good meal at Scion. Our menu ranges from a diverse selection of appetizers to $9 burgers/paninis to $25 Buffalo Osso Bucco. We have the same goals for our cocktails and beers. There are fancy options and affordable options.
The long-term goal is to be a place where people want to come back over and over again because of the delicious food and great drinks and don’t feel like it would break the bank.
ATL: You’re working at the Department of Education and running the restaurant? How do you balance the two?
Resilience; and being ok with the fact that I’m pretty much tired all the time.
Actually, Joanne (my sister) is basically a machine, so essentially my role is to cover her on certain nights and weekends so that she can get some sleep or attempt to have a life. Joanne went all in for Scion Restaurant. She gave up her previous career completely and handles the bulk of the work and stress that comes with opening a new restaurant. She’s a CPA, so she handles all of the business and finance issues. She also is a total foodie and follows the food and wine industries very closely, so she works with the chef to create the menu and works with the bar manager on the beers and cocktails…
Joanne and I grew up in a restaurant family, which established our lack of need for sleep and ridiculous work ethic. I initially applied it towards academics (UVA then Northwestern Law) and then towards my initial careers (Teach for America and Biglaw at Katten Chicago). Now, I apply it towards Scion Restaurant, and words cannot describe how much more rewarding, motivating and fulfilling it is to see your efforts go towards your own small business. And to do it all with my sister by my side (and my parents very involved) has been an incredible experience.
When I first moved to D.C., I was offered a Biglaw job, a mid-size firm job (approx. 50 attorneys), and a job at ED (Department of Education). After less than 2 years in Biglaw, I was torn about leaving so soon, but that was mostly motivated by the fact that I still owe $175K in student loans to NU Law and not because I wanted to be a Biglaw attorney. What I realized is that if I could find a legal job that still allowed me to work on Scion Restaurant, it’d be an ideal situation. ED was the perfect solution, and I started chasing the elusive work/life balance and the myth I’ve heard that you can love what you do.
ATL: How’s running a business with your sister?
Joanne is really the brains and heart behind this entire project. She has an intense passion for the restaurant industry and often kids that I’m just her junior associate. We are each other’s #1 fan, but also each other’s toughest critic. We never hesitate to speak our minds and don’t hold back on our verbal spats. Growing up in a restaurant family helped because we learned that during intense moments, things get heated, but at the end of service, you have to let it go. We are constantly communicating (and not always kindly) and never hold grudges or go to bed without settling an issue. Sure, we can annoy each other, but we both agree that there is no one else we’d want to be in the trenches with for Scion Restaurant.
ATL: What’s your favorite part about it?
My favorite part is definitely meeting the customers. Biglaw was not the environment for me. After teaching in the inner city and going to a very social law school, suddenly I was thrown into a situation where I felt very isolated. I completed assignments for hours on end sitting in an office that became very lonely. Yes, I got client interaction, but that’s never the same as getting to know people on a personal level. I felt my personality starting to shrivel away and my usual social outlets had to be sacrificed for the Biglaw hours. As every Biglaw associate knows, we’re anxious when we’re not busy billing hours and we’re exhausted when we are billing hours. A work/life balance or happy medium was impossible. In Biglaw, I began to lose a bit of my enthusiasm and spirit. I’m an extrovert and get much of my energy from interacting with other people. I missed that a lot and it’s a wonderful feeling to have it back.
ATL: Does the legal background help?
The legal background is a huge asset. My major role is to review restaurant contracts and documents and apply for licensing and certifications. My legal training makes it easy to figure out all the steps in the process and most importantly, allows me to complete all the necessary tasks without feeling overwhelmed with all the details. We also have hired legal counsel who has extensive experience in the restaurant industry, but he bills minimal hours and simply points me in the right direction. From there, I can handle the drafting and filing for most of our paperwork.
On a social level, the legal background also helps because people love discussing my Biglaw experience and how I balance a day job along with Scion. It’s a great topic of conversation when I’m working the floor of the restaurant. It also helps when I’m tapping into the Northwestern Law alumni network to set up happy hours, summer associate lunches and firm social events.
ATL: Any tips for lawyers who want to open their own restaurant?
This is a tough question to answer because so much of what we’ve learned about the restaurant industry has come from growing up in our parents’ restaurant. Opening a restaurant is definitely an experience where you’re learning something new every day. In the past six months, I’ve learned more about kitchen equipment, linen pricing and the various kinds of mixed greens than I could have ever hoped to learn.
My first tip is that anyone who wants to open a restaurant must be committed for the long haul and know that there will be a lot of sacrifice in your social life and finances before you’re “living the dream.” Joanne likes to kid that many of her friends are having babies and she decided to give birth to a restaurant. She loses about the same amount of sleep, if not more, and is stuck with it through the good times and bad. Of course, we hope Scion will be profitable sooner than a child would be, but we still have to love it unconditionally while it hasn’t yet given back to us.
My second tip is that as with anything I do in life, you have to have a sense of humor. There’s just nothing you can do when someone sends a dish back because their dog won’t like the leftovers, pukes in your flowers, or bashes you on yelp.com because your cheesecake didn’t taste like what their Mom used to make. Not every dish will come out perfectly and not every customer will love us. We give 110% and want everyone to leave happy, but when things go wrong, you can only laugh about it, support each other and trust that tomorrow is another day.
My final tip is to be flexible. The restaurant industry is unpredictable. You have to be willing to adapt to whatever is thrown at you and survive. We can never tell whether a week will be busy or slow, yet we still have to prepare the right amount of inventory and staff for every shift. I love meetings and agendas and plans of action, but the reality is that everything will not always go according to schedule in a restaurant. Preparation is essential in running a restaurant, but the key to success is being good under pressure and knowing how to handle things when everything goes wrong.
Earlier: Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Entrepreneur / Small (or Not So Small) Business Owner
Like the loudest musical performance appearing in New Orleans, the place was clamorous as the Saints inched closer to a trip to Miami. There’s no venue crazier or wilder than the Superdome, mainly because there’s no team in the league as exciting or electrifying as the Saints.
It’s a franchise, greatly, cherished for charming performances and amplifies mystique with the ability to put fear on teams still alive. Fear their ability to execute on all levels, a dimensional franchise that brought hope to a despairing town after a calamity struck New Orleans.
Sadly, Hurricane Katarina pierced the hearts of a helpless community and much was deprived, until the Saints marched in and lifted sanity. But there’s more to a feel-good story, and not only have a tenacious team cured souls. Realizing nothing the Saints have done is a fluke, the nagging fortitude and energy are elements to fear.
So each moment in the Superdome feels invincible, like the home team cannot lose. Respectively, a loyal crowd is attached to football embracing the franchise with craziness and intense screams, hungrier than the players themselves.
The emotions of euphoria carried the Saints to a level of belief, purging all debates and pontification of immortalities. In case you’re wondering, Mardi Gras has initiated prematurely on Bourbon Street, where a huge block party anticipates sparking a rejoicing celebrations. The fervid crowd will pour onto the streets, soaking in the greatest victory and memorable moment.
In the regular season, timeless flaws evoked dubious notions that the Saints weren’t the boundless contenders individuals had in mind. Late in the season, each moment revealed scary rationalization of New Orleans as a one-and-done team, based on a three-game losing skid to topple regard. During a sudden collapse, the Saints clumsily averaged 14.7 points when it was known for compiling the scoreboards. Every team has strengths and weaknesses.
The spectators entertained at the Superdome, a popular place to witness the aerial extravaganza, saw an efficacious Drew Brees hurl incredible passes to a bottomless receiver core. He exploited plays, designed to torment defenses. He executed plays opponents were unsuccessful stifling. Nothing in the Big Breezy stopped the creativity of jaw-dropping drives, which usually resulted in touchdowns.
Once again, the Saints had the swagger, finding its high-powered offense in time for the NFC Divisional round to literally manhandled the Arizona Cardinals, who again was noticed as the team from the desert with the word miracle written all over. Last year, we were caught by surprise when the Cardinals stunned the world and advanced to the Super Bowl, thanks to veteran quarterback Kurt Warner and wideout Larry Fitzgerald.
Your final score: 45-14
That decisive win punched a ticket to the NFC Championship game. The Saints await the winner of Minnesota and Dallas. But until then, an entire community relishes a moment of greatness. For some time, everyone waited for this moment, a time to erupt with the heroes of the town. The Saints are saviors, popular after alleviating the disastrous perceptions of reality. This is their city, this is their team, and this is their antidote to erase memories of a terrible tragedy.
As of now, New Orleans are marching, not to the nearest restaurant for gumbo, not to the local convenient store, not even to
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Gregory Riley