Owning a restaurant has the opportunity to be a truly lucrative business, but many who start don’t last the test of time. Having said that, it’s highly rewarding. After all, who doesn’t enjoy cooking and eating good food? Sometimes cooking is something mundane that you do at home, but turning it into a passion that earns you income is something many people don’t consider.

In reality, owning a restaurant can be an exciting experience. Yes, of course, there’s a lot of work to do, such as managing your finances, maintaining food quality and marketing your restaurant. However, all that work becomes quite enjoyable if you give your heart to it.

You get the support of a team

Running a restaurant isn’t a one man show by any means. You need a number of people (depending on the size of your restaurant) to help you run things nice and smoothly. Imagine how you would have done everything alone, from frying up steaks to taking payment from customers. You will need a chef to inspect the food, line cooks to make the food, waiters and waitresses to serve the food, and perhaps even runners to deliver your food. Everyone has their role. So you get the benefit of teamwork.

Jason Hill, an entrepreneur and restaurateur has spent decades building his own small businesses in Six Nations of the Grand River. His famous Burger Barn was featured on Season 2 of the Food Network’s hit TV show, You Gotta Here. Recently, he even opened a food truck for Burger Barn.

Based out of Ohsweken, Ontario, Hill says that developing a team of impassioned professionals to create a functioning, highly regarded restaurant.

“You need to be the type of leader that can bring people together,” explains Hill. “You have to not only have to lead by example, but you need to have an eye for spotting talent and detail. You need to choose people who are just as passionate about the industry as you are, and you also need to make sure you continue to inspire that passion.”

You get to try different things

Depending on what kind of restaurant you run, you can try using your culinary skills (or work with the skills of a chef) differently. You can experiment with different culinary styles by using different ingredients for making otherwise mundane dishes. It’s a creatively challenging process. You can offer anything unconventional, such as an organic salad or spice things up with a cheese filled burger – the possibilities are endless. Putting culinary skills to the test is a fun experience.

You develop the “first serve” mentality

You may have a good team but everyone would fail without having the right attitude. As a restaurant owner, you need to have the “first serve” mentality. Don’t worry, you’ll develop it eventually when starting and owning a restaurant. But giving your customers the top priority is an absolute must. You will eventually show yourself as somebody who cares about people and their own unique experiences. This would automatically push your morale to polish yourself and take your restaurant to new heights. Restaurant ownership is a fun form of personality development.

“The customer experience is the number one priority for any restaurant owner,” says Hill. “You need to keep in mind every little detail that adds to their experience. That’s what keeps customers coming back: good food and a top notch experience.”

You get to be your own boss

At times, there’s not a single thing wrong in acting like your own boss. After you see your restaurant doing well and you can afford to keep a manager, you can delegate quite a few responsibilities out. It won’t free you of responsibilities completely, but you will still have more time for you and your family. You can use these few leisure hours to exercise, take your kids to events, or relax at home. But for that, you need to provide your individual attention to your restaurant during the initial stages. Once it takes off, you have to buckle up for some fun.