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Sophie's, page 2
by nate koch

To find initial funding to open a restaurant, most people first turn to the family and friends who know the people looking to start a business and who know their capabilities. Surdyk says family and friends are often a great source because they do not have a lot of terms. Surdyk jokes that it can, however, make holiday gatherings a little more interesting when grandma wants to know how the business is doing because she has a stake in its future.

 “We were lucky enough to have family members who had knowledge in the real estate business,” Laura says. “We were also smart enough to find a bank that wanted to support the project, not just fund it. Find someone that wants to be involved.”

Banks can also be a solid source for funding. In fact, many banks have areas of specific interest, and some institutions like to work with entrepreneurs or small business owners. Government programs also offer many opportunities for those looking to start a restaurant with an abundance of local, state and federal programs designed to support small businesses, especially for women and minorities.

While the business plan and finances are important to the success of opening a new restaurant, Michael and Laura say being surrounded by good people ranks at the top. They credit much of their own success to working with great people.

 “The cream will rise and the bad will go away,” Laura says. “Now the bad has gone away.”

They also credit their success to allowing each other to excel in their particular areas of expertise, each offering something special.

 “Running a restaurant is a lot different than just designing or delivering a menu,” Surdyk says. “Those entrepreneurs who tend to be most successful are those who recognize their own weaknesses and try to hire to them.” He suggests trying to find the people who have those needed skills and can run those aspects of the business. “It’s having the people in place to render the whole business viable that is really the most important thing,” he says.

The Schallers' restaurant has now opened and they are settled into their new place. They feel that Sweet Sophie’s Waunakee location makes a couple’s wedding a destination, with family and friends traveling to their special day. At the same time, they did not want to make it so far out that nobody would want to come to a Friday night fish fry. After hours of research, hard work and counting passing cars from their truck, Michael and Laura chose the site to build Sweet Sophie’s and began construction in October 2004.

Surdyk says Wisconsin is a great place to start a new restaurant. “At the highest levels, we’re starting to see the investment in our infrastructure that will make us as well organized and effective in enabling entrepreneurs as you will see in any state. Wisconsin is going to surprise people how much we actually have here,” he says. “Wisconsin is increasingly going to be recognized as a more competitive and welcoming place for entrepreneurs.”

Laura vividly remembers standing in subzero temperatures on a slab of cement, a few studs up, selling the place to brides and grooms-to-be. “There was one day I was out there for so long, my feet were so frozen they hurt,” she remembers. “We'd have to take shifts. I ended up in the car blasting my feet with the heat that day.”

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curb magazine 2005: balance for wisconsin's young professionals