Alfred PizzamentoThe Horseshoe Pub

Joseph Jackson Nichols College

Management 100-08

I have been an employee of this company since 2008.

Company The Horseshoe Pub was a partnership, both

Al and his partner had felt that this was the easiest structure to make the most money.

Pub and Restaurant / Food

The Horseshoe Pub has been in business for 30 years all together. About 15 years in Al partner no longer wanted the business. The Horseshoe is now run by Al with the

help of his son and daughter.

Background In 1983, Al and his partner Jack bought property

in Hudson, Ma. They hired people to build their restaurant

Al’s partner was very interested in horses. He had many of them that he would sell and enter into races. He received a lot of money from them, they used that money and some of Al’s savings to start the business

Al and his partners dream was to both own their own small business one day. That dream became more of a reality when they decided to work together.

Al has a degree in Management and Hospitality When the company first started it was small and

bringing in just enough money. Now they have done many renovations and add-ons and the company could not be doing any better

Successes

Al’s biggest success is never giving up. He said when his partner quit he thought about walking away until his kids stepped in.

The most rewarding part Al said is being able to see how much your business has turned into from when it started. It makes you appreciate the decisions you have made

The Horseshoe has made several commercials and been featured on the Phantom Gourmet

Challenges

The biggest challenge was getting the company going, once that happened Al felt more confident. There are still minor challenges that occur, but we overcome them

The most challenging aspect of running a business is making sure all of your money is in order. In the food industry you have to order products weekly which calls for assertive money management

Al overcomes this by hiring people who work with him on making sure the company is spending its money properly

The most fatal flaw in this type of business is under ordering food. If you cant predict how much of a product you will need for the week you could have unhappy customers

Competition

Two of Al’s closest competitors are two breakfast places at the end of the street. For a period of time the Horseshoe served breakfast, but because of these restaurants they had to stop

The Horseshoe is known for their beers. We have 80 beers on draft, because of that we gain a competitive edge.

The Horseshoe offers special promotions such as 15% off all guests that stay at the Holiday Inn hotel located in Hudson

Marketing/Staffing

During Christmas time the Horseshoe sets up a booth in the local mall where they sell gift certificates, t-shirts and other merchandise. Also with the purchase of a gift certificate you receive a 15% off card

Al looks for experience and background in the restaurant business when hiring new employees

Future

Al plans on remodeling at the end of this year. His long term plan is running the business until his late 60’s and then passing it down to his son and daughter. They both have been an avid part of the business for the last couple of years and will have plenty expirence when they need to step in

Questions

What was your biggest fear about your business at the beginning?

Al feared that no one would show interest in his restaurant. He thought that he was going to fail and loose all of his money. How long was it before things

started running smoothly and you made back your money?

Questions (continued..)

Al said it took about a year for all of his finances to come into place and for everyone to get the hang of things What is your favorite part of the

restaurant business?Al said the best part is being

able to please the customers with good food, good atmosphere and a good time.

Summary

Al’s advice for all young business students is to never give up on your dreams. He says owning your own business is a lot of work, you need to be very committed to it

I learned that owing a business is not an easy thing to do and requires a lot of focus. I have learned this from working for Al the past 4 ½ years