11 Read the text and answer questions 1-4.
Have you ever dreamed about opening
a restaurant? If so, then you have something in
common with me. Ever since I was a small boy I
wanted to be a chef, with much of my childhood
spent in the kitchen with my grandma making cakes
and sweet things. Back then, my main ambition was
to work in a restaurant, but since taking a number of
stressful and badly paid jobs in different restaurants,
my ideas have changed. When I first started to talk
about my big plans, many people told me it was an
impossible dream. They thought there was too much
risk involved, particularly since there are so many
restaurants close to where I live. However, I’m
happy I didn’t listen to them. It’s actually quite
possible to follow any dream you have as long as
you are ready to deal with some difficulties and
enjoy taking on new challenges. If you really love
what you do, it may be the best step you have ever
taken.
There are a number of things to consider before you
go ahead with your plan. Money is always a big
issue. There are a lot of things you need to buy
before opening to customers such as furniture and
supplies, and then once you open there will be staff
to pay. They will need to be paid even during times
when there isn’t a lot of business so you need to
have money in the bank. I’d recommend having
enough money saved so that you can continue to
serve customers for two or three months even
without making any money. Otherwise you might
have to shut down before you even get going.
The next thing to consider is how to get customers.
Choosing a popular location is vital, but even more
important is offering a unique and interesting
experience to diners. I love going to restaurants that
serve unusual food or have a special atmosphere.
You can do that by offering live music or hanging
original art on the walls. I visited a lot of different
restaurants when I was considering what my place
should look like, and that helped me to decide what

was important. I ended up opening a restaurant
serving traditional food as I realised there was
nothing like that in my local area.
The final aspect is becoming known to the public.
Social media is a great tool for making sure that
people hear about your restaurant, but traditional
advertising is also important. Not everyone, in
particular older people with plenty of money, use
social networks, and you don’t want to miss the
opportunity to serve them. You can also organise
special events that people will be excited to attend.
Most importantly, show how passionate you are
about the food you serve, the way you treat
customers and the experience you offer. With
enough love and dedication, you really can succeed.
1 Why did the writer change their mind about
working in a restaurant?
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2 What are the consequences of not having
enough money in the bank?
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3 What’s the most important thing to consider
when attracting customers?
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4 What are the dangers of only advertising on
social media?
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