Growing Your Social Capital

The first person is an owner of a restaurant in midtown that serves lunch and dinner. They will act as my domain expert, because the restaurant is very similar to what I plan on opening, with a few minor differences (breakfast&lunch vs lunch&dinner). I found this person by walking into the restaurant and asking them to call me when they're free. A few of my friends work at this restaurant, so the manager was willing to talk to me without me doing him a favor. This person will give me a huge leg-up because they already know the ins and outs of the restaurant business, and I don't. I think it's always really important to have a good mentor when starting a business. 

The second person is the owner of a bar in midtown. They are my market expert, because although a bar is different from a restaurant (sometimes), they target the same market and they are run on the same basic principles. I found the person the same way as the first person, by having them call me. Once again, a few of my friends work here so he was willing to take a few minutes to talk to me for this project. Although I think this person is less useful than the first owner, he is still helpful for me because he provided more information about the target market and how to advertise well. 

The last person is the supplier of some of the food I would use. They are my supplier. I contacted this person by asking one of the restaurant owners who their supplier is, and then emailing that person. The favor I will be doing for them is buying their products. This person will help me exploit an opportunity because he has some of the best quality food in Gainesville and now I've already established a relationship with him.