What if…?
It is a common – yet insightful – question which can spark the imagination or carry a sense of regret. What if I had taken a different path? What if I took that leap of faith?
What if I made my dreams a reality?
Pierre Daoud does not have to wonder what could have been. His longtime passion for cooking led him to open Térroir 3:17 Your Home Kitchen – situated at 128 N. Davenport St. in Metamora – in June 2023.
The Mediterranean restaurant closed its doors after a final day on March 1. Despite the difficult decisions and lessons learned, Daoud said, “the only thing I'm sad about is that we can’t continue doing this…”
"I lived my dream," Daoud said. "Even though it was for about eight months or so, but I can say that I loved living that dream."
Previously: Love of cooking evolves into family restaurant
Facing financial hardships
When Térroir 3:17 opened, Daoud said he and his wife, Scarlet, took a close look at the business’s financial needs. He said they calculated how much money was required to break even and considered the cost of covering personal expenses, as well.
In total, Daoud said the restaurant needed to draw in around 32 to 38 customers each day to be financially sustainable.
“November was close to what we really need, but maybe fell short of a couple of thousand dollars…” he said. “And then come December and January, all the way toward almost the third week of February – we were not even close to breaking even for the restaurant.”
Daoud said the restaurant only saw five or six people most days. Dinner hours were eerily quiet, and some days, the restaurant only brought in around $100.
Overall, Daoud said Térroir 3:17 was making less than 25% of what was required to operate.
He estimated the restaurant needed $15,000 to $20,000 in savings to survive the winter slowdown. The plan was to build up these reserves during the summer months, Daoud said, but unexpected business expenses hampered their efforts.
So, the family had to find a different way to cover the deficit. This meant digging into personal savings, Daoud said, and taking on additional debts. They realized this was not a sustainable solution.
They considered cutting back operations and continuing on a limited scale. But even then, he said the overhead costs would have been too high.
“The decision came to, really, we cannot continue,” Daoud said. “We have to close (the doors) with the hopes we sell the restaurant as a business.”
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'A journey of faith'
Looking back, Daoud described the past months as “a journey of faith.”
A prayer request led them to the Metamora storefront last year. Now, he said they are praying someone will buy everything from the business. He said Metamora could provide a good opportunity for a restaurant owner to expand to a new location.
And while he has questioned why this experience is ending, Daoud said he has faith that God will lead them down the right path.
“I know he has good plans, right, even though we may see them as bad," Daoud said. "But his plans are good, and I trust in the next steps to come."
Both he and Scarlet worked at the restaurant full time before its closure. So now, each have begun to consider what those next steps will look like.
Daoud is searching for a position in program management, and he said Scarlet is hoping to return to engineering.
“We’re excited about the next steps,” he said. “I mean, we're honestly living day by day, right, just to see how things unfold, but I know the right doors will open.”
And while the door for Térroir 3:17 Your Home Kitchen is closing for now, Daoud’s passion for cooking has not wavered. He said they are keeping the name of the business and are leaving the door open to future opportunities – whether means obtaining a cottage license or pursuing bigger goals.
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‘Live your dream’
Despite the challenges and heartache, Daoud said his family has grown a lot since opening Térroir 3:17.
He said they made mistakes along the way but learned how to pivot and adapt to best meet the community’s needs. The restaurant also taught them how to better communicate with customers and with one another.
Most importantly, Daoud said, “This whole experience – despite the difficulties at the end – really brought our family closer together.”
He watched as his sons grew to be more independent and said there were times when he would implore his wife to go home and rest. Some days, Daoud would spend 16 hours or more at the restaurant.
There were tears of sadness and of joy, Daoud said. Through it all, however, he said his passion motivated him to continue.
“It was an awesome experience. I would not regret that at all,” Daoud said. “I loved every single part of it.”
Daoud’s restaurant journey provided him with lessons that could benefit others, as well. He said it is important for small business owners to plan for the future and to “never take things for granted.” There will be difficult days and unhappy customers, but Daoud said to not give up.
And for those dreaming about starting a business of their own, he offered words of encouragement.
“Live your dream,” Daoud said. “Don’t say, ‘What if?’”
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Long days and financial hardships: Metamora business owner explains why he closed eatery
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