Trading in the Calculator for the Oven

With a simple menu and a touch of old world flair former real estate developer Jim McGown hopes his new venture, South Brooklyn Pizza, will be a success.

by John Noble

If you look at Jim McGown’s resume you will see that he has a degree in pure mathematics from the University of Miami. You will also notice that he has over ten years of experience in real estate. What you probably won’t see is that he has traded in his suits and calculator for casual attire and a pizza oven.

Now the proud owner of South Brooklyn Pizza in the Carroll Gardens district, McGown approaches his new role in the same manner as his real estate career. While not an expert in the restaurant business McGown has seen more than his share of “sure things” go under, so he knows that a good location can be the greatest asset for a fledgling business.

McGown also knows that providing your clients with good service and products will keep them coming back for more. It’s a strategy he used often in his real estate day, and he is seeing success with it in his new venture. McGown estimates that in the first year his new restaurant will make at lest $300,000 to $400,000 in revenue with the help of the old world style pizzas he has focused on.

McGown’s only piece of advice for people who want to change their careers and try something new, especially when it comes to purchasing a new piece of real estate, is to keep your expectations modest. Many new business owners start out with a huge goal but fail because the do too much too fast. If you provide customers with quality and consistency, and don’t overwhelm them with options you have a better chance in succeeding.