Don’t listen to all the people who tell you what you need.
You don’t need a million dollars in funding.
You don’t need a fancy building.
You don’t need a high-foot traffic spot on just the right corner.
You don’t need expensive ads.
You don’t need a celebrity spokesperson.
You don’t need neon signs.
Last night, on the recommendation of @JamesFowlkes, we went for some authentic Philly cheesesteaks at Dallesandro’s, the legendary dive located on a nondescript corner in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia.
The pictures below tell Allessandro’s story. They have all they need:
Service:
Polite but quick
Seating:
Seven barstools and some haphazard card tables and folding chairs (it was nice so we took our sandwiches to the grassy field across the street)
Product:
A delicious (oversized) cheesesteak.
The Zagat sign is from 2000-2001 but as we waiting for our order, we talked to the people in line next to us. The woman hadn’t been to Dallessandros for 40 years and was thrilled to be back.
They usually have a line out the door and make money hand over greasy fist. If they wanted to expand, they certainly could have but they decided to stay small, which is fine.
You don’t need much.
It’s OK to start small.
The important thing is to start.
