What are some tips for starting a small restaurant business?

Lauren,
"After retiring last year, my parents have decided that they want to open up a small restaurant because they are so bored. "
----------- Sadly, this is the case for many. I am sorry to hear this is the foundation for deciding to get in the business I have loved for 30+ years and now consult others to have success. Because they are bored can't be the whole piece of the puzzle I hope.

"I am afraid they are getting in over their heads. Is there a good book, website, blog, etc. that has a good overview of things to do? "
----------------- You can check out:
http://www.restaurantworx.com Have them call Jeffrey and tell him I sent them. He has a free consultation and guarantees his services. (Not everyone will do that)
It they are local to the Pacific NW, they can contact me for a free consult.

"Are there any checklists they can look at to make sure they have everything covered?":
----------------- Sure... check it out: They can Google: "free restaurant forms" and find my website at: http://www.michaelhartzell.com/library/restaurant-forms-spreadsheets/ along with a few other great resources.

"Any help, tips, advice, knowledge is welcome."
--------------------- It may be time for them to invest a few bucks up front.
One might be http://restaurantowner.com
One might be their local Restaurant Association for the state they will do business in. They will provide a plethora of information specific to their locale along with a network of vendors and services.
Howard Howell is right on. Hopefully they have experience. Three months is not enough to be an owner and be successful in the restaurant business.
Christopher has good ideas but unfortunately to survive, it is about tacit knowledge and the explicit knowledge from the Internet or books will only be a starting point.
- The other issue is that there are few who will be open enough to give the full spectrum of reality. There is no benefit to do so and what needs to be said can't be in a fifteen minute conversation. So many change their tune once I let them know my history and their response then is: "Oh? Do you know anyone who would want to buy my restaurant?"
- One interesting book to read is "The Franchise Fraud". It includes examples of restaurants as franchises.
- Go to the boot camp at http://restaurantsocialmedia.com/ to hang with other restaurant owners BEFORE making any commitments. This will save them ten's of thousands.
- Read this blog: http://www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing-ideas-blog/
There are true stories, problems, tips, tools... and more to help.
- Lastly, here is an arsenal handy (other than the blog)
http://www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-owner-resources/

Best of luck
@michaelhartzell

Lauren:

Are your parents computer-literate? If not, now's the time to take a course or two and do a bit of research.

As they visit their favorite restaurants and local potential competitors, they should make sure to ask what restaurant management software tools they use. And they should find out what the restaurant managers think of those tools, and of the companies that provide and support those tools.

Once they've got a location, they should find out the best suppliers of the ingredients and supplies they're going to need, and find out what technology tools THOSE companies use and/or the ones with which they prefer to work. Your parents should also find out what those companies think of those tools, and of the companies that provide and support those tools. (Yes, you are sensing a pattern here.)

Finally, your parents should get used to doing almost all of their ordering and other business tasks online, with e-mail confirmation wherever possible. Almost nothing resolves a dispute or documents a transaction or accountability trail better with less pain than simple ol' e-mail.

Oh, right -- your parents should also use resources such as Focus.com to ask more questions like the one you've asked here -- or convince you to ask the questions for them! Good luck to them -- please keep us posted of their progress and lessons!

Lauren,

As a former restaurant general manager for a large casual chain on the East Coast, there are a lot of good sources to start your parents off on the right foot. To begin, I would suggest the following approach:

- Check out a great book called "The Restaurant Dream". It's a solid primer for those who have never been in the business. You can find it at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/Restaurant-Dream-Lee-Simon/dp/0910627835/ref=sr_1_1?ie=...

- Have your parents call a couple of restaurant owners in the local area, and sit down with them for an interview. Most restaurant owners or managers are surprisingly open to having a discussion with a prospective entrepreneur, and will usually be quite open to sharing their experiences, ideas, and general areas of concern.

- Keep in mind that many restaurants have had a rough time over the past couple of years. When budgets are tight, eating out is one of the first things that get cut back in the budgets of families and individuals.

- Do a bit of research on the internet. You'll find a variety of helpful forums with a lot of experienced folks offering answers to various questions. Free research is always useful, if your parents have the patience to sort through a number of websites.

Best of luck,

Chris