Three and a half years ago Gary Fuller was vice president of operations for a Cincinnati Bell affiliate. But what he really liked to do was cook. Two years and $400,000 into a new career, Fuller and his wife, Kelly Kimberly, a public relations consultant to Enron's Kenneth Lay, run the well-reviewed 50-seat Laurier Cafe & Wine in Houston. Moving from telecom to New American cuisine has meant a lifestyle change for Fuller. He loves the good reviews, the satisfied customers and the challenge of the trade. But these rewards don't come easy. Fun? "That's a word that has never crossed my mind," he says on a rare day off. If you dream of restaurant riches, you should know a few things before setting up kitchen. This is an industry riddled with failure. Profit margins, at 1% to 5%, are as paper-thin as the finest carpaccio. One in three new restaurants doesn't last a year. Denver celebrity chef Kevin Taylor has shuttered two of his five restaurants in the past year―one because of the economy, the other because construction out front chased away a third of his revenue. And if you happen to succeed, you maybe working too hard to enjoy your success.
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