Be prepared to spend a lot of time at the restaurant/food business. My aunt and uncle own a bar and grill/diner in my home town and my grandmother owned a diner before them. My cousin owns a bar and grill in town as well. They miss out on a lot of family get togethers and holidays because they are operating those businesses. They practically live there. Management staff has been tough for them to find & keep, which would allow them to be away from the business more. COVID definitely hit places hard but there is a resurgence in patrons dining out right now. A food truck option would be a great way to get into it and would lower your total costs and staffing costs, as others have suggested. A new food truck, really the only one in town (population ~9000) just opened up and seems to be doing well. BBQ joints always see to struggle around here, they come and go after a few years. There is a bbq food truck that rotates around the small towns in this area each day of the week, which seems to serve him well.