“The Sims 2: Open for Business is an expansion pack that enables your Sims to run their own business. Your Sims can purchase community lots to start the business, which can be a shop, arcade, gym or even a restaurant. Running a restaurant can be one of the trickier business in The Sims 2: Open for Business because it requires a minimum of three employees and constant attention to run it properly.

  • “The Sims 2: Open for Business is an expansion pack that enables your Sims to run their own business.
  • Running a restaurant can be one of the trickier business in The Sims 2: Open for Business because it requires a minimum of three employees and constant attention to run it properly.

Click on your Sim’s phone and click “Start a Business.” Select a community lot to purchase and then use a taxi to go to that community lot to start building.

Create a building large enough for at least two or three tables in the seating area, plus a kitchen, male bathroom and female bathroom. You also will need space for a break-room for the staff with a television and sofa. Be sure to leave room for expansion because you will be able to add on as the cash starts to flow.

Place the “Restaurant Podium” item from “The Sims 2: Nightlife” near the front of your restaurant.

Place the "Chef Station" item in the kitchen.

Use the business menu to hire at least two employees (you can use your own Sim for a grand total of three).

Assign a Sim with high cooking skill to be the chef in the kitchen. Assign one Sim to work the restaurant podium and assign the third Sim to be a waiter. You also can have the restaurant podium Sim switch back and forth between waiter and host.

Add decorative touches and expand your restaurant as you gain more income. You will need only tables with single chairs since the game’s artificial intelligence won’t have Sims come in together. Add a bar and pool table and hire a Sim to work the bar constantly.

  • Place the “Restaurant Podium” item from “The Sims 2: Nightlife” near the front of your restaurant.
  • Add a bar and pool table and hire a Sim to work the bar constantly.

Keep your chef making food constantly, even when there are no customers. This will increase his cooking skill. You also can place the extra food inside a display case to serve as takeaway.

TIP

Run a restaurant as a family business to cut back on the number of employees you need to pay. You may eventually have to hire outside help as the restaurant grows larger, but you’ll still save money. Work your Sim up to Level 10 in cooking before opening your restaurant and then use him as the chef to avoid having to pay a highly skilled outside chef. Always make sure to have an appropriately sized staff room with amenities such as a fridge and stove, television, sofa and private bathroom to keep their motives filled.