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Why Restaurants are L.A.'s Second-Riskiest Investment (Analysis)
Risky Investment Illustration - H 2013 Illustration by: Tomi Um
"I love food -- it's one of my personal passions. So when some
friends suggested I explore investments in this area, it seemed
like a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want guaranteed reservations?"
says Ryan Seacrest, who has a piece of Bouchon in Beverly Hills
as well as such Innovative Dining Group spots as Boa and the new
RivaBella.  Most business managers say "run," but that hasn't
stopped everyone from Ryan Seacrest to Phil Rosenthal from
spending on eateries.   Everyone in Hollywood knows about "dumb
money," investments made by glamour- and ego-driven outsiders
who lack requisite knowledge to discern a smart film deal. What
Hollywood players often don't know, at least until it's too
late, is that dumb money -- their own -- can be spent on
restaurants, too.  Industry machers have been plowing cash into
eateries -- often