"If you're into opening a hip club, you may want to find out who draws the most people at different places -- it could be a bartender, a DJ, a doorman or even the manager," Dec explains. "You want to start assembling the right people -- it may be a guy who's worked at big corporate restaurants because you're looking for more of a straight-forward concept," he adds.

"You have to make contacts. Build relationships with the managers of every cool store and salon, as well as every hotel concierge. Try to become friends with all the people that make your city go 'round," Dec says. "And in turn, you need to take care of the people who take care of you," he advises. Send follow-up thank you gifts, or invite the business owners in for a drink -- it will pay off.

One of the biggest challenges is training and keeping your staff around, because they are usually a bunch of young, rambunctious kids in their 20s. "They need to be focused on running a business that has a ton of liability," Dec warns. "Basically we're servicing thousands of people within a small amount of time, with liquor involved. Often staff can get distracted and think they're in the party rather than managing the party." It stems from the top: Dec runs a tight ship, with no drinking allowed while at work. "On one end, I'm Mr. Strict and I enforce playing by the rules. I have to stay on top of everything. But for the customer, I have to be Mr. Fun and Mr. Flirtatious -- it's a tough balance."

It's all about taking care of people. "We have great relationships with concierges and the local business owners so when celebs come to town, they'll point them in our direction," Dec explains. "Throughout the years, when a celeb comes to one of my bars, we'll get introduced, and I'll totally take care of them -- like I take care of everyone else. So when they come back to Chicago they'll call me because they want to know where the new place is."

It's a game of who's who. Know which customers are important for what reasons, and treat them accordingly. "You want to take care of people as best you can," Dec says. "But you have to balance what you're giving with what you're getting." Pay attention to people. "If you want to last for a long time in this business, you have to treat customers like they're your best friends," he explains. That might mean a free drink one night, or a speedy entrance past the velvet rope the next.

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