NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Most young, cocky restaurateurs would rather die than open their cool restaurant in a suburban shopping mall. But Gary Leff, founder of Stir Crazy Enterprises, took a different spin.

He headed for the suburbs, and it paid off. "The first inclination is to open up in the city, and one of the main reasons is ego," said Leff. "The city is sexy, you can see your friends, and the 'big boys' are in the city."

But in downtown Chicago, restaurant owners face fierce competition, high rent, and safety concerns. "It's also hard to get above the 'noise' in the city," said Leff, who worked as a management consultant for five years before writing a business plan and raising about $5 million from investors to open his restaurant chain.

http://money.cnn.com/2001/12/17/smbusiness/q_jane_idea/