If you are starting a restaurant, you need to increase your chances of success from the startup. Before starting a restaurant you should be clear what the kind of restaurant that will open and what the style or concept that we will give.
As with any business, opening a restaurant is no easy task. Let’s look at a list of 20 tips that you should take before opening a restaurant:
Define the style of the restaurant
We must be clear if, for example, we will open a gourmet restaurant with fine food, family type, one fast food, etc.
And most importantly, we must determine what the style or concept that we will give, which we choose based on our personality and our tastes, not to influence us by others, and trying to be a style or distinctive concept, not exist at other restaurants.
Market research
As in any business, before opening a restaurant we must research the market well, seeking to know the preferences and tastes of consumers are, and making sure that we will have enough demand for our restaurant to succeed.
One way to do this is by conducting surveys to people traveling through the area where we will open the restaurant, where they may inquire about your preferences and tastes, if you would go to a new restaurant of the type that we will create, and how much would be willing to spend on each visit.
Determine the target audience
In market research we do, an important point is to define clearly what our target audience, ie what the type of consumer who will lead us.
Thus, we can analyze its characteristics and focus our business and the strategies we will use in this type of consumer. For example, we analyze whether they are people in a hurry to eat or enjoy taking your time, if you are willing to travel a certain distance to go to a good restaurant, if they are willing to pay a good price for a good meal, etc.
Start with a small menu
If we first started in the restaurant business, it is advisable to start with a small menu that thus can specialize in a few dishes, but also so that we can reduce our operating costs.
And later, as you start to grow the business, we can increase the variety of our dishes, but always trying to keep the same type of menu.
Visit the competition
Before opening a restaurant we must try to visit all the restaurants of competition there.
This will allow us to see their strengths and weaknesses (and thus compete effectively with them), watch their successes and mistakes (and, thus, learn from them), and observe the preferences, tastes and habits of consumers ( and thus guide our restaurant according to this information).
Working in competition
A restaurant is a business in which hard work and discipline is needed.
If this will be our first experience in the restaurant business, one tip is to look for a job in a restaurant to thereby not only know well the operation of the business, but also can be clear about what is what we’re going to spend.
Avoid low prices
When trying to determine the price of our dishes, we should not hesitate if we put a much higher prices.
When it comes to food, people are willing to pay well, as long as the dishes taste good, good presentation, has total hygiene, and provide customer service quality.
No matter that there are restaurants that use the same inputs and have prices well below ours, consumers will always choose us if we have these features.
Good location
A determining factor in the success of a restaurant is its location, which is why we take our time to choose the location of ours.
We can choose a central location where we will have the advantage of being in view of a greater number of consumers, but the disadvantages of high local costs and have to deal with increased competition.
Or choose a less central location where we will have the advantages of low costs in renting or buying local, and less close competition; but the disadvantage that it will not be the view of consumers, even if our publicity is good and we have a good product, it will not be a problem.
Ample space
In addition to the dining space in which our customers should feel comfortable and at ease, we must not forget that the restaurant must have a good space kitchen where cooks and kitchen staff can function efficiently without risk of accidents and where you have obtained a good space to store supplies.
Parking lot
Similarly, when choosing the location of the premises of our restaurant, we must not forget that it should have sufficient parking to the number of customers we figured we visit in their own vehicles.
Reduce investment
As in any business, opening a restaurant we always seek to reduce investment, but without thereby sacrificing quality.
In the case of restaurants we can reduce investment in the decoration of the premises, which consumers often do not take into account, as long as a good product is offered, there is a complete hygiene and good care.
Another way to reduce investment in a restaurant is starting to rent the equipment and furniture, or seeking agreements with suppliers that provide us with these, for example, in exchange for advertising.
Spare no expense
By investing in creating a restaurant we should not skimp on what to inputs or refers variety of offerings; but also as regards design and furniture, for example, when buying secondhand furniture that are not in a proper state.
We must always bear in mind the saying: “the poor called to the poor.”
Quality inputs
If we sell quality products, our input should also be of good quality.
We must always use fresh produce, which in some cases such as fish, must be purchased the same day will be used.
Also, we select our suppliers well. In the case of restaurants it is advisable to have multiple suppliers because some of these do not always have fresh produce.
Budget well
In the case of restaurants usually have many hidden costs, causing it to start with is common investment that ultimately ends missing money.
So when making our investment budget, we must take our time and count well our costs and, if possible, try to book a small budget that will help us help if we end missing money.
Hygiene
Another key factors for the success of a restaurant is hygiene.
Maybe our restaurant is small and does not have much decorated, but if we offer a good product, good service and, above all, show total hygiene, it is very likely that the restaurant be successful.
Hygiene must be based on an obsessive quest. This must be present on the floor, in the dining room, in the bathroom, the kitchen, the staff (do not forget the hair short or tied), and the staff uniform (do not forget the beanie cook).
Select either the cook
Another important element in creating a restaurant decision is the selection of the chef, which should not only have a good seasoning, but must also be flexible enough to suit the style of the menu we want for our restaurant.
If the cook tells us who has worked in fancy restaurants and is unwilling to change its season or style to suit that we want to give to our menu, then we must look for another.
Well defined functions
For our restaurant work efficiently, we must first define clearly the roles and responsibilities of our staff will be.
Some of the roles and responsibilities of a cook are: be liable for any loss or damage of equipment, not allowing the entry of foreign to the kitchen staff, make the list of input requirements, etc.
Some of the functions of the kitchen staff (assistant cooking and cleaning) are to help in the decoration of dishes, cleaning and maintenance, making daily inventory, etc.
Create expectation
A good marketing strategy to start a restaurant is to create expectation before opening, which could consist of designing posters, advertisements or flyers where we announce the prompt opening of our restaurant, or send invitations to friends and acquaintances to attend this .
The idea is to create anticipation for the time to try a new restaurant.
Providing good customer service
Customer service is one of the determinants of success of a restaurant.
We must train our staff to offer a friendly service, helpful and solicitous show, respond quickly, maintain good personal hygiene presentation, show a sincere smile, greet politely, saying “please” and “thank you”.
Patience and dedication
Riding and running a restaurant is not an easy task. It is estimated that approximately one third of the new restaurants bankrupt or closed before completing the first year of operations.
It is also estimated that, in the case of restaurants are just now beginning to profit from the sixth month.
Added to this, we must take into account the work in a restaurant starts early in the morning (where must be purchased inputs), continues with the preparation of dishes and preparations for lunch, then with cleaning and preparations for lunch time or dinner, and ends late at night with cleaning and having to get everything ready for the next day.
And we must take into account a restaurant that not only works all day, but every day (including Saturday and Sunday) and, in many cases, including holidays.
Creating and managing a restaurant is not an easy task, but if our passion is good food and service to people, then we should not hesitate to open one.
But yes, we must bear in mind that to succeed we will need much patience and perseverance (to overcome the problems or difficulties that arise), and a lot of dedication and discipline (to cope with all the work involved in running a restaurant).