Delicious Decisions – 10 Steps Toward Creating a Successful Restaurant
You have a passion for food and you want to share it by serving up the best there is on offer. Your dream to share tasteful dishes and tantalising flavours all boils down to culinary success in the restaurant business. And let’s face it, we live in a fast-paced society where eating out is a big part of life these days. But how do you make your restaurant stand out over the rest of the crowd?
Your restaurant is going to be a reflection of you and you should plan and set goals.
You need to make decisions on everything from lighting to signage and even as important as where to keep everything cold. Taking the stress out of this big decision, take a look at options such as Butler Equipment commercial refrigeration when deciding on your commercial kitchen catering needs. But as always in business, there’s plenty more to consider.
Concept
One of the early steps involves creating your restaurant master plan.
What do you want the overall feel of your restaurant to be? Think about things including the menu, the type of service you want to provide, the direction you want your restaurant to take over time. Try to delve into the mind of your guests as they will ultimately play a big part in how your restaurant concept will play out.
Location
When it comes to running a successful restaurant, location is paramount.
Making this decision will depend on a number of factors including your target customer base (upper market, families, young couples, etc.), if you’re up against competitors or the only restaurant of its kind, budget and what will meet your business needs.
Have a business plan
You will be making lots of plans for your restaurant venture but the most important one of all is creating a business plan. This will help create a structure and clarify the direction of your company support as you grow, manage and develop your restaurant.
Budget
While money isn’t always everything, you need to ensure you have a budget.
Why? Overspend and you could find yourself in trouble. Don’t spend enough and you might find you aren’t meeting the needs of your customers.
Menu
Possibly one of the most important aspects to consider is your menu.
Your menu choices will say a lot about you as a business and ultimately bring your customers in. Keep it simple where possible, keeping in mind what type of restaurant you’re developing when deciding on dishes. Review your menu over time and revise if you find particular meals aren’t selling. Another option is to have seasonal menus that change over a set time period.
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The right staff
These are the faces on the phone and the floor representing you.
Always pick staff that you feel are the right fit for your concept. You don’t want rude or forgetful people as the face of your business. Look for the talent that fits your business ideal and ensure all team members are trained to fit your business model.
The look and feel of your restaurant
What kind of atmosphere do you want to serve up to your customers?
First impressions are lasting ones and you want to impress from the minute people walk in the door. Consider comfort, signage, décor, staff, accessibility, the list is endless. You also want the visible look to be a reflection of you and the message you want to portray to your customers.
What is your standout secret?
What do you have that the next restaurant doesn’t?
Will you have a particular item on the menu that makes you stand out? Any restaurant can serve drinks, meals and a tasty dessert, but in order to stamp your mark on the restaurant scene, you need to find a tempting morsel to sell to your customers. Think secret sauces, new recipes or it could be as simple as the atmosphere.
Marketing
How do you want people to find out about your restaurant?
How you market your business needs to be effective. Consider aspects such as advertising, social media, word of mouth and the impact they will have in marketing your business.
Feedback
Always welcome feedback, both good and bad.
You want to hear what you’re doing right but also what is going wrong so you can improve on it. Embrace your customers as they are what keep you in business.
Running a restaurant isn’t easy but with a little patience and planning, you have the potential to set yourself up for success.