Of all the start up business ideas, starting up a restaurant is among the top when it comes to creativity. After all, the sky’s the limit when it comes to your restaurant’s concept, and your menu is as creative and thoughtful as your head chef. If your thinking about starting up a restaurant, here are the top 5 things you need to consider to make sure your restaurant is a success:
- Concept: The most important element of your restaurant is the concept. This is one of those areas that appears deceptively easy, but the reality is this requires a lot of thought and research. You want to make sure your concept is going to stand out among your local competition (i.e. avoid starting up an Italian restaurant if there are already an abundance in your area). You also don’t want to fall on the other extreme, which is developing a concept that is too avant-garde or otherwise “out there” that your local clientele just aren’t ready for. Do some research to determine what you can offer that is different from all the restaurants in your area.
- Work with a consultant: This goes hand-in-hand with the above step. Rather than take on the task of branding your restaurant yourself, hire a brand consultant to work with you to develop a strategy for branding your business based on your target audience and your goals for your restaurant. You’ll also want to work with a consultant for your interior design because, let’s face it, Your food can be the best in town, but you won’t get people in the door to try it without an inviting interior. Hire a professional interior designer who will work with your vision for your restaurant to develop an inviting design that will match your restaurant’s concept and encourage diners to come in. Designing your restaurant is one step that you shouldn’t take alone. A professional designer will have insight into current trends as well as what doesn’t work so that you can rest assured your restaurant’s design is unique but in line with current trends.
- Menu design: When people think of the menu, they often think just about the food on it. But how that food is organized and displayed is important for maintaining your concept. You want to make sure your menu is accessible and that its design makes sense within the concept of your restaurant. This is another step that can benefit from a professional eye who will already know what works and what doesn’t work, saving you time and money in the long run.
- Be accessible: Location is extremely important when it comes to opening a restaurant, and your success will largely depend on how easily people can get to your restaurant. It is important to strike a balance between the location (which brings you the foot traffic) and your overall budget. Without a high volume of traffic, your restaurant has little chance of getting people in the door. You also want to be accessible for your guests inside by having tables for large groups as well as tables for two. Your interior designer will work with you to develop an interior that flows while also including enough options for seating a variety of parties.
- Work with a head chef you trust and respect: Having unique quality food on the menu is one of the most important aspects of owning a restaurant, so you need to have a head chef that you trust and respect. Your chef will be responsible for overseeing the quality of the food and selecting menu options, so you need to hire someone who you believe will be able to create unique and memorable dishes that will keep people coming back for more. You also want to hire a chef who you trust won’t cut corners when it comes to food safety and quality control in the kitchen.
For more ideas on what you need to do before you start up your restaurant, contact us today!