Don’t Forget These 7 Steps When Opening a New Restaurant

Here are some tips to remember when opening a new restaurant.

You have a passion for food, and your ultimate dream is opening a restaurant. You’ve thought about the food, the drinks and the table settings. Your goal is a successful dining establishment with a line out the door every weekend.

Restaurant ownership takes planning, hard work, patience and determination. To help you get started on the rewarding task of opening the doors of your very own restaurant, take a look at these important seven steps for success.

Create a Concept

Every exceptional restaurant has a great concept, a great chef and a great location. These all work together and help determine the ambiance of your restaurant.

The concept is the type of food you’ll serve. Before taking any other action, put together a menu. Will your food be family-friendly, an upscale experience, a steakhouse, casual-dining, ethnic, a bakery, fast food or a sushi stop?

Your chef must fit your concept. If he/she doesn’t, you’ll have a lot of unnecessary drama.

Your location should in turn fit your concept. For example, it might be difficult to sell a vegetarian menu in beef country. Accessibility is everything; location does matter. You’ll have the most success if people can actually find you.

Choose a Name

Your name is often the first impression your customers have of your restaurant, so choose wisely. Select a name that is easy for customers to remember and spell. Be creative and pick a name that embodies your concept, your menu and your mission.

Make a Business Plan

Every new business needs a comprehensive business plan – this is your roadmap to success. Look online for sample business plans. Your plan should outline your restaurant concept and how you intend to make a profit.

The business plan is essential before your interview with the bank. The loan officer at the bank needs to know you are serious, and a business plan shows you have a well thought out plan. The success or failure of your restaurant can hinge on the strength of your business plan, so take your time with this all-important step.

Your plan should include:

1)      Description of your concept

2)      Your target customer base

3)      Your menu and potential pricing

4)      Financial information such as start-up capital and its source and an estimate of your long-term income and expenses

5)      Marketing information

6)      Employee hiring, training and retention programs

Find Financing

It’s important to overestimate your financial needs. You’ll want about nine months of working capital before you open your doors. Your expenses will devour your budget before you’ve even started generating customers. So, where do you find financing?

Take a look at your own savings and retirement accounts or real estate equity. You may be able to sell assets or use them as loan collateral. Look into a line of credit with your bank, or check out a commercial bank loan. Consider asking friends and family to help, or investigate the possibility of a partnership. A business partner might help with start-up capital while sharing the responsibilities of restaurant ownership.

Check the Legal Aspects

You’ve got some important legal details to attend to. Make sure your location is properly zoned for a restaurant. Pay attention to federal, state and local safety laws. A building inspector or code enforcement officer can help you with the safety requirements needed to pass a building inspection.

You’ll need a business license. Registering your restaurant grants you permission to open your doors. These are usually issued by your city. Other licenses you may need are a health permit, liquor license and a music copyright license. Check with your local restaurant association for more information. Lastly, have the health inspector out for a health inspection before serving your first meal!

Did you cover all the legal issues with your new restaurant?

Hire the Staff

According to Food Service Warehouse, if you hire and retain the right people, you’ll watch your business grow. Your staff provides the terrific customer service that makes people return week after week. Good food loses its appeal if it is accompanied by bad service.

The National Restaurant Association says, “The turnover rate for employees in the restaurants-and-accommodations sector was 62.6 percent in 2013, compared to a 42.2 percent turnover rate in the overall private sector.”

You can overcome staffing challenges by hiring the right people and providing them ongoing customer service training and incentives. Hire employees who mirror your restaurant concept and believe in taking care of your customers. (tweet this)

Promote Your Restaurant

Know your target market. Focus your time and money reaching this group of people. Make sure your price and product are right for your selected target market.

Create a marketing plan that includes traditional (print) and digital (Internet and social media) marketing options. You’ll definitely want a unique, catchy logo as well as a website that is easily accessible for desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone users. If your target market spends time on social media, start marketing there. Offer incentives to people checking in on social media sites or liking your page. Add coupons to your website and make online ordering easy and accessible.

Customers, Great Service and Superb Food Equals Success

Remember, there’s more to your success than a delicious, mouth-watering impeccable menu. Take great care with your customers, and you’ll create a life-long loyal following. Earn their trust by providing the best food and service possible and making sure their needs are attended to in a timely manner. You’ll want to ensure your word-of-mouth reputation is unblemished, and your customers give glowing reports to all of their friends. (tweet this)

The previous seven steps to opening a restaurant will certainly start you on the way to a successful business. Let us help you promote your new restaurant with a mobile-friendly, website with online ordering options. Contact us today to request your free consultation and learn more about our complete restaurant website package.

Images: Kenny Louie & Pabak Sarkar