Many new establishments have failed at the first hurdle because they didn’t have a clear concept. Before securing investors, premises or staff, you need to make a decision about what type of establishment you want to open.
Menu
As part of this decision-making process, you will need to think about the menu and what sort of food you want to offer your diners. Whether it’s European, bistro, continental or fast food, you will also need to decide on your premises and budget.
Theme
You may wish for your restaurant to have a theme. For example, if you decide you want to sell burgers, you may want the layout of your restaurant to have American-style booths as part of the décor. If you want to attract local families, fun, bright, and easy-to-clean furniture may be worth considering.
Planning
Planning is essential in the decision process, and having a 12-month budgeting and marketing plan can help you feel in control and stop you from overspending. Kitchen equipment, utensils and catering supplies from companies such as https://www.247cateringsupplies.co.uk all need to be built into the budget.
When it comes to planning the menu, a common mistake is having too much choice. This ends up costing you money as you need to make sure your dishes are always available, but if they’re not ordered by your customers, you end up with waste. Large menus inevitably mean more storage facilities and catering supplies, more cooking space and potentially more staff. Offering a few key dishes plus a daily special means your customers will know what to expect. Word of mouth is your best advertising tool, and happy customers are crucial to your success.
Diners have so much choice that you want to make sure your restaurant is one they come back to. Take a look at this recent article published in The Sun newspaper to find out why celebrities love these restaurants so much.
The location of your premises is one of the biggest decisions you will need to make. Having a prime spot on the High Street is going to cost more, but your footfall will be much higher than if you’re in the middle of nowhere. Making sure your customers have somewhere to park their car or access public transport are also essential considerations.
