Opening a restaurant isn’t a bad decision at all. With more than 65% of all Americans going out for dinner at least once during the week, opening one in your area might prove to be a sound investment.
But, these businesses close as fast as they open, and when one closes another instantly opens. But why is that?
Well, it seems that the main reason why a restaurant fails is that people don’t like the place or don’t enjoy the food. These establishments provide the public with a clear and obvious service, and if the service is poor than the business will fail.
But even with all the recently closed establishments, people still love discovering new restaurants. And if your establishment can leave a good mark on each new customer, then you’re definitely setting yourself up for success.
With all that said, there are a few things that your restaurant needs when it starts. So, without further ado, let’s start the list.
1. Brainstorming Concepts
Choosing a style is very important. This will not only allow you to become a unique establishment, but it will also distinguish you from the rest. Your concept design should go hand in hand with your brand, and your brand is equally important.
For those considering opening such a venue, your brand is the face and identity of your restaurant. It is the thing that people will mostly associate your business and it should be unique on its own.
This is probably the hardest part when it comes to opening a new restaurant business, and you have to put a lot of thinking into how the entire place will look and feel.
2. Start Working on Your Menu
The menu is just a simple paper that tells your customers what they can eat or drink. When it comes to the theme of your establishment, the menu is the thing that makes it all possible.
If you’re planning on opening a Mexican restaurant, then your menu must have Mexican food. The same goes for a pizza place, Chinese food, Thai, sushi, etc.
The menu should always make you competitive on the market and you must always update and upgrade it accommodate your professionalism.
3. Find a Reliable Food Supplier
When it comes to serving food to the public, one cannot do it without a food supplier.
You cannot imagine the hassle of having to go shopping for ingredients every single day. Instead, you can find a food supplier that will deliver your ingredients straight to your backdoor.
The brilliant thing about food suppliers is that they are becoming an increasingly popular service for restaurant owners, lounge bars, etc.
4. Stock on Equipment
One way to prepare your food is to have the necessary equipment that will allow you to do it.
This is a very, very, broad concept, and it holds various things based on your food theme. There are a few things that are an absolute must-have when it comes to stocking the kitchen, regardless of the type of food you’ll be serving.
And those are:
· Refrigeration
When it comes to preventing your food from rotting, refrigeration equipment takes the main importance. Refrigeration equipment can be anything from small refrigerators to large walk-ins. Determining the type of refrigerator, however, can be done based on the size of your establishment. If you can serve up to twenty (20) people at max capacity, then chances are you’ll need a walk-in. If your establishment is smaller and can serve five to ten people, then you might not have the necessary space to house one.
You can visit 512refrigeration for more information about both residential and commercial refrigeration units and maintenance that will allow you excellent service both at your restaurant and at home.
· Commercial Grills
When it comes to cooking and preparing the food, a commercial grill makes it all possible, regardless of the type of food.
Whether that’s Mexican, Cuban sandwiches, steaks, burgers, etc, investing in a multi-functional commercial grill should be another top priority.
As you’d expect, grills come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can perform a variety of cooking settings. Regardless of your theme, a commercial grill will be a very important addition to your kitchen.
· Furnaces
Excellent pieces of equipment for preparing pizzas, pastries, and various other foods, furnaces are equally important to the kitchen as commercial grills.
· Knives, Forks, and Spoons
Pretty straightforward, your customers will need knives, forks, and spoons to eat the food they’ve ordered.
Even if you’re opening a pizza place, most of your customers will use a knife and fork. This one goes without saying, but you’ll need a lot more silverware than originally expected, so make sure to stock heavily on it.
· Plates and Glasses
And the last, while not the least, the thing to stock the kitchen with are plates and glasses. Both come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and both can be used for different things.
When it comes to serving pizza, you cannot serve it in the same type of plate that you’ll be serving soup or stew. When it comes to serving wine, you cannot give them a bear glass to drink wine from.
So, depending on the type of food and types of beverages, make sure to stock heavily on plates and glasses for your customers.
5. Design a Layout
Every restaurant owner designs a layout, even if they have no idea they are doing it. This simply refers to the idea of cleverly organizing your space.
When designing a layout for your tables, it should go by your restaurant theme, and your goal would be to create a systematic flow from both the front and the back. It should allow free movement to your customers when they enter your establishment, and it should allow free movement to your waiters and waitresses all the way back to the kitchen.
When you design your layout, you can then make small decorative changes that will make your establishment more appealing to the customers.
