Today, I’m going to talk about one of the oldest and greatest, business ideas in existence. Yes, I’ll be talking about restaurants. Now, I won’t be going into detail about why it’s such a great business idea. I think most people already know why. Instead, I’ve got a guide to opening your first restaurant:
Coming Up With An Idea & Name
The first step in opening a restaurant is coming up with an idea and name. Obviously, a restaurant is a business idea as it is. But, think about how many different types of restaurant there are out there. Fast food, Italian, Indian, the list goes on! Your primary concern should be what kind of restaurant you’re going to open. For me, I’d have a look at a couple of things to help you make your decision. Firstly, take a look at your local area. See what restaurants are open, and if there’s a gap in the market for a particular type. You may find that there are loads of different restaurants, but there isn’t an Italian one. So, the gap is there for you to slide in and open an Italian restaurant. Secondly, you may want to consider your talents. If you’re an expert at cooking a certain food, then maybe it’s best you open a restaurant that sells it? This way you can guarantee you’ll be making amazing dishes. After you’ve got the idea for your restaurant nailed down, it’s time to think of a name. Your name will mean everything to you; it will be the start of your brand. Make sure it makes sense and stands out. You don’t want to have some weird, long, name for your restaurant. Keep it short and sweet.
Finding The Perfect Premises
The location of your restaurant is crucial to its success. You need to find a place that’s close to people, preferably in a town centre. That would be the ideal location for a restaurant because it’s right where loads of people will be, every day. Surprisingly, it might not be too hard to find a place for your restaurant. You’ll often find retail space up for rent in town centres. If you can find a decent sized space, rent it out and get to work creating your restaurant. The first thing to think about is how the exterior looks. You need to make it obvious that you’re a restaurant. Most restaurants will have big windows at the front, so people can look inside and get curious. Plus, you’ll need a big sign with your company name on it. This sign needs to stand out and grab people’s attention; it can be what gets them inside. Also, think about having some menus in glass cases on the outside of your restaurant so people can have a look at what you serve. Finally, consider some outdoor seating for people that want to eat while enjoying the fresh air.
Furnishing The Inside
Furnishing your restaurant is a very important step that can’t go overlooked. The inside of your establishment needs to look amazing. Customers love to dine in places that look great on the inside. To be honest, it can ruin their dining experience if your restaurant doesn’t have a nice interior. I’ve eaten in many places where the interior design ruined my meal. You don’t have to do anything special, just make sure that everything looks nice. Think about how you’ll design the tables and chairs. Are you going to go for a classic wooden look, or perhaps go a bit modern with some metal involved? If you do go for metal based furniture, it opens up your world to numerous possibilities. You can have ceiling fans and light fixtures that are made from metal too. Or, think about waste bins and any other extras that can be in this material. It gives your restaurant a modern and classy feel to it. If you want some examples of great metalwork, then take a look at Winward. There’s no end to what you can have created with metal, and it will make your restaurant look amazing. Of course, if you feel like going down a different route, then that’s fine. Having a more wood dominated restaurant can make it feel more rustic and homely. This can be a good idea for certain restaurants. For example, if you serve home cooked, traditional, dishes. Either way, make sure you put a lot of focus on the furnishing.
Hiring Your Staff
Finally, you have to think about hiring staff. If you’ve ever seen one person run a restaurant alone, then you’re a liar. All restaurants will need a decent amount of employees present at all times. You’re the owner, so you’ll be in charge of managing the restaurant, but you also might do some cooking too. Regardless, you’ll need to hire some professional chefs as well. Either to assist you in the kitchen or to run the kitchen for you if you aren’t cooking. Then, there’s all the waiting staff you need. These will be the people that show guests to their tables and take their orders. It’s important that you have a good amount of waiters. This way, you can ensure your restaurant is heavily staffed at all times. Take great care when hiring staff, as you need to get the best people possible. Working in a restaurant can be tough work, so I suggest you hire people with previous experience in this field.
Once you’ve done everything in this guide, you’re ready to open your first restaurant. Make sure you spread the word and promote your business to the masses. You want a long line of customers queuing up outside when you open your doors. Also, if your restaurant starts doing well, then you have to consider expansion. Think about opening the same restaurant, in a different location, and starting a chain. Or, some companies will open a different restaurant, but in the same location. By doing this, you’re making sure you eat up all the consumers in that area. Play your cards right and a simple restaurant can turn into a huge business venture.
