What to keep in mind while opening a new restaurant?

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Opening a new restaurant may be a daunting task. There may be several issues while planning out your next outlet which might give you the jitters over the success and failure of a restaurant. Below are a few points to keep in mind to make sure your restaurant is destined for success.

Location

Choosing a location is one of the most basic yet one of the most crucial aspects of opening a new restaurant. Ease of getting to the place, parking, visibility and footfall all play a very important role if you are going to open a restaurant for the first time.

Clientele and competition

Base your restaurant around people in that area or specific people you are targeting. Check out local competition and pricing. You don’t want to be over priced and not get enough people coming in through the doors neither do you want to be underpriced and reduce profitability.

Branding and Marketing

While creating a new restaurant it is essential to create a new brand, take time out to design a new logo and then go out in the market to target your clients and make them connect with that specific brand. Believe in it first, only then you will be able to sell it to other people. Don’t settle for less.

Design and architecture

I think the way a restaurant is designed and attention to the finest details make or break a restaurant as well. How dark or bright it is. Connecting the design to the brand to tell a story and associating it with your guests is very important.

Planning

It is going to be tough but plan everything. Be part of discussions you don’t want to be part of whether it is kitchen design, HVAC, MEP, crockery, fire suppression, storage planning, work flow management and of course menu tastings. Along the way you’ll learn how important it is to plan the little things to make the guests experience a pleasant one.

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Unique selling points (USP’s)

Bring something new to the market. I am not a big fan of franchising unless it is in different countries and I feel that each restaurant needs to have its own soul. Be experimental, go the extra step, dig deep and most importantly be authentic. As a chef I tend to translate the clients vision to reality. This is where we come to the next step..

Recruitment

Hire right! A lot of investors/owners believe that by sourcing cheap unskilled labour and imparting the right training it would give the same experience to the customer as a skilled, trained professional would. Not only do you need to hire the right people with the right skills, education and attitude. It is very important to take care of them and retain them so that they in turn will provide valuable inputs to your business and take care of your guests.

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Soft openings

No matter who you hire or how many restaurants you open. Doing a soft opening gives the team a chance to iron out all creases. Make sure you call friends, family and industry experts to give you honest feedback. Soft openings also give the team a chance to get accustomed to their surroundings and get used to the frantic pace of a busy operation.

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Monitor costs

Do standard recipes, compare potential and actual costs and make sure standards are maintained. Speak to suppliers and see what deals they are offering and what are their rebate plans. The industry being as competitive as ever, suppliers are always eager to start a dialogue and support you in whatever way possible.

If you do have any questions/queries of opening or running a restaurant, do write in to contact@nigeljlobo.com