Almost half of all restaurant employees in the world declare that they would really like to own their own restaurant at one point in time. The problem is that this is not at all something that is simple. Opening a restaurant is one of the most difficult parts of the process. There are many different things that have to be taken into account and the start is definitely the most important part of the process. If you want to increase the possibility of success, here are some tips to open a great restaurant from professional Robert Sambol.
Always Start With The “Big Three”
In the restaurant business this means concept, location and chef. All of them will be necessary to open up with a bang. The biggest problem is normally finding a great chef that is going to perfectly fit the chosen concept. When referring to location, many that open their first restaurant think that it is not necessary if quality is high as clients will come. This is definitely completely incorrect. Becoming a destination is basically impossible when you do not start with a great physical location.
Overestimate The Capital Needed
A good approach is to use a capital that will cover around 9 months of running the restaurant. Expenditures in this industry to tend to pile up much faster than expected and we do see so many situations in which getting regular customers is difficult. It is always common to notice a business downswing appearing right after the initial excitement of the opening. Capital becomes critical when this is the case.
In order to be sure that you allow yourself enough time to succeed, try to get as much money as possible when you invest in a restaurant. Try to have the money as soon as you can so that you can calculate a budget in a proper way. That is going to help you out a lot more than what you think at the moment.
Do Not Be Cheap With Your Guests
Money that is spent on adding as much value as possible to guests is money that is really well spent. Going cheap on various things like valets, desserts and equipment is something that should not be done. Always think about how much of the revenue you can dedicate towards making the stay of the guest a lot more interesting. If you enhance this experience you end up with a snowball effect since the guests will talk with others and recommend your business.
Operation Systems And Organization Focus
If you do not put operation systems in place and you do not organize everything properly before the restaurant is opened, huge problems will appear. That is something that is quite often met with the independent restaurants. The owners normally try not to look corporate. Unfortunately, acting corporate and managing everything in a more professional way is something that is necessary for long term success. Remember that restaurant chains started as an independent restaurant and in many cases it was organization that created long term success.