Guide
Starting a restaurant business entails a lot of planning, financing, creative thinking, and hard work. You will need to make all kinds of decisions, from minute ones like the design for the custom chef coats to purchasing the right lot area for the restaurant. If you are still at a loss right now, do not fret. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to start a restaurant from scratch.
How Do You Start A Restaurant From the Ground Up
Prepare your Restaurant Branding
Do you want a themed restaurant or a 60s diner? Or do you want to get into the fast-food restaurant business? Make sure that you have all your branding and concept prepared before you move further.
Create Your Menu
All new restaurants always start small. Keep your menu to a minimum. Focus on the food that will most likely sell. You can start with 10 to 15 menus and then you can slowly increase the menu as you become more prominent and more orders come in.
Ready your Business Plan
A business plan includes your summary, company overview, menu, company structure, marketing, competitor analysis, advertising strategies, and earning projection. Ensure that you complete this step. This will guide you in doing the next steps in building your restaurant business.
Detail Your Funding Sources
Where will your funding come from? You cannot go into the restaurant business without having sufficient funds. Will it be all cash on hand? Or will it be funded by a bank or a financial institution? Either way, your restaurant must have a return of investment projection that can pay for the loan.
Pick the Location of Your Restaurant
The location of the business is very important. The area must have high foot traffic. And it should also be seen by pedestrians and commuters. It should also be easily accessible. The location of a restaurant can make or break a business.
Secure all Permits
You can now start securing all the permits and licenses that you need to build the restaurant. In this step, you need to research the state’s requirements for this type of business. Keep in mind that not all states implement the same laws.
Create a Usable Layout for the Restaurant
You should muster all your creative juices on the layout of the restaurant because this will affect the overall functionality of the business. You should determine the right location for the freezer, stove, oven, cashier, tables, chairs, lobby, and other essential sections of the restaurant.
Look for a Supplier for Equipment, Uniform, and Ingredients
As the building is being erected, you can now look for equipment, custom chef coats, and ingredient suppliers. Look for high-quality equipment that will stand the wear and tear of the restaurant business.
As for the ingredients, you should choose products that are close to your location. Fresh ingredients make food taste better. You should also have alternatives in case your primary source of ingredients suddenly runs out of products to sell.
Start Hiring
Start hiring competent staff. This includes the kitchen staff, front-of-house staff, and the managing team.
Introduce Your Restaurant to the Community
Advertise your restaurant to the community that you are in. It can be through social media presence, Yelp or Google My Business account, or announcement of a grand opening that includes discounts and other perks.
Open Your Restaurant
Do a soft opening first before you have your official launch. In this way, you can get the feedback of your chosen guests, make adjustments, and prepare for the grand opening of your restaurant.
Conclusion
Starting a restaurant is much like any other business. You need to prepare for overhead costs that include the building and initial inventory, operational costs that comprise custom chef coats and labor, as well as inventory and utility costs. If this is your first time taking up a business, you must love being in the restaurant industry to overcome any obstacle and challenge that comes your way. And have fun in the process.
