10 Simple Steps to Starting a Successful Restaurant
Do you want to open your own restaurant? Want to know how to start a successful restaurant? Starting a restaurant can be very exciting, but it’s also very risky and expensive. There are many essential steps you need to take to ensure your success in the industry. Here are 10 simple steps that will help you build the perfect foundation for your new business venture and make sure it starts off on the right foot.
1) Choosing the right location
To succeed, your restaurant needs to stand out in your area. Conduct market research and consider how competition will affect your success. Then choose a good location that has foot traffic and public transportation access. Remember, there are many different types of restaurants, from fancy steakhouses to greasy-spoon diners—so don’t limit yourself! As long as you have an interesting concept with quality food and service, it’s possible to make a go of any kind of restaurant. Once you find a great spot, be sure to do everything you can to attract customers: offer deals and discounts on social media, create fun promotions like trivia nights or cooking classes, hold tastings at local markets or festivals, etc. With enough time and effort (and luck), your business could become so popular that it spawns multiple locations across town or even around the world!
2) Hiring the right staff
Remember, it's not just about hiring people who have experience working in your business. You need to hire people who can help you achieve your goals. After all, there are lots of great restaurants out there, but only one of them is yours! Don't hire family members, no matter how much they beg you (yes, I'm speaking from experience here). They'll be proud of your success but don't work with them unless you really have no other choice. Your staff should be honest and hardworking, and they should understand that their job is to make sure customers have a good time at your restaurant. It doesn't hurt if they're passionate about food too! If you want to find good staff, ask around for recommendations or check online for professional networks where people share information about jobs and opportunities.
3) Finding your niche
First and foremost, it’s important to think about who you want your restaurant to appeal to. Are you targeting families? Singles in their 20s? Businessmen looking for a power lunch? Once you’ve figured out who your core demographic is, it will be easier for you come up with an idea that resonates with them. Choose wisely—you may have only one chance at making an impression on these people!
4) Keeping it clean
One of the most important factors in any restaurant’s success is cleanliness. Customers should never leave your restaurant feeling dirty or like they’ve just stepped out of an episode of Hoarders . To keep things looking neat and tidy, make sure you have one staff member dedicated to cleaning during peak business hours. For example, while your kitchen is busy cooking up orders, someone else can help clean and prepare for future customers.
5) Creating Instagram-worthy decor
Any savvy restaurateur will tell you that creating Instagram-worthy decor is half of running a successful restaurant. Social media is becoming more and more important for eateries, and even traditional restaurants are beginning to utilize social media as a means of marketing. That said, there’s nothing worse than ordering what looks like an incredible dish in your friend’s Instagram picture only to have it taste like cold garbage when it arrives at your table.
6) Know when to close
As owners, you have no doubt poured your heart and soul into making your restaurant successful. Unfortunately, there will come a time when it is clear that your idea has failed. What’s important is that you don’t ignore warning signs; if things are going downhill, close before it gets too late. It may seem like closing early will hurt your pride and reputation—and while it may feel that way in the short term, it will save you both in the long run. And, who knows? You might even be able to reopen with a new concept at some point down the road.
7) Maintaining consistency
Consistency is one of, if not THE most important aspect of running a successful restaurant. If you can maintain consistency in terms of quality and service your customers will always come back. The same goes for any small business for that matter. Keeping your customers happy means they will always want to be coming back for more, making it almost impossible for you not to succeed. It’s also vital to ensure consistency within your staff. This ensures that everyone knows what their role is and how they fit into your company as a whole, meaning there are no surprises when it comes time to deliver an order or fulfill a customer’s request.
8) Partner with great brands
Find brands you love and align yourself with them. These can be brands that you already work with, or ones that fit your target audience (and thus will create great word-of-mouth marketing). A partnership can be as simple as writing an episode of content based around one of their products, or it can be something more long term like creating content around events, media buys and promotions they run in your area.
9) Decorating with personality
Don’t forget about aesthetics, as you begin your restaurant’s journey. It might seem silly to worry about how it looks on day one, but spending time making it look good from square one will save you time in re-decorating later. If nothing else, make sure you have mirrors — they are an excellent way of making any room look bigger and brighter. Your customers will thank you for it! (They may not know why, but trust us.) And don’t be afraid to go bold with colors. No matter what kind of food or atmosphere you want to create, there is always a color that will work well with it.
10) Avoid bad tippers
When you are in charge of being paid by customers who enjoy your food and service, it’s natural that you want them to tip you. However, if they don’t, you should take all their comments with a grain of salt, because some customers can be extremely rude when commenting on their experience. Some even decide not to leave any tip at all. If you have bad tippers, avoid them. It is just not worth dealing with their attitude problems after serving them good food and providing excellent service.