Building and running your own restaurant from scratch isn’t just about having a good business acumen or a talent for food (although that, of course, does help). There are many areas you need to consider before beginning your restaurant journey, and most of these having nothing to do with food and a lot to do with business management and organizational skills.
Therefore, it’s important to remember that starting your own restaurant will require a lot more than simply supplying delicious recipes and a great eatery atmosphere.
Here are six checklist items you need to consider.
1. A Business Plan
Every business needs to have a business plan, no matter the scale or industry. To give your new restaurant the best chance, you need to have a solid business plan from the very beginning. This plan should include:
- What kind of restaurant do you want to have: fast food? Fine dining? Café?
- Your business budget. Do you understand the relevant costs? Can you make use of business loans for restaurants? What is your maximum budget?
- Intended location
- Your target clientele
- Employees required
- The size of your menu
These are naturally just a few of the items your business plan will need to incorporate.
2. Team Members Required
A restaurant is one of those businesses which is going to require a variety of team members, both the front of house and back of house. It’s essential to understand precisely what kind of staff you will require and what sort of experience you will be needing. You should think about:
- Waiting staff
- Hosting staff
- Bartenders
- Chefs
- Warehouse or storage management (such as a cellar or food delivery storage)
- Customer relations management
As a restaurant relies highly on excellent customer service, it won’t matter how delicious your food is if your employees and their service are negligible. They have come to realize this fact in some of the best restaurants in Moab, UT.
3. Equipment Needed
Starting a restaurant from scratch requires a high amount of equipment, and this will also need to be replaced regularly, too, to always ensure full function and safety. You need to consider all the relevant equipment for every stage of the restaurant experience, including:
- Tables and chairs
- Clear plastic drinkware
- Bar seating
- Storage equipment
- Cooking appliances
- Fridge and freezers
- Kitchen work surfaces
4. Licenses and Permits
A restaurant often goes hand in hand with a bar or the opportunity to serve alcohol. You will risk losing a lot of money – and possibly clientele – if your restaurant does not offer the option for alcohol. You, therefore, need to think about a license to sell alcohol, and also the other appropriate licenses and permits to run a restaurant and serve food.
5. A Communication System
Most successful restaurants nowadays will not operate on a handwritten paper system. Digital tills and digital checking systems to communicate between the front of house staff and the kitchen will most certainly be a must. Think about the most seamless and dependable way for all employees to communicate.
6. A Price List
When creating your menu, not only do your food and drink prices need to be competitive, but they also need to leave you, making enough profit to cover your expenses. Highly priced food and beverage items may put off consumers, but underpriced items may leave you barely breaking even, so you need to find the right balance between the two.
