Being in the restaurant and café business can be exciting and rewarding, but it is also highly competitive, time consuming and one of the toughest businesses to get a secure foothold in. People are dining out more often these days, but there are also many more restaurants, cafes and food delivery services around now than ever before. So, you need to make sure your business stands out for the right reasons.
1- Location
Location is crucial to the success of your business. Even if you plan to start a food truck, placement of your food truck will have great impact on the profitability. Food delivery services have made it easier for more out of the way restaurants to boost their sales, but to really be successful, you need a prime location that draws crowds, is easily accessible both on foot and in cars, and has potential for growth.
Moreover, this location needs to have the retail room to accommodate for your restaurant and fit within your budget. Finding such a location is not easy, and takes a lot of searching and research. But you’ll know when you find it.
2- Novelty Items
If your restaurant has a great name and logo, then supplying cheap to make novelty items that your guests can take with them or purchase will help get your name out there and make your customers want to talk about your business. You might think something like napkins with your logo printed on them and other hospitality supplies are an unnecessary budget item, but it is things like this, and like beer glasses that end up in people’s homes and are then seen by their friends and family and start word of mouth discussions. They are also just a great novelty that your customers can enjoy while at your venue.
3- The Menu
Having a well-written and well-designed menu goes a long way in improving the customer experience and overall aesthetic of your restaurant. A good menu should be descriptive, easily read, with correct spelling and grammar, simply designed, and uncluttered. As far as design goes, you need to choose and stick to one style and theme. So figure out what your restaurant is, what the overall theme and style is, and then create a menu that is aligned with that. Don’t overcomplicate things. A menu that is all over the place will confuse and annoy customers. Keep it simple, stylish, and small – no one wants to spend an hour reading a menu the size of a novel.
4- Know Your Customers
You need to know who you are marketing and selling to, and it can’t be everyone. What your target market it will be defined by prices, style, and theme. Hopefully, you will have a broad range of people coming in to dine, but there will likely be your regulars that will fit a certain profile. Know who they are and keep your design targeted.
5- Find a Great Chef
Finally, but most importantly, find and value your chef. They are the one that is going to keep people coming back. Everything else can go out the window, but if your food is amazing, word will still get out. You can be driving a food truck and still make good business as long as your food is outstanding. So know where the real value is, and spend time and money finding the perfect chef for your restaurant.
The Bottom Line:
No matter how the economy is doing, food business will always have a great potential, and so every day, new restaurants and mobile food kiosks are being launched. For a new food brand to succeed, it is crucial to have the above 5 areas focused on.
Get involved in your community, value your chef and treat all your customers well. Restaurants come and go but people will always remember experiences, good and bad – so make sure that your restaurant provides the experience that people will be talking about for years to come.
