Cooking and serving food to others is a cultural pastime that ignites passion in many people. Whether you enjoy cooking for yourself, your family, or everyone, there’s nothing like preparing a hand-made meal. Many people turn their passion for cooking and feeding others into a career. Opening a restaurant is a rewarding and challenging experience, but it’s not for everyone. Before traveling the road of a restauranteur, you’ll need to know a few things you may not be aware of.
1. It’s Expensive
You need to source food from high-quality vendors to sell hand-crafted meals to others. Decent-quality meat, produce, and other foods can cost much money. Food doesn’t last forever, so you’ll need to replace it and reorder it often—you may even waste a lot of food. You’ll have to pay for a location, marketing, utilities, commercial kitchen equipment, staff salaries, and your own. You may not be profitable sometimes, and many restaurants close due to a lack of profits (even beloved, famous restaurants). You should manage your expectations if you’re expecting to become a celebrity chef à la Gordon Ramsey.
2. Location is Vital
You can craft the most beautiful theme, delicious menu, and excellent staff, but it may not mean much if your location is difficult to find or get to. You’ve got to get patrons through the door, and visibility and accessibility are key factors. Your restaurant’s location shouldn’t be near identical competitors. It should be in a safe area with a lot of daily traffic. Your location should also have plenty of your target market, such as families or college students. You may have to close up shop if your location isn’t ideal.
3. It’s Hard Work
Owning and operating a restaurant is a lot harder than it seems. You’ll likely have to deal with several people ordering various meals simultaneously. You’ll have to manage staff conflicts. You will need to deal with bathroom disasters. A power outage can send all of your profits out the door. You’ll have to remake a dish for unsatisfied customers. If you’ll help cook the meals, you must balance managerial tasks with culinary tasks. There’s no passive income when opening a restaurant; it’s a hands-on career.
4. You Need a Theme
Restaurants are much more successful with a coherent theme and look. A casual take-out restaurant serving filet mignon doesn’t make much sense. Pay attention to your restaurant’s interior design, seating arrangement, target audience, and menu items. They should all be somewhat cohesive and coherent. You can hire interior decorators and marketers to help you convey the messages you want your restaurant to send.
5. Learn the Laws
Before deciding on a restaurant theme, you must know about food service and restaurant laws. You’ll be subjected to health inspections and zoning laws. You may not be able to serve alcohol on certain days or hours (or at all). You may be subject to noise ordinances, limiting your ability to serve outdoors or play live music. You’ll need licenses to serve food and alcohol. You’ll have to take educational courses. Familiarizing yourself with all the laws and regulations around opening a restaurant will eliminate surprises and make a much smoother launch.
6. You May Not Be Cut Out for It
Buying and starting a restaurant is not for the faint of heart. You have to be in several places at once, manage an entire staff, keep the menu fresh and relevant, listen to customer needs, advertise your business, and you may even be a chef. You can hire a lot of help in these categories, but that does add to your overhead costs. It can require a lot of strategizing to be profitable without stress, and it’s not for everyone. Try not to take it too personally if you realize that it’s not the right career choice for you. It isn’t the right career choice for many professionals.
7. Understand Your Competition
A popular restaurant of a similar theme or quality will always be in your area. You will likely even have to compete with major chain restaurants. Before starting a restaurant, understand your competition regarding quality, quantity, and proximity. Your restaurant must provide an experience they can’t get at other restaurants—whether it’s the theme, atmosphere, or food.
8. Use Technology
Businesses should harness technology to keep up with restaurant trends. Allow for online ordering, food delivery, pick-up orders, and all other relevant food service technology trends. Consider creating an online presence for your restaurant to boost your marketing success (including social media). Make your restaurant stand out with interesting culinary TikTok videos, influencer testimonials, and more. Hire marketers—they’re worth it.
Conclusion
Starting and operating a restaurant is challenging work that isn’t meant for everyone. You can increase your restaurant’s success with property budgeting, implementing technology, choosing a cohesive theme, and knowing your competition. Your restaurant’s location is also vital to make or break the business—research zoning laws and ordinances before finalizing a location.
