Start a Restaurant

We all know that in order to start a restaurant you need to find a good location with an existing building, or a building lot in a good location if you are building a restaurant from the ground up. You will also need to determine whether you are going to lease or buy your restaurant. The determining factor in the size of the restaurant will be the amount of money you have to work with for remodeling or building when you figure your restaurant startup.

When you design your restaurant, there are certain areas you will need to include in the layout.

Customer Service Area– Located near the entrance, this area would include:

1. A hostess station, which is usually a small area with a podium where the hostess will stand to greet the customers when they come in the door. There should be an area to store menus and a reservation roster.

2. A Cashiers Station, with a cash register and a credit or debit card machine. There are usually toothpicks and some sort of mints available here, free of charge for the customer.

3. A Sitting Area, that is furnished with comfortable seating for customers who may need to wait for a table.

Kitchen Area– This is an important project in your restaurant start up, and where all the food is prepared, cooked, baked, and where the food storage, dishwashing and sanitation take place. As a matter of fact, this area doesn’t need to be large, if it is arranged in the proper order. The servers should present the order at one end of an assembly line type of design, and the completed order will be picked up at the other end.

The 4 main areas of a restaurant kitchen are:

1. A cold prep area– To put together appetizers, salads, and desserts. A counter and several shelves to place equipment, utensils, dishes, spices, and other essential ingredients to prepare the food. You will need to make this area large enough when you plan your restaurant start up.

2. A cooking station– This area is used by the cooks or chefs. It will include prep tables, steam tables, fryers, cooking range(s), griddle, oven, smaller refrigerators placed under prep tables, freezer, ice bin, broiler, exhaust fans, etc.. This area will need to be roomy enough for cooks or chefs to get around one another. This is an important consideration when planning a restaurant start up. (more…)

A good design and layout plan are necessary for having a good restaurant. Many entrepreneurs would say that their dream business will be to own their own restaurants. Restaurants are good businesses which can be very fulfilling. The mere fact that people go to your restaurant to eat is already something to cherish. It’s like having people inside your house every once in a while craving for your home-baked goodies.

A successful restaurant will need a good design and layout plan. Design and layout plans are dependent on different factors which will come and influence the final decisions later on. In fact, the output of the layout plans can definitely affect the success of the restaurants. People often go to a new restaurant and they think to themselves “they should have put that plant elsewhere, it obstructs the good view” or “I wish they hadn’t put too much light in here.” These are certain small things which can really add up and can end up influencing the customers to go to the other side of the street where another restaurant is calling their tummies.

After the type of food and service are identified, the next step is to hire consultants regarding the design of the restaurant. These are some of the things that you need to take into consideration when considering different floor and layout plans for the restaurant.

-Density of customers

The layout plan should be based mostly on the comfort that the people who will eat will be getting. Even fast food restaurants consider the density of people, especially in peak hours, even though it may seem that these restaurants become too crowded during lunch time. For formal dining restaurants which cater to the upper class, it maybe wise to provide more space between the tables since these restaurants don’t really rely on the number of people per day. Their revenues depend on the pricing of the food items. There would be more provision for more eye candies such as furniture and art works. (more…)

You know you want to open a restaurant, but you are debating the concept. There are many different types of restaurants you could open, but your restaurant idea should have a bit of a unique twist. You can choose the basic concept, and then add your own restaurant ideas to the mix. Your menu items will define what type of decor and style your restaurant will basically have.

Restaurants are usually placed into three groups:

1. Quick Service–

These are the fast food restaurants. These restaurants usually offer a menu limited to food items that can be prepared quickly. This type of restaurant will usually have a drive through window and cater to take out. Even though you have a fast food restaurant, as long as you don’t have a franchise, you can incorporate your own restaurant ideas into this concept with special decor and uniforms.

2. Mid Scale–

These are restaurants that offer regular meals for a reasonable price. The customers see this as a good value. This type of restaurant can be a full service, buffet, or a limited service restaurant where the customers order at the counter and the food is delivered to them at a table. Again, as long as this isn’t a franchise opportunity, you will be able to choose your own decor, and how your servers will dress. Many of these types of restaurants do not have a uniform for their workers, but ask them to wear a white shirt and black slacks or skirt. Once you open your own, you will be able to be creative with your restaurant ideas. (more…)

If you have children then you probably have stories to share about experiences going out to eat with them. Most of the time children enjoy eating out with their family at a restaurant to celebrate their birthday or just to enjoy some family time out of the house. However, most parents will tell you it isn’t always easy to keep everyone happy during the event. Eating in a restaurant that is well designed for children does make it much easier for them though

Anyone that is thinking of owning a restaurant really needs to keep that in mind. Of course not all restaurants are a place to take children but for those that do allow them, it needs to be a good experience. Family dining is a huge part of the market and if you play your cards right you will be able to take advantage of it. Parents are very loyal to those restaurants where they feel comfortable taking their children for a good meal.

You will be surprised at how many restaurants hire staff that have no clue how to handle families. They seem very overwhelmed by a table with so many little people. Make sure you train them in this area so they can take good care of families coming in for a meal. Remember that they are representing your business and if they don’t do an excellent job then you will be losing out on repeat customers. You don’t have to make your restaurant into a child’s play area for it to work well though. Simple things like offering extra napkins and drinks with lids make a huge difference.

Offer pricing for families too so that they can have the budget to eat in your restaurant. Sometimes there are great family deals such as two large pizzas, breadsticks, and a pitcher of soda. This is much easier for the family than individual orders and it is more affordable. Parents aren’t going to be happy about being charged for a full price meal when their child eats very little. Offer a children’s menu with some tasty selections for the little guys at a very cheap price.

It is a good idea to offer meals for older children as well. They may want the same types of foods as the adults but definitely not the same portions of it. Make sure all of the kids meals you offer are a great price too. You will be surprised at how many buffet places don’t offer a discount for children. As a result though many parents don’t return with their children to experience it again. (more…)

To obtain funding for your endeavor, you will need to have a well thought out restaurant business plan. This restaurant business plan will need to be top notch or you may not get the startup money you need.

You can find websites who offer templates and resources to help you devise a workable business plan. This approach to writing a restaurant business plan, will help you to think about all of the major and minor costs that you will need to attend to. All of these things are vital in a restaurant startup. You can use the resources on these sites to make the process easier, and get your restaurant business plan out there faster. They provide templates that will allow you to write a professional business plan that will attract investors to you.

Many of these sites will provide you with checklists for your startup, and other resources for budgeting and to stay on track. You will also have access to tools to develop how your business will operate and procedures to help you get organized and be ready when the day comes to open your restaurant business.

You can find sites that will provide you with customizable documents and detailed business plans, to make everything faster and easier to formulate a concise and professional restaurant business plan. They also provide guidance for the preparation of a business plan. This includes business concept, market analysis, marketing strategies, operational plan, and more. You will have access to everything you need to produce a professional restaurant business plan. (more…)

One of the things that we really enjoy when we get to eat outside of our homes and eat in a restaurant is the ambiance, besides the food that they are offering. Ambiance really plays a big part when it comes to making you enjoy your dining experience and for some, it determines if they will be returning to the restaurant or not.

Here are some great tips that you can take note of for a great design if you are one of those people who are thinking of opening up a restaurant. These tips play a big part in design and are proven to be very effective when it comes to creating a great ambiance where people will keep coming back for more of what your restaurant can offer.

Know This

One of the best restaurants interior design tips that you should first take note of is knowing and understanding your target market. Just by determining what your customers are demanding, you can instantly create a design in your mind that will suit best suit their lifestyle. Are you going for the young urban professionals who wear a coat and tie most of the time that will require your restaurant interior design to be more flashy and elegant? Or are you going for the market of kids who enjoy having quick fixes for their tummies but will like play rooms or arcades at the same time?

Getting a feedback from your target customers will clearly help you in formulating the best design in your mind. Chances are, once that you have finally determined what they want and once you have implemented all those elements in your restaurant, the higher the chances that they will, time and time again, visit your place and spread the word that yours is one of the greatest restaurants that they have been in. (more…)

Every restaurant needs a color scheme. Colors must be chosen for your walls, decor, tables, linens, the exterior, signage, logo, basically everything, but what colors are best? How do you choose? Let’s take a look at some choices:

Red – Red is a color that is bold, noticeable and gives a sense of urgency. However, it can also be a color that symbolizes anger but also love. Red is a good color for many ethnic restaurants, since red is a dominant color in so many country’s flags.

Green – Green is a color that may signify good luck, nature and money. Green can also symbolize jealousy. Green is usually a good choice for an accent color.

Blue – Blue symbolizes peace, calm and serenity. Blue can also make a person feel cool, cold or disconnected. Blue is a nice color for a restaurant that is laid back.

Yellow – Yellow is a color that can signify happiness, joy and summer. Yellow can also symbolize cheapness or stinginess. Yellow is usually good as an accent color or as a background color.

Orange – Orange can mean excitement and enthusiasm. Like yellow, orange is usually a good accent color.

Purple – Purple symbolizes passion and creativity. However, purple also means death in some countries and in some religions. Purple is usually used as an accent color. (more…)

Many restaurants experience a plateau in sales after a few years in operation. Sometimes, menu or staff changes aren’t effective and owners turn to renovations to attract customers. A restaurant makeover allows you to appear new again in the eyes of your customers. But as a restaurateur, one doesn’t always have the capital to do so. Here are 12 less-expensive tips you can incorporate to give your establishment a much-needed makeover without breaking open the piggy bank.

1. New Art – Arrange with a local artist or group of artists to showcase their art in your restaurant every month. Retain the right to veto any piece that doesn’t work for you.

2. Fresh Paint – Chipped and scuffed walls aren’t very appealing to guests. A fresh coat of paint can keep your restaurant looking new.

3. Change your music – Is your music dated? Consider changing your music to match the type of clientele you’d like to see more of. If you’re in doubt as to what they listen to, ask them.

4. Update signage – Is your sign visible during the day? What about at night? Maybe you need a fresh logo.

5. Reupholster – Refinishing and reupholstering chairs and other seating can give a restaurant a completely new look.

6. Rearrange dining room – Make your space more effective by moving your tables around. Strive to make every seat a good seat.

7. Upgrade your bar – Refinish your bar and barstools. Take a look at your premium liquors. Can their display be improved with lighting or new shelving? (more…)

Many entrepreneurs are thinking about putting up their own restaurants. Restaurants are generally seen as good business ventures because people are always looking for food. There are different types of restaurants that businessmen can look into starting up and the decision regarding what type of restaurant or what style to put up is based on different factors.

The decision regarding the general concept of a restaurant business will be dependent on different major things. Listed below are some of these factors:

Location

The style of the restaurant will be dependent on the location of the restaurant. For example, if someone is thinking about putting up a Chinese-style restaurant in a place where this type of restaurant abounds. He might want to tweak some details about his restaurant to be able to have a competitive advantage against the other Chinese restaurants in the area. Perhaps he would stick with the general concept of having a Chinese restaurant because the place is popular for this type of food but he might want to add different types of cuisine as well, perhaps go into fusion cooking.

Target Market

The target market is very important in determining what style of restaurant to put up. A busy place where class B society thrives maybe an optimum location to put up a midscale fast food restaurant. Different restaurants cater to different types of people and no one restaurant aims at capturing the whole of the market because it would just end up in confusion.

Availability of Materials

If a person is thinking of putting up a restaurant, he might want to look closely at the availability of the materials in the area. For example, a seafood restaurant will depend greatly on the availability of fresh ingredients and seafood in the local market. If not, the owner will have to look for other alternatives which can cost him additional money. (more…)

It’s interesting how one person brainstorms and eventually, puts in to act the many ideas of managing, designing and handling all factors concerning restaurant matters. This is what you call restaurant ownership and management. It may sound too simple but there is really more of both the interesting and complex things that happens within an operating restaurant.

But one of the primary asset of a restaurant is the way it is entirely presented to its visitors and diners. This is how important a restaurant concept is and thinking about this prior to the big opening day of the restaurant is far more important. So, worry about the way you are going to dress later on before you open your restaurant establishment.

Ever notice how a good design and color combination in a restaurant appeals to most customers? Generally, this look creates a warm and gentle atmosphere for the diners which makes the dining experience a lot pleasant. But before diners enter your establishment, make sure that from the outside you have also a great appeal. That is to say, don’t neglect your restaurant facade. Your restaurant name should be friendly to the eyes with an overall curb appeal to it and it should be easily seen from afar. (more…)