6 Things You Must Know Before Opening a Restaurant

Have you ever wondered why more than 60 % of restaurants shut down their operations within their first year?

Well we have got answer to this question. Many people dream of having their own restaurant or cafe. Starting a restaurant can be difficult and exciting at the same time. It needs commitment, hard work, long hours, strategic planning, and determination. The restaurant business can be very profitable once it gets going. But before opening a restaurant, you need to consider several things: identify your target market, find a good location, buy equipment and raw materials, and hire and train staff. If you plan to open a restaurant in a city like Dubai, make sure to look into these things to avoid problems.

1. Developing a Concept

The idea for your restaurant should match its theme. Having a clear concept is very important. In the beginning, decide what type of restaurant you want to open. A theme shows your restaurant's vision, mission, and brand to customers. New ideas make your restaurant unique, giving owners a chance to be creative. After you have a concept, do market research to see how it will work and what should be done.

2. Create a Business Plan

Starting a business plan for opening a restaurant is one of the first steps you need to take. Your business plan needs to be detailed and comprehensive with industry analysis, operations plan, financials analysis, and marketing plan. A business plan for your new restaurant would include getting investors on board, making a budget, creating a menu, hiring your staff, buying equipment, etc.

3. Choose Location Wisely

The location of your restaurant is very important. Choose it carefully because even a great concept and quality won't save you if people can't find you. Make sure your restaurant is easy to reach and visible. Your location should also match your concept. For example, a fine dining restaurant fits better in a high-end corporate area, while a fast food place would do well in a student area.

4. Design your Menu Accordingly

Menu planning is also one of the important factors while opening a restaurant. The menu is a powerful communication tool that reflects the restaurant’s spirit. You need to study the food trends and how they fit in with your concept before finalizing a menu. Menu designing is a difficult job where you carefully need to make sure that it has proper pricing, options, naming, and categorization.

5. Hire and Train Staff

A restaurant is incomplete without a staff to run and take care of it. You will need an experienced chef, kitchen staff, wait staff, etc., to run your restaurant smoothly. People have set expectations from restaurant staff. They need to be polite, welcoming, and available. Once you get the team on board, you need to train them. Conduct regular training sessions and make a manual that they can access anytime. Training your staff to upsell well can increase your sales.

6. Buy Equipment and Furniture

Restaurants need equipment and supplies to run. Once you have your location and concept in place, you can make arrangements to develop your menu and acquire the needed equipment accordingly. In case, if you are a newbie in this industry and have no knowledge of where you can get these equipment from, then don’t worry as we at The HORECA Store have an amazing range of products available to make your business ‘an amazing’ business.

Conclusion

Last but not least, owning a restaurant in a city like Dubai is no less than a hustle. Running a restaurant would not be an easy job for you as it requires proper dedication, focus, time, and money. One thing that you would need legally is the license, there are multiple licenses that you would need to make your restaurant business successful. To find more about equipment, be it kitchen equipment, or a housekeeping trolley, you can simply visit our website.