Over the last fifty years, the way in which we perceive and interact with our food has changed dramatically. Where the height of good cuisine used to be fancy dinner parties and home cooked meals, now we take ourselves out to glitzy restaurants and let the experts do it for us. These days, the restaurant industry is huge and offers diners an endless degree of variety.
All you have to do is visit any major city to find exciting cuisine from all over the world. Whether you love Thai, Mexican, French, Nepalese, or American grub; it is all out there, waiting for you to discover it. The question is, how do you turn a diehard passion for food into a successful career? What does it take to set up a new restaurant and get diners clamouring for a taste?
This quick fire guide to the things that you’ll need to set up a profitable restaurant will help you find the right place to start.
The Theme
Before you even get to the practical considerations, you need to decide what your eatery will offer and how it will do this. It is not entirely accurate to say that you need a ‘theme,’ but all successful restaurants do have a voice and a personality. Without a clear purpose, niche, and objective, it will be tricky not just to advertise the business, but also to tell customers why it is the best choice in town.
The Equipment
Your business should not be opened to the public until you are sure that you have all of the right tools and accessories. This includes more than just the standard pots, pans, and crockery. Think carefully about how you’ll store, cool, and preserve ingredients. Devices like a vacuum sealer can quickly become invaluable, as they maintain a high degree of food safety and hygiene, while also storing foods in an efficient manner.
The Menu
The menu that you offer will be the biggest part of finding your voice. You might find it tough to choose between your love for Indian and American cuisine, for instance, but incorporating both will only lead to a confused concept. If you don’t want to get lumped in with common takeaways, pick a cuisine and stick with it. Don’t mix up or muddy the menu by trying to offer all kinds of different culinary nationalities. The clearer your concept, the easier it will be to make it a success.
The Licences
There are all kinds of legal certifications and licences that restaurants need to lawfully operate. These include a licence to sell alcohol (if you plan to do so), all of the necessary food hygiene and food preparation certificates, public liability cover, and planning permission (if you intend to substantially change the premises). Obtaining these licences can be costly, but there is no alternative. The law says that commercial eateries must have them.
The Workforce
In many ways, finding and building a great team is the biggest challenge of all. There is certainly no shortage of chefs in Australia, but it is your job to find one that perfectly understands and supports your vision. This will be harder than it sounds and it could take longer than expected, but the most successful restaurants are always evolving and developing. To make it in this business, you need to be comfortable with continued change.
Why You Should Build Your Business on High Quality Equipment
It is not uncommon for restaurant startups to try and save money by cutting corners and buying low quality equipment. Unfortunately, this is not the right way to turn a profit or become a success. Yes, setting up an eatery is an expensive adventure, but you’ll only end up losing more money when you have to replace all of your tools with better ones. Start off on the right foot and work with reputable, reliable appliance and equipment manufacturers from the outset.
