Concept for Restaurant

Develop a concept for your restaurant. This is the first step in building a restaurant since it can determine how much start-up money you need as well as what type of location will serve you best. Shifting demographics and changing lifestyles are driving the surge in food-service businesses. If you’ve wanted to start a restaurant for years, it might be time to sit down and draw up a plan to open your own business.  Secure funding to build and start your restaurant. Once you have the concept or theme of your restaurant determined, you can develop a budget for start-up costs. Though the future looks bright for the food-service industry overall, there are no guarantees in this business. Even the most successful businessman will tell you this isn't a "get rich quick" industry. It's more like a "work hard and make a living" industry. While starting a restaurant is exciting, it’s also time-consuming and one of the toughest businesses to successfully launch. In fact, 60 percent of restaurants fail in the first year. this blog is not to temper your passion. We’re merely pointing out that if you want a successful restaurant, you’ll need to invest some serious time and money.

• Decide the concept of your restaurant
• Get investment to fund your restaurant business
• Evaluate restaurant costs involved
• Decide the location of your restaurant

No single food-service operation has universal appeal. This is a fact that many newer entrepreneurs have trouble accepting, but the reality is that you will never capture 100 percent of the market. When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. So focus on the 5 or 10 percent of the market that you can get, and forget about the rest. It makes sense to take your time, as you’re looking for the right space. You might also want to do some research to find out of there are any startup incubator spaces for restaurants that you can join to keep initial costs low and that might come with mentorship opportunities. Whether you decide to rent space or build from scratch, selecting a location is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as an owner. But you don’t have to do a huge build out at first. Armed with practical experience, you're ready to put together your business plan--the most critical element of your restaurant. Map out everything on paper before you buy the first spoon or crack the first egg. 

You can’t scratch a business plan out on a cocktail napkin. You need a detailed business plan that charts the course for your success. That said, we suggest beginning with a Lean Plan that keeps the business planning process simple. Think of your business plan as a living document that you return to regularly to help you plan for growth and measure your progress.

• Get all the licenses required to start the restaurant business
• Get the workforce for your restaurant business

Design a stellar menu.

As you put together a plan for your food-service business, be aware of some of the trends in terms of menu content and design: These factors could--and, in fact, should--influence the type of food-service business you open.A smartly designed menu can make a significant impact on your restaurant food costs. Though menu variety has increased over the years, menus themselves are growing shorter. Busy consumers don't want to read a lengthy menu before dinner; dining out is a recreational activity, so they're in the restaurant to relax. Keep your number of items in check and menu descriptions simple and straightforward,The menu should comprise of items that can be prepared quickly and use local or readily available ingredients. It is advisable to serve dishes that use similar ingredients, which will help you to reduce your overall food cost and the scope of the generation of waste.At the same time, be sure to keep the kids in mind as you plan your selections. If families are a key part of your target market, you'll want a range of four or five items in smaller portions that youngsters will enjoy.

• Arrange suppliers for your restaurant

Positioning yourself for success requires a few non-negotiable elements: a good concept, great food, and the forgotten part of the equation, the right restaurant suppliers In business, everything your employees and customers use or consume comes from somewhere. Unless you’re building your own chairs and tables from the trees out back or creating a menu with only items that you can grow yourself, suppliers will be an integral part of your operations and finding a reliable and competitively-priced supplier is vital to the success of your business.Before opening your doors, you’ll need to be prepared with equipment, furniture, food and standard restaurant supplies. This means creating a list of every single thing you will need to purchase to keep your restaurant in business. No detail is too small to include; even seemingly minor obligations can leave your business in the lurch when neglected. Choose suppliers who can meet your specific needs. For example, if faster turnaround is a priority for you, then there is no point in selecting on grounds of cost if the turnaround requirements cannot be met. You must always have two days worth of stock in your inventory in case of emergency situations. The items must always be delivered in the morning and checked every day. Both quality and quantity check must be done at the closing time of your restaurant. It is always preferable to have long duration contracts with the vendor as it helps in maintaining the consistency of your raw materials do your research. Before you make any significant purchase decision, do your research! 

• Choose the right technology

Only restaurant professionals know how frustrating it is to hold their finger over the POS terminal looking for the right button, circling the screen a few times like a magic wand or a metal detector before finally finding the right button. Modern POS technology is intuitive and designed purposefully for maximized throughput so servers can enter orders faster and with more accuracy. There’s always going to be something new on the horizon, and no business can jump onto every tech trend as it presents itself. It’s neither financially nor operationally feasible. But when you have a need for more efficiency in your restaurant, that’s when you need to research carefully and find the restaurant technology trend that makes sense for you — and has the best shot at solving your specific problems.Full service restaurants tend to have the most moving pieces out of any restaurant operation. The staff is spread all over the premise and their roles are clearly defined. In an FSR, POS equipment should – first and foremost – streamline the process for your guests and employees. Technology is always changing, and to stay at the forefront of the industry, restaurants must change with it. While it can be nerve wracking striving to keep up with modern restaurant technology, the main takeaway is that tech should be a benefit to you in the long run. It’s about driving more efficiency for your staff and a better overall experience for your guests. It’s not really about getting the newest and trendiest tech in the business just because it’s new and trendy.Some restaurateurs struggle with deciphering the metrics and measuring their sales. That’s okay – maybe you weren’t a math major. That’s why a POS system with easy-to-read analytics is a must for your business. Stop struggling and start crunching numbers so you can staff smarter and save money on inventory.

When you’re looking at the latest POS technology, think about what you need it to do in your restaurant — in front AND back of house. Consider:

• What will make your servers’ nights go more smoothly?
• What do the kitchen staff want to see when they get orders in?
• Will it help reduce errors in order taking or fulfillment?
• What would help you manage your business from a transactional and bookkeeping level?
• What do you want to know about your customer?
• How can it support marketing to grow your business?
• What type of tech support do I need?
• Can I manage to train everyone myself or do I need help?
• How does it create a positive customer experience (speed, convenience, etc.)?