Tips for Opening a Restaurant
Murat BOZOK
What do you think is the hallmark of a truly successful restaurant? Is it the location, the food, the service, the public relations, the ambiance? I have witnessed those who have all these and closed their restaurant, as well as those who continue on their way like lions without having most of these features. Do you think it's luck? It seems like it would be unfair to successful people to attribute success only to luck, and if you ask me, every successful restaurant has a different story. Understanding food or cooking well is a must when opening a restaurant, but is it enough? If we consider that nine out of 10 restaurants opened in the world closed before the end of a year, the answer to the question is "not". Spending overtime at different levels of the food and beverage industry, being educated if possible, are the priority issues to be had before opening a restaurant. It is also true that being a good chef often does not mean being a good restaurant operator. In fact, many argue that restaurant management limits the freedom and creativity of chefs. A good business manager needs to be aware of finance, accounting, public relations, human resources management and many more details. If you've noticed, none of them have anything to do with good food. On the contrary, some chefs who start to think about these details may have difficulties in performing their art. Those who can maintain the balance in a healthy way are the minority. There is a widespread view that all successful restaurateurs share some common characteristics. It is undeniable that all of them are deeply in love with food and drink, they all have the devil's hair, and perhaps most importantly, they all love people very much. So, while taking the first step, those who are considering opening a restaurant should pay attention to what critical issues, apart from the food and beverage part?
1- Psychological preparation:
Know that from the day you open the restaurant, you will not have a day or night. Those who dream of opening a restaurant as 'gathering friends and having a good time with them' should be prepared to be disappointed. For example, you will wash the dishes on the day the dishwasher does not come. On the days when the service is not enough, you will carry plates. You will pay the salaries at the beginning of the month and deposit the insurance when the day comes. In this sector, where there is fierce competition, you will have to lower the prices one day, while the annual food price inflation is 25 percent. If you cook delicious food 100 times, you will listen to the complaints of the guests when there is the slightest problem for the 101st time. You will come across people who think they are buying a restaurant after having a tea. In these days when everyone is a gourmet, you will be ready to listen to the criticisms with a nice smile on your face. If you're not ready for all this, don't waste your time reading other articles.
2- Supplier selection:
First of all, you earn when you buy the goods, not when you sell them. You can never make good food from bad material. Therefore, choose your suppliers correctly. Get at least two suppliers for each product line (like meat, fish, vegetables). In this way, you can not stay halfway, you can compare prices and keep the competition at a high level.
3- Element selection:
One of the most critical decisions is the selection of personnel. At this point, it would be right to look at the personalities and desires of the employees rather than their experiences. Cooking or serving well is learned in some way, but you can never change the character of the people you work with. In this sector, where the human factor is the primary factor, you cannot be successful with a team that does not love their profession and does not have the desire to learn. Stay away from people who have worked in many different places for short periods of time.
4- Kitchen and service equipment:
Kitchen and service equipment will fill the biggest part of your budget. Clarify your menu before making your purchases. You determine what cooking and storage equipment you will need and how you will serve your meals. Do not go for the cheapest, nor spend your money profusely, which you will need for many different items in the future.
5- PR and corporate identity work:
Get help from a professional for your restaurant's name, logo, colors, website and all other corporate identity work. These will ensure that your brand you intend to create will rise on the right foundations. Allocate a budget for public relations activities.
6- Decor:
It is impossible for one person to know everything best. If you do not feel competent, consult an architect for the design and decoration of your restaurant. While making your choice about an architect, it would be beneficial for you to choose a name experienced in the food and beverage industry before. I believe that designing the restaurant, especially the kitchen part, requires special expertise. The best way to observe whether your architect's line is in line with the restaurant of your dreams is to take a look at the restaurants he has designed before.
11 STEPS
RAFET THIN
The number of entrepreneurs who dream of opening a restaurant and want to become a brand in a short way is quite high. But this job is not as easy as it seems from the outside. Because if it were, the number of restaurants closing would not be so many!
1- The entrepreneur who will open a restaurant should first receive training to be aware of business rules such as cost, sales, marketing and purchasing.
2- It should determine which guest portfolio it will serve. Because the space opened without R&D work may sink even within 6 months. For example, if you're opening a middling restaurant, forgo the ornate architecture. Consider the harmony of customer base and location.
3- The selection of comfortable seats is one of the most important issues. Colors and objects should also be chosen according to your concept. For example, although the combination of black and red is often used, it is not considered the right choice.
4- The importance of washbasins is underestimated in the prestige of an enterprise. They are usually stylish, but it is quite wrong to leave a small area to save space. In addition, the cleaning of the sink is decisive for the customer to decide whether your restaurant is sterile, you know.
5 - The operator should also choose the architect he will work with. Do not ask an architect who has built a hospital or courthouse to build a restaurant. It is beneficial to work with architects who follow gastronomy trends.
6- The way to space management passes through the kitchen. It is necessary to feel the smell of food for 6 months, learn to cook and prepare a recipe.
7- The kitchen should be open and visible. Thus, your guests will see that the food they have ordered is cooked in a hygienic environment and their confidence will increase. It is also important that the chefs are smiling in open kitchens.
8 - The owner of the business should know the recipes for food and beverages so that one day when the chef does not come to work, he can make them himself. In addition, meals should be prepared and presented with the healthiest products and the most appropriate cooking methods, and attention should be paid to the production and expiration dates of the products.
9- Pay attention to the quality of everything offered, from the guest's entry through the door to their departure from the restaurant. If you offer poor quality handkerchiefs when the bill asks, it means you have ruined a sack of figs.
10- Do not make up for the mistake made to the customer by making small gestures; The best gesture is to apologize with a small smile. On the other hand, if you want to ensure the continuity of your guest, keep the motivation of your welcoming staff high.
11- Restaurant owners open new branches before completing 1 year. When branching is unplanned, it goes bankrupt before completing 2 years. My advice is to stay in one branch for at least 4 years. After that, you can open a branch in 2 years.
TO BE PERMANENT
EYUP SEVIN
“I understand food, I worked in the food and beverage industry, and I also received training in this field. So you say "I'm ready to open a restaurant"? You are wrong! All these qualities are a great advantage for you, but they are never enough. 70-80% of new restaurants opened today are closed for similar reasons. There are many important points to open a restaurant, such as good planning and accurate analysis. The first of these is the right analysis. It is important to create strategies that will target the needs and desires of consumers. Trying to appeal to everyone and not being able to meet the needs is one of the most important reasons for closing a place... On the other hand, it is necessary to analyze other restaurant owners, venues and customers. “Why should the consumer choose you and not those places?” Finding an answer is very important. It is essential to research the economic status, purchasing power, profession and area of interest of the customer you will address. What matters is what the consumer wants and at what price. One of the determining factors is the location of the restaurant... It is best to choose the location according to the consumers you have determined and the concept you will determine.
If the target audience is white-collar workers, the location should be close to workplaces and at a distance where office workers can go out and have something to eat during their lunch break. If we are addressing a consumer group where people who are hungry and wandering can spend a long time, the venue should be in crowded streets and close to public transportation. One of the most important mistakes made when determining a location is to choose the place according to the rent. The determining factor for the location should not be the suitability of the rent, but the selection of points with consumer potential. Another issue is the budget. Your budget may vary in direct proportion to the target consumer audience, location and concept. While determining the investment amount, it is important to calculate the amount that will cover the loss arising from rent, labor, energy, waste and loss in food and beverage, and operating expenses in the first months. It includes areas such as setting a budget, having personnel, good business administration, accounting, public relations and human resources management. Another issue, as I mentioned at the beginning, is the importance of acting according to a certain audience and a certain concept such as traditional cuisine, Far East cuisine, Italian cuisine, rather than struggling with a place that tries to appeal to many people. After all these are fulfilled, the decoration should be made in accordance with the concept with the help of experts. The fact that the place to be chosen has a wide façade or an outdoor space is undoubtedly one of the privileges. Being permanent after opening a restaurant is possible by appealing to the consumer with the best service. The best service means expert staff in the kitchen, good material selection and attention to hygiene rules. At this point, the demands from the consumer should also be evaluated and always be open to innovation.
Source: Haberturk