Opening a restaurant business is tough, but there’s never been a better time to give it a go!
Take these important items into consideration before you say “I do!” to the struggle of ownership. Following these steps will help you grow your restaurant business into a success.
Step One: Draw Up A Business Plan
An easy way to start is by drawing up a business plan, which will help you understand whether or not your restaurant idea is profitable. You can also hire an expert to help create one for you if need be, and it may be able to give you some essential information on how much funding you’ll need from investors or loans from banks to get started.
You’ll need to include all kinds of costs in your business plan, from how much the food is that you’ll need to buy in, right down to the price of professional restaurant cleaning supplies. Knowing these things in advance will help you to plan appropriately.
Step Two: Decide On Location
You should know where you want to open your restaurant before pursuing any major plans because it will help you figure out how much money you need to spend on lease negotiations and building improvements.
It’s also good to know that many areas require licensing fees and have strict regulations before businesses can begin serving food and drink, so watch out for legal roadblocks!
Step Three: Get Insurance And Licenses
In the UK, restaurants are required to obtain a “food hygiene certificate” to prove that their restaurant will adhere to all of the necessary food safety and hygiene requirements. Under UK law, you need to be registered as a “food business operator” before you can begin serving food or drink.
You’ll also need to obtain licenses from local councils if you plan on cooking food with hot plates and microwaves. Again, this is something which is very important before taking the plunge; make sure your premises are designed for safety and convenience.
Step Four: Create A Menu
Before opening your doors to the public, you’ll need to create a menu for your restaurant. You don’t need to include every single item on the menu at launch; it’s better to experiment with small changes over time. See what works and what doesn’t.
Test out some low-cost items first, like desserts or coffee, and then move on to more high-risk dishes like seafood or risotto. When you’re sure that you’ve got something which will sell well, add it to the main menu!
Step Five: Advertising
Before opening your doors to the public, it’s important to position your restaurant in the right mental space within your local community. You can do this through advertising.
Place adverts in local papers, set up a restaurant website, and promote yourself on social media. Make sure that you’re always taking advantage of all opportunities to show people what you’re doing!
Step Six: Prepare For Opening Day!
Before you open your doors to the public, make sure that everything is perfect! Run through checks on hygiene compliance, a cold room for your stock and ingredients and order every single item which you need for opening day.
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