Want to run your successful restaurant but have no idea where to start? We’ve discussed tips and methods with successful restaurant owners and have published five of them in this article.
1 Start from the bottom
To run your restaurant, you’ll want to know how every aspect works, from the pot washing to the bookkeeping. There’s no doubt you’ll need to pull up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.
Running a restaurant isn’t easy, but when you work your way up, you’ll be gaining invaluable knowledge about how everything works. You’ll want to become an owner who knows how to fold a napkin properly or how an industrial dishwasher works. Getting a job in a restaurant to be trained up is a great way to get paid while you learn.
2 Do your research
Find out food trends, not what’s going to be ‘hot’ this year but next year and the one after that. What type of restaurant do you want to own? In what area? Is there a gap in the market for something new?
Covid19 has changed things in 2020 and you need to look at how to adapt your business to cope with the new way of living. For example, can your restaurant adapt to home-delivery - are you already maximizing this potential? Are there new opportunities available to your business to thrive in the post-COVID world?
Do not jump into something because you ‘kinda’ like the idea. When the going gets tough, and it does when you’re in business, you’ll need more than a nice idea to keep you going. Gain confidence by doing your research and educating yourself. This way, you’ll be able to back your idea up when networking or looking for investment.
3 Find a gap in the market
Maybe you could provide a product or dish that no one else offers in the area. In the UK alone, the ‘eating out market’ was valued at £89.5 billion in 2019 and remember that in 2020, home delivery is booming.
When you create something new for your customers, it helps shake off competitors. You suddenly become known for that thing in your area, and when you’re the first one to do it, you’ll be the place to go to. So there are lots of scopes to be successful, you need to find a gap and execute it right.
4 Test your target market
It’s easy to get excited about what your business can offer, but you’ve got to get a thick skin in the restaurant business. Be prepared for your target market not to like everything you offer. Some things will be a massive hit, some others will be an absolute disaster, but the opinion of your target market is invaluable.
It’s one thing inviting your friends and family over for the experience, but you’ll want to get real customers who won’t find it hard to be truthful. Find out what they love, what they hate, and what they wouldn’t miss if it were gone. This testing early on in your journey will help you massively in the long run.
5 Let your customer service shine
You could have the best-tasting food in the world, but if your customer service is shoddy, that’s what customers will remember. Online shoe company Zappos describe themselves as “a customer service company that “happens to sell shoes.” They focus heavily on customer experience because they know how important it is. So try to focus on what your customer needs from you and solve the problem rather than what you can offer your customer.
Since we’ve all gone digital, there’s still a market of people who crave that personal customer service touch. It’s these types of restaurants that thrive and have people coming back time and time again. Look at using new technology and Fintech to help your restaurant such as selfie payments or voice tech to get ahead of the competition.
The restaurant business is known for being tough but if you’re ready to do the work, understand your clientele and want to bring something new to the table (pun intended!) then you’re sure to find success.
