The restaurant industry can be a difficult one to break into. It takes time, money and a whole lot of knowledge. And yet, each year there are hundreds of new restaurants opening up, each with their own unique culinary direction.
This means that competition is fierce – and it shows, with a large proportion of new restaurants closing their doors permanently within their first year of opening.
To help you get started on this exciting journey, here are 5 simple yet effective tips for opening and running a successful restaurant.
Restaurant ideas | Get your menu right
Whether you’re trying something completely avant-garde, serving up pub classics or getting ‘round town in a food truck, understanding the process of purchasing, preparing and preserving your food will take you a long way towards serving the best meals possible.
Couple this with the right chef who can hit the mark every time, and customers will have a hard time staying away from your restaurant.
Pay attention to the business side of things
We’re talking about successful restaurants, aren’t we?
It’s all well and good to have an amazing concept, a beautifully fit-out space, and a prime location, but if you forget about the financial cogs that keep everything ticking, you’ll be in for a bad time.
Staying on top of HR, accounting, licenses and general admin tasks are not the most fun things to understand, but if you do, it’ll be much easier down the road when you need to make important decisions and investments that could make or break your newly opened restaurant.
Restaurant ideas | Look after your staff
Your employees are the heart and soul of your business. Without them, there’s no restaurant to open.
In an industry that can be high pressure, carving out a space that is comfortable for all of your employees will lead to a better working environment and a greater experience for your customers too.
Invest in training, hold open meetings, and take on feedback and new ideas – this way you’ll have a staff who are in the know, respect each other and truly enjoy working at your restaurant.
Provide high-quality customer service
Without doubt, one of the quickest ways to any customer’s heart is through top-notch customer service. It’s a vital part of the entire restaurant experience, and done right, it really sets your restaurant up for future success.
By rocking up day in, day out, and producing high quality food alongside great service and an unbeatable atmosphere, you’ll be on your way to gaining a loyal following who’ll be happy to spread the word about just how good your restaurant really is.
Restaurant ideas | Market your business
If you build it, they will come. Well, not really.
Marketing your business is a fundamental part of its future success. Without getting the word out, how is anybody supposed to know you even exist. For this, try growing your online presence across multiple platforms. This includes creating a simple website, profiles across social media channels and a solid in-store branding strategy.
And to connect them altogether, make the most of digital signage to display your logo and showcase unique branded content in-store. With Mandoe Media digital signage, you can create, manage and deploy rich, dynamic content that shows off your restaurant’s personality and grows your brand awareness. Update menus in real-time, highlight amazing offers and display interactive content for your customers to enjoy while they wait.
If you’re ready to help your restaurant grow, reach out and book a free demo today.
