If you’re considering opening a restaurant in your community, congrats! This can be a rewarding experience for anyone who is looking to dive into the food industry. Before you open, there are many things to consider. What type of food will I offer? Will my restaurant be a takeout business or sit down? What will my restaurant be known for? We’ve got you covered, from start to finish. 

What Type of Food Will I Offer?

Do you have a great fast food concept, or make the best spaghetti and meatballs out there? This is a huge thing to think about, as this will consider the rest of your food menu and your most popular dish. Luckily, you have many different options to consider.

Coffee Houses and pizzerias are extremely popular in larger cities, while Italian and seafood restaurants may do better in a smaller community. Also, consider what your most popular dish will be, so it can be used as Word of Mouth marketing.

Word of Mouth marketing is a great way for customers to talk about your business by recommending their favorites on your menu. Forbes stated that 92 percent of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family is much better than professional advertising. 

Takeout or Sit Down?

According to Upserve.com, 60 percent of US consumers order delivery or takeout once a week. Digital ordering and delivery have taken over the food industry with food delivery sites such as Postmates, Uber Eats, GrubHub, and many more. However, many consumers are always looking for weekend activities and are looking to get out of the house for date night, a celebration, or just because.

If you’re highly considering your restaurant to be a sit-down business, having takeout and delivery as an option is a must to succeed. For Kenji’s Ramen, they started offering online ordering on their website and saw an increase in sales by 10 percent. If you’re also opening your business within a smaller community, offering online ordering is a great way to interact with your demographic and get your name out there. 

What Do I Need to Operate the Business Side of My Restaurant?

Behind every restaurant, there’s a great business aspect behind it. Mines Press is a Business to a Business printing company that will make any project you’re working on a positive experience. Like with any business, you’ll need to fill out documents and register your business within your community. Mines Press will be your go-to. They offer tax envelopes for all of your business tax forms, e-File authorization envelopes, tax organizer envelopes, and many more to make sure your business is properly equipped and organized. This is also a great way to keep files organized of purchases and confidential employee information.

How Do I Keep My Restaurant Clean and Organized?

Think about investing in a grease trap service. SeQuential states that “Your restaurant will likely face regulations that dictate how kitchen grease is handled. Left unchecked, fats, oils, and grease that enter sewage systems can block pipes or cause other serious issues.” This step is something to consider when your business is almost ready to open, but although it’s a step later in the restaurant-opening process, it’s an important one.

Having plumbing issues within your kitchen can really hurt a business, and it’s easier to come up with solutions earlier rather than later. Using grease trap service SeQuential will help ensure your business remains in compliance with local regulations and set you up with a cleaning schedule, so no future problems arise. 

How Do I Get My Business Name Out There?

Social media is a great way to gain exposure for your business. By following other local companies, or even citizens within your community, it can gain some necessary exposure for your business-to-be. To maintain a social media presence, it’s important to continuously post on what your business is up to, and definitely share photos of your most wanted dishes. Using video is important as well, especially when launching new food items or showing how to make your signature cocktail.