| Opening Your Restaurant - Doing It Right | | | | fresh ingredients or American style with big portions |
| So you've decided to open your own restaurant? | | | | and a salad bar? Write it all down so you have the |
| Congratulations, here are some topics you won't want | | | | menu in mind when you make your other decisions. |
| to miss learning about, they will be the key to your | | | | Design & Decor |
| success. Take your time to plan it all out and be ready | | | | This covers everything from choosing your location to |
| for some curve balls along the way, but don't skip | | | | selecting the total design and decor for your |
| anything. | | | | restaurant, all the way down to the color of the carpet |
| Research & Planning | | | | and color of your napkins. There are alot of decisions |
| Before everything else, you'll want to make sure you | | | | you will need to make. You may consider hiring a |
| have done your research. From scouting your | | | | consultant or a decorator/designer to help you with |
| competition to making sure you know who your target | | | | these aspects. Don't forget to create the ambience |
| market will be before making any decisions as to the | | | | you want with the right lighting. |
| design, menu or hiring decisions to researching the | | | | Employees |
| latest restaurant trends, don't skimp on the research | | | | You'll need to consider who you need to hire, when |
| needed to properly open and run a restaurant in the | | | | you need to hire them, how you will train them, what |
| 21st century. | | | | you will pay them and how you will manage them. |
| Management - Business & Finances | | | | Don't forget training and certification in food safety, |
| This includes payroll, order taking, order processing, | | | | alcohol service and the overall way your employees |
| bookkeeping, taxes, tips and basically all the finances. | | | | will interact with the customers. Will it be old fashioned, |
| Don't forget to get yourself a great POS, point of sale | | | | home style serving or modern service with a smile? |
| system, to streamline everything and integrate it with a | | | | Marketing & Promotion |
| good food costing program to effectively price and | | | | Aaah, marketing and promotion, this is the grease that |
| organize your inventory. There are many good books | | | | will keep your restaurant business running for years to |
| on restaurant management, you may also want to pick | | | | come, if done right. From yellow pages and |
| up one or a few of these. Don't forget about proper | | | | newspaper ads to your grand opening to getting |
| time management, scheduling and expenses. | | | | reviewers to come to your restaurant to creating |
| Menu | | | | excellent word of mouth, marketing and promotion of |
| The menu! This is the heart of it all. If you have already | | | | your restaurant will be an ongoing task for the life of |
| decided to take the plunge and open your own | | | | your restaurant. |
| restaurant, it's likely that you've already envisioned your | | | | There are many other aspects and things to consider |
| menu. Well, you don't have to commit to a set menu | | | | when opening your own restaurant, consider drawing |
| for your restaurant's lifespan, but it's a good idea to | | | | up a full scale business and marketing plan so you |
| know what the theme of your menu will be. Will it be | | | | know exactly what you need to do and there is no |
| French style, modern and trendy cuisine with local | | | | confusion. |