You cannot build a building without a blueprint and you cannot run a good restaurant without a business plan. It needs to be a structured sum of all your great ideas and the ways you want to implement them.
You probably already have a strong plan, but useful advice from seasoned experts can only improve it. Here are 20 such tips that you can use.
1. Invest in Space Optimization
This improves not only your space, but also reduces your costs as well. Optimized space means that the kitchen staff can work faster and in that way be more productive. Also, you will avoid hiring too many staff members.
2. Install a Service Well
This is another way to speed things up and provide more efficient and timely service. A service well makes it easier to reach the drinks. This is a must for long bars.
3. Mind Your Colors
Green, red, and orange are colors suitable for a restaurant. Stay away from the color blue, as it decreases the appetite.
4. Pay Attention to Lighting
Lighting sets the mood very well. You need to be able to control the amount of light at any time of day or night. This means that you should invest in light dimmers.
5. Get the Linen People Want to Take Photo Of
People love taking photos of their food and restaurant experience and post it on social media. It is great, free advertising for you. Get the linen and tablecloth that people will enjoy and want in their photos.
6. Regularly Revisit Your Menu
There will always be those menu items that sell well and those that don’t. Make sure that you review your menu regularly and replace those items that don’t sell.
7. Put the Menu Items in Particular Order
The dishes with the highest margin should be the first and the last on your list. Those are the menu items that sell the most.
8. Have Different Healthy Options
Healthy food trends have taken over the world and they are not about to go away anytime soon. Keep up with them and include them in your menu, including vegan, raw, paleo, gluten-free, organic, and many more.
9. Create Special Menus
Put some effort andcreate menus for special occasions and holidays. This makes inventory and cost monitoring much easier and efficient.
10. Give Loyalty Cards
Loyalty should always be rewarded, and it is the case with your clients, as well. Giving people loyalty cards makes them more likely to spread the word about your restaurant. That kind of word-of-mouth advertising is precious.
11. Get in Touch with Big Names of Social Media
Another way of spreading the word of mouth is doing it online. Get in touch with influencers and bloggers from your niche and ask them to write a review of your restaurant.
12. Start a Birthday Club
Give out a free drink or meals to people celebrating birthdays in your restaurant. This can motivate others to come there for their celebration, as well.
13. Get Listed in Directories
There are free and paid directories online. You need to make sure you are listed in all the most relevant ones. Make sure your information is updated and relevant.
14. Start a Blog
You can share recipes and write about different topics concerning food and your restaurant. It will help your blog gain traction and make you more widely known.
15. Keep Up With Your Customer Reviews
Managing the online reviews left by your customers is a very important aspect of having online presence. Be polite and responsiveand don’t ignore bad reviews.
16. Always Deep Clean the Cooker Hood
A lot of dirt can pile up on the cooker hood, and it needs to be cleaned thoroughly in order to prevent bacteria from spreading. The best way to clean it is with a steam cleaner.
17. Regularly Clean the Fridge and Freezer
This means that you need to set the time and dates to defrost the fridge and the freezerto be able to wipe it clean with cleaners and damp cloths.
18. De-grease the Fryer and Grill
This is not just a matter of hygiene but safety, as well. The built-up grease can be a fire hazard in the kitchen. Cleaning this grease can mean that you will have to soak your grills in warm water and soap for as long as 24 hours.
19. Put Up Reminder Posters with Proper Hand-Washing Instructions
People are generally diligent about their hand-washing habits, but at time, they can forget about them. A poster with proper hand-washing techniques here and there can remind them to wash their hands, which further prevents the spread of diseases.
20. Go Stain-Free at All Times
Your customers should never be in a position to see a stain in your restaurant. This goes for curtains, tablecloth, linen, and staff uniforms. A stain in your restaurant is a stain on your reputation.
These are just 20 of 126 expert ideas for your restaurant business plan. Write the best possible business plan for your restaurant by implementing this wisdom. These tips will teach you a thing or two about marketing, design, and even sanitary standards of your restaurant. The more you read them, the more room for improvement you will find in your own plan. Now is the time to boost it.
