The key thing to remember while opening a restaurant or investing in one is that it will take a minimum of two to three years before the restaurant starts making any decent profit. Thereby it is always advisable to have enough capital while starting a restaurant which can support the expenses before it starts making profit.
The restaurant start up costs include the cost of buying or renovating a place, cost of getting the specialized permits and licenses depending on the local laws and the cost of buying cooking equipments.
The expenses will also include the decorating accessories, dishes, cutlery, sales equipments such as cash register and credit card machines.
The cost of food and beverages can also be included in the start up cost itself but it can be negotiated with the suppliers as the business grows and contacts are made.
The average cost of opening a restaurant can range from a quarter million dollars to a million dollars depending upon the taste and style of the clientele the restaurant would be looking to target.
Many a restaurants have failed in the past because often people do not have enough capital to keep the restaurant functioning till it breaks even. It can be attributed to bad business planning or simply bad luck also. It is always advisable to create a business plan with a solid contingency plan and several risk management strategies.
Restaurant Menu Design
The Menu for any restaurant has to be designed keeping in mind various aspects such as, the type of restaurant, the kind of food available, the general clientele that the restaurant caters to and also to make it attractive, aesthetic and appealing to the customer.
The pricing and selection of the dishes must be the first on the agenda and one must remember that having a variety in both areas ensures a higher appeal for the customer. Things like special discounts during happy hours, for senior citizens/kids, including dishes specifically for vegetarians/vegans and also low-calorie dishes could be a good idea.
If your restaurant is a casual and informal establishment then the descriptions provided for the dishes needn’t be ornate and elaborate. Simple, catchy names and phrases can be used to describe the dishes on offer. While on the other hand if you cater to a more niche clientele and your restaurant offers a formal dining experience then a more comprehensive description is required for the dishes and the ingredients used. One must ensure that dishes which are spicier/hotter than the usual fare are marked and also dishes for people with special dietary needs (vegans/vegetarians, low-calorie, gluten-free, low-acid, etc)
The food can be classified in several ways like, based on the region it’s from (Italy, Mexico), primary ingredients (Pasta, Seafood), time of the day (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), style (Soups, Barbecue). Also, usually deserts are listed at the end of the menu followed by the section on beverages.
Restaurant Interior Design
When designing the interiors of a restaurant, the foremost thing to be kept in mind is the type of clientele that the restaurant caters to. Secondly, the type of cuisine that is on offer. These two factors help in determining the type of ambience that needs to be created in order for it to appeal to the customers and also make their dining experience a comfortable one.
Some designs are suited for specific cultures, type of cuisine in order to create an atmosphere that one wants their target clientele to feel. For instance if ones target customers are generally the corporate, office-going people then the decor needs to be elegant and sophisticated. It needn’t be ornate and definitely should be more on the stylishly minimalist lines. On the other hand if the intention is to attract the youth then the decor should be trendy and use of bright colours is a good idea.
When considering the interior design of say a family restaurant, one must keep in mind that a happy, warm atmosphere needs to be created which would appeal to adults, kids and young adults at the same time. One needs to ensure that there are no breakable items, such as glass centrepieces on the table or even items like candles around as there will be a lot of children coming to the restaurant. The decor should be mainly done with wall hangings and warm hues should be used to paint the walls.
The ambience created by the interior design of a restaurant is a major factor in determining if the customer is going to come back or not.
