As a rule, the restaurant business is quite cost-effective, but only if the institution is popular. Too exotic places may not appeal to customers, and in a sparsely populated area visitors will simply be few.
Therefore, you need to start such a business wisely, having considered all the subtleties and details. Where to start and what to consider first of all?
Direction selection
Before you start the activity, you need to decide on the format of the institution. The budget classes of the restaurant are aimed at people with low solvency, the flow of customers in this case can be quite stable, but the profit will still be small.
An elite establishment with a luxurious menu, on the contrary, is too expensive and risky, because in the absence of a regular clientele it will simply be unprofitable. Therefore, the best business ideas for the restaurant business suggest something average in level. This format is called FastCasual, it is not a fast food restaurant, but not a classic type of restaurant.
Features of mid-level institutions
Most often, such restaurants open at shopping centers, but may be successful and placement in a separate building. They are designed for the middle price category. Often institutions of a similar nature are developing as part of a franchise. Restaurant chains are distinguished by a certain style of decoration, a good selection of dishes made from quality products, and a high level of service.
All this makes FastCasual the best choice for those who are considering how to start a restaurant business from scratch. Examples of existing institutions of a similar format allow us to confidently state: this is a stable and developing sphere.
Administrative issues
One of the main difficulties in such a field of activity as the restaurant business is the execution of all necessary documents. First of all, you need to choose the legal form. You can register as a legal entity or as an individual entrepreneur.
If your business plan for the restaurant business is larger, the first option will work; if the restaurant is small, choose the second. The OKVED code will be “restaurants and cafes”, you can also specify additional items: “bars” and “catering products”.
Even if you do not plan from the very beginning to open the trade in alcoholic cocktails or deliver food to order, it will not be superfluous to foresee such an opportunity. In the future, you will not have to pay extra for changes in documents, which will save both time and money.
Location selection
The next paragraph, which you should pay special attention to when developing a business plan (this also applies to the restaurant business), is the choice of premises. If you do not have an impressive starting capital, you can locate the institution in a shopping center. If the investment allows you to turn around with might and main, pay attention to individual premises.
It is best to choose the ground or ground floors, in an area where there are no other cafes or restaurants nearby, with good transport accessibility and the possibility of parking, on the street, where there is a fairly large flow of people. Such placement will be convenient for everyone and guarantees a constant influx of new customers.
Registration of a lease and other documents
Choosing a room, you should formalize the rights to it officially.Leases for a period of more than a year are subject to mandatory state registration.
You can avoid unnecessary costs if you conclude an agreement for 11 months with the possibility of its extension after the specified period. Features of the restaurant business involve redevelopment and repair of premises for certain projects, in accordance with construction and sanitary standards.
And they need to be approved by the fire safety service, and after all of the above, by the Department consumer market and services. Then you need to get a reorganization order at the State Housing Inspectorate. And only at the end of all this nerdy instances will it be possible to engage in construction work.
Upon completion, the facility must pass a commission, as a result of which an act worth 5 thousand dollars will be received, allowing you to start work in the selected room. These costs should be immediately included in the business plan of the restaurant business.
Interior
For an institution to be successful, it must be distinguished by its original and functional design. It is best to entrust the development of the project to a qualified specialist, so you need to immediately include the design costs in the business plan of the restaurant business. Nevertheless, it is necessary to personally monitor the progress of work in order to make sure that everything is going in the direction you need.
Particular attention is recommended to be given to competent zoning of the room. Clients most like secluded tables near walls or behind partitions. A much smaller number of people prefer to sit in the center. The ceilings must be at least three meters so that you can mount the hood without any problems. In addition, make sure that the premises are adequately equipped with water, sewage and ventilation, check the design of the service entrance and the connection of the alarm.
According to sanitary standards, half the area of the room is reserved for the kitchen. So, on an average area of three hundred square meters, a hundred and thirty will be occupied by a kitchen, forty should be reserved for office premises and a utility room, and the remaining one hundred and thirty should be used for the hall. Such an institution will be designed for 72 places.
Features of the design of the kitchen
The kitchen should include hot and cold workshops, as well as a distributor. Automation of the restaurant will help to use the minimum area for equipment. When placing it, it should be borne in mind that the washing should be located separately, with access to distribution, the refrigerator should be far from the grill and deep fryer, and the hot shop in no case can be adjacent to the cold.
The flow of raw materials must be adjusted so that the finished products do not come into contact with the waste. Cooking products enter through the service entrance, and personnel enter through it. There must be a separate outlet for waste. In addition, a temporary storage room will be required.
Restaurant Equipment
Any restaurant business business plan should include the cost of acquiring equipment. For the kitchen you will need to purchase stoves, countertops, refrigerators, deep fryers, hoods. For office space you will need cabinets and plumbing.
If you plan to actively automate the restaurant, you will also need to purchase all kinds of devices for slicing and pickling products. In the hall for visitors you need audio and video systems, chairs and tables, as well as programs for monitoring and accounting. All this must be acquired before the opening of the institution in order to provide a decent level of comfort and the functionality necessary for cooks.
Try to purchase only high-quality goods, since repair and maintenance of faulty professional equipment can be quite expensive. So it’s better not to save on this item.
Recruitment
The final step before opening is the search for employees.A standard establishment with seventy-two seats will require about eight staff members. This is the manager, cook, assistant cook, three waiters and two cleaners.
All employees must be outgoing, qualified and experienced. They must be officially registered and filled out all the necessary documents in a pension fund. Kitchen workers should also undergo a physical examination to obtain sanitary book. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of administrator.
This should be a pleasant person in communication who will be able to deal with table reservations and will be ready to resolve conflicts that arise during the work. For the comfort of your guests, hire a security service. A man in uniform, meeting at the door, guarantees security and gives the institution respectability. This employee should also be non-conflict in order to resolve all issues as peacefully as possible, using force only if urgent need. With the growth of production, you may need a bartender, but at the time of opening it is not necessary to hire him.
