by Haris Quintana
There is certainly money to be made when you look at the restaurant industry, but so many owners overlook key points that could actually turn any losses they make into gains. If you want to find out more about that then take a look below.
Know your Operational Costs
The first thing that you need to do is know your operational costs. This specifically relates to food and alcohol. The average food cost for any restaurant should be between 29% and 32%. Typical combined costs tend to hover around 21%. The more aware you are of costs like this, the more you will be able to maximise your profit and the better you can set menu prices. Try and buy fresh food as well, from local vendors. When you do this, you will soon find that it tastes better than the frozen counterpart. If you work closely with your vendors, then they can make sure that you are ordering the right amount of food while also lowering waste.
Determine your Role
If you overwork yourself then you may turn your dream of running a business into an absolute nightmare. You cannot hope to cook, greet, bartend, serve and run all of the books by yourself. Make sure that you have a bartender, manager, chef and some wait staff. You can trust them to provide you with the support you need, and it will give you more chance to concentrate on how to make your restaurant much more profitable overall.
Have a Great Front of House
First impressions really are vital. You need to make sure that you have a polite host or even a waitperson as they can introduce themselves to your customers and they can also welcome them into the restaurant. Make sure that your customers are seated quickly so that they are given a great experience right from the get-go.
Know your Customer
Take a good look at your consumer base and your surroundings in general. If you know that you are in the middle of BBQ county then you won’t be able to offer small portions and fancier dishes. If you have something that is not really selling, then put in the work and reconstruct the dish so you can turn newcomers into ideal customers. If you have a BBQ restaurant then National Outdoor Furniture, Inc. can provide you with some great furniture.
Marketing
Every single business out there needs to advertise. You need to get your customers in the door and you also need to make sure that they are satisfied before you can even begin to conduct good word of mouth business. There are so many advertising options out there, depending on the budget you have. If you can, it is also helpful for you to operate at local community events too.
Have a Digital Presence
If you don’t have a website yet, then now is the time for you to create one. Your site should be easy to find, and it should contain absolutely everything you need to get your company off the ground.