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Step 1
Clarify your concept and put all the proposed details--from decor to dessert choices--in writing. If you can't write about them, they need more thought.
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Step 2
Investigate the regulatory requirements, both city and state. Prepare for a plethora of paperwork, including byzantine building codes with regulations covering everything from kitchen exhaust systems to interior finish requirements.
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Step 3
Find an ideal location. Do a demographic study of the surrounding area. Research the amount of foot traffic and the availability of easy parking. Then negotiate a lease you can afford.
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Step 4
Plan your menu early in the game. Kitchen layout and equipment purchases depend on it. Reduce your equipment costs either by purchasing used equipment or leasing new.
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Step 5
Find the funds. Write a detailed business plan and consider forming a small private corporation or starting a limited partnership. However much money you think you need, raise more. Many restaurant consultants blame the high rate of new restaurant failures on undercapitalization.
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Step 6
Allocate the available space. Remember that in addition to dining and kitchen areas you'll need room for dishwashing, storage, bathrooms and administrative work.
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Step 7
Plan the layout for the dining area. Remember to balance your desire for the maximum number of seats with your future customers' desire to shun tables crammed into awkward corners. Also avoid locating tables in the middle of the room like woebegone little islands. "Nestle tables--particularly two-tops--against low divider walls or other architectural features," advises restaurant owner and designer Pat Kuleto.
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Step 8
Keep the kitchen layout focused on efficient, safe food preparation. Ensure that there is sufficient light and ventilation, as well as enough space so that cooks, servers and dishwashers are not bumping into one another at the busiest times.
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Step 9
Don't neglect the graphics. From the exterior signage to the look of the menus, graphic design plays an important part in a restaurant's overall look.
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Step 10
Pay attention to lighting design. Focus dramatic light onto the tables to highlight the food, and complement it with glowing atmospheric light to make the customers look good.
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Step 11
Research and develop the menu. Taste-test the recipes repeatedly until the kitchen can achieve consistency. Remember that the food also has to look good on the plate. Plot out your menu pricing strategy. Have the final menu proofread before sending it to the printer.
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Step 12
Decide whether to offer full bar service. Apply for a wine and/or liquor license.
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Step 13
Investigate insurance needs thoroughly. Restaurants are simmering stockpots of potential accidents--from fires to floods to food poisoning and a hundred other potential horrors. The National Restaurant Association (restaurant.org) is an outstanding resource for insurance-related information.
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Step 14
Select and train the staff. Look for enthusiasm as well as experience. Allow ample training time before the restaurant opens. Remember that the person running the front of the house is as important as the person running the kitchen, and great service is as important a factor in winning customer loyalty as great food.
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Step 15
Set up a bookkeeping and accounting system. Establish control over the meal checks. There are dozens of scams that dishonest servers and cashiers can pull; get some expert advice on how to prevent them.
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Step 16
Designate a core of trusted employees to supervise storage areas carefully. Stress that they must check in all deliveries and audit the food inventory frequently.
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Step 17
Pass your opening inspection by a food safety specialist with your local health department, along with a plumbing inspection. You'll receive a permit to operate, which will be reviewed yearly.
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Step 18
Open your doors and welcome hungry diners.
Comments
bigwheel8 said
on 8/4/2009 Great article! Step 8 is so crucial! I am a restuarant manager who just took over a beautiful store in our company, but the kitchen layout is horrible...very inefficient. Try and keep your kitchen as open as possible; it is so much easier to communicate, expedite and supervise when you can see everything!
LocalJoint said
on 3/29/2009 Don't forget to make sure your new establishment is updated on LocalJoint.com!--------------------------------------Search for restaurants and bars across the United States!LocalJoint.com - http://localjoint.com
friendfiles said
on 2/4/2009 make sure to get a pos system that has customizable menus and ingredient tracking. several systems are avaialble at www.internationalpointofsale.com
DesignerMedia said
on 8/2/2008 So glad you mentioned design. So many posts on this subject never mention design as being an important consideration in opening a restaurant. Yet many restaurants never reach their ultimate potential for this very reason. Great post, Great info.
-michael
Michael A. Collazo
Chief Designer
Designer Media Productions
www.RestaurantsByDesign.com
www.restaurantsXdesign.blogspot.com
sadiemonkey said
on 7/31/2008 I would add that a successful restaurant operation requires an owner who is smart enough to realize he or she can't do everything well. If the actual food prep is your passion, hire a brilliant business manager. If your strength is business management, don't think that translates into running the kitchen as well. Budget to hire exceptional people and you will never regret it.