How to Start a Bar-B-Que Business
If you have a love of barbecue and want an escape from the daily grind, you may be considering starting your own barbecue business. Barbecue is always a favorite and good barbecue is always in demand. If you have a unique idea for a barbecue restaurant, or want to start a franchise, read up on these tips before getting started.
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Instructions
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Decide what kind of business you will start. You have a few choices when it comes to starting your own barbecue business, including opening a franchise, opening your own restaurant or store, or starting a catering business.
Opening a franchise can be a good option if you want a lot of the leg work done for you. Franchises come largely ready-to-go with most of what you need to get started, or at least a lot of guidance on how to get started. In addition, franchises are already well-established and known to the public, so getting business will be easier than if you are starting from scratch.
According to texasbarbeques.com, barbecue is the fastest-growing food type for catered wedding receptions. This alone may be a good reason to start a barbecue catering business. Another good reason is that you don't have the costs associated with a storefront. If you have the space, you can run a catering business our of your home.
If you have a unique idea for a barbecue restaurant, opening your own restaurant from scratch may be the best option for you.
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Research the barbecue business. If you've already worked in the business, you're probably familiar with what it takes to open a barbecue franchise, catering business or restaurant. If you don't have prior experience, you will need to do your homework. Talk to people already in the industry and local food-related small business owners and look on the Internet for information about what is required to start a barbecue business.
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Research food handling requirements and permits. This is the most important step if you are going to open any kind of business dealing with food. You must have the proper certification, permits and licenses to handle food and serve it to the public. The requirements for each state vary, so check with your local government for details. You can also visit statefoodsafety.com for more information.
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Investigate the competition. Before you start your barbecue business, take a look at the existing competition and see what you can learn from them. Consider their size, their products, how they market themselves, and their locations. Based on this information, you may decide to do some things the same and you may decide to do some things differently to differentiate yourself in the market.
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Write a business plan. Every business needs a plan. Even a barbecue business that you run out of your home kitchen. Consider the basics, including how you will finance the business, who will manage it, and how you will market it. Estimate how much money you will need to start the business and then make a potential profit model for the first five years. For more information on writing a basic business plan, visit the Small Business Administration website (sba.gov).
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