#Before You Open a Restaurant

By Lorri Mealey. Restauranting Expert

Lorri s first real job was as a cashier and hostess at a small independent restaurant in Western Maine, during college. At that time, she never dreamed that she would spend the next 15 years working in the restaurant industry, eventually co-owning three different restaurants. Today Lorri is a writer focusing on the restaurant industry and food trends. She offers advice and information on all aspects of restauranting and catering. Read more

Before you open your own restaurant there are many aspects that need to be addressed, to assure success. Here’s a list of available resources to help you in your new restaurant start-up.

Deciding if Owning a Restaurant is Right for You

It’s important to understand all the various jobs that are involved in running a restaurant. From bookkeeping, to cooking to PR, as the owner you are responsible for it all.

Deciding on a Restaurant Concept

Deciding what type of restaurant you want to open will depend of a variety of things. Often times people who want to open their own restaurant want to serve food they like to cook, in an atmosphere they feel comfortable in.

Other people are interested in Franchising. Restaurant franchises offer a number of benefits, including instant name recognition and built-in marketing. However, many restaurant franchises don t come cheap and owners must be willing to follow a stringent set of rules.

Choosing a Location for Your Restaurant

Location is vital to the success of any restaurant. There are several factors to consider when searching for that perfect restaurant location, including population base, local employment figures and accessibility.

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Once you find that perfect location, you will need to make sure you negotiate the best lease possible for your restaurant.

Writing a Business Plan

To prepare for your interview with the bank, you need to do your homework. Creating a business plan that outlines your restaurant and how you plan to make it profitable, will show the loan officer you mean business. Also make sure you arrive at the bank with all the necessary paperwork, including personal income statements. tax returns and anything else the banker ask you for.

Finding the Perfect Restaurant Name

Restaurant names may reflect a theme (Mexican, Chinese, Continental), a location, or simply be a play on words. The important thing to consider is the impression it will leave on customers. Select a name that will be easy to customers to remember and spell. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to find a restaurant online or in the Yellow Pages because you aren t spelling it correctly.

Writing the Menu

Your menu is a huge part of your restaurant. After all, it is essentially why your customers keep coming back. They love the food. The layout and design is just as important as what’s listed on the menu. Avoid amateur looking menu designs, such as clip art or photocopied handwriting. Finally, knowing how to price the menu will help increase your profit margins, giving you more money to invest into your restaurant.

Staffing Your Restaurant

Hiring the right staff is crucial to any new restaurant. Good food loses much of its appeal if it accompanied by bad service. Knowing the basic employee roles of the back of the house and the front of the house will help you select the best candidate for the job. Experience counts for important positions, such as head cook, dining room manager and bartender.

Outfitting your restaurant kitchen. dining room and bar is the largest part of your start up budget. Shop around for bargain deals of used equipment and leased equipment. Also understanding needs vs. wants is important in avoiding the pitfalls of buying unnecessary furniture and equipment, which can set you way over budget. Begin with the basics, and once you have those you can pick up a few extras.