Whether you’re a great chef or know the hospitality market like the back of your hand; setting up a successful restaurant is a big endeavor. With the right skills, passion and dedication; your establishment could easily become the next place for which everyone in town is rushing to get a reservation. You may have raised the capital, spoken to your financial advisors, sourced the investment and know exactly what sort of cuisine you’re going to serve, but the hard work doesn’t stop there – it’s only the beginning.
Getting your new business off to a great start is crucial in the food and drinks industry. Your goal should be to leave a great impression on your first guests and make sure that they leave with a great taste in their mouth. If people are paying for their service, food, and beverages; they’ll expect to be impressed. They will also expect to get more than they would at home for free. Remember, your end goal is to delight your customers. Here are some ideas, inspiration and advice if you’re a budding restaurateur who wants to kick your business off to a successful start.
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Environment
Your establishment should be in an area where residents are likely to want your cuisine and are happy to pay your prices. There are certain elements to an eatery that every patron will expect and that should always be of a high standard. Your cleanliness and hygiene should be of paramount importance to your establishment. Invest in a reputable team to do your restaurant cleaning and ensure that regular checks are being carried out whether an inspection is due or not. One bad online review of your hygiene levels, or even the cleanliness of your bathroom or kitchen areas, could lead to a dramatic drop in customers. So make sure you’re keeping on top of it daily.
Accessibility is also a key factor to ensure that you can welcome all guests through your doors. Therefore, you’ll need to check the spacing and layout of your restaurant environment and make it so people can get in and out with ease.
Service
The next thing that could lead to a customer either returning or vowing to never return again is the level of service they receive. You and your staff should be warm, friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. People are likely to ask questions. In your opening weeks, there will likely be critics and reviewers seated at various tables, so make sure the quality of service you provide is the best it can be.
People will often give establishments where they’ve received poor food a second chance if their server provided enough care and apologies. If you try to see your customers’ experience through their eyes, you’ll get a clear idea of what you need to do to improve in all areas and your new business will begin to bloom.
