5 ways to make your new restaurant stand out
So you want to open a new restaurant, huh? From brainstorming your concept to finding the right employees to unique marketing, getting started can be the hardest part, but don’t worry - this blog will outline the top 5 most important things to make your new restaurant stand out from the crowd.
Chose a concept
Assuming you know your basic category—quick-service/fast food, casual, or fine dining; you’ll need to know what type of food you’ll be serving. Whatever speaks to you and your passion is what you will be the most excited about serving. Does Italian make your heart sing or maybe you’re known as an Earl of Sandwich? Whatever you chose, make sure you chose something that speaks to you.
Research your target market and unique marketing tactics
Before you make a decision on your concept, research your market to determine if there’s a demand for the type of restaurant you want to start. Think about what type of customer you are looking for and then ask yourself - who will eat at your restaurant? Where do they live? What price range are they willing to pay?
Once you’ve figured out your target demographic, the next questions will help develop your marketing strategy and answer the age-old question - how will you get people through your doors? There is far more to marketing than just putting up a sign and hoping people will see it and come in. Before you open your doors, make sure to have your brand presence in place - design and develop a website, launch your social platforms, create print materials, etc.
Planning & Staffing
Once you have your concept and target market figured out - it’s time to plan your space! How will you lay out the kitchen, dining room, restrooms, patio, bar, waiting room, etc.? What type of equipment will you need? Depending on the type of food you are preparing you may need specialized equipment. Next, it will be time to figure out utensils, tables, seating, cookware, and more.
When opening a restaurant, keep in mind employee staff turnover is fairly high and you’ll want to attract and hire the right workers. Start at the top with your key employees like your chef and restaurant manager. From there you can start filling roles in the back of the house and front.
Choosing the right POS system
Here’s where we come in! Choosing the right point-of-sale system can be daunting and we’re here to help you find the best system to meet your needs and exceed your goals. In a previous blog post, we share our 3 steps for choosing the right POS system.
Have excellent customer service
You’ll likely want to create a welcoming environment that encourages guests to come back again and again. So how will you do that? By treating your customers well! With food service, you’ll encounter issues like food being made incorrectly for the customers’ order, slow service, or other issues - how will you solve these? How will you train your employees to make customers feel when they are dining in your establishment? It’s all part of building your business, and it’s important for return patrons.
Want a free state-of-the-art point of sale system? We’re currently offering a FREE* high-quality, brand new POS system for all our new customers! Call 855-434-9767 or email us for additional details.
