If you’re one of those people that love being in bars, restaurants, and cafes, then it may have crossed your mind — at least once — that you should 
consider opening up your own place. For most people, this thought is only fleeting: it more or less escapes the realm of possibility the moment it’s said aloud. But other people do, in fact, follow up with their idea. If there’s one thing that anyone looking at opening a bar or restaurant understand, however, it’s that a huge percentage of these types of ventures fail within the first three years. So how do you ensure that you don’t become another statistic? We take a look at a few tried and tested tips below.
Your Angle
People aren’t going to travel to your restaurant and give you business just because you’re there. The job of people in the food industry is to provide more than just sustenance; it’s about the experience. You need to know what you’re doing, and make sure that people visiting your place know it too — a big percentage of your business will come from people who have visited your establishment more than once. Instead of trying to cater to all people, go niche. Find your angle, and do it well.
Other People’s Mistakes
It’s a sad reality that so many bars and restaurants close before they’ve had a chance to establish themselves. The people put a lot of time, energy, and money into making their dream come true, and it didn’t quite happen. However, while it’s disappointing for the people involved, their failure doesn’t have to be in vain. Take a read of some of the common reasons why restaurants fail, and you’ll be able to avoid making the same mistakes. As with most things in life, knowledge is power!
On Top of Trends
There really aren’t too many industries that aren’t in a state of perpetual motion. The restaurant industry is like the air travel industry; standards are so high that if you’re going to remain successful, then you can’t let the quality of your restaurant and food drop. One way to avoid this problem is to stay on top of the latest food and drink trends. You don’t have to blindly follow all of them (actually, it’s recommended that you don’t), but by being aware of the trends, you’ll avoid missing out on some of the game-changing trends that all restaurants who want to stay in the game need to adopt. For example, a vegan restaurant Miami Beach may be in vogue now, but eating trends change!
Your Staff
In a restaurant, it’s the food, the ambiance of the place, and the staff that contribute towards making it a successful venture. As such, you’ll want to go to extra lengths to ensure that your team of workers are suitable for the position and know how to serve customers. If they’re knowledgeable about your menu or don’t treat your visitors as they deserve to be treated, then your business will suffer — and for entirely unnecessary reasons. Bring the right people on board, and make sure you’re training them well.
Please check out this infographic, created by Clover, a restaurant POS company.
Images courtesy of Rewards Network.
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