Opening a restaurant isn’t as easy as it sounds. Proper planning is Imperative

The biggest mistake people do when opening up a café, restaurant, bar or a pub is to think that it is an easy thing to do. They let their guard down too soon and end up making a series of bad decisions that ultimately leads to the demise of their business. If you wish to open up a space where you will be serving your customers food and/or drink items, there are few important things that you must keep in mind.

The first thing you need to figure out is how much do you know about the business that you are about to start. Its alright if you don’t know much. But starting something without performing proper research and analysis is a recipe for disaster. For example, if you are opening up a bar, you must posses a good knowledge of various types of liquors available in the market. If you do not drink, read about them. Ask your friends who enjoy alcoholic beverages. Get as much information as possible about the products you will be selling. It is also important to learn about the tastes of your target audience. If they enjoy cocktails, it will be a good decision to hire a seasoned bartender who can mix those drinks for your customers. Investing in quality shop display equipment and other shop systems is also essential for your business. Your customers must be able to properly see and experience what you have to offer.

The second thing that is equally important is the location of your eatery. Unless, you come up with a seriously good disruptive marketing plan, it is not advisable to open up a similar business in an already crowded market. For example, opening a burger joint in an area which already has 10+ outlets selling the same stuff, including big names like Burger King and McDonald’s, is not a very good idea. On the other hand, if none of those existing outlets are known for their vegan burgers and you start a restaurant that sells delicious vegan fast-food, you might be onto something here.

Now let’s focus on shop décor. It is important for any eatery to create an inviting environment for their customers. The shop display equipment that you buy must not only be of good quality but also be customized to your exact requirements. The same goes for other shop systems like counters, shelves, freezers, tables, chairs and other furniture. Your signage, the colors on the walls, the décor’ items, the furniture, even your staff uniforms must all complement your brand identity. In other words, you cannot simply afford to do things randomly if you wish to build a strong brand.

When your customer looks at your brand identity, it should create a lasting impression their mind. For example, if plan to start an Irish pub with ‘green’ and ‘brown’ as your primary and secondary colors respectively, your goal is to create such an amazing environment using those colors that whenever the customer sees that color combination elsewhere, it immediately reminds them of your business.

Finally comes the choice of shopfitting vendor. Do not compromise your brand by going with generic, off the shelf products. The shop display equipment that you want must be from a vendor that specializes in customized shop systems. Same goes for other fittings. It is important to talk to at least five different vendors, compare quotes and plans, and make an informed business decision. Do not go with a provider that offers the cheapest solution. Judge them on other parameters- their reliability, the quality of service, designing and planning capabilities, past experience, turnaround times and after-sales support.