When it comes to running a successful food business, there are a lot of factors that come into play which makes it a little too overwhelming at times for the budding restaurateur
When it comes to running a successful food business, there are a lot of factors that come into play which makes it a little too overwhelming at times for the budding restaurateur
Sahana Samantha Rajesh
When it comes to running a successful food business, there are a lot of factors that come into play which makes it a little too overwhelming at times for the budding restaurateur. From coming up with a USP for your restaurant all the way to accounting and finance. Doing everything can get a bit monotonous after a period of time and you can end up making blunders which can cost you a huge sum. Don't worry, for we are here to help you with that. The following blog has all the information you require to avoid making blunders when you kickstart your business.
7 worst mistakes (blunders) that most Restarauteurs do.
1)Discovering your USP (Unique selling proposition)
Have you ever noticed that when we book tickets for a film, we usually opt for the theatre which has the best popcorn with free seasoning? Likewise,because there's competition everywhere. You need to identify the unique selling proposition of your restaurant to get ahead of the curve. Is it going to be a theme restaurant? Is it going to be of a particular cuisine? Are you going to introduce a new dish the crowd has never tasted? Or is it going to be something fresh which the customer has never heard about before? You have to identify what the Unique selling proposition of your restaurant/cloud kitchen is going to be and work on building that so that it makes your business stand out.
2)Creating a sustainable menu :
Whenever a Restaurateur starts, one of the biggest & most baffling problems on their head is how to choose the right menu? Identify your USP and decide on a menu based on a mix of food items which are both famous, new and also economical is the best approach.Choose a particular cuisine and stick to it so that you don't have to keep changing menus time & again
3)Food security issues and transportation challenges.
Remember, the customer's health and well-being is your first priority. Ensure that proper health and hygiene standards are maintained, and that your staffs wear protective gear (i.e wearing gloves, apron, hair nets ) at all times. Most importantly, when a staff is sick ensure that they do not come to work till they are cured. Extra care should be given for food cleaning (like fish, prawns, etc). collaborate with a trustworthy food transportation company and ensure that you have a cloud based access control system so that you can track your orders from anywhere.
4)Restaurant Management structure :
Recruit employees who share your level of passion and zeal when it comes to food. Cause hiring people who aren't going to stay in the long run, can cost you a lot of resources. Look out for attributes like kindness,patience, reliability etc in your employee.Under employeeing staff can put a lot of pressure on the working staff and over employeeing can cost you a lot for unnecessary resources. Ensure that you always hire a cook, an accountant, a manager and a waiter for they are the four pillars of the restaurant.
Alternatively, there are cloud computing apps like RIMS (Restaurant inventory management system) which Infinitus offers that can reduce the need for human labour. You can try them out and see what works for your restaurant.
5) Analysing your costs, budgets and Inventory management.
When it comes to running a successful food business, it is quintessential to analyse your finances and spend smartly. There are a lot of hidden costs that re-surfaces as hefty sums with days passing. Hence, it is important to consult an accountant and figure out hidden costs before you can start your restaurant. Making a budget and sticking to it can save a lot of money and maximize profits.
However, one must note that the inventory should not suffer because of the budget. Ensuring that the inventory is stocked up at all times and waste is minimal is extremely important. If you do not have the time or labour to take care of your accounts and Inventory, you can always invest in an app like RIMS (restaurant inventory management system) from infinitus which will do all the analysis and management for you and you can monitor the progress of your restaurant from your smartphone.
6) Restaurant marketing challenges:
Do not rely on the myth that good food alone will bring your customers. Good food is essential to retain customers, but if you are just starting off, you must have a good marketing plan in store for commercial success. If people should come and eat at your restaurant, they should first know that your restaurant exists which is why marketing is very important. With today's day and age, relying on newspaper advertisements or banners alone is not enough, having a good social media marketing plan can get you instant customers.You can also work on developing customer loyalty programs or offering discounts to regular customers to keep them coming.
7) Not coping with changing trends
With everything going virtual, a successful food business must automate itself in order to survive the cut-throat competition. Using an app like RIMS enables your customers to prebook and preorder their food before they arrive at the restaurant which eventually reduces their time in the restaurant thus giving space to accommodate more customers. Automated payment gateways, feedback forms, estimating how many people eat at your restaurant on a daily basis, how many people order delivery, what items sell more, what items are less profitable, what is your sales margin and your profit margin can all be made very simple with RIMS.
These are the top 7 blunders which most Restarauteurs commit. Let us know if these methods have worked for you or if you know of any other methods which have worked. Visit https://workline.cloud/app/rims/ to get your free trial of RIMS today.
