While many people have thought about starting a restaurant, few people have tried. That’s led to many misconceptions about doing so. You’ll need to wonder, ‘what do you need to start a restaurant?’ The answer could be much more complicated than you’d expect.
There are a few obvious things, such as cooking equipment and a chef. Beyond that, you mightn’t know what else you’ll need. As overwhelming as the process might be, you can simplify it in a few ways.
Having a checklist of what you need to start a restaurant will be helpful. Make sure there are a few specific things on that checklist.
What Do You Need To Start A Restaurant?
Licenses & Permits
Before you can open your restaurant, you’ll need several licenses and permits. Many of these will revolve around health and safety. Some of these will be taken care of once you’ve gotten your premises, although most will have to be applied for and gotten well before then.
As part of this, you’ll need to have health and safety measures in place in your restaurant. That could include first aid kits, fire alarms, security systems, and much more. Business permits are also a large part of this; you wouldn’t be able to open the restaurant without them.
Make sure to get these taken care of as soon as possible. Failing to do so could result in legal consequences. Some permits will have to be renewed regularly. In these cases, inspections will typically take place to make sure that your restaurant maintains certain standards.
Suppliers
When starting a restaurant, it’s evident that you’ll need food supplies from various suppliers. However, what may not be obvious is the possibility of using multiple suppliers. For instance, if your restaurant features recipes that heavily rely on beef and other meats, you can research the top corned beef brands as well as other meat types, and reach out to relevant suppliers to establish partnerships. Alternatively, you can explore wholesale suppliers that offer a wide range of restaurant supplies under one roof, simplifying the procurement process.
Though it could be easy to buy everything from one place, that mightn’t be the best approach. You might find that buying supplies from different companies will give you better produce. There are a few suppliers you could need, including:
- Meat
- Seafood
- Dry Goods
- Alcohol
- Produce
These suppliers will be the ones responsible for delivering goods to you. You could work with a few other companies, however. These will offer you a few services, including:
- Glass & Bottle Recycling
- Used Cooking Oil Recycling
- Donating Unused Foods
These can all be recommended, depending on exactly what your restaurant’s needs are.
The Right Employees
You’ll naturally need staff to work at your restaurant. At least one person will be needed, even if you’re also working there. A high-quality chef will be vital, as the food will need to be good enough to please your customers and convince them to return.
Your waiting staff will be just as important. After all, few people will return to your restaurant if they’re not treated well. Making sure that all of your employees – regardless of how many you have – are highly trained is essential.
Doing so could make or break your restaurant, especially when it first launches. Start things off right by making sure you’ve hired the right employees.
A Great Menu
The menu attracts people to your restaurant much more than you’d think. If potential customers don’t find something that they like, then they’ll walk away. While you’re not going to please everyone, you should make your menu as appealing as possible.
That doesn’t mean having as many dishes as possible. You should focus on creating high-quality dishes that people will love. By nailing these meals for each of your customers, word will spread about how good it is.
When you’re putting together the menu, you should use appetizing words. Having meat “flame-broiled,” for example, could make it sound more appealing. That could be the difference in helping someone decide if they’ll enter your restaurant.
You should also make sure the menu is well-designed. If people believe that you didn’t put effort into the menu, then they’ll think that you won’t put effort into the food itself. That makes the design of the menu just as important as the verbiage.
Though it will take effort to nail this, it will be more than worth it.
Wrapping Up
If you haven’t done it before, you mightn’t know what you need to start a restaurant. There can be much more involved in it than you first thought. That shouldn’t stop you from trying. If you have a solid business plan, funding, and all of the above, then you could be in a good position to try.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to make sure your food is high-quality. All the marketing in the world won’t make up for an unappealing meal. That can be the most important thing about becoming a restaurant owner; everything else can be seen as secondary.