Restaurant Start Up Tips

(On your mark, get set….)

There is nothing as scary, or exciting as the restaurant start up phase. The energy and the pace can become addictive. I hope you’re prepared for very little sleep, lots of decisions and obstacles, and a sense of accomplishment during your restaurant start up!

It is a great feeling to see your vision coming to fruition!

You're getting ready for that day you have circled on the calendar. Your rookie staff looks great. Your restaurant looks and feels great, and you have a huge smile on your face. You have spent the time to organize every system, create a detailed operations manual for you and your staff, and create schedule, order forms, inventory controls systems, etc.,

But, don’t take your eye off the prize. With all the little details that you will be bombarded with during restaurant start up, don’t forget to stay focused on one questions; “Getting open is one thing, how do I STAY open for a long, long time?”

You’ve spent a huge amount of energy learning how to start a restaurant. As the owner of a new restaurant you must spend some time focusing on what you business will be doing down the road. How will you grow your business? During restaurant start up phase it’s tough to ask this question, “What happens if we open and no-one shows up?”

Don’t rely on the Kevin Costner line from “Field of Dreams” – if you build it they will come.

That restaurant mentality worked years ago in small cities with less competition. The restaurant industry has changed. Big, corporate chains are trying to eliminate the small guys market share. Fortunately, the little guy can still be VERY successful if they construct a long-term, cost-effective marketing plan.

These are a few of the questions most rookie owners don’t consider during their restaurant start up phase.