Food Aficionado Smart Brief: Volume 15
Welcome back to another edition of The Food Aficionado Smart Brief! Many successful restauranteurs have been a part of published articles to help identify some of their keys to success. Here, with a mix of our own knowledge, are some of the top secrets that restaurant owners believe to have launched them into the realm of successful entrepreneurs.
Keys To Success For New Restaurant Owners 1. Do Market Research and Find Your Niche It may seem simple, but it has been agreed upon by many successful owners. Before you even begin, you need a proper plan in order with detailed market research. Essentially, you must work to calculate the various market factors and be flexible as you move along. Obviously, plans don't always work out, but in order to get started, you have to be organized and prepared for any situation. After your plan is in order, market research is key to finding your niche to attack. A basic example of market research was conducted by Jim Amaral of Borealis Breads when he decided to call restaurants up and pitch them his idea. Once he had a few prospective clients, he knew he was onto something. This specific example may apply more towards food service, but this can be done in an endless amount of strategic ways. Take a bakery for instance; why not hand out samples at the local little league fields or other community gatherings to get an understanding of your market. Maybe the target group likes chocolate more than you expected, or they have a passion for specialty cakes. You truly will never know your target until you get out there and experience the people for who they are. This is utterly important to find your niche, especially because once it is found, you should go all-in to satisfy that one group. Only after you have a strong niche following do you think of expansion into new realms.
2. Remain Consistent, But Don't Miss Out On Trends It may seem simple, but it has been agreed upon by many successful owners. Once you find your specialty and favorite recipes, keep them going! Maintaining consistent quality will keep those loyal customers coming back. You never want a customer who is expecting a dish a specific way to leave feeling disappointed because of a subtle change to the recipe. This often comes down to having an open communication with the chef or those in the kitchen. Of course, you want to give your chef leeway when coming up with new menu items, but aim to keep an open line of communication with them, ensuring that original dishes remain the same. On the other hand, it's just as important to keep up with engaging trends that apply to your business. For instance, a juice bar should always be on the lookout for new health trends or flavors that have had a major impact in that community. Or maybe it's a family restaurant that needs to add a vegan option to ensure all customers have a meal to enjoy. Trends are the main way that your business will continue to grow alongside your peers and competitors. Regardless of your situation, attempt to stay focused and consistent with your dishes, while not being afraid to add new menu items that have been making waves throughout the industry.
3. Value All of Your Employees/Partners/Customers It has truly never been more important to value your employees and customers. Every day there is more news about “the great resignation” and how employees feel like the businesses are treating them unfairly. This all begins with the hiring and training process. Each restaurant has its own culture and feeling that not every employee will simply pick up on immediately. Be there for new hires, teach them the basics as well as installing confidence in them that they are the right fit. Additionally, holding regular meetings or training sessions will help show employees that you truly care about them, not simply that they work hard. Here is a list of tips to help keep employees motivated: https://www.posist.com/restaurant-times/restro-gyaan/10-golden-tips-keep-restaurant-staff-happy-motivated.html Finally, ensuring your customers have the best possible experience is something we have touched on, but believe should always be on the forefront of every restaurant's mind. With food consistently up to standards, your customers should feel that leaving there house for your restaurant is well worth the trip. Creating a pleasant ambiance, ensuring little wait-time, and making your customers feel invited are only a few ways to satisfy everyone who walks in that door. Overall, you are providing value to your customers, employees, and anyone else related to your business, but be sure to understand that they bring value to the table as well… don't let that go unnoticed!
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