Top Tips For Opening A High-End Restaraunt
There are many reasons why you may have decided to open up a high-end restaurant.
For example, you may have a passion for fine dining and an arsenal of quality recipes under your belt from years in the Kitchen, or you may have noticed a clear demand for a high-end establishment in your area.
In any case, there are plenty of steps that you can take to set yourself up for success when opening a high-end restaurant.
Pull together a budget. The first step toward starting any business is getting your budget together. This way, you can ensure that you have enough money aside to stay afloat for the first few months (or until a time when you are earning enough profit to support yourself. Remember, when starting a restaurant, there are a wide range of things you’ll need to purchase or pay for, including:
Rent or mortgage payments
Employee wages and bonuses
Ingredients and produce
Furniture and decor
Kitchen equipment
Insurance
Utilities
Marketing
Find your niche. When it comes to succeeding within the culinary world, finding a niche is key. After all, it is estimated that over 50,000 restaurants open every year in the US alone. Having a niche, whether it relates to the theme and design of your restaurant or the food you serve, can help you stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of interested (and hungry) diners.
Choose an interesting name. While it may not seem that important in the grand scheme of things, the name you chose for your business does wield some influence over your overall success. This is because your name is part of your brand identity, which shapes how customers or potential customers perceive your brand from the outset. This means that you need to ensure that your name is both interesting and evocative of what you are trying to achieve (high-end dining).
Hire the best staff. Hiring the right staff will also play a role in your company’s success, which means that you need to make sure your hiring processes for everything from front-of-house staff to head chefs are top-notch. You should also ensure that you’re able to attract the top industry talent by offering fair salaries, bonuses and other benefits - otherwise, you may risk losing talent to your competitors.
Perfect your scheduling. It is important that you get the schedules right when running a restaurant. After all, you need to make sure that there are enough staff on-site during busy periods to keep up with the demand without expecting your team to work ridiculous or unsafe hours that will put them on the path to burnout. If you’re unfamiliar with scheduling, you can find excellent restaurant schedule examples online.
Make sure you understand the legalities. There are certain legal requirements that you must follow when running a restaurant, which can vary somewhat depending on where you are based. As such, it is important that you familarize yourself with them ahead of time to avoid costly complications further down the line. If this is something you’re likely to struggle with, consider hiring a lawyer who can help to ensure that your processes are all above board.
Think about the interior design. Once you’ve developed a concept for your restaurant and have thought about the factors listed above, you can start thinking about your restaurant design and layout. While most of your attention will likely be focused on the kitchen or dining areas during this time, don’t forget the bathrooms, either. Remember, there are certain
amenities that must be available in a commercial restroom, and you also need to take to account customers with accessibility needs and requirements.
Get the lighting right. When it comes to creating the perfect atmosphere within your restaurant, nailing the lighting is key. This is because the right lighting can make your restaurant feel romantic and cozy or bright and inviting.
Promote a positive working culture. Restaurants (or the food service industry in general) are often known for having a less-than-ideal working culture. After all, they are hiring in pressured environments that require every employee to be at their best 100% of the time. However, this is something that you should aim to combat within your business if you want to see long-term success.
After all, building a positive workplace culture means that your employees remain happy and focused on the job at hand and that they are less likely to deal with stress and burnout. It will also strengthen relationships between colleagues and reduce the chances of an employee deciding to seek employment elsewhere.
Promote your business online. Many restaurants survive on word of mouth. However, growing your brand's online presence can also prove to be beneficial. This is because it helps expose your business to a wider audience who may be interested in what to offer, as well as making your restaurant appear more reputable.
If you’re still not convinced, it is important to take into account that, per a recent study, 50% of diners claim social media influences their restaurant choices. This is particularly true if any of your posts trend or go viral, as customers will flock to your doors to see what the fuss is about.
If you’re struggling to build a social media following, consider hosting some kind of competition. For example, you may want to offer a voucher or a free set meal for two and require entrants to follow your page and share your posts to enter. This will increase your engagement quite considerably, and many will continue to follow and support your brand moving forward.
Final thoughts. In short, there are many steps that you can take to ensure that your high-end restaurant venture is a success, even if you do not have much experience in the culinary field. However, it is important to acknowledge that you have a lot of work cut out for you, especially when you’re appealing to high-end clientele who have similarly high expectations. That being said, if you’re willing to put the work in, there’s no reason not to take this leap.