If you are a budding entrepreneur who wishes to enter the retail food sector, there is a lot to consider. Now that the Covid pandemic is almost over and the vaccination is being rolled out, life will soon be returning to normal and this is the ideal time to launch a restaurant business.
Here are a few tips to help you with the planning and launching of your new business.
- Digital Marketing – If your restaurant serves the best oysters in Rose Bay, then you want the local community to know and when you hire a digital marketing agency, look for an agency that specialises in localised digital marketing. There’s not much point in focusing in people who are not living in the region and with localised SEO services, you can target people within a specific radius. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that digital marketing is an optional extra, as it most certainly is an essential service, especially in this digital age. Social media is a very powerful marketing platform, especially for a restaurant and with professional help, many people will be aware of your opening date and will take advantage of your special opening promotions.
- Choose your Location Carefully – You won’t need reminding that your location needs to be ideal; drawing a 10-mile radius on a map should include housing communities and if you are on a major road, then you will have significant through traffic. This is the decision that could make or break the business and make sure that you carry out thorough searches, looking at potential venues. Click here for tips on how to make your business more productive.
- Take Away – This can be a lucrative side to your business; it is not difficult to set up, simply employ a couple of motorcycle couriers, design suitable food packaging and prepare your take-out menu. With COVID-19 continuing to impact the food industry, you may consider offering online food handler’s certification training to employees who prepare or handle your product to ensure full compliance with food health and safety procedures. This broadens your market, as many people simply don’t have the time to dine out and if your menu and service is good, you should establish yourself and enjoy regular evening orders. Indeed, you may have targeted the home market, rather than opening a restaurant, which isn’t a bad idea in these troubling times, as people prefer to order take away rather than venturing out.
- Create a Concept – Much like any other sector, a restaurant should have a concept, which might be sports or country style with high barstools and a walnut bar. You could go futuristic or homely, whatever theme you choose, invest in some interior design to create a suitable ambience. Spend as much time as you need to create the right concept for your restaurant, as this is one of the most important aspects of managing a food business. You are advised to keep abreast of the Covid-19 updates for the region of Australia you live in.
Some might say that this is not a good time to start any business, while others say that fortune favours the brave. If your business plan ticks all the right boxes and you have the capital to make the business work, there’s no reason why you won’t be successful with your new venture.