Restaurant Business. Anthony Ekanem

they serve.

      Seafood Restaurants

      There are different types of seafood restaurants. There are the quick-service ones, the ones which cater to the middle class and the higher-end ones which cater to the upper class. The quick service seafood restaurants are very much similar to fast-food restaurants. Generally, seafood restaurants offer a wide variety of seafood and they serve it in different fashions.

      Casual Dining

      This type of restaurant caters to almost all kinds of people. People go here to be able to have a lot of food choices and enjoy the relaxed kind of atmosphere. The prices in casual dining restaurants are usually not that high.

      Pizzeria

      There are basically two choices in creating a pizzeria. The first one is to construct a full-blown restaurant which doesn't only serve pizza but many different kinds of Italian food as well. The other choice is to specialize in pizzas and a few other items such as beer.

      Coffeehouse

      More and more people are being enticed to go to coffeehouses. These coffeehouses offer the coziest atmospheres for small talk and coffee conversations.

      These are only a few of the choices that you have in developing a concept for your restaurant. Explore other choices and stick with the one which satisfies the heart most.

      Chapter 3

      Designing Your Restaurant

      A good design and layout plan are necessary for having a good restaurant. Restaurants are good businesses which can be very fulfilling. The mere fact that people go to your restaurant to eat is already something to cherish. It’s like having people inside your home every once in a while craving your home-baked goodies.

      A successful restaurant will need a good design and layout plan. Design and layout plans are dependent on different factors which will influence the final decisions later on.

      In fact, the output of the layout plans can definitely affect the success of the restaurant. People often go to a new restaurant and they think to themselves “they should have put that plant elsewhere, it obstructs the good view” or “I wish they hadn’t put too much light in here.” These are small things which can really add up and end up influencing the customers to go to the other side of the street where another restaurant is calling out to their taste buds.

      After the type of food and service are identified, the next step is to hire consultants regarding the design of the restaurant. These are some of the things that you need to take into consideration when considering different floor and layout plans for the restaurant.

      Density of customers

      The layout plan should be based mostly on the comfort of the patrons. Even fast food restaurants consider the density of people, especially in peak hours, even though it may seem that these restaurants become too crowded during lunch time.

      For formal dining restaurants which cater to the upper class income, it may be wise to provide more space between the tables since these restaurants don’t really rely on the number of people per day. Their revenues depend on the pricing of the food items. There should be more provision for eye candy such as furniture and art works.

      Style of service

      The layout and floor plans should also be based on the type of service that the restaurant will give. Fast food restaurants and self-service restaurants would need less distance between the tables since the food won't be served there. For other restaurants which provide table service, the space between the tables is very important so as to prevent too much clutter from happening in a specific part of the restaurant.

      Type of building

      The layout plan is restricted by the type of structure where the restaurant will be built. You should be able to take into consideration all the different curves and the minor details in the structure before proceeding.

      Lighting

      Proper lighting is very important for every restaurant. The lighting should be able to match the mood and the type of service of the restaurant. A relaxed atmosphere can be complemented by bright lighting while serene and serious moods can be accompanied by subtler shades.

      Designing the restaurant will be divided into two important parts: the dining area and the production area.

      The dining area is important because this is the essence of the structure of the restaurant. The people should be comfortable in eating in the restaurant and this will be determined as early as the designing phase. Studies have revealed that 50 percent of the time, people come in restaurants as pairs, 30 percent come alone while the remaining 20 percent usually come in groups.

      The production area is the second major part of any restaurant. The main thing about the production area should be efficiency. The organization of the kitchen will determine the speed by which the food can be cooked and served. The production area design should take into consideration other things like space for storage, food preparation, baking, cooking, trash storage, production aisles, employee facilities and other such matters.

      In hiring design consultants, the restaurant owner should always remember to put a clause of confidentiality in the contract. This is to prevent the consultants from leaking certain parts of the design to other people, especially to the competitors. This can be as simple as a single-line clause which states that everything regarding the design will be owned by the client.

      These are some useful things to remember in designing your restaurant. The most important thing to remember is the people who will be eating at the restaurant for they will be the ultimate lever of its success or failure.

      Chapter 4

      Start-up Costs

      The cost of opening your own restaurant business is one very important matter to be dealt with and often the hardest to determine because, to a great extent, it depends on the type of restaurant that you desire to open.

      Your restaurant “start-up costs” are outlined as expenses incurred for the acquisition or creation of your restaurant business. “Start-up costs” are comprised as any incurred amounts or out-going capital in relation with your restaurant’s activity directed for income generation before your restaurant business starts.

      Start-up costs generally include the following expenses:

      ● Potential markets surveys.

      ● Evaluation of available supplies, labor, facilities, etc.

      ● Advertisements.

      ● Business equipment and fixtures

      ● Equipment and fixture installation

      ● Decorating and re-modelling

      ● Employee uniforms

      ● Salaries for employees undergoing training and their trainers.

      ● Costs of travel for acquiring prospective suppliers, distributors or customers.

      ● Fees and salaries for consultants and executives and other similar services.

      Estimating your restaurant business’ start-up costs:

      It is a wise decision to study your start-up costs estimate with a qualified accountant.

      ● Begin by recording then add up your entire restaurant’s equipment which you consider is necessary to begin and manage your restaurant. See the chapter on selecting equipment and furnishings for more help on this.

      ● On your list, mark off certain items or equipment that aren't really necessary and can wait.