Roman Shirokiy

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If you decide to take the path of opening a catering point, most likely, you have a lot of questions, including how to open a cafe, and what is needed for this. The first step is to structure the foundational points to help build a complete picture of the action.

Many people dream of a prosperous restaurant or a comfortable and warm cafe. Becoming a good restaurateur is not easy, but real. In this article, I will offer information that will help you open a cafe and make your business prosperous.

Executives, managers and even students prefer to eat at the cafe every day, rather than carry bags of sandwiches with them.

To open an institution from scratch, you will need capital, premises and a package of documents.

1. Select a market segment, analyze the market and draw up a business plan.
2. Think over the concept of the establishment. For example, it can be organized as a gallery or on wheels.
3. Choose the organizational and legal form of the enterprise and the taxation system.
4. Choose a location. If opening a youth institution, great places in the university area. A family café is opened in dormitory areas, and a thematic café in the city center.
5. A menu is drawn up based on the estimated number of customers. An excellent set - five hot dishes, twice as many salads and snacks, and a dozen drinks.
6. The list of the main components that leave an impression of the institution is presented: staff, cozy atmosphere and a certain chip.
7. It is better to entrust the selection of personnel to a competent recruiting agency.
8. Before starting the renovation, obtain a permit to place the establishment. This document is an official consent to the opening of a cafe in a certain room. You can get it from Rospotrebnadzor.

The opening permit will be issued by the head physician of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station ten days in advance. You will need the following package of documents:

1. IP registration certificate
2. Premises lease agreement
3. The results of the medical examination of employees
4. Conclusion on the product.

You will also need to acquire such permits:

1. Trade license
2. License for the sale of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages
3. Trade patent.

Many make mistakes when completing the listed documents. A professional lawyer will help to avoid such a fate.

Detailed video instruction

Now let's talk about the cost of opening. It's hard to say how much money will be required if you don't have a business plan at hand. It all depends on the location, city, equipment, menu, etc.

You will have to seriously spend money on:

1. Premises
2. Equipment
3. Salary
4. Advertising.

Take your time and think carefully about all the steps, because the future of the establishment and profit depends on this. I just have to wish you good luck in starting your business.

Where to start - action plan

I will try to help you understand the specifics of the restaurant business by offering a detailed step-by-step plan for opening a cafe and some important tips.

Facility format

It is necessary to decide on the format of the institution. For example: canteen, restaurant, coffee shop, bar or cafe. It is recommended for beginners to start by opening a regular cafe with a minimum investment.

1. Bar... Represents an establishment that has a counter with alcoholic beverages and a hall designed for an average of 30 visitors. You won't be able to order a hot dish at the bar. It offers a fine selection of spirits, snacks and various salads.
2. coffee house... People come here to sit in a cozy atmosphere, have a cup of tea or coffee and have a little snack. The coffee shop is perfect for small companies who want to relax a little and forget about the hustle and bustle for a moment.
3. A cafe... A universal institution. Here you can drink, eat, dance, socialize or celebrate. The menu includes hot dishes, salads, cold snacks, desserts and drinks.

Location and design

Choosing a place. The establishment should be located in a walkable and crowded place. Choose a design that is comfortable, interesting and original. The interior of the premises should correspond to the concept and name of the establishment. Waiters should wear stylish cafe uniforms.

Staff

1. Waiters are required to look good and be smart. Unforeseen situations often arise, and the waiter must be able to calmly and quickly solve them. They should know the names of the dishes, the composition and the cost.
2. The bartender is obliged to know the names of the drinks that are available, their cost, be well-versed in the types of beer and wine.
3. The chef is the invisible flagship of the establishment. Whether the client will return to the cafe depends on his skill. The most important role is played by the quality of the food.

Purchasing products

A very important process in which the leader must also participate. Chefs try to take food in reserve. Undoubtedly, this approach is correct, however, in the establishment, which is just opening, no one knows what kind of dishes customers will order. At first, you need to buy a little of everything.

Let me give a few words to the atmosphere of the establishment. We should try to create a cozy, warm and welcoming atmosphere so that the visitor has a feeling of care and love.

What if there is no money?

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are interested in how to start a business without investment. I will give a short guide to help you understand how to open a cafe without money.

1. A business plan needs to be drawn up. In the document, lay down the amount required at the initial stage and make an estimate, which includes staff costs, utilities, advertising, the cost of products and the rental of premises. Be sure to indicate the planned income
2. Go to the bank with a business plan for a loan. Provide information correctly and truthfully.
3. Discuss opening a cafe with family and longtime friends. Perhaps they will lend the required amount. It is better to pay interest to a loved one than to a banking organization.
4. If you have a wealthy friend, offer him a partnership.
5. If you managed to get funds, immediately start thinking about how to make money and become a millionaire. Initially, this is problematic, since the cafe will be little attended. An advertisement or a promoted network portal will come to the rescue.
6. You can create a page about a cafe on the Internet, launch an advertising campaign on third-party portals. Use social media actively for advertising purposes.

Show perseverance and confidently walk towards the goal.

12 Steps to Opening a Fast Food Cafe

The concept of "fast food" has appeared recently, but fast food establishments have instantly gained popularity. This market segment is attractive to aspiring entrepreneurs. The opening of such an institution does not require large expenses.

A fast food cafe is a place where you can have a quick and inexpensive snack. The service time does not exceed 5 minutes, and the duration of the client's stay is on average 30 minutes. The success directly depends on the high turnover of seats.

1. Choose a place. It must have a high cross-country ability, meet the requirements of the fire inspection and SES.
2. Decide on the type of institution. Often, fast food cafes use ready-made semi-finished products that warm up or carry out the final processing after the customer's order. Semi-finished products are prepared by suppliers.
3. If you want to independently make semi-finished products, for example, tacos, you will need to equip an additional room for processing vegetables, cutting fish and meat.
4. There are several types of "fast food". It is imperative to decide on the variety. The set of equipment depends on this. McDonald's type establishments. A cafe of a certain national cuisine. Establishments that put the concept of the product at the top - dumplings, pizzerias or pancakes.
5. Having solved the issue of renting premises, equip the interior. More often than not, fast food cafes lack sophisticated design and pretentious surroundings. Not surprising, because they are not focused on long-term pastime.
6. The main feature of "fast food" is the strictest standardization. Dishes, equipment, assortment and even interior are exposed to it. This is due to the widespread development of networks of such establishments. If you decide to open a fast food cafe, be sure to find out if it is not more profitable to organize a franchise business.
7. Such establishments provide self-service, waiters are not required. However, you cannot do without a cleaner, dishwashers, assistants and cooks.
8. Hire only sociable, agile and stress-resistant workers. They should be familiar with trade and catering regulations.

How to open a cafe on the highway

I often have to travel long distances by car. After sitting behind the wheel for several hours in a row, there is a desire to make a stop, look into a cozy cafe and relax a little.

At the same time, many people are not satisfied with the level of salaries, and they begin to think about starting their own business - a cafe on the highway. This kind of restaurant business deserves special attention.

1. Get a location for a fast food outlet. Visit the road construction office, where you can find out which district the land belongs to.
2. Then go to the district administration and write an application for the provision of a land plot for rent or property.
3. Be sure to register an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. IP is enough for a small cafe. If your plans include opening a network of fast food outlets, you cannot do without registering a legal entity.
4. Draw up a project and business plan. With these documents go to the administration for approval. Then you will receive permission to open a cafe.
5. After receiving the land, contact a licensed architect. Draw up a sketch and project of the building, solve communication-related issues.
6. Take the project and sketch of the cafe to the department of urban planning. Here you will receive an approval certificate. Together with him, go to the SES, fire protection, administration.
7. After completing the construction of the building, invite a special commission, which will carefully examine the structure and make a final verdict.
8. Before opening, invite SES employees. They will inspect the cafe and issue an opinion. The building must have a sewerage system, water supply and a bathroom.
9. The final point will be put by fire experts.

You will be able to start a restaurant business only after obtaining all the necessary permits. Next, it remains to hire qualified personnel and get to work.

Finally, I will add, if you intend to open such an institution, do not rush to brag among your friends. Better to inform them after the doors of the cafe are open to visitors. There are envious people who seek to destroy the enthusiasm of the person who decided to start a business. They declare that nothing will work out, there is a crisis in the country, all the money will be wasted.

If you conduct a survey among the population and ask the question: "What kind of business would you like to open?", Then many would answer that it would be a catering establishment. Therefore, information on how to open a restaurant will come in handy. Not only beginners, but even experienced businessmen may have problems and doubts about organizing such an enterprise. Opening a restaurant is a business that has many tricks and pitfalls, and you need to know about them.

What is needed for a restaurant business?

In order to end up with an institution that will not only pay off, but also make a profit, you need to take into account many important aspects. The first thing to start with is to choose the specifics of your business. This can be a gourmet restaurant with signature cuisine, fast food, an exclusive pub, or your average average restaurant.

Depending on the chosen direction, you can determine an approximate pricing policy. The whole concept and business plan of your establishment will depend on these two indicators. Remember that if the price policy and the quality of the dishes match each other, then you will not have to complain about the absence of visitors.

Seat selection

Many are interested in where to start a restaurant business, so as not to immediately go down the wrong path. For your catering establishment to be profitable, it is very important to choose the right location. For a restaurant to have significant traffic, it must be close to a large crowd of people. Residential areas, office congestion areas, as well as large transport interchanges, etc. are suitable for this. The location of your restaurant depends on the target audience, or rather, on its age and income.

Possible concepts

Opening a restaurant from scratch in Russia must comply with state standards. Such establishments can be divided into 3 classes: luxury, upper class and first class. But there is also another classification used by restaurateurs:

• elite and premium restaurants (fine-dinning);
• fast food establishments (QSR);
• fast casual restaurants with free-flow format;
• establishments with affordable casual dinning prices.

Which concept to choose and how to open a restaurant depends on your desire. Other establishments can be divided depending on the theme used, for example, it can be home cooking, a sports facility, etc.

Many people who decide to learn how to open a restaurant understand that this type of activity is quite risky. In order not to burn out, it is very important to follow all the calculations. The profitability of this type of activity is at least 20%, and the maximum can reach 60%. The lack of a business plan can have a negative effect on profitability.

In addition, technological processes need to be divided into sectors, for each of which a certain person will be responsible. So, by monitoring the decline in profitability, you can easily find the error and fix it.

You should also think over a system of discounts and various promotions in order to attract as many visitors to your institution as possible. Only in this matter it is important to know when to stop.

As for the services that will be provided in your institution, they can be completely different. For example, a restaurant can organize banquets, buffets, etc. The working hours of your institution may depend on the focus and attendance. The restaurant can be open 24/7 or open from 11.00 to 23.00.

Required documents

In order to officially register your business, you need to have the following documents:

• long-term lease agreement;
• a certificate that speaks about the entry of your restaurant into the Commercial Register;
• a license to sell alcohol if you offer it to your guests;
• conclusion and permission of the sanitary-epidemiological station;
• permission for the exterior decoration of the restaurant;
• an extract from the fire department;
• signed contracts for garbage collection, etc.

Required personnel

If you want your establishment to be popular and profitable, you should approach the selection of employees with full responsibility. In general, for a good catering establishment, you will need to hire: a manager, a bartender, waiters, a chef and other kitchen workers, cleaners and dishwashers. You can hire additional people, for example, a security guard, a doorman, etc.

What should be in a business plan?

To be sure of the possible success and profitability of your business, you need to have a restaurant production plan. For example, let's take a small European cuisine establishment with 50 seats, which is aimed at middle-class people. The premises for the establishment were rented, and the main stake was made on tasty and high-quality food, reasonable prices and good service.

Let's start with a market overview. Repeated studies have shown that there are approximately 3,000 restaurants in Moscow, and fast foods were not taken into account. The establishments differ in their pricing policy, which depends on their location.

On average, the size of the restaurant business market in the capital of Russia is more than 120 billion rubles annually. In addition, the growth of this market is observed - 3-4% every year. The financial part of the business plan will be discussed below.

How much money does it take to open a cafe or restaurant?

The total amount of start-up capital depends on many factors, for example, on the size and concept, the need to rent a room or build a new building, on the design, etc. It will not be possible to tell about all the options, so we will analyze one of the most popular: renting a finished premises under the restaurant. All costs can be divided into primary and monthly.

Primary:

• execution of all necessary documentation - about 300 thousand rubles;
• repair and installation of the necessary ventilation, etc. - somewhere around 1.2 million rubles;
• equipment - about 1.5 million rubles;
• furniture and interior accessories - about 1 million rubles.

As a result, you will get a value showing how much money is needed to open a cafe or other catering establishment: about 4 million rubles. This is the initial capital, which does not include monthly costs:

• rent - about 180 thousand rubles;
• service personnel salary - approximately 210 thousand rubles;
• operating costs - somewhere around 50 thousand rubles;
• advertising and PR costs - about 30 thousand rubles.

In general, every month you will spend about 470 thousand rubles. But that figure does not yet include food costs. As you can see, very few can afford to open a restaurant from scratch, the cost of which we have just calculated, since the capital is quite impressive.

To determine potential revenue, you should consider the following points:

• average check;
• number of visitors;
• seasonality.

In general, the standard markup on food in restaurants is around 30%. In addition, the days of the week, time of day and menu can affect the amount of profit. As a result, based on average values, the payback period of a restaurant is up to 3 years. If you constantly improve your establishment, then this figure can be significantly reduced.

PR and advertising

Opening a restaurant from scratch, the cost of which was determined earlier, is possible only with the use of high-quality and large-scale advertising. Investments in this area should be significant, the only way you can attract buyers. To get people to know about your restaurant, you will need:

1. Outdoor advertising. This option implies a large illuminated sign directly in front of the entrance to the establishment and small advertising structures at the nearest intersections and alleys of the "citylight" type.
2. Leaflets. Order colorful brochures that will summarize attractive information, for example, special dishes, discounts, etc. In addition, it should contain contact information and an address, it is better if it is presented in the form of a map. To implement them, you will need to contact a promotion company.
3. Personal site. Today, it is quite easy to order the website of the establishment, which will contain detailed information: menus, photos, reviews and a full description of the restaurant, which should attract visitors. Remember that today social networks have a big development, which spread rumors and news very quickly. Therefore, be sure to use this structure to advertise your restaurant.

Possible problems

During the organization and opening of a restaurant business, various problems can arise. It is almost impossible to anticipate them in advance, so you should be ready to tackle them as they become available. Basically, problems can arise with rent, paperwork, costs, equipment, etc.

In addition, a lot of time will have to be spent on developing the menu. Throughout the entire time you may doubt: is it profitable to open a restaurant or is it still a scam? Do not panic and give up halfway through, this is a normal human reaction to difficulties, but they can be overcome.

In order not to go to a dead end, it is recommended to constantly use the advice and advice of specialists in a particular area. You may also have problems with the staff. As you know, today it is quite difficult to find people who not only perform their duties well, but are also cheerful and benevolent.

Options for your establishment

If you want to stand out from your competitors, then your restaurant must have a "chip". It can manifest itself in anything, for example, in the menu, in design, in furniture, service, etc. Consider interesting ideas for a restaurant that brought good profits and popularity to their owners around the world:

1. Unusual interior. Here you can show your imagination in full. This can be an aquarium floor or unusual furniture. So, in Tokyo there is a restaurant decorated in a prison style. You can bring any, even the craziest idea to life.
2. Menu. You can offer your customers unusual and exotic dishes that they cannot taste in any other establishment in your city. You can also serve standard dishes, but only in an unusual way. To do this, you need to hire chefs with great imagination.
3. Modern technology. With the development of technology, the restaurant business is also changing. For example, you can make a menu on a tablet, that is, a client can come, choose and even correct the composition of some dishes and order them. You can also make an online table reservation service.
4. Other "chips". There are still millions of options on how to make your establishment original and unique. For example, next to your establishment, you can organize greenhouses in which you will grow vegetables for the restaurant. Thus, your customers will be assured of the quality of the products.

These are just a few of the ideas that you can bring to life and make good money from them.

It is believed that without proper control, a restaurant can be completely robbed in a few weeks. Experts say that there are a huge number of well-developed schemes, which include bartenders, waiters or other employees of your institution.

Fraudulent schemes, for example, underweight products, substitution of expensive alcohol, food theft, etc., are widespread in this business. To avoid this, it is very important to have good management and a responsible director who is competent and can control such processes. In addition, the owner himself must directly fulfill his duties and independently control the entire process and the work of each employee.

You can also be deceived when buying products, as many suppliers may be using the wrong prices and selling low-quality goods. You must understand that at the moment it is simply impossible to completely eradicate theft in catering establishments. You just need to determine for yourself a specific percentage that will be the norm for you, let it be 10%, and make sure that it does not increase.

Output

If you have already decided for sure that you want to do this particular business, then now you know how to open a restaurant and you can start implementing your plans. The main task of the owner of any catering establishment is to give customers the opportunity to eat deliciously, while being in a relaxed atmosphere, and pay a reasonable price for this. If you fulfill all these conditions, then be sure that you will certainly be able to organize a successful business.

You will need

• concept of the future restaurant, business plan, marketing plan, premises, equipment, products, personnel.

Instructions

Choose a room that will fit the format of the establishment. The main selection criteria are the presence of client flows and suitable inside. It should also be possible to divide the area into three main parts: production, office and hall. Many novice restaurateurs make one fatal mistake at this stage. In an effort to accommodate the maximum number of seats in the hall, they “rob” production areas, combine hot and cold workshops, and reduce the number of utility rooms. As a result, the controlling authorities do not issue permits to open an establishment, everything has to be redone.

Invite a designer, draw up a technical plan, which will indicate the main engineering communications that are tied to technological equipment. Be sure to provide a good hood - without it it is extremely difficult to work in a hot workshop, and it is not entirely comfortable in the hall.

Purchase technological and commercial equipment. The first group includes refrigeration, heat and mechanical. The second - coffee and beer. Also, be sure to purchase an automation system. Which program to choose depends on your capabilities, as well as on the planned bandwidth. As a rule, the specialists who install the ACS will also help with training to work with it.

Obtain permits from Rospotrebnadzor and Fire Inspection. If an enterprise operated on the premises before you, as a rule, there are no special problems with supervisory authorities. But when you change the profile, they are very possible. In this case, you should carefully listen to the requirements, correct the deficiencies and re-apply for consideration of your issue.

Make a staffing table. If your restaurant business is a small cafe, some positions can be combined. For example, a bartender can be an administrator, and a chef can be a manager. However, everything is very individual and depends not only on the specifics of the institution, but also on the personalities of certain employees. To avoid the risk of hiring unscrupulous staff, be responsible for recruiting. Write job descriptions, ask employees to sign them. Draw up employment contracts that clearly state the rights and responsibilities of staff.

Design a menu. It can be small: three or four positions in each section is enough. A large menu is difficult to execute, moreover, it requires large inventories, and this will inevitably lead to serious write-offs. Apply for an alcoholic license. 40 percent of the restaurant business’s revenue comes from the kitchen and 60 percent from the bar, so an alcoholic license will come in handy.

Material Topics

The fashion for catering is rapidly gaining momentum and now it is very difficult to find a person who never visits food and recreation establishments. Business meetings and dates are scheduled in cafes and restaurants, leisure is held in public evening places, since there is a choice, and for every taste and wallet.

Against the background of the rapid development of this sphere of business, many ordinary people have a desire to open their own business and often the choice stops at a cafe. Opening a cafe from scratch will be discussed in this article. Let's sort all the questions in order, and if there was an error somewhere, correct me in the comments!

How much does it cost to open a cafe?

The importance of this issue is underestimated by many novice restaurateurs, and subsequently, due to incorrect calculations, "fly into the chimney." First of all, having determined the idea and the basic concept of the establishment, you should draw up an estimate. It will be 50% based on the choice of premises (we will talk about this below), and will also consist of:

• repair costs;
• payments for designer services;
• purchasing the necessary equipment;
• selection of furniture for halls;
• costs of opening an individual entrepreneur or LLC;
• payroll;
• purchases of dishes for the hall and kitchen, uniforms for staff (do not underestimate this item, it is quite capacious).

There are still a large number of hidden costs that are difficult to foresee, therefore, having calculated all of the above, you need to add a conditional 20% of the amount to the reserve.

But, in any case, everything in the above depends on the choice of a niche. If you have an idea to open, for example, a small coffee shop in a residential area, then you can keep within 200-400 thousand rubles, but if you are going to open a restaurant or a nightclub, then the costs can amount to millions.

In addition, as mentioned earlier, it all depends on the cost of renting the premises. In large cities, prices are several times higher. The best choice is if you find a passable place at a reasonable cost.

How to choose a place for a cafe?

This is one of the most important points in building a business, and not only in this topic. The further prosperity of your cafe depends on the right choice. First of all, you need to decide on the target audience of your institution, and then, based on the necessary priorities, start the selection of premises. You should not rush with this - you can spend months on it, but in the end you will find the right option.

What you should pay attention to:

• patency. This is the first and most important point. It is advisable to draw up approximate figures by even the simplest count of passers-by, for example, at rush hour. With a properly planned advertising campaign in the future, a certain percentage of people passing by are your potential visitors.
• technical properties of the room - the presence of a fire alarm, ventilation systems, the presence of an alarm button, etc.
• where the premises are located - in a detached building or in a residential building. This is an important point, there are moments of noise in the work of public catering, few people will like it. And even if you, in compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, close the institution before 23-00, in any case there will be dissatisfied people who will be disturbed by your hood, the approaching cars of suppliers and much more.
• area of ​​the room. It all depends on the niche you choose. But, in any case, the more, the better, because the primary task is to make a profit. In addition, the square of the retail space is important for obtaining a license for alcoholic beverages. after all, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, establishments with an area of ​​less than 50 sq. meters the license is not issued.

If you have already found a place for your cafe, look at similar establishments nearby. Go to a cafe in the late afternoon, look at the receipt or ticket for the queue. You must determine how many checks have been punched. For example, you may have a ticket number 95. Thus, you will know that about 80-100 people come per day. Estimate the average bill and calculate the payback.

What equipment is needed for a cafe?

Conditionally, the list of equipment can be divided into two subspecies: mandatory and optional. Let's dwell in more detail. There is obligatory equipment that will have to be purchased regardless of the choice of the direction of the cafe. These include:

• refrigerators (the number depends on your speed, but there are mandatory RosPotrebNadzor standards, it is advisable to comply with them);
• freezers. You can buy regular deep-frozen chests of various capacities, or you can spend money on shock chambers. The latter have an undoubted advantage - frozen foods retain almost the entire initial set of nutrients and vitamins.
• plates. Here, too, everything depends on financial capabilities, you can buy ordinary, glass ceramics or induction.
• bar equipment (this should include an ice maker, refrigerators for bar products, a coffee machine, a bar mixer, a juicer).

It is worth noting that at some points you can save a lot, because often suppliers provide the necessary equipment for free when concluding a contract for the supply of products. For example, a coffee and tea supplier might provide an excellent professional coffee machine, or a wine supplier might provide a stylish wine cabinet.

The list of additional equipment depends on the choice of the direction of the cafe's cuisine and / or the type of service. It is quite diverse depending on priorities. For example, you settled on the pizza-sushi standard, service through a waiter.

In this case, the list of additional equipment will be as follows:

• kitchen (pizza - ovens, rice cookers, refrigerator with a table for making pizza, refrigerator for storing fish products).
• hall equipment - check service system. Now there is a large number of these systems, the choice is yours.

Arrangement of the object

Do not forget that your potential visitors want to receive not only gastronomic, but also aesthetic pleasure in your establishment. Correctly thought-out design of a catering establishment - 50% of success.

In such important issues, you can trust the specialists, or you can think over the design and repair yourself - if you have a sense of style and self-confidence. In any case, today there is a large number of designers - starting with freelancers - beginners, ending with fashion agencies.

When choosing a designer, it is advisable to look through the portfolio of works and have honest confidence that the performer will meet the deadlines and estimates. In addition, it is imperative to agree on the full support of a specialist at all stages of the renovation of the premises - from the choice of building materials to the delivery of the facility on a turnkey basis.

Having beaten any "chips", features in your cafe, you will definitely get a number of regular customers, plus the desire to take photos and selfies will have a positive effect on the promotion of your establishment on social networks.

Staff recruitment

The selection of potential employees should be dealt with at the initial stage. You can conduct interviews already at the stage of renovating the premises, because this process is laborious and time-consuming.

Conventionally, the staff of the cafe can be divided into two categories:

• kitchen staff;
• the staff of the hall.

In each department, it is necessary to initially determine the head, and entrust him with conducting interviews, in the future this will help to avoid misunderstandings with incompetent employees. That is, first we hire a chef, and he already independently selects a team for himself.

If you decide to engage in recruiting yourself, you should pay attention to a number of important aspects:

• employee competence. The number of diplomas is not so important here as experience. You can make a series of questions that the candidate must answer, you can offer to fill out a questionnaire;
• the presence of bad habits. No comment here.
• cleanliness and appearance. Even with a five-minute interview, you can draw conclusions about how a person relates to his own body. As a rule, outwardly tidy people keep their workplace clean and have a number of requirements for their duties.
• numerous personal qualities. Pay attention to literacy of speech, self-confidence, ask provocative questions - this way you can understand how a person can fit into your team.

Menu compilation

As in other aspects of starting a business, here you can go in two ways - trust a professional or do it yourself. But, since this topic requires certain knowledge and skills, we recommend that you entrust this to the chef. If a chef is not planned in the staffing table, you can use the services of hired brand chefs. A professional will take into account all your wishes, develop a menu, draw up calculation cards, and train staff.

What you should pay attention to when drawing up a menu:

• number of positions. You should not make a multi-page menu with a variety of dishes, because in the future, the entire set of products will always have to be available, respectively, the purchase list will be huge, which means that the net profit will decrease. In addition, there is a high probability of a large stop-list, which has an extremely negative effect on the image of the cafe.
• origin of products. In any region, preference is given to the products of the local location, because this is the only way you are guaranteed to receive fresh and environmentally friendly products. Exotics, of course, are also needed, but it is advisable to purchase from trusted suppliers;
• it is important to trace the implementation of the chain "drawing up the menu-technological maps-elaboration". That is, not only to come up with dishes, but also to teach the chefs to cook them, and to convey to the waiters the essence - the composition and description of the dish. Working out for the staff has a very positive effect on sales - the chef prepares all the dishes on the menu, tells the waitresses, they try.

What documents are needed to open a cafe?

When opening a cafe, be sure to comply with the laws of the Russian Federation. You can open an individual entrepreneur, you can stop at an LLC. In any case, if you are going to sell alcohol, you need to choose the second option, because a license for alcohol is issued only to LLC. It should be borne in mind that the average statistics indicate that about 40% of the revenue is made by the products of the bar.

We open an IP for a cafe

The first undoubted advantage is the low cost, because the service is much cheaper (including the salary of an accountant, and if you wish, you can do the reporting yourself).

The second plus of an individual entrepreneur is low (compared to LLC) fines. Responsibility for non-fulfillment of obligations to the state may differ by several, or even 10 times.

The disadvantage of opening an individual entrepreneur is that you cannot take a license for alcohol.

Registration of an individual entrepreneur is quite simple, you need to go to the Tax Authority of your city and step by step fill out and provide the necessary documents. The lease agreement for the premises is not required initially. You must have a passport with you.

Or is it better OOO

Here everything is much more complicated than with an individual entrepreneur, and in any case, it is better to entrust the registration of an LLC to a professional accountant, or to a company that will perform this work in a short time. You will need a passport, the rest you will be notified by your proxies. A lease agreement is required at the initial stage in order to obtain a legal address.

In the first and second cases, it is important at the initial stage to determine the choice of the taxation system, because in the future the net profit of your business depends on it. It is better to consult with specialists.

Why are cafes closing?

This is perhaps the most painful question for restaurateurs. After all, it is important to analyze other people's experience in order to avoid similar mistakes in running your own business in the future. Probably no one has a clear answer to this question, not even the most experienced specialists. You can competently think over a business plan, invest a lot and go bankrupt. And you can create a successful project with a small investment and your own soul, which will bring considerable profit.

Several basic reasons for the closure of an establishment:

• the place was chosen incorrectly (no traffic, poor location, problem neighbors, etc.);
• in the process, a lot of unplanned expenses appeared (we talked about this above).
• incompetent and disinterested staff (80% of a cafe's success depends on proper service);
• a stupidly compiled menu (a chaotic heap of positions with a complete lack of control over the quality and availability of dishes);
• tasteless dishes. No comments;
• untidiness of premises, bathrooms, staff and much more.

The above reasons can manifest themselves both individually and in combination, and in any case, will lead to the closure of the cafe.

Catering, like any business, requires complete immersion and daily control and participation. Few people manage to achieve success simply by investing and completely without delving into their business. Basically, this happens due to the competent selection of a competent leader.

Several theses of a successful cafe business:

• create a team that is inspired and in love with your work.
• provide the visitors of the cafe with a "complete package" - delicious food, quality service, interesting interior, friendly staff.
• keep all running processes high. Do it yourself or entrust it to hired professionals - your choice.

And remember that a business should bring not only profit, but also pleasure from the work done! Create in your cafe such an atmosphere that you would like to come to you again and again, sincerely love your visitors, and you will definitely succeed!

Sincerely,

Sukhoroslova Olga.

* Calculations are based on average data for Russia

The number of catering establishments in the Russian Federation (2018)

Share of restaurants in public catering (2017)

The number of restaurants in a million (2018)

Growth dynamics of restaurants in millionaires (2018)

The restaurant business is the leader in the number of bankruptcies. Not everyone succeeds in creating a successful restaurant. And all because in this business there are many pitfalls, subtleties and features.

This article brings together ten key restaurant business challenges and tips on how you can successfully overcome them. For some, the points given by us may seem obvious enough to be called “pitfalls”. Perhaps. Our text is more about the reasons for these pitfalls, having dealt with which you are unlikely to add to the list of losers.

1. Blindness in relation to competitors

In the catering industry, competition is very high. So be sure to research the market before picking out stylish plates and drumming up the chefs. What should you pay attention to?

identify the main market participants, study where they are located in order to choose a suitable place;

visit your competitors' establishments to scout the situation and find out how others do business. Study the menu - this will help you evaluate the offer on the market and develop your own, unique;

compose a portrait of your visitor (age, budget, interests, preferences, etc.) - this will allow you to determine the target audience and its needs. Based on this, it will be easier to solve many issues;

study trends and concepts in the overseas market. Fashion, including in the field of catering, comes to us from abroad. There you can spy on fresh concepts and become a pioneer in a new format.

Keep in mind that the more information you collect, the more accurate your conclusions will be. From these data, the real work on the project will begin: a business plan, a general concept, menu development, restaurant design, and so on.

Market research should be the foundation on which you will build your business. If you abandon this stage, then even the most original concept, exquisite menu from the chef and stylish design will not stretch your project.

2. Concept? No, have not heard

It is important to decide on the concept of the establishment at the initial stage. And that's why:

as part of marketing research, pay attention to how your segment lives. Because everything depends on him: from the choice of location to advertising policy. And you need to immediately understand the specifics of the institution in order to properly plan all the processes. It would seem, what is the difference? There is a kitchen - they cook on it, there is a hall - they eat in it. But not everything is so simple. A pizzeria and a Chinese restaurant will have different target audience, menu, list of required equipment and even the number of staff.

the success of an enterprise is determined by a competent analysis of marketing research by 30%;

it is the concept that determines how the further implementation of the project takes place.

in a highly competitive environment, you need to stand out. Your task is to offer visitors something that no one else has offered. And here we are not necessarily talking about an exotic menu or spectacular decorations. You can "hook" a client with a convenient service, and a trick in the presentation, and advantageous offers, and additional services.

Now that we have explained why it is so important to choose a concept at the start, we will take a closer look at this process.

Restaurateurs advise two ways when choosing a concept:

Determine the specifics of the cafe, and then look for a suitable room to implement your idea;

First, find a comfortable room that is suitable in all respects (from location to price per sq.m.), and then choose the format of a cafe for it.

As you formulate a concept, ask yourself three questions:

Who will be the visitor to your restaurant?

Where is the restaurant located?

How will it attract your target audience?

Clear answers to these questions are three pillars for the concept of an establishment.

To make it easier for you to present all the variety of options, among which you need to look for your own, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the classification of establishments.

According to the concept, cafes and restaurants are divided according to:

Menu specifics... It can be highly specialized: coffee shop, pizzeria, burger, etc. Or focused on a specific national cuisine: Russian, Chinese, Italian, Caucasian and others.

Specificity of the target audience. The menu in your establishment should match the preferences of your target audience. For example, if this is a cafe - a canteen next to a university (i.e., the target audience is students), then the prices there should be democratic, and the dishes should be satisfying. If this is a children's cafe, then the menu should consist of simple dishes with an interesting, "childish" presentation. In addition to the menu, it is important to provide a playing area in such a cafe. If the restaurant is for business class, this requires both an exquisite menu and a presentable interior. Therefore, you need to clearly understand the audience that you want to see in your institution - and create suitable conditions for it.

The format of the room, its location... Here you need to consider where the institution is located: in a residential, separate or public space. For example, a cafe cannot be opened in a residential building, which will be open after 23:00. For example, a pub or a night bar cannot be opened on the ground floor of a residential building. If you open in a shopping center, you should take into account the opening hours.

Seasonality... There are cafes that function only during the warm season - the so-called summer cafes. And there are establishments that work all year round regardless of weather conditions, have a heating and air conditioning system.

By the static and large scale of the room. This classification divides establishments into mobile (for example, a trailer on wheels) or stationary.

By understanding how cafes are classified, it is easier to decide on the concept.

A few tips for choosing a concept:

Keep in mind that your personal tastes and preferences are secondary. In the first place is the opinion of experts in restaurant marketing and the real situation on the market.

Fast food establishments have been popular in recent years. Even in times of crisis, they are actively developing. Democratic cafes and restaurants make money today.

When choosing a concept, be guided by consumer demand. What is missing in a particular city, microdistrict? What does your city lack, what is already successful in similar cities? What establishments are the most popular among city residents?

So, the concept of the restaurant is as important as the food you offer. Together with the choice of the concept, one should determine the format and corporate identity of the institution, draw up a work plan, develop technological, engineering and design projects. At this stage, the restaurant owner should have an understanding of how the project will work. The concept, corporate identity and "chips" are necessary in order to distinguish the institution from many others. The concept should answer the main question: why should a visitor choose your restaurant?

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If you can't come up with something original, study what the foreign market has to offer. Collect ideas, combine them - and you will surely find “invent” such a concept that will make your restaurant unique. Nevertheless, the project alone will not be able to pull out the concept. So don't be relaxed. The next steps are just as important.

The problem that scares future restaurateurs is the preparation of all the necessary documentation. It must be admitted that the fears are not unfounded. A restaurant is one of the most difficult types of business in terms of collecting documents. In order to legalize the restaurant business, you will need to collect an impressive list of papers. Therefore, in order to save time and effort, entrepreneurs often turn to companies that draw up the necessary documentation on a turnkey basis. The price for such services varies from 20 to 40 thousand rubles.

First, you need to register your business with government agencies. The most convenient and common form for restaurants is the "LLC" form. Type of activity for a restaurant project according to the OKVED-2 classification:

56.10 "Activities of restaurants and food delivery services"

56.10.1 "Activities of full service restaurants and cafes, cafeterias, fast food and self-service restaurants."

When you have collected a full package of constituent documents and a lease agreement (or certificate of ownership of the premises), you can proceed to the next stages of approval.

To exclude problems with government agencies when opening a restaurant, you should complete all permits. Before providing the list, please note that it may differ in different regions. The table provides a list of documents that are required to open a restaurant. This list is not exhaustive, but contains the main documents.

List of documents for opening a restaurant

	Documentation
registration	OGRN certificate; TIN certificate; receipt of payment of state. duties
Restaurant building and premises	tenant agreement
SanPin requirements and Fire supervision	sanitary and epidemiological conclusion (issued by Rospotrebnadzor); contracts with SES and fire service; production control program; contracts for the planned conduct of disinfection, deratization and disinfestation certificates for finishing with the necessary SES requirements; inspection documents for instrumentation and measuring utensils; a contract with a residential complex for garbage collection; sanitary books of the personnel.
Cash register technology	conclusion of the tax inspectorate on registration of cash registers cash register service contract KKM card and passport teller journal
Manufacturing documents	contracts with employees assortment list approved by the SES safety journal; Technological and calculation cards Staffing table
	a license to sell alcohol, if it is supposed to be in the institution

Having collected this impressive list of papers, you can be calm. This is almost half of the completed project. We have covered in more detail the topic of collecting permits for opening a restaurant in this article.

Several useful tips, which will come in handy when solving a legal issue:

• even if you plan to collect all the papers yourself, be sure to include expenses of about 20 thousand rubles in the budget.

immediately decide for how long you plan to issue a license to sell alcohol. Its cost will depend on this. A license for a year will cost you 65 thousand rubles. Keep in mind that the license is valid for no more than 5 years. Another important nuance: you may be denied a license if you do not take care of the security of the institution. To avoid any problems with this, provide: a contract for the installation and maintenance of an alarm and a panic button, as well as a contract for protection;

pay attention to the requirements that are listed in the permits. This information will help you when choosing a room. It is recommended to immediately fulfill all the requirements so that you do not have to redo the inconsistencies and spend money on this.

Finding a suitable space for a restaurant can take a long time, so it is best to take care of this in advance. When choosing, it is worth considering two key parameters: the location and the very state of the room.

The place for the future restaurant is chosen based on the concept. For example, a youth cafe is best placed near educational institutions and entertainment centers; an expensive restaurant is in the city center, and a family cafe is in a residential neighborhood.

An incorrectly selected location can leave a restaurant without visitors. First, placing yourself in a location with low pedestrian traffic deprives yourself of a powerful advertising tool. How can people know that there is a wonderful cafe around the corner? Secondly, you need to be located where your target audience is concentrated. Otherwise, those passing by will not be interested in your offer. Thirdly, the location of the restaurant affects the business reputation. Most likely, a cafe on the outskirts of the city, overlooking the industrial zone, is unlikely to inspire confidence in visitors. Fourth, the location should have convenient transport accessibility and parking. Fifth, you must evaluate the location in terms of competition. For example, if you are a pizzeria, you should not open next to another (but already promoted) pizzeria.

How to assess the location of the restaurant premises:

1. Determine the location of your competitors using services such as Yandex.Maps, Google Maps, 2GIS;

Provide for the availability of parking, convenient access;

Assess pedestrian traffic. This can be entrusted to a specialized firm that will conduct the research. The cost of such services will be from 3 thousand rubles. Or you can take simple measurements yourself. For this you need:

within 15 minutes, count the number of people passing by. For example, in 15 minutes you have counted 200 people. We multiply this number by 4 and we get pedestrian traffic: 800 people per hour. But these readings are inaccurate. How do you get close to the most accurate average of traffic flowing through?

do your research 4 days in a row and find the average;

count traffic 3 times a day: in the morning from 10:00, in the afternoon from 13:00 and in the evening from 18:00.

consider the presence of the target audience in the stream.

Note: according to the rules and regulations, for catering establishments, only non-residential premises can be used. These include the first floors of residential buildings. The kitchen and client area must have natural light. Now let's move on to assessing the premises itself.

Basic requirements for the restaurant premises:

area of ​​about 100 sq. m .;

availability of communications: sewerage, hot and cold water, electricity, gas, artificial and natural ventilation;

the presence of additional premises for a warehouse, a room for staff, a bathroom, (or the possibility of redevelopment. Please note that redevelopment must be legalized);

as a standard, for the kitchen and warehouse it is necessary to allocate 40% of the total area, and the remaining 60% will be occupied by a hall for visitors.

More detailed requirements for the premises are set out in SanPiN.

Ready-made ideas for your business

Also, be sure to pay attention to the functionality of the room: does the layout allow you to re-equip the room for your project, are there the necessary capacities that will ensure the smooth operation of food equipment).

Try to find a room where there was a catering establishment before. In this case, it will be possible not only to simplify obtaining permits, but also to save on some costs, as well as to speed up the preparation process. In such premises "with a good legacy" usually a ventilation system, a convenient division into functional zones and repairs remain. You just have to move in with your furniture and equipment.

Ready-made ideas for your business

How much does a restaurant space cost? The amount of rent can depend on many factors: the city, the district, pedestrian traffic, favorable proximity to other public institutions matter. On average, you will have to pay 80-150 thousand rubles a month for renting premises. Experienced restaurateurs advise paying rent six months in advance - then by the time you pay the next payment, you will already have time to unwind and gain financial stability. In the lease agreement, you will need not only to clearly state the rate, but also the frequency of its increase. Having looked at the success of a restaurant, the landlord often begins to demand an increase in payment, arguing that it is a good place. In general, when concluding a contract, it is better to use the services of a lawyer. Begin with the principle that good premises are rarely empty. Perhaps the reason for the departure of the previous tenant lies precisely in the problems with the landlord.

Another important parameter that should be considered when choosing a room is renovation. A common problem with options in the center is that they belong to the old foundation, which can mean rotten beams, crumbling walls and decayed communications. Pay attention to the allocated electric power: it can be very difficult to get electricity in the center, even for big money. The total power consumption of even a small cafe (with no more than 30 seats) is no less than 45-50 kW. It is better to choose a room that does not require major repairs, wiring communications, etc. Repair is not only financial, but also time-consuming. And these are resources that every entrepreneur should value and save. The longer you solve problems with the preparation of the room, the more opportunities you will miss.

It should be noted that modern interiors in establishments require less and less finishing. The design is played up with furniture and decor - so that you can quickly transport from one object to another. You can often come across the amateurish point of view that the design of the premises is the determining factor for future success. However, experienced restaurateurs have a different opinion: it turns out that the interior is far from being in the first place for visitors. This is especially true for budget cafes. Still, the main task of the restaurant's interior is to create the right atmosphere in which it is pleasant to be.

Purchasing quality kitchen equipment is one of the key stages in opening a restaurant. The production capacity of the kitchen, the organization of the workflow and even the taste of dishes depend on the quality of equipment and tools. That is why you need to take a responsible approach to the choice. Check out the experiences of other restaurateurs and their feedback on this technique in advance. Explore the various commercial offers from kitchen equipment suppliers. Pick up several options and compare value for money. Excessive savings are useless, however, buying the most expensive equipment is not a guarantee of success.

Pay special attention to such a parameter as warranty service, and from what moment it is calculated. If from the moment of sale, then you risk losing those few warranty months when the equipment is actually idle, while you solve paperwork and delay the opening. Naturally, such equipment will fail exactly after the expiration of the free repair period.

It is possible to reduce the cost of equipment by purchasing used equipment. You need to be careful with this method: you can run into low-quality, broken, defective equipment without any guarantees. And yet, sometimes you can find a lucrative offer on the market when an almost new set of kitchen equipment is sold by restaurateurs whose business has failed. Therefore, study the ads on the sites.

Ready-made ideas for your business

The list of required equipment may vary depending on the menu. For example, if you are planning to open a pizzeria, you will need special oven equipment. Nevertheless, there are main categories of kitchen equipment that will be useful to any restaurant:

heat treatment equipment: oven and oven, oven, induction hob, deep fryer, etc .;

electrical devices: mixer, blender, harvester;

storage equipment: refrigerator, freezer, vacuum sealers for storing food, refrigerated display case. The choice of a suitable model of refrigeration equipment depends on the layout of the kitchen and the volume of stored products. You should also purchase a special refrigerated table. It keeps in a cool state all the products that lie on its surface.

Dishwasher to automate the process of dish disinfection;

equipment for preparing drinks: juicer, coffee machine;

kitchen utensils and other small equipment(knives, food containers, stands, containers, etc.);

test equipment: kneader, rolling device, etc.

Ideally, you need to collect as many offers from suppliers as possible and agree on the list of equipment with the chef. By hiring a chef, you shift the responsibility for the selection of equipment and the issue of its arrangement onto it. In the future, this will allow you to avoid unnecessary reproaches and scandals that “everything is wrong” and “is not so”.

To reduce the inventory and reduce costs, you can simplify the production cycle. This can be done by purchasing ready-made semi-finished products. For example, baked goods can be purchased from a bakery. And equip your kitchen only with the equipment that is necessary for the preparation of main dishes.

Do not forget to include other equipment in the list of costs: a bar counter, a cash register, a cashless payment terminal, an air conditioning system, ventilation and alarm systems, if there are none in the room. The next step is to purchase furniture and decor items.

What furniture is needed for a restaurant

The choice of furniture depends on the concept and format of your establishment. For example, a bar will definitely need a bar counter, and a self-service cafe will need an individual distribution line.

For an average restaurant, the main elements of the interior are tables, chairs and upholstered furniture. It is also worth equipping the hall with a bar counter, which is both a seating area for guests, a bartender's workplace, and a showcase that stimulates the sale of alcoholic beverages. Do not forget about the furniture for the staff: waiters stations, side tables, side tables, etc. Another must-have element in the interior is the wardrobe. It can be like a full-fledged wardrobe with hangers and service personnel, or it can be just hangers installed in the hall. And, finally, in restaurants, various partitions and screens are used for zoning space.

Nuances of choosing furniture for a restaurant:

• consider the convenience of the furniture, its functionality, the ratio of the height of the table and chairs;

furniture should be made of materials that are durable in use, are not afraid of dry cleaning and disinfectants;

furniture should support the format and concept of the institution, be in the same style and be in harmony with the interior;

take into account the layout of the hall and the features of the room;

the main criteria for choosing furniture: small dimensions and versatility;

standard set: square or rectangular table, chairs without armrests;

To simplify the furniture procurement process, try to find a comprehensive supplier who can provide your restaurant with furniture, tableware, and textiles.

The main mistake of novice restaurateurs is their desire to include their favorite dishes on the menu. But the preferences of the restaurateur and the tastes of the target audience can differ significantly. The menu depends not only on someone's tastes, but also on the concept of the establishment. It should be added that even a narrow focus does not determine the composition of the menu 100%. Today in any restaurant you can find classic dishes that are in demand in any institution. For example, pizza, Caesar salad, etc.

Also, when forming the menu, you need to pay attention to the price of dishes. It should be consistent with the format and concept. If you position yourself as a student cafe, then high prices will definitely scare away the target audience. But if you set low prices for exotic dishes in a fashionable restaurant, then you can not cover the costs of their preparation. Thus, it is necessary to compare the cost of dishes and the profit that you want to get from this.

When drawing up the menu, consider the following nuances:

• periodically add new dishes to the menu or make special offers to keep the customer base.

for each dish from the menu, draw up a technological chart, indicating the consumption of products per serving and the volume of this portion. This information will be required to obtain permission from the SES, as well as to calculate the need for the procurement of products;

update the menu in accordance with the taste preferences of visitors. Monitor orders regularly to identify unclaimed items. It is better to replace such items or even exclude them from the menu.

when compiling the menu, observe the principle of full and variable use of products. This will reduce the risk of food spoilage if a particular dish is unpopular.

One of the preparatory stages is the search for suppliers of raw materials. The main requirement for suppliers is the delivery of high-quality and fresh products on time according to the agreed schedule. Supply disruptions can disrupt restaurant operations, as the lack of many dishes from the menu is unlikely to please visitors. Therefore, it is so important that fresh ingredients are always present in the kitchen.

All products used must comply with the requirements of GOST. To understand how much ingredients you need to buy, you need a flow chart and a sales forecast. It is rather difficult to calculate the exact volume of purchases. You will not be able to predict the choice of visitors - especially at the start. Over time, thanks to the analysis of orders, you will understand which dishes and in what quantity are chosen by your guests. And at first, you should rely on the experience of other restaurateurs and approximate calculations. We advise you to make the first purchase of food in a small volume in order to reduce the risk of food spoilage. Also, when purchasing for the first time, split the order into small batches from different suppliers. So you will compare the quality of products, be able to evaluate the terms of cooperation and choose the most profitable option.

For certain categories of supplies that provide the main menu, it is better to conclude exclusive contracts with one reliable supplier. It is recommended to purchase frequently and in small batches - this will increase delivery costs, but reduce the risk of product spoilage and simplify storage. When signing the contract, read all the terms of cooperation. Please note that the shipping costs for the supply of ingredients are borne by the restaurateurs. Therefore, choose suppliers based on territorial proximity; then save on shipping.

Consider the risk of food spoilage. Because of what this can happen:

low demand for certain items in the menu;

procurement planning errors;

storage equipment breakdowns;

violation of storage rules.

You can minimize the risk with the help of competent planning and forecasting of sales, monitoring orders and excluding unprofitable dishes from the menu. It is also necessary to establish control over the maintenance of equipment to avoid breakdowns, and the work of personnel to avoid storage errors.

People come to a restaurant not only for delicious food. They want to relax in a comfortable environment. And comfort is created not only by the interior, atmosphere, but also by the service. Therefore, it is important to provide quality service in the restaurant.

Finding qualified employees is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Rigorous selection is applied not only to the chef, but also to his assistants, as well as waiters.

How to find a decent chef in a restaurant

Let's start with a simple truth: a good cook never sits idle. It is therefore useless to advertise and wait for the culinary genius to respond. You need to look for a chef purposefully: in other institutions, at professional conferences, master classes or through a restaurant recruiting agency.

So, the action plan for finding a chef looks like this:

visit restaurants similar to yours in focus. For example, if you are going to open a sushi bar, then look for a chef in an institution that offers Japanese cuisine;

visit thematic exhibitions, competitions, conferences;

use the services of a restaurant recruiting agency;

place vacancy announcements on thematic portals;

An equally serious choice is when looking for waiters. Experienced restaurateurs assure: good waiters should be educated by themselves, conducted trainings and educational events for them, and motivated for the result by a reward system.

If you don't take care of this and decide to save on employee salaries, then be prepared for staff turnover. Without proper motivation, the quality of service also decreases. All this will lead to an outflow of visitors, which can be a road to failure for the restaurant business.

How to deal with staff theft

Another pitfall in the restaurant business is staff theft. The problem is old, but still relevant. According to experts, theft in the restaurant industry can range from 10 to ... 60% of the proceeds! And the amount for which the restaurateur will be "punished" by the employees depends largely on the organization of control and the production process, wages, motivation, etc.

The easiest way is to choose your employees carefully. Although the method is rather dubious, since it is impossible to predict the behavior of the staff and rely only on their decency. In order to minimize this risk, you will need to apply a whole range of measures:

automation system;

CCTV;

inventory;

• staff motivation;

  secret guest;

  control over the conclusion of contracts (kitchen, bar);

  DDS control (current account, bank client, cash);

  bar control system.

For these measures to be effective, during the implementation phase, the direct involvement of the administrative staff and the owner of the establishment is required.

Before talking about advertising tools, let's figure it out: what determines the popularity of a restaurant? First of all, on the level of service and cuisine, as well as prices. In the second - from the interior, atmosphere and "chips" of the institution. To correctly declare yourself, you should disclose your main advantages and features in advertising.

We will not list the banal and long-considered promotion methods. Outdoor advertising, a decorated showcase window, development in social networks, and more. But for every advertising tool, the tips below are relevant. So, what should be taken into account in the advertising policy of the restaurant?

A simplified scheme for calculating the effectiveness of an advertising tool looks like this. You ordered 1000 flyers from the printing house for 3000 rubles and another 2000 to the promoter, who handed out flyers to passers-by. As a result of this action: the establishment was visited by 30 people who received the coffee promised in the advertisement for free. The prime cost of the "promotional" coffee was 1000 rubles. The total cost will be 6,000 rubles. At the same time, visitors who came by flyers made additional orders for a total of 15,000 rubles. Those. revenue will be 9,000 rubles. It turns out that in this case, the restaurant not only covered advertising costs, but also made money on it.

Analyze each advertising tool for effectiveness. Some indicators can be calculated in advance, some can only be estimated based on advertising results. There is no ready-made formula for promoting a restaurant. Determining an advertising strategy can only be done in practice.

2. Give preference to low-cost tools

Expensive does not mean effective. Well-thought-out flyer advertising can be several times better than expensive media or radio advertising. Start with low-cost methods - the cost of error will be lower.

It is wrong to mindlessly spend money on promotion, but it is also not worth saving hard on this cost item. A competent advertising campaign is needed for a new establishment to make itself known and attract its first visitors. Without promotion, you will get lost among competitors. Therefore, you should plan an advertising campaign even before opening a restaurant.

4. Know your audience

Different audiences need different ads. An effective advertisement is one that fully meets the needs of the audience. For example, if a cafe is geared towards young people, social media advertising would be fine. It is important to know the interests of your audience not only in order to choose advertising methods, but also for the design of the advertising material itself: text, video, flyers, etc. Try to make advertising useful for clients: gifts, free tastings, promotions, interesting information materials.

How you can attract restaurant visitors

Discounts on menus at certain hours stimulate sales during dead hours;

Special promotions on certain days of the week (usually weekdays) will help increase sales during less popular times;

Gifts and discounts for birthday people will increase the number of large, banquet orders;

Special offers for large companies will increase the average check per table;

Events will attract new clients.

The list goes on. There are many ways to interest visitors, so proceed from your capabilities and visitors' requests. Analyze the results, test different options for promotion. Over time, you will understand which chips really work and which ones should be discarded.

5. Experiment with pads

Try different things, don't get hung up on the same thing. Advertising has flooded everything, and people are tired of the same type of ads. For your ad to be noticed, it needs to stand out and grab attention. Therefore, it is so important to come up with something new, original. The world does not stand still: what worked perfectly yesterday does not arouse such interest today.

How to find new tools and methods of promotion

Today there are many opportunities to find new marketing techniques: specialized literature, the Internet, master classes. You can also spy on ideas in other businesses. Try to adapt to your project what worked in another segment. Sometimes it is possible to derive a formula for effective advertising, which none of the competitors have yet thought of.

Let's summarize. The promotion plan can include various advertising tools, their application depends on the budget that you are willing to spend. To immediately attract the attention of consumers, it is necessary to conduct an active advertising campaign even before the opening of the establishment, and spend most of the budget in the first months of operation. This way, within a short time, you will be able to gain a client base and reach a payback. But don't forget that the best advertisement for a restaurant is a quality product and service. If the consumer likes the taste of the dishes and the service, he will come back to you and advise your acquaintances about your establishment.

10. Unpreparedness for the unexpected

The main underwater rocks of the restaurant business, knowledge of which in 90% of cases will allow you to keep your business, have been considered, but the pitfalls themselves, as you understand, are much more. And you always need to be prepared for any surprises. Accept that absolutely everything cannot be taken into account, you can only minimize the risks. Therefore, in the end, there are a few more nuances that are useful to take into account.

Equipment used in the work of the restaurant... And he tends to break. Danger can lurk in any direction: from the stove in the kitchen to the cash register. You must always be ready for such a development of events. Therefore, make sure that you have an engineer to fix minor breakdowns and a telephone number for all emergency services for more serious situations. It is advisable to stock up on the numbers of specific masters - today everyone has a mobile number. As practice shows, most breakdowns occur on Friday nights. At the same time, the cash register tape, tape for the credit card terminal and cartridges for printers run out. Therefore, it is always a good idea to have an emergency supply of consumables.

Experienced restaurateurs advise the owner to actively participate in the management... Especially in the first months of work. If left to chance, a new business can quickly fail without achieving profitable targets. And the profit should be expected in a year, or even two. A restaurant as a business requires a lot of investment, which will pay off in an average of 1-1.5 years. The practice of restaurants also suggests that already in the third month of work in the institution, the staff changes by 2/3, and only a third of the employees remain from the starting team. Therefore, experienced restaurant owners advise not to invest too zealously in the training of the first personnel and immediately hire experienced business coaches, knowing that most of these employees will probably "not take root" and will go to competitors.

During the first year, the budget will have to "feed" the project with cash investments... You must have a reserve capital to quickly resolve issues. Be sure to include in the start-up capital an amount that can cover all costs at the initial (often unprofitable) stage. After all, even if you work at a loss, you still have to pay rent, staff salaries, etc.

When opening a restaurant, it is always prudent to target the middle class... This means that your establishment must guarantee good quality at affordable prices. An excellent option would be a massive menu with author's presentation.

"Open kitchens" that allow customers to personally observe the cooking process, significantly increase the level of trust in the institution. The cost of creating such a kitchen is small, but the effect is very significant.

There are many pitfalls in the restaurant business. You will encounter the first difficulties at the stage of creating an idea. However, if you approach everything prepared, you can achieve success. Make a business plan, conduct market research, plan all actions. If you work hard and put your soul into your favorite business, this will certainly give a result.

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