Thread: What is the formula for a good restaurant......

Set up next to a spare parts supplier and sell rover shaped cakes

Ok so you are right cost is a factor to ne but not the biggest one good food,freindly happy staff knowing that the owner has a passion for what he dose I think this is reflected in the food served. oh I'd travel around for good food.

Coming from within the industry,

1: Quality Food. Fresh and cooked with passion and care.
2: Value for money. This is an individual's perception so harder to guage. But aim for resonable priced meals with a decent serve.
3: Pick your demographic, cater to it and listen. Apart from what you outlined above, most fail because the chef only wants to cook what he/she think is the best food in the world and fail to cook the right type of food for their target customers.
4: Business is all about balance. It will be alot more than just cooking food.
5: Forget about that family time you think your going to get. It will be 100+ hours a week, and all nights and weekends, and during the day you get to prep.
6: Line up a liver donor in advance.

Good Luck

CC

There are a lot of factors and more so these days than when i started my apprenticeship back in 85', i have sometimes thought about my own business but wouldnt be going back into the restaurant scene.
You need to have the right location, good menu, good staff, be willing to work your arse off for long hours and be cashed up to get started.
Its a cut throat business has the highest turnover of ownership than any other business.

Seriously, first step, data.

For example Aust Bureau of Stats pop census or pop estimates - find greatest concentration of target customer.

Small business council etc

In order:

1. Good Food
2. Friendly and attentive staff
3. Good Food
4. Reasonable Prices
5. Good Food
6. Ambiance
7. Good Food
8. Did I mention good food?

90% of our eating out is at Asian/Ethnic retaurants (Szechuan/Thai/North Chinese/Italian/Spanish/Chinese BBQ/Turkish/Mexican/Indian, etc...), so I am not sure if we would be in your target demographic. We probably eat out at least twice a week though. The main thing we look for is interesting and authentic food. We do eat out at "Australian" type restaurants, however this tends to be usually either pubs or higher end restaurants, and less frequent.

Our current favourite is a recently opened Szechuan place. The food is delicious and extremely spicy - just the way we like it... They are packed every night of the week, when the nearby places are often almost empty.

You don't mention where you are located?

Cheap,Cheap,unfortunately that is the criteria.But bloody good food is the place to start.
All the best.
Geoff

Visit lots of long established (similar) restaurants, look at what they do and how they do it-where they do it and for whom.

Find a similar demographic and do the same.

If that does'nt make sense.... then do some YouTube tutorials aimed at your preferred consumers. Cheaper, still gives you ample family time, no chance of losing your house/savings..and has the potential to grow huge (advertising and other income-streams from it) and give great exposure for when/if you open a bricks & mortar eatery....