So, You Want to Open a Restaurant on a Budget

The costs to open a restaurant these days are increasingly surprising. I opened my successful pizza, pasta and ribs restaurant 20 years ago with $25,000. It's not just the price of materials, labor and equipment that's made the difference, it's the codes and requirements. How can you possibly anticipate and budget for all of that?

I've been in the restaurant business, cooking, owning, operating, designing, opening... forever. I've never had a job that wasn't in the food service business. My desire is always for positive cash flow. That's why I wrote a book to help you open your restaurant with an understanding of costs before you get in over your head and have to scramble for cash.

Take a look at the samples from "How to Open a Restaurant: Due Diligence", that I published last January. It's a workbook style for you to record your research, discoveries, contacts, concept, plans, needs, etc. Follow the instructions in this book, so you will not miss a beat. This book is your own personal consultant at the fraction of the cost. That's not to say that you wouldn't benefit from a consultant or independent food service designer.

After you've looked at the book, done some of the work, call me for a free consultation. Let me know you got the book and I can help you with you layout and drawings at a discounted fee.

Opening a restaurant is an experience - make it a great one!

Menu Design

Have you been to a restaurant where the menus are sticky and dirty, or the covers cracked and broken? If this is your restaurant maybe it's time to update your menu. Today, everything is about the "big-wow-factor" - that must include all of your graphics, especially the menu. Don't give your customer any excuse to be critical. Provide them excellence in all areas. Graphics are such a big part of your brand. Take time to review all of your graphic materials including your web site.

And when you do update your graphics think about updating your menu items and prices as well, plus refresh your Web Site. Stay current, offer something new, and watch the customers come back for more.

The Importance of Working Every Job in a Restaurant

This article from Allfoodbusiness.com struck me as worthy to pass on especially for the restaurant owner, for those aiming to open their own restaurant...  - Frank Stocco, Independent Restaurant Designer/Consultant


Maybe you’ve heard this advice before, but it’s worth saying again. A restaurant operator or manager should work every job in this business before taking over a store. This business is different from others in many ways. Unfortunately, one of them is the disparity between the front and back of the house. However, most jobs are easy to get a basic understanding of.

For those reasons, it’s a good idea to spend a little time everywhere in a restaurant—from the hostess stand to the dish pit. Many great operators start out as dishwashers or prep cooks. Others come into this business straight from other industries. In either case, there are many things an operator can miss out on by not having a familiarity with every role in the building.

Read more...

Chef Survey - What's Hot in 2011

The annual National Restaurant Association survey of American Culinary Federation member chefs is one of the industry's leading culinary forecasts. More than 1,500 professional chefs gave their professional opinion of whether 226 culinary items will be a "hot trend," "yesterday's news," or "perennial favorite" on 2011 restaurant menus.

Download the "What's Hot in 2011" chef survey results (PDF).

Top 20 Trends:
1 Locally sourced meats and seafood
2 Locally grown produce
3 Sustainability
4 Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes
5 Hyper-local (e.g. restaurant gardens, do your own butchering)
6 Children’s nutrition
7 Sustainable seafood
8 Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
9 Simplicity/back to basics
10 Farm/estate-branded ingredients
11 Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
12 Locally-produced wine and beer
13 Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price
14 Organic produce
15 Nutrition/health
16 Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)
17 Newly fabricated cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, Petite Tender)
18 Fruit/vegetable children’s side items
19 Ethnic-inspired breakfast items (e.g. Asian-flavored syrups, chorizo scrambled eggs, coconut milk pancakes)
20 Artisan cheeses
http://www.restaurant.org/foodtrends

Video - 2011 Forecast for the Restaurant Industry

The 2011 Restaurant Industry Forecast includes economic, workforce, consumer and menu trends, as well as information for restaurant operators to overcome the current economic challenges and position themselves for future growth.

5 Factors of a Sucessful Restaraunt

Every consultant will attribute success to different factors. I believe that there are 5 major factors that result in success in the food service industry. I caution even the most seasoned restaurateur about moving forward without having each and everyone of these factors in covered.

1 - Concept and Vision - Is your concept acceptable for the area that you live in and do you have a clear vision of the space?
2 - Due Diligence - It is so important to gather all the necessary information needed to make an educated discussion to move forward. I always ask my clients two questions; do you have the expertise to run a successful restaurant and are you qualified to construct and open a restaurant. The answer to the first question is almost always yes. The second question usually tongue ties my clients. It takes a great deal of work and diligence to open a restaurant. My educated guess is that most restaurants fail before they even open.
3 - Location - Will your concept work in your town, is there visibility, are there any major anchors? Do not believe you are so good that you can open in a bad location.
4 - Funding - You need to be fully funded. This is really part of Due Diligence and is the reality. There are many funding sources and partnership agreements out there. A short fall in cash will result in a short fall of your vision being realized along with the operating funds you will need to train your staff. There are hundreds of implications to being under-funded.
5 - Expertise - To become a very successful restaurant you or your executive staff must have the knowledge to prepare and serve food flawlessly. You also need to have the expertise to manage revenues and expenses.

Do your due diligence. Assure yourself success. Go to www.frankstocco.com for more information.

Time to Get Moving

Hi All,

The economic news is improving. The south has seen a big jump in spring vacations, especially south Florida. People are starting to spend money again on entertainment. All good news for the food service industry. If you are considering opening a restaurant you must be sure that you have a great chance at becoming successful. Having a profitable restaurant is a science. There are five major factors that determine success. A lack of detail in any one of the factors could or will result in failure. I will detail those factors in tomorrow's blog.

Frank Stocco
Owner/Consultant/Designer 888-727-0377
frankstocco.com    
openarestaurant-duediligence.com