It’s a disheartening statistic that approximately 60% of new restaurants close within the first year. The restaurant business is highly competitive, and success depends on more than good food and good service. However, many restaurant entrepreneurs are able to survive that crucial first year and then keep growing. The following are some tips to keep a new restaurant in business.
1. Hire The Best Chef Available
While providing top-quality cuisine isn’t the only thing a restaurant has to do to stay in business, it is arguably the most important thing. When people go out to eat, they seek food that gives them pleasure, whether they’re looking for a fine dining experience or pizza and beer. Thus, it’s worthwhile to invest in a trained, experienced chef and a solid kitchen staff.
2. Optimize The Customer Experience
When diners go out to a restaurant, they want–and deserve–to be treated like honored guests. To be successful, restaurant owners need to hire front-of-house staff with excellent customer service skills and train them to represent the business in as friendly and professional a manner as possible. Besides friendly servers, customers also want to enjoy a comfortable, attractive, and clean environment.
3. Promote The Restaurant Online
Marketing is an important part of the restaurant business, and one of the best ways to market to customers is to reach them online, via a website, Google search results, and social media. Most restaurant owners hire a website designer to build a professional site and make sure the site is optimized for local searches. In addition, restaurant owners can build relationships with customers through sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
4. Use The Right Accounting Software
Another key to success in the restaurant business is managing income and expenses wisely. One of the best ways to identify waste and spend money more efficiently is to use an integrated accounting program designed specifically for restaurants. Learn more about what this type of software can do at https://restaurantaccountingservices.com/solutions/restaurant-accounting/.
These are just a few of the things that new restaurant owners need to think about. Bear in mind that it can take awhile before a new business starts turning a profit, so it’s a good idea to keep some funds in reserve, especially during the first year.
