Thank you to our Partners for providing this post.
If you’re considering or are in the process of opening a restaurant, Congrats! You may be excited and overwhelmed by the amount of work that you have ahead of you but don’t be, everything will work out! Your menu is suburb and your business skills rock so all you need to do is remember these 5 tips for new restaurant owners when opening your new restaurant and you will be on your way to a packed house on opening day!
Stay Calm
It is vital to keep as calm as you can and know things can and will go wrong at some point. Keep your eyes on the prize and stay grounded since many people are looking to you for guidance. You want to stay approachable to the vendors, builders, new employees and everyone else you are working with so never lose your cool, at least not in public.
Back of The House
At the opposite end of your restaurant, make sure that the back of house is being set up correctly. Your kitchen needs to be equipped with clean cutting boards, stove tops, grills, coolers, dish pit, etc. A great hood vent is needed to ventilate all your equipment and make sure you hire an awesome kitchen manager. Commercial kitchens require good organization and constant maintenance so you’ll want this to be your managers top priority. Cleanliness is next to godliness, as the saying goes, and it’s good to take this to heart in the restaurant industry; especially in the back of the house.
Best POS system
You need to consider which software POS you will use since all Point of sale systems are not all created equal. For example, do you need table management features in your software or what about fraud detection and security monitoring? You should look for a POS system that can set up an accurate map of your restaurant and tab management features that are complete and robust. Additionally, your POS should have great tools for managing and organizing your menu and prices, including discounts and rotating specials.
Codes and Licenses
Research the health code right away to make sure that your restaurant will pass its initial inspection because the health laws are becoming more and more strict. One small hang-up like a leaking drain or a microwave even a few feet out of place, can keep your restaurant from opening. Your local health department will guide you through the process and let you know exactly what you need to get your building up to code but it’s up to you to keep in communication with them and follow their directives to the letter. Regulations will depend on your location, but general food safety information can be found at the FDA food page. Remember also that the sale of liquor requires a license of its own and this can cause complications so make sure you make sure you fully understand what you need to do.
Delegate effectively
Don’t try to do every part of this enormous project all by yourself because you won’t be able to complete any of it with the full focus needed. Instead, be willing to delegate tasks. You hired an awesome staff so now is the time to use them. Give them tasks to complete in their areas of expertise so you can focus on opening your restaurant by opening day. You should also make friends with other experienced restaurateurs who have opened restaurants before so that they can give you guidance.
Leave a Reply