catering attracts a large number of entrepreneurs who wish to embark on this ambitious and gourmet adventure. However, many establishments barely close after their third year.
To limit failure, a good construction of your project is essential. If there is no miracle recipe , here are some points of attention to take into account to set up a profitable and sustainable establishment .
1. Choose the right partner for your restaurant
To succeed in a concept, quality must be there: an irreproachable kitchen promise and efficient service. From street-food to bistro , the promise must be the same: to offer a meal at a fair price-quality ratio. The daily fulfillment of your promise must be guaranteed by a team that masters these notions. To inspire this collective spirit, you will need to be present and be able to rely on someone you trust: your partner .
A restaurateur ‘s day is busy. It starts early, with setting up and receiving orders, and ends late with cleaning, placing orders and getting ready to start all over again. A restaurant , like any business, is the result of teamwork, made up of different talents. To withstand the pressure, the frantic pace and this great adventure, it is better to have a double engaged as much as you. If the dining room-kitchen binomial is the most obvious (because of its complementarity), the association must above all be based on trust and a common vision of the project.
2. Location, location and more location
On the benches of hotel schools , the first rule learned is the importance of the location for its establishment . It is a question of finding a frequented place, where your offer is addressed directly to its target. Business or leisure? Frequented rather in the evening or at noon? The weekend or the week? Once found, it remains to study and measure the extent of the work. Is this a cover? Does it have an extractor (if not, how much will it cost)? So don’t hesitate to take your time to find shoes that suit you. And remember: it might be better to spend a little more and go for a prime location.
3. Delight your guests
The catering offer is becoming very competitive, especially in the big cities. To make a difference, you have to offer an irreproachable offer . Indeed, today’s customer has a critical palate: he notes, comments and shares the address with those close to him if he likes as well as on the Web. The client is demanding and potentially influential. To delight them, you must therefore master your cuisine and offer a gourmet offer.
4. Responsible cooking
A restorer, from the Latin restaurare, is one who repairs, who therefore restores. It must therefore offer good products. The definition of a good product has been supported since the 90s by the Slow Food association. It calls for maintaining food biodiversity , respecting the seasons, remunerating producers fairly, favoring short circuits. “Let your food be your only medicine” said Hippocrates. To treat your guests, you have to be aware of the political role of the restaurateur, be demanding about the quality of the products served and offer gourmet and responsible catering .
5. A place of community life
The kitchen goes through fashions and accompanies the times. Ours is therefore of course very… connected and social. We will look in a place for a tie, a community haunt . The guests are more and more attentive to the social framework: is it possible to meet up with friends for a reasonable bill? Is the welcome there warm? Better, will I find regulars?
Launching a crowdfunding to partially finance your restaurant will also allow you to begin to federate a community around it. This is one of the primary benefits of a crowdfunding campaign : perhaps even before your establishment has opened, you can gather people interested in the concept who will carry you throughout your culinary adventure . They will be the first to talk about you to those around them. It is they who will be the base and will allow your establishment to meet a well-deserved success. So your restaurant will be everyone’s restaurant!