Restaurant Startup - Part 1: Market Research ? What are Potential Competitors Doing?

The first step in starting a restaurant is proper planning. One must lay out a plan complete with goals, priorities, and the tasks that he will need to complete in order to achieve these goals. The biggest mistake first time restaurant owners make is improper planning. Ambition, while absolutely required, is simply not enough to succeed in the highly competitive food service industry.

If you've always wanted to run a Cajun restaurant, and you live in an area that already has five, do you have to relocate to accomplish your dream? Not necessarily! It's now time to engage in a bit of opposition research. Drive by each of the locations during varying parts of the day. Are there many cars in the parking lots? At what times? Are many people standing in the lobbies? If so, then this restaurant is doing something people like, and these patrons are thanking the restaurant owner with their wallets. If you see that a particular restaurant is more popular than others, discover why by visiting their establishment during peak hours. Dine in, have the waiter recommend their best dish. Pay attention to every aspect of the experience.

The food should be an area of concentration of course, but there are several other factors that can turn wonderful food into a wonderful experience. How do the servers present themselves? How spaced out are the tables? What type of centerpiece is on your table? All of these factors are vital, and are what makes or breaks a new restaurant. By no means should you overlook the atmosphere of your dining area while planning your restaurant.

This may seem obvious to most, but while you're there, you should also pay attention to the menu. Do they have something for everyone? People generally don't dine out alone, so if you're only appealing to a one taste, you're going to lose a vast amount of potential customers. Carefully study how the successful restaurants handle this. Of course if you're a Cajun restaurant, you're not going to serve an Italian dish, but you can surely meet everybody's tastes. Look at husband-wife pairs to see what they order. Don't just concentrate on the main dishes, but the entire meal. Sometimes, one of a pair might really enjoy your Chicken Rochambeau, but the other doesn't like Cajun at all. Notice what these people order, as they're just as important as their partners who enjoy Cajun immensely. These items will often blend into the menu quite well as soups or salads, and will most times be a compliment to your main courses. A great fast food example is McDonalds. They realized early on that not everyone wants to eat just hamburgers. They poured massive amounts of money into marketing, and obtaining the best quality potatoes for their fries of any of the fast food chains. Of course today, you can get just about anything at McDonalds, but early on they were first to scream, "We don't just have burgers!" and it has worked out well for them. To summarize, find your niche of course, but also cater to as many people as possible, because your niche diners have friends and they want to eat as well!

Finally, do not lose heart because there are already five successful restaurants in your area. Remember, when the fifth started there were already four, and so on. Find what they don't do well, that you know you can make your specialty, and you are well on your way to a successful restaurant.

Jeremy is a consultant for ACityDiscount, an online restaurant equipment dealer based out of Atlanta, Georgia.

Barrington South Lincoln Stretch rentals .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

A newly discovered security flaw with your iPhone or iPad could leave your personal information vulnerable to hackers. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.
Modeled after a traditional bell-shaped skirt worn by women in Kosovo, a theater's roof is draped entirely by solar panels to generate renewable energy on-site.
Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions that can steal sensitive information like password managers, crypto wallets and banking apps.
Stellantis' innovative STLA AutoDrive 1.0 system allows drivers to safely take their eyes off the road and their hands off the steering wheel.
Here are some travel hacks to save money on your next vacation including setting up price alerts, remaining flexible and checking for 24-hour price drops.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
One report claims at least 25 million people were targeted by infostealer malware between the beginning of 2023 and the end of 2024, capturing bank card details and passwords.
The LaserWeeder G2 uses lasers, artificial intelligence and advanced robotics to offer an alternative to chemicals traditionally used in farming.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a malware app called SpyLend is posing as a financial tool, hitting 100,000-plus downloads.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Clone Robotics’ Protoclone mimics humans with 1,000 muscles – too human for comfort.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson urges you to use Apple’s App Privacy Report to see what your apps are really up to.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how to smoothly transfer your data from an old laptop to a new one using cloud storage or external drives.
Kurt the CyberGuy offers tips to safeguard your personal information as scammers become more sophisticated with scam texts and other methods.
WeRide's unmanned electric delivery van, the Robovan W5, has 194 cubic feet of cargo space and can carry payloads up to about 2,205 pounds
Kurt the CyberGuy recommends deleting 16 browser extensions immediately in response to a report saying more than 3.2 million web users were affected by a security breach.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
A robotics firm in China claims a robot has performed the world's first humanoid robot front flip, which is significantly more difficult than a backflip.
A digital ID may be even more secure than a physical ID. Storing your driver's license in your Apple Wallet is an ideal solution for commuters.
A cybersecurity firm has shed some light on just how common tax scams have become. Kurt the CyberGuy offers his advice for how to protect your refund.
Lifesize Plans offers immersive walk-throughs that allow customers the opportunity to tour a home's design before construction actually begins.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
A man invested $4 million in bitcoin and lost it all with a single click when he was targeted by a vishing scam, which uses phone calls to trick people.
Expandable's Touchdown is a designer trailer that promises a luxury off-grid living experience and unfolds into a home in about 15 minutes.
Major employee screening company data breach affects 3.3 million people. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what happened and gives five ways to protect your data.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals mind-blowing tech that gives you sunlight on demand.

5 Strategies That Will Boost Your Business Productivity Today! - Part 1

Building a dynamic small business is a constantly evolving, increasingly... Read More

8 Ways to Earn More Without Working Harder

Conventional wisdom has it that there are only three ways... Read More

The Top 10 Priorities That Guard Your Five-Star Reputation

Making money doesn't make your reputation... your reputation makes you... Read More

How to Grow Your Business by Clearing the Way to Growth

Is your business growing as fast and effectively as it... Read More

Why Create an Annual Plan?

Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing... Read More

Top 10 Tips to Create A Business Plan! (For People Who Hate Business Plans)

One of the key challenges for any business is to... Read More

Mastermind Your Way to Success

What do Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Anthony Robbins, Andrew... Read More

Invalid Excuses for Poor Business Results - Rising costs

Note to Northwest Airlines ? It's not about fuel costsFor... Read More

Writing Your Business Plan is Actually Storytelling

Storytelling and writing a business plan actually go hand in... Read More

Content Management: Wise Investment for Business Prosperity

The time when a website was just a simple set... Read More

The Impact of Price Popularity on Profits

The goal of almost every business owner is to generate... Read More

How To Get More Business During The Winter Months

Business seems to drop, slow or even stop during the... Read More

A Backup To The Internet Is Vital & Now Cost Effective

It doesn't take a Terrorist Act, Tsunami or Earthquake to... Read More

Urban Flight in Ohio

Many of Ohio's downtown areas are in need of upgrading... Read More

Memo: Sustaining Growth in Your Business

What gets measured gets done.How do you keep your business... Read More

Business Problem Solving

Is there really anything as a problem? Does chaos or... Read More

Regroup - How To Do It And Why It Works

Regroup?is this a new management trend? Not a chance! Regroup... Read More

Expanding your business in a franchise system

If you are a successful franchise of a large franchise... Read More

Call in the SWOT Team: Produce More Opportunities to Expand Your Business

Have you ever done a SWOT analysis? No, it's not... Read More

Legal Strategies in Business Plans

Writing a Business Plan these days is tough, venture capitalists... Read More

A Unique Joint Venture Twist: Make Huge Profits Even If You Have No Money, No Products, and No List

Would you like to jumpstart your online or offline business... Read More

Business Planning and the ?Bozo? Factor

"Bozo" ? A clown with a forlorn look, always finding... Read More

Offense: Beat the Odds

When in doubt, cut that out! Yeah, yea, doubting Thomas... Read More

What is Your MSP?

For many consumers and producers, MSP is an acronym for... Read More

How To Leverage Your Current Ideas And Products Into Multiple Revenue Streams

Diversify - to make diverse, give variety, to balance, to... Read More

Downers Grove limo Chicago ..