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Worksheets and Costs Associated with Startup, plus FoodService Equipment and
Supply Requirements
These are a few of the Steps that you should take when
considering opening a Restaurant or Bar.
First
Design your Menu
Determine Recipes,
Food Costs,
and Equipment Specifications. You do not want a 35# electric fryer
if you sell a lot of fried food. You won't get enough production to cover
a four seat restaurant, and the recovery time on the fryer will be much too long
to get out a second batch of food. When buying equipment Don't be Penny
Wise and Pound Foolish. Many operators save a few dollars on their core
pieces of equipment only to find out that it costs them thousands in lost
revenue once they open for business. Clarify your concept and put all the
proposed details--from decor to dessert choices--in writing. If you can't write
about them, they need more thought.
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How to calculate food cost percentage
By Joe Dunbar
Download the Document
FoodCostBasics.pdf
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Second
Business Plan
Most Successful FoodService Operators
STRONGLY RECOMMEND putting together a Business Plan
BEFORE making any kind of monetary investment. Without a GOOD Business
Plan you could lose Tens of Thousands of Dollars. If you can successfully
create a Detailed Business Plan, you have gotten past your Second Hurdle.
Click Here to Download a Pre-Opening Checklist
in Adobe PDF Format.
Small Business Tools &
Templates Page
Sample Restaurant P&L (excel file)
Restaurant Market Analysis.pdf - University of Wisconsin-Extension
Center for Community Economic Development and the Small Business Development
Center.
Third
Financing
Even people with a lot of experience in the FoodService Business Lose their
Shirts. The primary reason for this is Under Capitalization. Make
sure that you have enough money to operate your restaurant for Six Months to One
Year without making a profit. Check
out the Link to the Small Business Development Center Below
Fourth
Licensing and Regulations
If you plan on selling Alcohol, make sure that you fully
understand, and are prepared (Financially & Personally) to meet State, County,
and City Regulations. Research Local FoodService Establishment
Requirements & Health Code Regulations BEFORE looking for a property
(See the Santa Barbara Example).
This will give you the ability to intelligently negotiate a Lease
Agreement. Look very carefully at the property to make sure that there
will not be any MAJOR changes required to the physical plant by the local Health
Department. Even if the location was a restaurant previously, does NOT
mean that it meets current Regulations. Many people have found out after
they signed their lease that they would need to spend $5,000.00 to $15,000.00 to
upgrade the Greasetrap and Septic Tank Systems.
Fifth
Get a professional Contractor
One that can stick to a schedule and is familiar with local
regulations and inspectors. Don't rely on your cousin Ernie just because
he has built a few Houses. Everyday that you go over schedule will cost
you Thousands of Dollars in Operating Expenses and Lost Sales.
Sixth
Shop for Goods and Services
Once you have gotten past these hurdles, you can start pricing
the equipment, Smallwares, Goods, and Services that will go into your operation.
Use the Spreadsheet in conjunction with prices that you can get
from the
Ace Mart Website (link Below).
Smallwares Requirements Cost Worksheet.xls
This is a (relatively)
complete list of supplies needed to open a 100 seat restaurant. If your
restaurant has 75 seats, multiply the total listed by .75, If your restaurant
has 187 seats, multiply total listed by 1.87 etc.
If you get a pop-up screen asking for a Password, just click the cancel
button and the document will download.
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Assorted Articles About Starting, Owning, & Operating Food Service Operations
A Restaurant Owners Blog
This is an excellent example of a person that had no experience
in the Restaurant Industry and decided to open a restaurant. It is a
running description of his experience from opening the restaurant until its
closing. The blog begins on 12-22-04 and finishes on 10-26-05 and details the
transitions that he went through.
Restaurant Failure Rates Recounted:
Where Do They Get Those Numbers?
by G. Sidney
"A longitudinal study of restaurants in Columbus, Ohio found the
failure rate for restaurants was 57 to 61 percent for a three year period"
Opening a Restaurant?
This is a step-by-step guide to getting through the
Santa Barbara County
Environmental Health Services health permit process. These are the instructions
for Santa Barbara County, Ca, but the tasks are similar to those for any county
in the United States.
Solutions dished out for restaurant
failure rate
By JENNIFER ROBISON
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Romance vs. reality Running successful restaurant
not as easy as ...
Starting A Restaurant Business
This article aims to introduce the potential
restaurant owner to many of the factors he or she should consider when deciding
whether to open a restaurant.
Food & Beverage - Elusive Cash Flow
By Joe
Dunbar
It is quite common to see restaurant owners work hard all year and make nothing
at all. The difference between a winning operation and a loser is cash
management.
Download Article Here
Search 280,000+ Recipes!
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How to calculate food cost percentage
By Joe Dunbar
Download the Document
FoodCostBasics.pdf
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Advice from the National Restaurant Association
Opening a Restaurant
Each year, the National Restaurant Association fields hundreds of
inquiries from people interested in opening their own restaurants. If you have
dreamed of owning a restaurant but need some guidance, check out these resources
we've assembled to help you get started.
National Restaurant Association How-To Series
• How to put charitable work to work for your business
• How to build lunch business
• How to control pests
• How to establish an EAP
• How to get publicity for your restaurant
• How to make your operation more environmentally friendly
• How to prevent or recover from fires
• How to reduce no-shows
• How to resolve employee conflict
• How to write an employee manual
• Teaching servers how to sell
Food Safety
• How to prepare for a health inspection
• How to keep salad bars safe
• How to reduce food spoilage
Legal Topics
• Serving alcohol responsibly
• Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Complying with immigration laws
• Paying the federal minimum wage
• Complying with OSHA regulations
• Paying overtime to tipped employees
• Setting and enforcing a sexual- harassment policy
• Terminating employees
• Reporting tips
• Claiming a federal tax credit for FICA taxes paid on tips
• Protecting your restaurant's name under trademark law
• Using the Work Opportunity Tax Credit
©Copyright 2005 National Restaurant Association
1200 17th St., NW Washington, DC 20036 202-331-5900
Opening a Restaurant
Small Business Tools & Templates Page |
