Any restaurateurs or cafe owners on here?

[Ewen]

Hi all,
I'm opening a coffeehouse with a deli later this year. As I'm a chef I will be really promoting the food side of things as well as the coffee with a range of lunch food prepared fresh every day using sustainable and local ingredients wherever possible. It's part of a larger family venture on a farm and we're really going for an environmentally sustainable/ fairtrade ethos.

I'm interested in hearing from anyone else in the industry about their businesses, plus any advice you could give me about what's worked and what hasn't or any particular issues or hold-ups from your early days that stick out in your mind as something to consider. Thanks!

 

[Scalloway]

Know your market. It's no use having wonderful fresh food available when the customers who turn up only ask for burgers and chips. You need to target your advertising to the people who will appreciate what you provide.

 

[Mark T Jones]

What Scalloway says! Think about what your customers want, rather than what you want to offer them.

Whilst I haven't run a restaurant, I have funded a fair few, some of the hurdles they face (other than not really understanding the business are:

- Putting too much money into non-essential equipment.
- Not allowing for cost over-runs - build in MINIMUM 10% allowance
- Delays in licences/permits
- Challenges of finding reliable chefs (shouldn't be a problem for you!)

 

[The Byre]

As I'm a chef I will be really promoting the food side of things as well as the coffee with a range of lunch food prepared fresh every day using sustainable and local ingredients wherever possible. It's part of a larger family venture on a farm and we're really going for an environmentally sustainable/ fairtrade ethos.

We get many postings here from folks who have never worked in the restaurant trade in their lives, asking daft questions, like "Can I start a fast-food joint with £3,000?" so it is refreshing to hear from someone who is from the trade and has their beans in a row!

Finding symbiosis with another business can be made to work in weird and strange ways. I know a guy who has a wild boar farm, a restaurant and a vintage car dealership. Whilst customers are getting their cars fixed, they can have a complementary meal and order organic food for home.

I do not own or run a restaurant, but I have helped others to get going. Getting things dead right at the beginning requires far more planning than one imagines. Keep your power dry, so keep some money spare for things you didn't plan for or things people ask for.

You cannot have enough prep pans and cool storage!

You will never have enough sinks and drainage and prep surfaces!

Induction hobs really work better and are cheaper to run than gas, but you need good pans that work for induction.

Get the air-flow management right and remember it can get hot in Summer, so lots of fresh air coming in is vital.

Smart, clean uniforms are a must!

Equipment - Nisbets very good. Cater-Kwik very bad, stay away! (A friend waited three months for £10k in equipment and ended up using nasty rental stuff until it arrived!)

Don't fall in love with some sexy piece of kit, just because you've always wanted one. Gear-lust makes for bad business!

Food, good local always works. Brakes yuk. Keltic Seafare good. Quality sells.

Free range local eggs make all the difference. Feeding them a little horse manure and/or fresh grass makes the egg yokes darker and tastier!

Coffee - roast your own! People really love the smell and the idea of fresh-ground right in front of their eyes.

Sauces and mayonnaises - always make your own. That way, nobody can say "I could have made that at home!"

 

[Ewen]

Thanks for the great advice so far. I'm in a fortunate position as I have been working in the local area essentially doing research into the market for a few years (and you're absolutely right Scalloway, burgers are always a big seller!) so i intend to offer all the usual favourites with a few extras I've seen working elsewhere so we're offering something unique.

I found the comment about using induction hobs interesting, I was always curious which worked out cheaper, I actually would have guessed gas, just thought induction would be faster. Good to know!

Interesting thought about roasting my own coffee, wouldn't have the space initially but i would love to try that when we're ready to expand on down the line.

 

[The Byre]

It takes nothing to roast coffee. You can literally do it in a pan!

And the smell . . . !

 

[Ewen]

Yeah it might be worth doing a small amount just to say I roast my own filter coffee, though until I get up and running I'm weary of trying things I haven't tried in any capacity before (aside from Payroll etc.) just until I get a better handle on the logistics of it all.

Just while I remember payroll what would everyone recommend in regards to software? I'm thinking Xero or HMRC basic. are these user friendly? And how much time should i set aside each week to do it? I'll have about 6 employees initially.

 

[Scalloway]

I'd recommend Moneysoft payroll. I've tried HMRC Basic Tools. It's free and it does the job but that's as far as I would go and it doesn't produce payslips. When everything is set up it should take 15-20 minutes to enter hours, do the RTI return and do bank transfers.

http://www.moneysoft.co.uk/payroll-software/payroll-manager.htm

 

[The Byre]

How to IMPROVE your Restaurant? Key facts and tips for restaurant owners.

Bla, bla, bla - you completely fail to mention the one thing that is more important than all that guff put together.

Yes, by all means have a good website, use funky coffee and quirky wines. But there is one thing that is three-quarters of the gig.

FOOD!

Over and over again, I see restaurateurs cut corners on food and then wonder why they get fewer and fewer customers.

There was a day, when you could offer the Brits crap food and they just didn't know any better. Gravy always involved a powder, why do it any other way? Ice cream was always from a factory, mayonnaises always came from a tin, why go to all the trouble of whipping cream, when you can get synthetic cream shooting out of a spray can? Why go to all the trouble of frying onions in butter, when you can open a frozen pack of ready-cut and fried onions and deep-fry them in seconds? Why bake your own bread? Why even bother?

Those days are over!

I do not eat factory made bread at home - I'll be damned I'll pay extra to eat it in your restaurant.

I certainly do not eat factory-made ice cream or eat factory made mayonnaise and I would never offer that type of cheap gunk to guests. Why then, do so many restaurant owners think that they can charge money for that kind of filth and then wonder why trade falls steadily away?

But there is even worse to come - there are still owners of restaurants who honestly think that frozen vegetables are perfectly acceptable. The result is rubbery and inedible broccoli, mushy carrots devoid of all taste and an overall unacceptable eating experience.

So, by all means follow the advice above, none of it is fundamentally wrong, but remember, people come to a restaurant to eat. If you fail to make that meal a memorable experience in good food, they will go somewhere else that does.

 

[Newchodge]

For Payroll I would definitely recommend Moneysoft. I use it for my payroll bureau and it is relatively easy to learn. However I would warn you to be careful about doing anything unusual without checking (probably on here) first. While you are doing straightforward weekly or monthly pay it is easy, but calculating appropriate holiday pay etc can be awkward if your staff work varying hours. Also you will need employment documentation and policies and procedures.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Bla, bla, bla - you completely fail to mention the one thing that is more important than all that guff put together.

Yes, by all means have a good website, use funky coffee and quirky wines. But there is one thing that is three-quarters of the gig.

FOOD!

Over and over again, I see restaurateurs cut corners on food and then wonder why they get fewer and fewer customers.

There was a day, when you could offer the Brits crap food and they just didn't know any better. Gravy always involved a powder, why do it any other way? Ice cream was always from a factory, mayonnaises always came from a tin, why go to all the trouble of whipping cream, when you can get synthetic cream shooting out of a spray can? Why go to all the trouble of frying onions in butter, when you can open a frozen pack of ready-cut and fried onions and deep-fry them in seconds? Why bake your own bread? Why even bother?

Those days are over!

I do not eat factory made bread at home - I'll be damned I'll pay extra to eat it in your restaurant.

I certainly do not eat factory-made ice cream or eat factory made mayonnaise and I would never offer that type of cheap gunk to guests. Why then, do so many restaurant owners think that they can charge money for that kind of filth and then wonder why trade falls steadily away?

But there is even worse to come - there are still owners of restaurants who honestly think that frozen vegetables are perfectly acceptable. The result is rubbery and inedible broccoli, mushy carrots devoid of all taste and an overall unacceptable eating experience.

So, by all means follow the advice above, none of it is fundamentally wrong, but remember, people come to a restaurant to eat. If you fail to make that meal a memorable experience in good food, they will go somewhere else that does.

I would have to disagree - unless of course the OP's research shows that his target clients want top quality food and are prepared to pay for it and return

The most successful restaurant brand in the world is McDonalds, whilst top chefs routinely fail in the restaurant business. Beefeaters are full, whilst gastropubs struggle to maintain their client base

From experience of funding many restaurants, I'd say the most reliably profitable rely on ingredients of only average quality and pretty unimaginative menus (sausage, bacon, pies, cheap steak etc)

 

[Newchodge]

Have you missed the fact that this is going to be a coffeeshop, not a restaurant?

 

[The Byre]

Have you missed the fact that this is going to be a coffeeshop, not a restaurant?

I was replying to the (repeated) postings from Jasion.

The most successful restaurant brand in the world is McDonalds, whilst top chefs routinely fail in the restaurant business. Beefeaters are full, whilst gastropubs struggle to maintain their client base

McDonalds keeps a very tight rein on quality. Just because it's fast food, does not mean it has to be bad. Most gastropubs I have visited break all sorts of rules, particularly the 'keep-it-simple' rule. I can think of one gastropub that offers two menu items and one soup (onion) and it is full every evening, as in packed to the rafters. But that remarkable limited choice is brilliantly cooked.

 

[jasion]

I have only mentioned few tips as I didn't intend to write the whole book on restaurant busines in here. Of course the food quality is a beneficial factor , however is not they key to success. It is down to what clientele you are targeting at

 

[Newchodge]

I fully agree that good food, well cooked, is a must in any establishment selling food. I think my comments were aimed more at Jasion too.

 

[jasion]

Bla, bla, bla - you completely fail to mention the one thing that is more important than all that guff put together.

Yes, by all means have a good website, use funky coffee and quirky wines. But there is one thing that is three-quarters of the gig.

FOOD!

Over and over again, I see restaurateurs cut corners on food and then wonder why they get fewer and fewer customers.

There was a day, when you could offer the Brits crap food and they just didn't know any better. Gravy always involved a powder, why do it any other way? Ice cream was always from a factory, mayonnaises always came from a tin, why go to all the trouble of whipping cream, when you can get synthetic cream shooting out of a spray can? Why go to all the trouble of frying onions in butter, when you can open a frozen pack of ready-cut and fried onions and deep-fry them in seconds? Why bake your own bread? Why even bother?

Those days are over!

I do not eat factory made bread at home - I'll be damned I'll pay extra to eat it in your restaurant.

I certainly do not eat factory-made ice cream or eat factory made mayonnaise and I would never offer that type of cheap gunk to guests. Why then, do so many restaurant owners think that they can charge money for that kind of filth and then wonder why trade falls steadily away?

But there is even worse to come - there are still owners of restaurants who honestly think that frozen vegetables are perfectly acceptable. The result is rubbery and inedible broccoli, mushy carrots devoid of all taste and an overall unacceptable eating experience.

So, by all means follow the advice above, none of it is fundamentally wrong, but remember, people come to a restaurant to eat. If you fail to make that meal a memorable experience in good food, they will go somewhere else that does.

Food is important , but i am not here to write a book on running restaurant business, I only shared few tips. At the end of the day if You need to fix the quality of your food, then change your chef.
You could have an amazing food , but your restaurant or a Coffee shop will remain always empty. It is down to lack of experience in marketing your business the right way.

 

[jasion]

Have you missed the fact that this is going to be a coffeeshop, not a restaurant?

And what difference does that make? Aren't coffee shop requires customers as well as restaurant do?

 

[The Byre]

I fully agree with Jasion's list, marketing is vital - as is food! After all, word-of-mouth and repeat business is vital and all a part of marketing.

 

[Krystsina]

Hi Ewen,

your post with the idea of opening a coffeehouse sounds exciting but at the same time a bit messy as I see few concepts there mixed together. Coffeehouse, lunch food, sustainable and local ingredients. I believe you should focus on one thing you would like to promote the most. What is the most interesting for you? If it is a coffeehouse, people usually come there for a cup of fresh coffee, not for the lunch. I've seen some very successful coffee houses where they have lots of kinds of coffee, some snacks which might go well with coffee, but it is all about coffee there. If you like to cook more than make coffee, then you might probably consider opening up not a coffeehouse, but a cafe or a restaurant. Especially if you have your family farm and the access to fresh local ingredients. Nowadays it is a trend to eat organic food so that could work. Plus adding lunch would be a good addition to such a place.

Regards,
Krystsina.