If you’ve ever thought about running a bakery or restaurant, the very first thing that you need to focus on is your product. The products you sell will lead to your restaurant concept. After you have that, you can build your business and marketing plans, outfit your restaurant with equipment, and all the rest. It starts with product creation, and we want to share some ideas on how to help you find products for your future restaurant.
Play to Your Strengths
If you make the most delicious gyros in the whole world, why open up a pizza place? By wrapping your restaurant concept around the strongest thing that you can make, you are starting your restaurant on the right foot.
Set Yourself Apart
You need a USP, or unique selling proposition. What can you make that you haven’t seen anywhere else, or can make better than everywhere else in your city? Perhaps you make the best basket of bagels around. Maybe you’ve got a mean honey chocolate soufflé. Find that je ne sais quoi that makes you different.
Test your Food
People are willing to forgive substandard service if the food is excellent, but not the other way around. If there are a lot of dishes that are competing for your strongest, conduct a taste test with your friends to see what they say – let them be honest, and they will help you create your empire.
Think About the Money
How expensive is it to make your menu, and which market are you aiming at? Different audiences demand different ingredients and styles. If they don’t believe that the value is there, they won’t come to your place more than once. Conversely, you can’t let expensive tastes ruin your startup capital while you’re busy getting noticed.
Quality Standards
Finally, you’ll need to find people to make the product. If your products are especially complex or require a high level of skill, you’ll need to take that into account with your training. High concept food can be very expensive. Be prepared for this.
Before you invest in convection ovens, bar supplies, and measuring spoons, take a few moments to truly think about the products which you can deliver for profit to your eagerly awaiting public. Prepare in advance and you’ll be in a better position to succeed.
Thanks go out to Live Work Learn Play on Flickr for the Creative Commons use of their picture.
