For many people, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That’s why it’s essential to make sure it’s as nutritious and filling as possible. If you want to get in on the breakfast restaurant market, now is a great time to do so. However, you have a lot of competition out there, so you want to ensure your spot can stand out from the rest. To have success in this food market, follow some of these tips on how to open a breakfast restaurant in your area.
Renovate Your Space
Did you buy an existing restaurant or other type of commercial property? If you have a space that was already a restaurant, that makes your renovation easy for you. However, if the space wasn’t a restaurant, you’ll have more updates on your plate. So how to open a breakfast restaurant in a space that wasn’t already an eatery? You need to install an industrial kitchen that is capable of cooking enough food for the amount of customers you plan to serve. If your breakfast restaurant is a dine-in space, you want enough room for seating. You may also want enough patio space in the front or back of your restaurant to take advantage of warm months. After all, people enjoy eating outside in the spring and summer.
Knowing how to open a breakfast restaurant involves knowing how to keep it clean. That’s why you need plenty of sanitation features such as functioning plumbing and dumpsters. Luckily you don’t need to rely on your local municipal garbage pickup. After all, as a restaurant, you’ll need to get rid of the trash on a more regular basis. You can hire dumpster rentals to ensure you always have proper sanitation service. A roll off dumpster makes it easy to move around. So you could always take those dumpsters from one part of the backspace to the other as needed.
Whatever space renovation you need doesn’t have to be done on your own. Some contractors specialize in commercial renovation. You should find one who specializes in kitchen or restaurant updates. As a result, you’ll have a professional who knows exactly what you need to have a functioning and thriving restaurant to attract more customers. A good way to start looking for such contractors is by connecting with other restaurant professionals who may give you a referral. Once you get in contact with potential contractors, you can also ask them for references from past clients. See if there are any available reviews from other businesses who have dealt with them. Ask if they have a warranty for their service as well as insurance. They should be able to show you a portfolio of some of the past restaurant renovations they’ve done. The right renovation professional understands how to open a breakfast restaurant in your area.
Make Exterior Improvements
As you establish your reputation in the area, people prioritize how your food tastes as well as your service. However, you also want to attract traffic organically. In order to do that, you need to keep your exterior looking good. After all, people don’t want to eat in a place that looks like it may not be clean. If people see your restaurant appears to be put together from the outside, they’re more likely to assume it’s equally clean and sanitized inside. Plus, you can attract people by using bright colors and fun signage. In other words, taking care of your exterior is how to open a breakfast restaurant in any area.
You can protect your exterior from water damage by ensuring your gutter is up to date. The gutter is a vital part of your roofing system as it ushers water away from it. In addition to protecting your roofing from water damage, it protects your building’s siding and foundation. If gutters become too backed up to usher water in the right direction, that water may stream down your siding. As a result, your siding paint may become damaged and begin to bubble or peel. It may create water damage that leads to mold. If you invest in a beautiful exterior paint job, it can easily become ruined because of gutter problems. If your gutters don’t appear to be doing their job, it’s time for a gutter replacement before you open your restaurant.
Regarding exterior paint, that’s a major aspect of your professional curb appeal. You can paint your new structure in your business colors. The type of color you choose can help your restaurant building stand out from others on the block. If other restaurants or commercial properties are in muted colors, add a bold one to your breakfast restaurant to attract attention. Your new breakfast restaurant may have a fun logo you can incorporate on signage. Many businesses get organic traffic because of a good sign. According to Statistica, as many as 60% of survey respondents said they entered a business because of a good sign.
Update Your Plumbing
Good plumbing matters in any building, especially your restaurant. Effective plumbing can ensure you can always have hot flowing water to clean your restaurant from top to bottom. After all, good sanitation is how to open a breakfast restaurant that people will feel comfortable eating at. However, good sanitation isn’t just for your customers, it’s also to meet local compliance and general restaurant standards. Remember you must meet certain sanitation criteria to open your restaurant and keep it open. Your restaurant inspectors will give your restaurant a letter grade based on the level of sanitation. Don’t give them a reason to give you a low rating because you don’t keep your area clean.
You can always find affordable plumbing by googling commercial plumbing services online. Try to find a plumber you’ll want to continue to work with in the future. After all, with a restaurant, you’re bound to have plumbing needs come up from time to time. If you have a sit-down restaurant, you’re required to have a bathroom for patrons to use. You don’t want bathroom issues to linger as customers may begin to complain. Plus, any kitchen issues need to be resolved immediately, as they can affect the way you cook and keep your business clean. Try to find an affordable commercial plumber who can also do emergency services if needed. While many kitchen inspections are scheduled, you may end up with a surprise one at any time. If that happens, you don’t want to be caught off guard because of plumbing concerns.
Remodel Your Kitchen
Getting your cooking space in order is how to open a breakfast restaurant that can cook freshly made meals efficiently. You want a kitchen space with a good layout efficient enough for cooks and prep people to move around without bumping into each other. If space is too tight, accidents can happen that can involve hot dishes. If you spill a customer’s order, you’ll have to make it over again which can set you back on a busy day. Plus, you want to reduce the likelihood of kitchen accidents, as it can cause injuries that may result in workers’ compensation claims. The last thing you want in a busy restaurant is to be short-staffed, especially when missing your best workers. If you’ve never opened a breakfast restaurant before, look at what industrial kitchens look like. You’ll need a large stove range, maybe two or more, and ovens to bake things. Installing more than one sink can also make prep and cleaning more efficient. Don’t forget about ventilation. Any restaurant kitchen can quickly become humid and steamy when cooking lots of food. Your kitchen renovation should include proper oven vents so workers become overwhelmed with smoke or smells.
Your breakfast kitchen also needs proper storage. Just as a residential kitchen has cabinets and drawers, your restaurant kitchen needs those on a greater level. Kitchen cabinet companies can give your restaurant all the organizational help it needs. They can build a pantry and have cabinets of all sizes. The cabinets can have pull-out drawers. You may want cabinets to hide certain appliances that can make food prep space more efficient.
Create a Marketing Strategy
Knowing how to open a breakfast restaurant also means knowing how to market it. Regardless of how good your breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, and American breakfast plates are, people won’t eat it if they don’t know where you are. Sit down and create a marketing strategy that can work for your area. The first step in marketing involves good signage as that is what people will see on the street. Consider going retro with a sign in neon lights that can pull people off the road if you’re near a highway. Have you ever seen sign twirlers in large cities like New York? You can hire them to twirl signs advertising your restaurant in various locations. You can even advertise your restaurant on one of the biggest signs available, a billboard.
Of course, your marketing strategy can evolve beyond static signage. You can take signage on the road with local vehicle wraps. Vehicle wraps can advertise your restaurant creatively by using a car or van. You often see this type of advertising on delivery trucks that have the logo and name of the company they’re delivering for. As part of your grand opening, you can utilize this type of car advertisement to drive around the city. Like most restaurants, you may decide to offer delivery eventually. If you do your own delivery beyond Uber Eats, you can utilize local vehicle wraps for your delivery drivers.
Decorate Your Dining Area
A beautiful and welcoming dining area is how to open a breakfast restaurant the people will want to sit and eat until lunch. You can install booths that are reminiscent of 1950s diners. You can even have a bar counter where people can eat or grab a quick-to-go order. Have tables throughout for solo diners, small groups, and larger groups. Make sure that the floor is safe for high traffic. You can install hardwood, linoleum, or stone floors depending on your style preference. Prepare for the high traffic of several customers and have your dining floors coated with epoxy sealant. This sealant can make your floors look shiny and bright, and it’s very easy to clean. Plus, it protects the original hard surface underneath.
Other design highlights can include foam crown molding, interior paint, and an accent wall that also hosts photos of favorite or famous customers. When it comes to your interior paint color, be aware of the mood you want to set. Many restaurants tend to use warm colors, as they encourage people to eat more. That’s why you see fast food places like McDonald’s and Burger King using bold primary colors like red, oranges, and yellows in their business colors.
Repair Your Roof
Last but not least, make sure you call a local roofing contractor for repairs or new installation. You don’t want to open a breakfast restaurant without a solid roof. Can you imagine your roof caving in in the middle of a breakfast rush? Even if your roof doesn’t cave in, the fact that it’s leaking can cause major damage to your structure. A leaking roof can weaken the foundation, which reduces your property value and breeds mold. You may have to shut down your business to repair your foundation and damaged drywall. Avoid this situation by hiring a reliable and experienced commercial roofer. Once you have a contractor on hand, you have a variety of materials to consider. Asphalt shingles are popular among Americans, but metal roofing is more durable and can help protect your business for up to 70 years.
Preparing to open your new breakfast eatery can be an exciting time for you. Whether it’s your first time running a restaurant business or another way to expand an existing one, you have your work cut out for you. Follow these tips to learn how to open a breakfast restaurant in your location. Before you know it, you may have a line of customers out the door.
