Dreaming of opening your own restaurant and serving delectable dishes to customers? It can be a process that requires a few steps, not to mention various supplies and products. You might be unsure where to begin.
The good news is that we have a complete list you can refer to if you’re making preparations. Our list features tips and restaurant industry products you can use to get started, from kitchen bags and restaurant napkins, to placemats and guest check pads. Open your dream restaurant with the supplies and advice we have gathered in this article.
4 Tips for Opening a New Restaurant: Steps You Should Take
We’ve provided four steps and tips you will need to consider if you’re opening a new restaurant — check the steps below to get started.
Select a Concept for the Restaurant
Themes or ideas that define your restaurant will be the foundation of your business. Starting with the concept will involve aligning each element with your central restaurant theme.
For instance, if fine dining is your concept, you’ll need to pick the right merchandise, logo, menu design, decor, ambiance, and website that aligns with this concept. In this case, your menu design might have cursive fonts or you might include select specific chairs that align with a refined restaurant design. You need to conduct market research to ensure it aligns with the target market to attract customers.
If you’ll be playing music, remember to obtain a music licence beforehand.
Create a Business Plan for the Restaurant
Business plans come next. Here, you can go into more detail about each aspect of the restaurant. You’ll want to divide the business plan into sections. For example, include parts such as a company overview or description, management and ownership, your staffing requirements, marketing strategies, and your financial projections. You can then present this to your local authority.
Get Funding and Find a Restaurant-Viable Commercial Space
If you don’t have sufficient funds to open the food business, financial assistance will be needed. You can calculate this by creating a startup-cost estimate, which includes license, permit, equipment, building reno, and salary fees. Commercial loans and lines of credit are two options for funding.
Then, pick a commercial space that is visible, accessible, aligns with customer demographics, matches the wage rates you need to cover, and is positioned so it thrives against competitors.
Prepare the Menu and Layout
You’ll now want to prepare the menu and arrange the layout of your restaurant. The menu should align with the restaurant concept and will determine which equipment you’re going to need, so it’s wise to think carefully about the items you want to include. If you’re serving alcohol, remember that an alcohol licence and a premises licence will be required.
Finally, when preparing the layout, think about the seating capacity, choose comfortable, durable furniture, choose materials that are easy to maintain and clean to uphold food safety, and select stain-resistant furniture and flooring.
6 Restaurant Supplies to Purchase Before Your Grand Opening
Now that the preparation is out of the way, you’ll need to fill the commercial space with the right restaurant supplies. As a restaurant owner, here are the supplies that will help you run the restaurant successfully.
#1 Napkins
Hygiene is an important factor to consider when opening a restaurant and guests expect to find solutions that help them maintain their hygiene. Buy the Boardwalk 1/8 Fold Dinner Napkins (2-Ply) or the Morcon Tissue Dispenser Napkins (1-Ply) and diners will be able to eat their meals and wipe away any messes quickly.
Both options are ideal for everyday use. Since they are sturdy and absorbent, they can be used to remove a range of food and beverages.
#2 Guest Check Books
Taking orders is essential in a restaurant. To do this, guest check books are ideal. Order the National Checking Company Guest Check book or the AmerCareRoyal Guest Check Pad and you can easily improve the order process and communication between servers and cooks in the kitchen.
Purchase these check books and all orders will remain legible and easy to handle. They are robust checks, meaning they can be handled several times by different waiters and cooks.
#3 Food Service Containers
Running a fast food restaurant? You’ll need food service containers to enable guests to take food away. Options such as the Dart Microwavable Hinged Containers are versatile, helping guests take hot or cold foods away. Since they are crush-resistant, diners also don’t need to worry about the food getting squashed in the container.
Alternatively, buy the Boardwalk Bagasse PFAS Food Containers , made of sustainable resources, and you can align your eco-conscious restaurant ideals with the packaging you choose.
#4 Refrigerator Appliances
Whether you’re running a fine dining or fast food restaurant, your ingredients - like vegetables - need to be stored in a cool refrigerator. Select the Alera Refrigerator and you’ll be able to stock up on beverages, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and various other ingredients for your restaurant.
This appliance also comes with a chiller compartment to help you store frozen items temporarily.
#5 Wax Coated Deli Paper
If you sell food items like sweet potato chips in small baskets, you’ll want to ensure the oil doesn’t transfer through to the basket material. Buy the Artisanwax Deli Wax Coated Paper and you can also wrap greasy or oily bites to eat to prevent the oil from seeping through to your diners’ hands.
Options like the Marketwax Deli Wax Coated Paper are also available in pop-up box dispensers, so you can grab a sheet when needed to wrap or line your food and trays.
#6 Beer Glass Cleaners
Offering sanitized beer glasses to diners is important for making the right impression. It shows that your restaurant cares about hygienic service. Buy the Diversey Beer Clean Glass Cleaner and you’ll effectively remove all residue and odors from beer glasses.
The detergent delivers perfectly clean and sparkling beer glasses to please your guests.
Open Your Restaurant with the Right Supplies from BuyDirect
Opening a restaurant can be an exciting process, after which you can serve up delicious food to your customers. With the list of supplies and tips we have provided, you will have no problem opening those doors on your restaurant’s grand opening day.
Wondering where to get the supplies we have listed? They’re all available at BuyDirect, and as a Mission customer, you can even get free shipping and discounts when you shop with us. Prepare to open your restaurant. Purchase the right restaurant supplies right here, at BuyDirect.
FAQs
If you’ve been looking for more information about supplies or tips for opening a restaurant, check the following frequently asked questions.
What Is the Most Important Thing to Open a Restaurant?
It’s essential to think about the location of the businesses after the food offering you’ve decided on. Ensuring your restaurant gets high numbers of guests involves selecting a location that has high visibility and a lot of foot traffic.
For example, if the location has a parking lot near to the restaurant, this is ideal and convenient as potential customers will pass your eatery and be tempted to enter.
What Inventory Is Needed for a Restaurant?
It’s not just cleaning supplies for a successful restaurant business. You’re also going to need nonperishables and perishables. While perishable ingredients include meat, seafood, dairy, fruit, and vegetables, nonperishables include canned or sealed items.
In terms of cleaning supplies, degreasers, disinfectants, floor cleaners, paper towels, gloves, trash bags, and dishwashing supplies are all crucial for keeping the restaurant sanitized.
How Many Items Should Be on a Restaurant Menu?
According to psychologists, the magic number here for each category is between three and seven items.
There’s a very good reason for this — seven is the maximum number when it comes to retaining information or items in categories, and your guests will need to select and remember each dish you will want to serve when making a choice.