What is the purpose of a restaurant consultant? Their sole purpose is to increase your guest’s loyalty, sales, quality consistency and your profits. If you are just starting out to open your first restaurant, re-purposing an old one or are branching out to your 10th location or more, using a restaurant consultant can save you money on startup and increase your profits faster than if you stumble through on your own.
Restaurant Startup
Your consulting firm will do market research to identify what local customers are clamoring for. When you fill a niche that has not been served then you make money faster. They help to ensure that you will be successful in your specific marketplace and chosen demographic.
Restaurant Business Plans
Finding financing is always a big obstacle to most startup restaurants. Your restaurant consultant can help you produce a professional business plan that will help you secure the financial help you need. Your business plan is the guideline and roadmap to your success and is extremely important to get right the first time. A restaurant consultant will provide valuable market information necessary for investors to invest in your business.
Menu Engineering and Development
Your menu is your number one sales tool. Create a menu in a haphazard way and you lose thousands in potential revenue. A restaurant consultant understands the science and psychology of proper menu design. They will help you determine the right menu for your demographic and market. More importantly they will show you how to place and highlight your most profitable items on each page. There are many factors that go into a properly designed menu so it is best to use a consultant before trying to design a menu on your own.
Restaurant Design
There is an art and science to designing a properly marketable and functioning restaurant. When starting up, your kitchen should be designed around your menu not the other way around. Proper flow in the front and back of the house are essential to efficient guest service and quick turn times. A restaurant consultant can show you all of your options based on the layout and square footage of your location. They can advise you on the best colors, décor and table settings to maximize your profits through a better guest experience. They can advise you on the best equipment for your type of operation and many times will save you thousands by selecting refurbished equipment.
They will advise you on the proper accounting software or POS system for your needs, to help you track all of your sales and cost information.
Restaurant Branding and Marketing
When it comes to your brand, the restaurant consultant can assist you with everything from logo design to signage. They can show you cost effective ways to market your restaurant and bring in the right clientele. They can assist you on where and what kind of advertising to buy from matchbooks to radio to awning covers.
The experience that a restaurant consultant along with strong restaurant accounting brings to your business is invaluable and will increase your revenue faster than working without one.
