In order to have a successful restaurant, there are some basic principles you should have in place. The cleanliness of your restaurant can be a huge factor, especially if you get a surprise visit from the health inspector. Another important issue is cost. Although it may seem as though you are locked into prices because of the competition in your area, food costs, et cetera, really you are the one setting the prices on your menu. Knowing how low or high you should price your food can be a difficult prospect for the beginning entrepreneur, but it is an important skill to learn.
It is common sense that a clean restaurant would be more successful than a dirty one, but you would be surprised at how often a manager overlooks the appearance of his establishment to focus on the food quality. There was a little local diner in my town that people always told me had good food, but I refused to visit because the place looked like it would fall down on top of my head. There wasn't a single right angle on the building. Customers often complained too about all the bugs they encountered there, which ultimately led to the restaurant being closed for health reasons. Just like most people don't like eating food off of a dirty plate, most people don't like eating in a dirty restaurant and they pay closer attention than you think.
Consider how many patrons visit the restroom when they come to your business. If it is grimy, do you think they will want to eat your food? Accurate or not, people associate a dirty restaurant with poor food quality. Have you ever seen the Seinfeld episode where "Poppy" meets Jerry in the restroom and tells him, "I'm a gonna prepare your dinner with my own two hands. Special." He then walks out without washing his hands after going to the bathroom. Jerry, like most customers, couldn't eat at Poppy's any longer.
How much should you charge for your food? This is a timeless question that every beginning restaurant has struggled with. Food cost can be a difficult number to determine, but accurate estimates make the difference between a profit and losing money on a dish. Foodservice experts recommend, "Your cost should generally be around thirty percent of your menu price for that item. That is to ensure that you can cover the cost of your labor and overhead." Labor is another cost that can be solved fairly easily. Organization is the answer to labor costs. Scheduling people so you have enough staff for busy times yet not too many for slower moments is a simple way to keep your labor costs as low as possible.
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