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[Jack]

10 steps to starting a Restaurant:

Thomas Edison was one of the greatest inventors of all time, not because of what he knew but who he surrounded himself with. Successful people surround themselves with others who know how to get the job done. When starting a business hire people who can cover your weaknesses. This is for a new restaurant; an existing restaurant is a little different.
1. Write a business plan; hire an accountant, F & B consultant and lawyer.
2. Sit down and make a list of the following items:
a. Type of restaurant (i.e. ethnic style, casual dining, fine dining, or fast food).
b. Decide whether you want a free standing, strip mall or shopping mall restaurant.
c. Menu style
d. Management team
e. Funding
3. Choose the area you want to place your restaurant, this should be based on
a. Population of area
b. Amount and style of restaurants in chosen area.
c. Average median income of the area.
4. Hire an architect, designer and contractor
a. Get a list of previous clients and look at their portfolio.
b. Get at least three bids, make sure that the contractors are licensed and bonded.
5. Hire a Management team
a. General Manager
b. Office Manager (if needed)
c. Chef or Kitchen Manager
6. Finalize Menu and develop recipes,
a. Write ingredient specifications
b. Get bids from purveyors for food. (Do not sign any contracts!)
7. Hire a Commercial Kitchen Designer; although your architect will design the kitchen for you. Use the equipment specs list to get bids from Restaurant supply houses.
a. Get at least three bids.
b. Consult with kitchen manager, architect, and designer
c. Order Equipment
8. Order small wares, uniforms, and a POS system.
a. Consult with accountant, kitchen manager, General Manager.
9. Hire Personnel
a. Place ads in local papers, Job Service Boards, Craig’s List and College job announcement boards.
b. Have applications, Job Survey Forms, I 9’s and W4’s available.
c. If you can afford it run background checks for employees, and schedule for drug tests.
d. Do three separate interviews; with the final one being done by the General Manager.
e. Schedule and start a two week training Program.
f. Send out flyers and advertisements for the opening. (Approximately 2 weeks before opening).
g. Schedule soft and hard opening dates.

10. Final Walk through
a. Check to make sure everything is in order. POS system works, All supplies have been received, (food, beverages, and small wares), and Employees are ready.
b. Open the doors and have fun

In the next post we will go into more detail about these 10 steps

[Sixglasses]

In this climate, you may not want to take the extra risk of opening a new restaurant. Most new restaurants fail in the first five years. With the economy how it is now, it is extra risky to start a restaurant.

Buying an existing restaurant has many benefits. If you are looking to own your own restaurant, try out Florida Restaurant Exchange - Locate a Florida restaurant, bar, diner, or club for sale They have a very large database of restaurants for sale (in Florida). They also list adavatanges to buying an existing restaurant.