People in restaurant business will agree to the fact that they are somehow never able to honor the scheduled date of
opening a restaurant. Despite anticipation, there are some or the other hitches that delay the opening of the bistro. Let us go through the common causes of delay that keep your patrons hanging.
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Building a new structure
There are endless design propositions when you plan to build a new restaurant on your plot or space. You need a sturdy and comprehensive structure that meets all your requirements. Concealed fittings and fixtures should be in place to avoid changes. And because you don’t have a base structure to build on, the onus of structural safety is on you and your architect.
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Custom-designed furniture
To open a swank restaurant is a restaurateur’s dream besides offering good food. Designing a custom-made bar counter, custom-made windows and art decor of the place is a challenging task. A lot of time is spent on designing a place that tickles patrons’ aesthetic sense and attracts visitors.
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Food safety permission
To run a restaurant requires you to obtain food safety permit. Non-adherence to food safety codes and guidelines can cause unnecessary delays. How you handle, prepare and store food to prevent food borne illnesses and potential health hazards is vital to procure food safety permit.
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Bureaucratic hurdles
To fulfill legal obligations and documentation can be a daunting task if you are not aware whom to engage. Depending on laws of the land, you may have to deal with local municipal officer, state or central government officials. In some cases, owners face red-tapism leading to undue delays.
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Safety of the premises
Building design should take into consideration necessary safety guidelines. You need to submit plans of evacuation, fire extinguishing system etc. The problem aggravates when the task is to convert a non-restaurant space to a restaurant.
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Getting utilities
To run a full-fledged restaurant, there should be uninterrupted and adequate supply of electricity, water, and kitchen fuel. Shortage on any front stalls the opening of the facility.
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Setting the old structure right
Converting an old building to a restaurant is not an easy task especially when it never served food before. The structure may need additions like restrooms, electric panel, accessible ramp, and exhaust system. There could be issues related to renovation where the structure is unfit for certain changes.
You need to work with the landlord, contractor and architect before you start experimenting with your culinary skills in the kitchen. Therefore, it is always better to look for restaurant-ready space.
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Trouble from adjoining property owner
Everybody loves to eat food; however, only few people bear it being cooked the next door. The problem is not with the whiff of food emanating out of your kitchen but a whole lot of other things. Neighbors upstairs or next door might be offended with noise, fear of damage to their property and intrusion to their privacy. Wily neighbors can pose idiotic challenges best dealt over wine.
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Redesigning kitchen
Kitchen is the most important area of a restaurant. It should be equipped with desired appliances. Plumbing plan should be adequate. However, unexpected government projects in the area can cause unwarranted delay and you are left with no choice but to co-operate. For instance, if the direction of main water supply is changed, the entire kitchen may need redesigning.
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Financial constraints
Despite budgets and plans, you may run out of funds owing to miscellaneous expenses before opening the restaurant. Delays postpone income generation, thus, ROI too gets delayed. Â If you have taken a credit, then your loan repayment gets delayed and you have to pay more interest.
Ultimately, you scurry for further line of credit through banks, financial institutions or crowd sourcing. Meetings and loan application processing are common causes of delay when you run out of funds.
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Obtaining liquor license
Before you open a new
restaurant that serves alcohol, you need to apply for a liquor license. It can take up to a year to obtain so make sure that you apply on time. Depending on where you are located and till what time you serve, the cost can go up accordingly. Delays in obtaining liquor license can keep you from opening shop.
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Staffing shortage
A restaurant needs a solid team of workers. Finding full-time positions like cooks, waiters, bar staff, delivery drivers can become a challenge for many owners especially in times when reliable and skilled workers are hard to find.
Apart from that, you need to build a team that manages the restaurant effectively. It requires adequate staff training before you invite patrons.
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Designing menu
Whatever dishes and beverages you plan to serve, you need to put them on paper in a creative manner so that they are enticing to order. Crafting name of dishes, cocktails is essential to stay different and competitive.
You also need to put in energy and time to design logo of the entity along with other corporate identity elements on paper napkins,
cutlery, walls etc to build your brand. Creative tasks like these can cause significant delays.
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Getting the master chef may take time
Master Chef is the soul of your restaurant. Connoisseurs of food tend to ask for master chef. The right chef goes beyond his culinary skills to interact with patrons and explain different tastes. He encourages environment of learning, tasting, understanding and improving among other cooks to serve the best food. You can’t afford to compromise on this account.
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Lack of support and guidance from mentors
If you are a first timer, opening a restaurant may appear to be a mammoth task. It is always better to have a mentor around who can guide you throughout the opening process. Moreover, lack of prior managing experience with a hotel or a restaurant may again pose challenges in opening until you get hold of things.
Opening a restaurant is not just about blending spices
A number of things need to be in order when opening a restaurant and even if any a single thing goes wrong, your project gets delayed. One of the ways to ensure that running and managing a restaurant is hassle-free is to invest in a good restaurant software program. We offer a restaurant software which helps you to run and manage your dream restaurant in a better way. Contact us today to find out how.
