Whether you’re planning to start a restaurant in New York City or Teardrop Wyoming, you’ll find plenty of opportunities. All of the great ideas have not been done quite yet. Even if your idea has been done before, you can always compete by outperforming the competition.
There are many ways to break into the restaurant business. A variety of options allows you to choose something that fits your lifestyle and excites your passion. You need to believe in your idea, or you may as well burn your money. Each type of restaurant has its own client base and requires a unique set of skills to be successful.
Restaurants are typified by the kind of food they serve, their style of presentation, their atmosphere, and their price range. Some restaurants focus on a particular meal, such as breakfast or dinner, or offer only a portion of a meal, such as desserts or snack foods. Other restaurants specialize in a certain kind of food. The following list provides some common examples of these:
[lb] Ethnic food (Mexican, Chinese, Italian, and so on)
[lb] Chicken
[lb] Barbeque
[lb] Pizza
[lb] Hamburgers
[lb] Seafood
[lb] Ice cream
[lb] Sandwiches
[lb] Hot dogs
[lb] Deli
[lb] Nouveau cuisine (this includes the infusion of different types of specialities)
[lb] Breakfast
[lb] Diner
Restaurants also differ in the way they serve the food. For example, a deli or a diner probably offers counter service. A pizza place may provide only take-out or delivery service. Steak house servers come to the customers’ tables, and buffet restaurants let customers serve themselves.
Atmosphere differs greatly from restaurant to restaurant. A fast-food place is worlds away from a fine-dining establishment. A themed restaurant doesn’t look the same as a truck stop. A restaurant’s atmosphere attracts certain types of customers and affects the food prices. Coffee shop customers expect to pay less for their food than customers at a casual-dining restaurant, for example.
Evaluate your options. Do you want to be the hot dog king of your world, or would you be more content with a deli or a formal dinner place serving seafood? Remember, it’s your dream.