From Perfecting Your Menu to Organising Table Linen Hire: Everything You Need to Know About Starting Your Own Restaurant

To open a successful restaurant, it is absolutely essential that you plan and prepare well in advance. One of the biggest reasons for failure when opening a restaurant is a lack of planning - and therefore it’s essential that you have every detail worked out before you open up. Opening a restaurant is not something that should be rushed. However, the planning process doesn’t have to be boring - in fact, often it can be the best part!

Below, we share our top tips for starting your own restaurant. We’re confident that, if you put in the hard work, it will pay off - and we wish you luck if you’re opening up your own restaurant.

Choose the right location

You can open a fantastic restaurant that serves up some of the best food around - but if it’s tucked away down a dingy alley, people may not even notice it. When it comes to opening a restaurant, choosing a good location is key. You’ll want to choose a spot that draws crowds and is easily accessible. While you’re likely keen to get your restaurant up and running as soon as possible, do not settle until you have found the perfect location. This can be the difference between success and failure.

 

Do some research on the areas you are interested in. Whether you’re planning on renting a space or you want to build from scratch, choosing the perfect location is one of the most important tasks at hand. Are there parking facilities for customers? Will your restaurant be visible to the public? Who else is doing business in the neighbourhood?

Decide on a concept

Each and every restaurant needs a concept and there are plenty of different concepts to choose from (or design all by yourself). From simple, quick food truck design to classic fine dining, choosing the right concept for you and your business is key. It’s important that the concept of your restaurant fits with your location and competition.

 

Take a look at the different types of restaurants that are already established in the area. If there’s already lots of pizzerias or Thai-themed restaurants, we recommend opting for a different concept. Take the time to research the other restaurants in your area; pay attention to their menus, price ranges and serving styles. The last thing you want is to open a restaurant that is exactly the same as all the others in your area. Giving your restaurant a twist or something slightly different will attract more customers.

 

Before you get started, it’s important that you have the theme and overall idea of your business decided. Always remember to design your concept based on your budget. Other factors to consider when creating your concept includes the size of your restaurant, your targeted clientele and the type of cuisine you’d like to offer. Take the time to think about what sort of atmosphere you want to create in your restaurant and the type of customers you wish to attract.

Design a show-stopping menu (and test it!)

In your restaurant, your menu is everything and it’s important that you perfect it before you open your doors to the public. Once you’ve decided on the type of restaurant you want to open, it’s time to start experimenting with the menu. Whether you want a menu that is full of exciting new dishes that you’ve designed yourself or one that nods to classic foodie favourites, how you present your dishes on your menu is very important - especially as the menu is the heart of any successful restaurant.

 

Your menu should be a manageable size, and of course the size of your kitchen will have a direct impact on the size of your menu. However, no matter what size your kitchen is, try to avoid offering a huge selection of dishes or items. Not only will this inevitably result in you wasting food at the end of each night, but it can also put a strain on your chefs. When it comes to your menu, less is more - instead of offering a huge range of different dishes, work hard to perfect the dishes you love.

 

Your menu should be simple yet versatile and dishes should be easy to prepare so that you don’t get bogged down in a big dinner rush. Consider buying local menu ingredients and foods, preferably ones that have been grown or raised ethically and with sustainable farming methods.

 

Once you’ve put together a show-stopping menu, throw a dinner party with friends and family to test out your delicious dishes. If you’re worried about them being too kind about your dishes, allow them to give you feedback anonymously. This way, if someone isn’t keen on a dish or thinks that the flavours are off, they can give you honest feedback without worrying about hurting your feelings.

Don’t forget the small details

As previously discussed, it’s important that every tiny detail of your restaurant is planned and thought about in advance. This means ensuring that absolutely everything is taken care of, from your food supplier through to linen hire. It’s essential that you have a constant, reliable source of equipment and ingredients at reliable prices. A few other things to think about include:

Tablecloth hiring

Depending on the concept of your restaurant and the type of atmosphere you want to create, you may be in need of table linen and serviettes. It’s important that the tablecloths and serviettes in your restaurant are always clean, crisp and washed - which is where a reliable linen company will come in. In addition to tablecloths and serviettes, a reliable linen hire company will also be able to supply you with chefs wear and uniform to ensure that your staff are comfortable and smart while cooking.

Marketing

Before your grand opening, it’s important that you market your restaurant well. Today, social media is a powerful marketing tool and is a great way to spread the word about your new restaurant. Most people expect businesses to have a social media presence, so take the time to set up social media profiles and work on building a following before your opening. On social media, you can inform customers about your latest offers and deals, as well as share photos of your delicious dishes to entice them to dine at your restaurant.

 

London Linen: tablecloth rental and linen services

At London Linen, we provide quality linen across a range of restaurants in London, from casual dining to fine dining and cafe deli to Michelin star establishments. We offer extensive ranges of quality table linen, serviettes and chef wear made from superior cotton, natural linen and materials that are second to none. During the time we have been in business, we have worked hard to become experts in our field and have strengthened our core values of quality and customer service. This is why customers continue to come back to us again and again.

 

Whether you’re looking for high-quality chefs wear or restaurant table linens, we’ve got you covered. London Linen is centrally located in the capital and we are proud to provide an efficient and comprehensive delivery service throughout the city. For more information about our linen supply simply visit our website today. Alternatively, do not hesitate to get in touch with us to begin discussing your requirements.