What New Restaurant Businesses Need To Consider In 2022

The last couple of years have been rough for the restaurant industry. In fact, estimates indicate that over 10% of all restaurants in the United States have shut down since March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, ensuing lockdowns, and following labor shortage has made it difficult or even impossible for many eateries to stay afloat and serve customers while turning a steady profit.

If you plan on entering the restaurant business in 2022, the above information shouldn’t discourage you. In fact, it should encourage you to see that there could very well be an opening for restaurants in your local area. For example, if you’re looking for a restaurant for sale in Edmonton, specialized market paces help you quickly find options near you. Restaurants are a popular business venture and the reason is clear. Every single person has to eat regularly and not everyone enjoys cooking or buying frozen, ready-made meals at the local supermarket.

At the same time, you’ll need to do plenty of research and plan wisely to ensure your new restaurant will be able to weather current and future challenges. You’ll want to identify your target audience, choose a location with care, and select a menu that isn’t dependent on items affected by the current product shortage.

You’ll also want to find the right employees, create an appealing branding and marketing campaign, and calculate business costs accurately to ensure you aren’t operating at a loss. Here are some tips to get you started on the right track.

#Branding is More Important Than Ever

Branding helps restaurants make an emotional connection with guests. It also helps people identify the type of food and service they can expect from you.

If you haven’t yet selected a brand name font or logo for your new restaurant, now is the time to do so. If you’re not sure what type of design best suits you, look at other restaurant logos for inspiration and get some ideas for a logo that might work best for you.

It’s also wise to create a tagline and restaurant philosophy. Do you want to be known for providing food quickly, or for offering a calm, relaxed dining experience? If you cater to kids, you may want to emphasize the kid-friendly nature of your food and/or services. If you care about animals and the environment, you may want to emphasize your eco-friendly way of operating.

Your brand name, logo, and colors should be consistent across all platforms. Your restaurant style of decor, the boxes used for take-out food, your website and social media channels, business cards, and even restaurants delivery vehicles should match to provide customers the same great experience no matter how, where, or when they order from you.

Finally, bear in mind that the way you interact with customers is also part of your brand. Simple gestures such as a complimentary bread basket before the meal, a friendly thank-you note attached to delivery orders, or the way in which your servers interact with customers define who you are and will be remembered by every single person who places an order from you.

#Put a Premium on Online Service

The pandemic has seen a shift in eating habits and many restaurants were forced to offer delivery this trend is likely to remain steady as busy people opt to have food brought to their door rather than heading out to eat.

To take full advantage of this situation, a restaurant needs a website that is optimized for Google so that it can be found by potential customers with ease. The site must also be mobile-friendly so people who want to order food via smartphone can easily see your menu selection, prices, and other important information.

The site should also be appealing, featuring photos of your restaurant, and stand-out dishes. It should be easy to use, so an individual can place an order in a few minutes without having to phone in for assistance.

#Prepare for Staff Shortages

Just about all industries in the United States are suffering from staff shortages. However, restaurants have been harder hit than most. Working at a restaurant has never been a particularly appealing career path for many people, and it became far less so in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are several things you can do to bring in and keep needed staff members. Offering bonuses to people who have worked for a set amount of time (i.e., six months, a year, two years, etc.) can boost employee retention. Creating a healthy, friendly, caring environment is a must. Educational and up-skilling benefits, such as debt-free education or covering the expenses on state-required Responsible Training’s food handler training, could also be considered.

At the same time, be prepared to deal with the inevitable reality that some people who work for you may up and leave with little or no advance warning. Keep your menu simple by identifying your most popular dishes and crossing out those that aren’t generating many orders. Look for ways to include pre-cooked food items in your dishes. Consider reducing hours of operation to avoid employee burn-out.

It’s also wise to take full advantage of modern technology and automate as many of your services as possible. Automation can be a hefty investment, but it will pay off as you won’t have to worry about worker shortage, rising labor costs, people quitting or calling in sick, burnout, etc.

#Account for Increased Staff Wages

Inflation in the United States has accelerated to 7% in December 2021, and it may rise even higher in 2022. Your workers need more money than before in order to properly care for themselves and their families. If you want to attract and keep top-tier employees, you’ll need to be willing to pay more than you had considered paying in the past.

How much you’ll need to pay will depend on various factors. The position in question, the experience level needed to adequately fill a particular position, and your geographic location are some factors to consider when deciding how much to pay employees.

If you aren’t sure how much to offer employees, take a look at “help wanted” restaurant advertisements in your area to see how much your competitors are willing to pay for competent staff members. Take note of any special offers or bonuses provided to bring in new workers. Make sure your offer is more appealing than other restaurant jobs in your city or neighborhood.

Finally, bear in mind that inflation and the worker shortage don’t appear to be transitory. This means you may need to steadily increase employee wages over time. Factor this into the cost of running a successful restaurant in order to ensure your business remains profitable long-term.

#Leverage Technology to Your Advantage

As was touched on above, modern technology can alleviate staff shortage problems by handling tasks that don’t necessarily need to be handled by a human. Hybrid point of sale systems, for instance, can enable people who come to your restaurant to order their meal and pay via their mobile devices.

It’s a win-win situation for both parties; restaurants don’t need to hire a lot of waiters and customers don’t have to wait for a waiter to attend them before ordering their meal.

Other forms of technology don’t handle interactions with customers but save time and personnel nonetheless. Software to keep track of inventory saves a person the hassle of doing the job manually. Programs to manage employee schedules are huge time-savers for managers and restaurant owners. Reservation software makes it easy for customers to make a reservation without having to speak to a staff member.

Automated devices can even cook and prepare food. A salad-making robot created by a company recently purchased by DoorDash can mix up to eight fresh ingredients in under two minutes.

Robotic pizza makers can produce hundreds of pizzas per hour, and only one person needs to be there to supervise the process. Automatic loaf makers can make bread. Flippy, one of the first robotic cooks to make its way into the restaurant industry, can flip burgers and fry up French fries.

However, all available forms of technology should be carefully considered before you make a decision. Consider the options carefully to see how automation can help you reach your business goals while still offering optimal service to your customers.

Time to get serving

Are you starting a restaurant this year? If so, consider the above points carefully to ensure you have what you need to succeed now and in the future. With careful planning and wise decision-making, you’ll boost your chances of creating a restaurant that will meet or even surpass customer expectations.

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