Opening up a restaurant in the post-pandemic world is no easy task, we all know that. To be perfectly honest, opening up a restaurant never really was a walk in the park, and it never will be – but it’s a nightmare at the moment! There are places all over the country (and pretty much the rest of the world) that function as delivery-only restaurants.
They operate out of a back room basically, the kitchen is the only part that’s actually working and the rest is taken care of by the many delivery services that have popped up in the last couple of years. But what if you want to actually open up a place where people can, well you know – wine and dine? The old school way, like we used to do in the pre-corona era? Well, it seems like a perfectly reasonable mission.
And it is – but do people really want it? The reason that all those delivery services flourished is that people kind of realized that leaving the house really is pretty darn optional, even after the lock-downs ended. When you add food that’s prepared and delivered without any interaction to your literal doorstep (and within about half an hour mind you) – you get the end of traditional restaurants.
So are things really that bleak and hopeless for you, the up and coming restaurant owner? No, they’re not. And here’s why:
Where To Begin, And How?
Restaurants, and places where people gather to pretty much do anything, will always exist. They’ve always existed and they’ll never go away. The future might seem like something out of a sci-fi movie – with all of us hanging out in a virtual reality while food is delivered to our lap; but that’s pretty much just a really good ad for, well, all those mentioned services. Learning from already established restaurants is a great way to start your business, if you are looking to places in California, check these top-rated San Diego restaurants.
THe truth is a lot simpler – we’ll all still go out to bars and restaurants, but video calling will turn into tiny holograms… or something. But the point is the eating out will prevail, because it always has. So what you need to do is do some good research – and open up a really cool and inviting place! Inviting might be the word of the day here, because we;re trying to get people out of their sofas and into some restaurant chairs.
And please don’t shoot the messenger, but people REALLY love their sofas. But, no task is an impossible task, so let’s figure out how to start.
Comfort
Opening up a new restaurant really hasn’t changed since the first ever opened restaurant in a shed somewhere. People like good food and a nice atmosphere. If you hit those marks even remotely, you’ll have some level of success. So what should you worry about during these strange times? Well, let’s focus on the atmosphere for a moment.
Remember those restaurant chairs that got mentioned a moment ago, well, those matter a LOT. Well, not so much the restaurant chairs, but the comfort of the whole place in general. People figured out that privacy suits them, even if they’re in bigger groups!
Keeping up that isolated atmosphere seems to work these days, so it’s definitely not something you should knock off as a good idea. And we’re not talking about people having their own private plastic bubbles to eat their food in, though those did have a good level of success during the pandemic.
Smaller restaurants work better, now more than ever. You can still have the big kitchen, because you still might want to rely on those delivery options that you can send out from the back of the restaurant.
But, the front needs to look good, and it needs to feel great as soon as your customers walk in. Great food and drinks can give you a reputation, but the feel of the place is what keeps the people coming back. You need great light, you need top of the line furniture.
If you only have four or five tables, you better make sure that they’re the best and most comfortable tables out there! Well, that might be a bit of a tall order, but still, aim for the stars. Those sofas that you’re competing with are really comfy, and you better not forget it.
Delivering Great Food Is Still An Ace In Your Sleeve
The part about the delivery services is no joke, that’s the last thing that has to be mentioned here. Sure, if you want to own your own little restaurant, go for it. May you have all the luck in the world. But having a successful food business even if customers aren’t showing up on your doorstep is like using a cheat in a video game – why not give it a try?
So restaurants aren’t dead, far from it – they’ve evolved. And you should evolve with them!
