Trends come and go, but we always need to eat. Hence why starting a restaurant will always a be a workable option. People may be tightening their belts, but we all find the money to treat ourselves when it comes to food.
But, even in a successful restaurant, you may reach a point where expansion is on your mind. A sustainable business grows, after all, and your restaurant should be no different. But, how can you grow your food dreams? The good news is, there are a few options. Bear in mind that, whatever else you do, you shouldn’t take your eye off your restaurant. This is the basis for everything. If it falls apart, so too will your other pursuits. As such, anything else you do should be small, and center around your restaurant. Here are some ideas which could take you further.
Offer take away
Deliveroo has become increasingly popular in recent years. This app provides the opportunity to buy takeaway from restaurants which don’t offer the service. And, their success could teach you a lot. In short; people want the opportunity to eat their favourite restaurant food at home.
As such, it’s worth considering offering a takeaway service. This way, you can cut out the middleman, which is good news for everyone. To be honest, there’s no real reason not to give this a go. You will need to pay out extra for a delivery person, but you’ll make more than enough back to justify it. There will also be some cost for take away packaging, but again, it’s worth the expense.
If you’re still unsure, do a test run. See how it goes, and shut up shop if things don’t work out. You may find that no one’s interested. But, the chances are this will be a roaring success.
Sell your iconic products
Every winning restaurant has something everyone loves. It could be a spice mix or a particular coffee blend. Either way, it’s worth selling this on the side to make more money. This is a fantastic way to increase revenue and gain good relationships with customers. After all, they’ll now be able to use your products in their own cooking. To make this plan work, stock up on packaging like these bespoke food pouches, and display them next to your till. If you perfect a professional image, you could even reach out to local food shops.
Release a cookbook
There’s nothing foodies love more than cookbooks. So, why not keep your customers happy by releasing one? Bear in mind that you don’t want to give away your trade secrets here. Instead, you’ll need to develop a whole new set of recipes. Or, perhaps you can compile items that have been on your specials board.
You could go all out by attempting to get your recipes published by a traditional publisher. Or, you could opt to go down the ebook route, and sell directly to customers. Whatever your choice, a restaurant cookbook could take you to the next level!
