Restaurant construction truly is a labor of love. Every year 9 out of 10 restaurants that open, fail, and it isn’t always because their food or service is bad. In fact, many times it’s about the mistakes owners don’t even realize they’re making in the construction process. When you are building a restaurant, you have to be cognizant of everything around you, or you won’t succeed. Here are four common mistakes that restaurant owners make before, during, and even after building their restaurant and opening their doors, causing them to fail.
Common Restaurant Building Mistakes
THEY DON’T HAVE A NICHE
Lease negotiations are crucial when it comes to the space accommodations for utilities. When it comes to increasing the electrical, water, or gas lines, the space needs to be equipped properly for the needs of the restaurant and up to code. If utilities don’t meet the requirements, arrangements need to be made with the landlord prior to leasing the space. That way some of the expenses of upgrading the utilities could be shared between the landlord and owner. This can become a serious issue if you’re moving into a space that was used for retail purposes, not a restaurant. These issues will be explained in our blog next month.
LACK OF ORIGINALITY
To open a successful restaurant, the idea needs to be new. It needs to be fresh, original, and something no one else has thought of. Too many owners try to model themselves on what has been successful before. Often, what is already popular won’t be popular again. Why? Because it’s already been done! People trust another place to give them that unique experience. They aren’t going to want to try somewhere new. Finding a way to make a new restaurant unique and different is what will bring in the crowds and make people want to walk through those doors.
LACK OF PROMOTION
Marketing and advertising are the backbone of any type of business. For restaurants, it’s even more important. To make people want to get up and go out to eat, you must make them feel as though they can’t go another day without having that food. Too many restaurant owners are worried about getting everything started up, that once the doors open they throw advertising away. Promotion is the only way to draw customers into a restaurant, and having a good marketing campaign can eliminate the “no customers” issue that many new restaurants face when opening.
WHAT IS ECONSTRUCT, INC.?
Econstruct, Inc. is a business that has more than three decades worth of construction and design experience. Our team works with you to create the space that you have been dreaming of, and a space that you can be proud to show off to customers. Take the guess work and the difficulty out of construction and design, and get back to worrying about the real restaurant issues. We help get you over every hurdle, and work with you to open a successful, beautiful, and innovative restaurant. For a consultation, and more information about how you can create the restaurant of your dreams, contact us today.
Opening a new restaurant can be a tricky job. It’s not for the faint of heart, and so many small things can make or break the business. However, if you have the guts, passion, drive, and common sense to avoid mistakes; success is right on the horizon.