| The Culinary Chef Guide to Opening a Restaurant | | | | part of opening a restaurant. Although, the first |
| Inside a Culinary Chef Grand Opening | | | | menu is never the one that make the grand |
| Opening a restaurant is always dream made | | | | opening, as a chef you must never let your ego |
| reality for culinary chefs, and especially for the | | | | stand in the way of creativity. A draft menu |
| visionaries behind the scenes. The general public | | | | allows you to focus on several areas: |
| may only know of new restaurant openings | | | | - Kitchen setup. Design the kitchen and plan how |
| through the newspaper or gossip from friends, | | | | many stations you need to execute the menu. |
| however, they are likely never to realize how | | | | - Labor. Lets you to predict the labor costs, |
| much planning and work it takes to open a | | | | number of employees, and staffing. |
| restaurant. Here are some insights about the | | | | - Food costs. Helps estimate general food costs. |
| process of opening a restaurant. | | | | - China. Allows you to focus on the particular |
| | | | pieces for each dish. The typical restaurant has |
| Partnership: Building Business Relationships | | | | approximately 5 pieces. |
| There is typically more than one proprietor when | | | | - Table turn. Anticipate what an average dinner will |
| opening a restaurant; they may be silent or | | | | be based on how many dishes are to be served. |
| involved in many of the operations. As a culinary | | | | - Fixed Costs. |
| chef, opening a restaurant, you have to decide on | | | | 1. Salary for labor; typically management |
| the type of partnership that best suits your and | | | | 2. Trash |
| your needs as a chef. You and your partners | | | | 3. Cleaning |
| should each bring a unique quality to the table, to | | | | 4. Miscellaneous |
| share equity in restaurants built. | | | | - Variable Costs. You also have to plan for |
| The Vision: Shaping Your Restaurant | | | | variable costs, which require more flexibility. Once |
| Before opening a restaurant, someone has a | | | | the restaurant is open and running, these numbers |
| vision for a particular space, style and design of | | | | become more stable |
| food. The restaurant is a unique market place that | | | | 1. Linen |
| ties in the ‘arts’ with artistic high-end | | | | 2. Hourly labor |
| cuisine. Although, initially the vision may be vague, | | | | 3. Entertainment |
| but with brainstorming between partners you will | | | | 4. Payroll taxes |
| be able to find the exact theme and status you | | | | Public Relations: Build a Buzz |
| are looking for. | | | | Even though your opening a restaurant is mainly |
| | | | chef driving, you want to play off the |
| The Space: Merging Vision and Design | | | | ‘arts’ and how people flock to trends. |
| For instance, if your restaurant is going to be high | | | | Ultimately people will be coming to your |
| profile, you need a very unique space. Finding the | | | | restaurant for the cuisine but it doesn’t hurt |
| perfect space for opening your restaurant will | | | | to build a little hype along the way. Start a blog |
| bring out the inner businessman in all of you. Take | | | | online, it’s fast easy and FREE. You can |
| time to plan and research before deciding on your | | | | include topic trends such as: |
| prime location. | | | | - Creative team insights |
| In addition to the restaurant seating, a good idea | | | | - Insights on the test kitchen |
| is set aside a banquet room. This can give your | | | | - Exposure to the creative processes |
| restaurant a competitive edge while maintaining a | | | | - Interview with the designer and or chef |
| high-end class value. Banquet space for private | | | | - Photos and video feeds |
| events provides a high profit margin as well, which | | | | Be ready to give the media answers to as many |
| allows your restaurant to be diverse, upscale and | | | | questions as possible. Have a Media Kit ready, |
| having the ability to host large parties. | | | | prepared and featured online. |
| Aesthetically, including partitions in your restaurant | | | | I hope that this general overview of just some of |
| adds more flexibility and room for your patrons. | | | | the creative process that goes into opening a |
| I’ve seen restaurants where the designers | | | | restaurant helps you a bit. It takes a whole lot |
| incorporated a mezzanine level to help keep the | | | | more than just being a good chef to open a |
| vision of ‘the arts’ in balance. It’s all | | | | restaurant. It takes time, patience, passion and |
| about merging the vision with the space with the | | | | teamwork to accomplishing the dream of opening |
| execution of your concept! | | | | a restaurant. Most importantly, opening a |
| | | | restaurant or several also means running a |
| The Menu: Every Restaurant's Foundation | | | | business, both most run smoothly together to be |
| The menu is both the easiest and most difficult | | | | successful. |