Restaurant turnaround is not just another word for restaurant efficiency. It could be streamlining profits, but could also be changing up the menu to better fit the clientele. Launching a restaurant and establishing it as a sustainably profitable business can be daunting. It’s never been as simple as getting people in the door. In this article, we delve further into some of the areas that can make or break a restaurant’s profitability.
What types of decisions are required to run a successful restaurant?
Not every restaurant is immediately successful. Some may be crowded regularly but fail to return the profits envisioned; others may bring in crowds intermittently yet be breaking even. Here are some initial things to consider in developing a successful restaurant:
- Location, location, location!
- Concept (not just whether it is a great concept, but whether it fits the neighborhood the restaurant is planning to be in)
- Cuisine and menu — wide or narrowly-focused menu? Again, the neighborhood may be the guide
- Third-party services — for some delivery and/or catering via third-party services is great, for others not so much
- Branding
- Marketing messages — do they match the brand, are they consistent, and is it the right message?
Our job is to do a top-to-bottom restaurant audit to determine where improvements can be made so that you’re not leaving thousands of dollars on the table each month: dollars that could be going to the bottom line.
A2Z Restaurant Consulting Turnaround
Everything from top to bottom has to be analyzed for cost, impact, and value. Your staff pricing may be correct, but the process or personnel is wrong. Pricing to the public versus purchase cost is a delicate balance. Some areas we evaluate include:
- Locations vs concept and demographics.
- Lease cost and parameters vs menu pricing.
- Front and back-end protocols.
- Promotions and special events.
- Online and offline marketing strategies.
- Costing for food and liquor, including vendor arrangements/ agreements.
- Costing analysis of staff, and staff use — timings, routine, hierarchy, etc.
What Can a Restaurant Consultant do for my Restaurant?
Firstly, a restaurant consultant provides a fresh pair of eyes to the situation. Moreover, a restaurant consultant having dealt with 10s or 100s of restaurants has a depth of experience and insights that you can tap into. Restaurant consultants are also often we’ll connected to many vendors that they’ve evaluated time and again choosing only the best to work with. From architects to contractors, designers, web development, marketing, and so many other services, you can save thousands of dollars simply by association with the consultant. But most importantly, a consultant has walked the road you on so many times that they’ve memorized where every pothole is and can help you navigate the most direct and efficient path possible.
it was very hard to justify hiring a consultant on top of all the other costs associated with starting a restaurant and very quickly it was substantiated and was best money spent, the value and expertise and genuine care Eddie provided probably can’t be quantified when we’re talking getting proper success coaching and guidance on hundreds of crucial decisions from menu, logo, sign, kitchen design, interior, marketing, promotion, contractor network and so much more,
- Oleh Balaban; owner at Ole’s Fajitas
Where can I find a good restaurant consultant?
The question is not so much about where you can find a restaurant turnaround consultant, but more specifically where you can find an effective restaurant consultant.
A2Z Restaurant Consulting has been serving restaurant owners officially since 2013, but as a freelancer helped so many restaurants before that which was a factor in Eddie expanding his efforts from a single freelancer to launching and building a well-staffed business,
