Starting up a restaurant

Mid last year a friend of mine approached me (under the guise of my love for food obviously) to join her in her endeavor to start a woteli (local food joint). Given my undisputed love for food, I was greatly enticed by the proposal but decided that we needed to discuss her business plan. After a brief discussion of the plan, I quickly became hesitant as it was clear that none of us had any experience in the industry and she simply had not done any proper research.
However, I was intrigued by the idea as it is an idea that I have always wanted to explore. I therefore took it upon myself to carry out market research and talk to different experienced people within the industry about the challenges of starting and maintaining a restaurant.  We have gone back and forth in the past few months, exchanging ideas and whatnot and hopefully in the next few months, capital allowing, we should be able to set foot into the frenetic world of restaurants in Kampala.
During the past 6 months, I have engaged different people in the market and below are some of the tips, in no particular order, I have learned about starting a restaurant:

1. Business Plan and costing

“When starting a restaurant you have to consider hiring the right staff, fluctuating food prices, payroll, taxes, just to name a few,” says a one Sekitto Herman who runs a fast foods restaurant in Mengo together with his wife Sauda.

Because of all the factors involved, it is important to create a business plan. A business plan will outline your restaurant concept and the details of how you plan on making it a profitable business. This will show your potential partners or loan providers that you are serious and will help convince them to provide you with start-up funding or project capital. Before you start, talk to other restaurant and local business owners; find out about rent, insurance and permit costs. The more information you have, the more financially prepared you can be.

2. Develop a food concept.

According to Mark Kamuntu, a restaurant owner in Nsambya, this is one of the first things to consider when planning to start a restaurant. A food concept ties in with your target market, whether high end or low end. Are you planning for a seafood restaurant, French cuisine, a coffee shop or local food with chips and chicken?

Once you determine this, you will find it easier to structure and organize the other aspects of your business. In our case, we are more interested in providing affordable local food and our target is the everyday person on the street that needs an affordable healthy meal made up of the different local foods. We are certainly not looking high end.

3. Develop your menu.
   Once you have developed your food concept, work on crafting your menu and make sure it reflects your chosen food concept. Some things to consider when planning a menu include: what potential competitors are offering, where you will source the required ingredients for your meals and recipes, special equipment and requirements for the preparation of menu items and whether any special personnel skills will be required.

4. Location and Ambiance.

Choose your location wisely considering your target market. For example, if your target is boda boda riders and taxi drivers, do not expect them to come to upscale areas like Kololo for lunch. More often than not your location is going to be determined by your target clientele as well as your budget.

Secondly, the ambiance of the restaurant is another important factor (and related to the food concept). Various factors contribute to the ambiance of a restaurant, such as furniture, lighting, dish and glassware, servers' uniforms, music, serving style and clientele.

Having an idea of the ambiance you wish to create is important as it will help to guide you during the decision-making process. Always keep an image of what you aim to achieve in mind.

5. Do you know how to run a business?

You might be a good chef but have no clue about running the business side of things. Align yourself with business oriented partners that are proficient at striking the balance between giving a good service and ensuring the business is successful. With enough planning and a good business partner, you can open your restaurant and offer a good service while making money from it.

6. Hiring employees.

Hiring qualified employees is one of the biggest challenges you will face in this industry. Restaurants are a service industry and therefore competent customer care and savvy employees are a must. Take your time to make sure you get the right people, be it relatives or otherwise. Most end up hiring cheap labor or family members to try and cut on costs, but this is bound to affect your service and therefore the success of your business.
In conclusion, starting a restaurant is hard work and requires a lot of dedication. Always carry out tons of research before you venture into the field and ensure to align yourself with proficient business partners. Ensure to work on an in-depth business plan as this will be your guide to starting and maintaining a successful restaurant.

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About Matovu George William

Born on the 25th November. Am a freelance website designer,Mobile App programmer and Technology blogger with clientlists and portfolios focused on arts, music, film and community work. Dedicated advocates of Clean, accessible design and have a sharp attention to detail. Since November 2007, i have a strong management and communication skills. I Keep aware of current web and print technologies and trends. Am a diligent Internet researcher. I also have a passion for typography, having designed a number of my own fonts. Panoramic photography is an activity that has always been a hobby, but which we are now bringing into my professional work.