5 Important Traits When Opening A Restaurant

  Soooooo You Want To Open a Restaurant?

 

The idea to open a restaurant is appealing to many people for different reasons. It may be that it has always been a dream to open your own restaurant. For others, it might be that you think your concept is one that no one has ever seen. Whatever your reason may be to enter the restaurant industry, the five personal traits below are essential to your success.

1.) Adaptable – This is important in every part of business. When working with your employees you will have to adapt to the fact that they are all different and are inspired for different reasons. You must also adapt to the current business market, from spikes in prices to a recession, in the end only the strong and adaptable businesses will survive.
Inflexibility is one of the worst human failings. You can learn to check impetuosity, overcome fear with confidence, and laziness with discipline. But for rigidity of mind there is no antidote. It carries the seeds of its own destruction.

2.) Be Prepared – Preparation can mean the difference between winning and losing, getting the deal or losing the deal, getting paid or going home broke. As a Restaurant Consultant, I see countless amounts of people open a restaurant with no idea how difficult this business can be. Talk with a consultant or current restaurant owners and know the facts before you open a restaurant. While many restaurants look glamorous from the dining room, you will be behind the scenes where the hard work takes place. Be Prepared to work long hours for small profit margins. This business can be rewarding but you must know that a restaurant is a business and you’re not simply cooking for your friends.
Spectacular achievements come from unspectacular preparation – Roger Staubach

3.) Ability to Communicate – Let’s face it, how many managers and/or colleagues have you worked with that have little to no communication skills? Lack of communication is detrimental to any group activity. Using multiple platforms of communicating will guarantee the best chance for success. Reinforce goals on a constant basis; most people need to hear how important these goals are a few times before they sink in. This may be the most important of all the attributes in a person’s overall success. If you consider yourself to be a poor communicator, it may be a bad idea to open a restaurant before you address this issue.

4.) Committed to success – If you’re going to do anything in life, see it through to the end. The follow through is one of the most important aspects of any action, why begin a commitment of your time and energy only to quit before you know the outcome? So many restaurants start off strong, the food is consistent and the service is exceptional. After a few months to a year, the food quality begins to slip and the servers lose interest. A restaurant owner must be committed to quality everyday.
Ordinary people with commitment can make an extraordinary impact on their world. - John C. Maxwell

5.) Tenacious - Never quit and move toward your goals with purpose. If you begin a new task that you know will be challenging and will present many obstacles, such as opening a restaurant, you better have some tenacity. Nothing worthwhile is obtained easily. If you start a new restaurant simply having a few good recipes, it will not get your doors open. You will face many challenges, including setting up your business, maneuvering city and state regulations, licensing, food costs, insurance cost… the list goes on and on.

If you posses these traits and feel that you want to open a restaurant you will find success. The best way to set your self up for success in the restaurant industry is to know what you are getting yourself into. The consultants at GROW, Inc. are always happy to sit down and answer any questions you might have about starting a new restaurant. The restaurant industry will provide an amazing challenge to the most intelligent person, preparation is key to success.