The creation of a bright #restaurant concept is a strategic task and the key to the success of any restaurant. After all, in addition to satisfying gastronomic needs, a restaurant is also a place to experience.
Looking at all the restaurants offered on central streets and driveways, it sometimes seems that the competition is too high and the market is oversaturated. This is true, but despite the large number of places, there are practically no restaurants with a truly unique concept among them.
The market is filled with same looking restaurants offering the same concepts with the same dishes in their menu. There are practically no establishments with bold, unusual concepts that offer their visitor a fundamentally new experience. And not just a nicely designed serving of carbonara.
Nothing stops you from creating your own original, creative concept. Come up with all your passion, intrigue, game elements, surprises - and visitors will fight for the right to get into your restaurant. And the principles described below will help you with this.
Algorithm for developing a bright restaurant concept from scratch
1. Form a vision. All successful brand projects start with the vision stage. This stage includes:
carrying out a brain storm,
attempts to think out of the box,
setting the problem that the restaurant will solve.
In the process of forming a vision, some completely crazy ideas can come to your mind. Your task is to weed out the most unviable ones from them, and take out healthy grains from the rest and use them later in your concept.
Get in the shoes of your visitor.
Think about all the places you've been (not just restaurants). Think about the experience you had as a customer / visitor with them. What do you especially remember? What was interesting about the place itself? What details influenced the atmosphere, satisfaction with the quality of service?
For example, these could be the following observations:
• The waitress at the sushi bar next door starting to prepare your favorite drinks and snacks as she sees you walk in.
• Colors and variety of fresh products on the market.
• Contemporary furniture at the latest interior design exhibition
• Italian Renaissance paintings in the museum
• Farm to table concept. Meat and vegetables for the kitchen come from a local farm
• Heavy silverware in a restaurant - not the flimsy cheap cutlery found in every eatery
Learn from the strong
Think about who you admire in the restaurant business. Learn more about these people, find out whose achievements they were inspired by. You will be amazed at how much you learn and how it will help you succeed.
Studying the experience of each of the masters of the restaurant business will give food for their own ideas. Collect them like a patchwork quilt and combine with each other. This is how you end up with your own unique concept.
You can always take someone else's idea as an ispiration, adding your own touches to it, or rework completely.
Be patient. Big ideas don't always come right away.
In addition, almost all of them are already invented and are around you. It remains only to show observation and understand what can be added to the concept of your restaurant.
"I recommend keeping a pen or camera close at all times. Write down what grabbed your attention and generated an internal response. It doesn't matter who / what it is or where it is. Just write it down and keep in mind that even incompatible things often give just amazing combinations."
More than just a food
When designing a restaurant, you can choose from a variety of cuisines or add your own twist to a specific culinary style. Will your restaurant follow a long-standing family tradition, or would you like to add dishes from different cuisines to the menu?
It's important to remember that most restaurants today don't just sell food and drink, they also sell music, atmosphere, culture, and experiences for guests.
As you conceptualize, play on all five senses to organize your specific space.
Your restaurant concept should be:
scalable
cost-effective
memorable
consistent
sustainable
Keep these 5 traits in mind at every stage of the design process and you are already on your way to a successful business model.
Concept affects everything!
It is important to start with a clear conceptual plan as it will influence the uniforms your employees wear, table setting, logistics, etc.
Should your restaurant be liked by the residents of the nearby neighborhood or visitors? Will you focus on caring for the environment by offering washable dishes or compostable packaging? Will you meet dietary restrictions?
A brand is not just a slogan or a promise of service. This is a great way to support the vision of your business. A good way to start formalizing the overall message to the client is to create a vision concept and associated values, mission, and culture.
Once you've written your main messages, reduce them to repeating paragraphs or advertisements to be passed on to future staff, the press, and the community to help understand your concept.
It's a complex process!
While some restaurant brand owners are actively involved in marketing, others just want to cook and tackle endless business matters. Trust me: the best way to start on the right foot is to take the time to get your thoughts in order right from the start.
Having a clear idea of who you are will actually make life easier!