How to launch my restaurant
Opening an African restaurant has never been better than it is today. Indeed, the trend is to open restaurants that offer traditional African dishes with dishes such as the Cameroonian “Ndolè”, the Senegalese “Tiep Bou Dien” or the Moroccan “Tajine”.
However, we can see that African restaurants suffer from a somewhat negative image with its cuisine sometimes too rich and spicy. Today, one can use an African design that combines tradition and modernity in the most refined way possible. Africa is waking up in the culinary market and many fast food and other restaurants are springing up in African cities and even outside the continent.
The necessary knowledge
Some business start-ups require a diploma. However, restoration is not one of them. It is therefore possible to open a restaurant without a diploma. However, it is necessary to have some knowledge in the field, although this training is not equivalent to a real diploma. It is also necessary to master the rules of food hygiene. In some countries in Africa, there are specific regulations for opening a restaurant. But these regulations apply much more to operators who wish to serve alcoholic beverages.
How to learn the basics of catering?
Although no specific diploma is required to open a restaurant, it is possible that the operator may lack certain important notions. In this case, it may be advisable to attend management training courses to become familiar with personnel and accounting issues.
Establishments that offer training in cooking and hotel management often provide additional training to raise the operator’s awareness of the public health issues related to restaurants. Food hygiene precautions should therefore be taken into account when opening a restaurant.
How much does it take to get started?
It is not possible to set a precise budget for the creation of a restaurant because of the many possibilities (condition of the premises, equipment and furniture, number of employees, etc.). However, expenses can be broken down as follows: raw materials is a maximum of 30%, personnel expenses is 30%, rent 10%, marketing 5% in the first year (then less), and the margin is 15%. The key is to avoid too much heavy investment at the opening (redoing the whole decoration or the whole kitchen).
The biggest investment to open a restaurant concerns the premises. One must also take into account the purchase of kitchen equipment, equipment and raw materials. The price of a room depends on several criteria:
- The location: if you want to open a restaurant in a city the price will be important.
- The surface area of the premises
- The state of the place: work to be planned, decorations, etc…
The budget can range from 5,000 euros for those who simply want to rent, to more than 80,000 euros for those who wish to own the premises. For the equipment, it is necessary to count between a few hundred euros and several thousand euros depending on the equipment already present and the personal needs of the operator.
What material or equipment for my restaurant?
Once you have obtained the premises, you have to buy the equipment to open your restaurant. The basic equipment depends on many criteria and consists of :
- Kitchen equipment: oven, fridge, freezer…
- Furniture: tables, chairs…
- Cash register and software.
- Service: plates, glasses, cutlery…
- Decoration: if the room needs to be freshened up, painting must be planned,
floor and ceiling decoration, electrical installations, and for exterior decoration, front and terrace.
NB: It is important to plan a budget for the restaurant’s staff and to know who the team will be made up of. The restaurant staff usually consists of cooks, waiters and an accountant for finance.
Where to get supplies?
When the restaurant opens, it is important to plan for a stock of food and beverages. Supplies can be obtained from markets, but it is preferable to buy directly from producers and wholesalers to save money. This stock will need to be replenished on a regular basis. It is advisable to set a budget and estimate the cost of the stock to establish a forward plan.
How to find customers?
One can decide to open a restaurant for a well-defined target (wealthy people, middle-income people, etc.), or with a specific theme (national, African or foreign specialty). To find customers, you can set up discount vouchers, create pages on social networks and advertise on them, or register on sites for restaurant reviews and reservations. You can also open a website and present your restaurant attractively with photos taken by a professional. It is advisable to find an excellent name for your restaurant, which will be able to play on the emotion or the identity of the future customers.
At what volume/Moment does it become profitable?
Setting up a restaurant and running it can be improvised, but making it profitable requires good preparation to avoid losses or to have a secure return on investment. The restaurant business is a profitable business in the long term. Therefore, it takes between 1 and 3 years to start making a profit.
Written by Aïsha Moyouzame for Ecofin Agency
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