Growing a successful restaurant business

• By ithinkanidea •

You successfully launched a little restaurant in your neighborhood, what next? Are you planning to move to a bigger location or are you thinking even bigger – starting a franchise? Whatever your dreams are for your restaurant, it's time to start making plans now. You can hire a business development firm to help you work out the kinks, so everything runs as smoothly as possible during the transition.

Many restaurant owners have highly desirable traits, making them very capable of doing extraordinary things with their business. They're optimistic, creative, action-oriented and committed to their dreams. Plus, they're not afraid to wear multiple hats and get their hands dirty when needed. It's whatever it takes to reach their goals. Do any of these sound like you? If so, then you got the chops to make your dreams a reality.
The downside to being a restaurant owner is the long hours and challenges many face. This can slow down their success and progress. A business consulting expert can prove valuable in these circumstances. A consultant can develop a strategy to get you through any rut you're in.

Your Knowledge Isn't Enough

The first thing you need to understand when trying to expand is that your knowledge of running a restaurant isn't enough to get you where you're trying to go. You may have gotten your business this far, but it will take even more time and effort if you decide to do it all on your own. Just because you know how to operate a restaurant doesn't mean you know how to turn it into a successful franchise.
This is the issue that many restaurant owners face, and many end up failing because of it. Many owners end up falling into the everyday operations of owning a restaurant. So rather than focusing on the aspects that can help grow their business, they're in the kitchen, office and everywhere else. You don't want to end up in this never-ending cycle, because it will only lead you right back to where you started. You'll never be able to grow and expand on this path. Take advice from a business development consulting expert if you're unsure of what to do to break out of the loop.

Learning from the Giants

One way to learn how to begin a chain of restaurants is to learn how others have done it. You may not look at McDonald's as a fair comparison to your restaurant, but the owner started off pretty much where you are. Sure, today they have over 30,000 restaurants around the world, but it wasn't always that way.
The founder of McDonald's was Ray Kroc, and it wasn't his wealth that made the franchise a success. It was his leadership and great business sense. Not only did he turn himself into a millionaire, but his franchisees as well. Here are a few tips you can take from him to turn your eatery into a winning restaurant chain.

Work On the Business, Not in the Business

This goes into what we discussed earlier – getting caught up in the everyday operations of your restaurant will only slow down your progress. When Kroc first opened his restaurant, he didn't start working in the kitchen – he secured the master franchising rights right off the bat. It was the first of its kind back in the mid 1950s, and many other restaurants have followed suit since then. Once you get your business started, it's very important to design processes and systems that will enable others to run the day-to-day things, so you can focus on other important matters.

Building a System is Key

If you're going to duplicate your restaurant, then you need to have some sort of system in place. How else will franchisees know how to run the company, so that it is seamless with yours? Can you really tell the difference between one McDonald's from the next? They all have the same tasting food and similar experiences. This is because Kroc created a system to be used by all the franchises.
The development of your business relies on you becoming an owner, not an operator. Once you get everything in line, feel free to utilize the services of a SEO company to advertise your restaurant and achieve professional results for better ROI.