Becoming a restaurant owner is an attractive idea for many, but doing so requires some surprisingly high startup costs. From rent, equipment, and furniture to wages and food supplies, your monthly outlay can quickly get out of hand. Luckily, you can manage to keep startup costs low by carefully planning out your new venture and taking advantage of some less-conventional paths. Here's how you can bring costs down when starting up your restaurant, courtesy of YaDa Chef.
Taking a Less Conventional Path
Opening a traditional restaurant involves major start-up costs. The monthly overhead to keep it running can be oppressive, too. If you're working with modest starting capital, consider taking a less conventional path like starting a pop-up restaurant. You can get your food in front of people and build your brand, eventually growing to a permanent site.
Finding Funding Opportunities
While conventional loans might work for some restaurateurs, other financing options such as crowdfunding or small business grants may provide a much better return for you. You can find opportunities for funding and grants through the Small Business Administration. If you're getting a loan, be sure to understand different factors such as the length of the term and how quickly you can get your capital so you choose the right option for your restaurant.
Maximizing Savings Through Your Legal Structure
You can reduce the costs associated with starting a restaurant by forming an LLC. An LLC brings many benefits to your business such as limited liability and tax advantages that will save you money every year. There are unique rules on establishing an LLC, so be sure to check the state's rules before proceeding. You can also use a formation service to save yourself from large lawyer fees if you'd rather not do the LLC registration paperwork on your own.
Using Free and Low-Cost Advertising
Another way to keep your restaurant affordable is to use free or low-cost marketing methods. One such method is social media, which can even be free if you market on your own. If you aren't confident in running a social media marketing campaign on your own, you may wish to hire a social media manager. If you’re on a tight budget, you can create a Facebook ad using a free online ads maker. Select a template and include your own branding, colors, and images.
Something else to consider: frequently when advertising via social media or email, you need to alter your file format to fit the desired platform. Luckily, there are plenty of online tools to help. Do you need to convert PDF to doc? Nowadays, you can do so for free in seconds!
Starting Your Dream Restaurant
Getting your own restaurant off the ground isn't a pipe dream if you carefully plan out your finances and market effectively on social media. Use the tips above to start the journey of running your own business.
YaDa Chef offers private chefs and event catering in Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-367-YADA (9232)