Introduction
If you're thinking about opening a restaurant, you're going to need some help—and that's where consultants come in. Restaurant consultants can help you turn your dream into reality by helping with everything from menu planning to finding suppliers and contractors. But what does it take to become one? Here are some surprising truths about the industry and how they might affect your decision.
The most difficult thing is to avoid being fooled by inexperienced customers.
The most difficult thing is to avoid being fooled by inexperienced customers. When you’re a consultant, you have a lot of people coming through your office asking for help. You can tell right away that they don’t know anything about restaurants, but they come in with the idea that they know everything and that’s why they need your help. They want all these crazy things. They want to be able to go on vacation whenever they feel like it and still make money from their restaurant business; now how much sense does that make?
The problem is that these people think they have an advantage over us because we give them advice on this stuff all day long, so therefore we must be idiots! But what I found out was if you give some thought about what are the real problems facing restaurants (and there aren’t many), then when someone comes in and asks for advice about something that doesn’t make sense or seems ridiculous, my advice will usually be “No, don't do it! Why would anyone do something like that at their own expense? Don't listen to me; go ask someone else who knows more than me."
The reality of restaurant consultancy can be quite different from the expectations.
There are a lot of people who want to own a restaurant but don't have the experience to do so. This is great news for you, because it means there will be plenty of consulting opportunities.
The first thing you need to know about restaurant consultancy is that it's not always glamorous. If your customer wants to open a restaurant in their basement and serve only raw kale on toothpicks, then by all means do them the favor and help them start their business. But if they want something more than that—if they want good food with prices that are reasonable for their customers—then it may be time for some tough love (and possibly an intervention).
The difference between reality and fantasy might be quite big.
The difference between reality and fantasy might be quite big. As a consultant, you will often find yourself face to face with customers who have unrealistic expectations of what their restaurant can do for them. They want the impossible, but they also don’t know how much it will cost or how long it will take to get there.
Don’t let your dreams blind you; remember that customers can be very inexperienced and sometimes gullible too. The difference between reality and fantasy might be quite big! However, if you are determined enough to succeed as a restaurant consultant, then it is possible for anyone who knows the ins and outs of running a successful business (like yourself).
You need to have experience in the restaurant business yourself to be able to advise other people.
This is a no-brainer, but it's worth saying: You need to have experience in the restaurant business yourself to be able to advise other people. This is one of the first things that restaurant consultants will tell you. They want someone who knows what they are talking about and can relate it back to them on a personal level. They want someone who understands what their customers want and what their market wants—and they want it presented as such when you present your reports or proposals.
They don't care if you went through some type of training program at school; they just need proof that you have worked in restaurants before, have good ideas, and know how things run behind-the-scenes (like dishwashing).
If you want to run a successful restaurant, listen to experts and don't let your dreams blind you.
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of running your own restaurant. You have this grand idea for a concept, you find the perfect place, and you start dreaming about how much money you'll make. The reality is that running a successful business takes more than just good ideas—it takes hard work and discipline. So what can new restaurateurs do to avoid getting blindsided?
First off, listen to someone who has been there before: an expert consultant or mentor with plenty of experience operating successful restaurants will be able to give you invaluable advice about things like staffing and menu management. They'll also be able to point out potential issues before they arise so that they don't become problems later on down the road (for example, if it seems like there aren't enough servers working at peak times).
Second off—and this may seem counterintuitive—don't listen too closely at first; instead use these initial conversations as an opportunity both parties will benefit from by learning more about each other's needs and interests early on so they can develop something mutually beneficial in terms of projects going forward like strategic partnerships with other businesses which might bring more exposure than either could achieve alone."
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is clear that running a restaurant is no easy task. You will need to be able to handle many things at once, from the food and drinks being served by your employees to customer service and marketing.