®

Hospitality Consulting, Management and Design

ment and Design

®

Hospitality Consulting, Management and Design

ment and Design

®

Hospitality Consulting, Management and Design

ment and Design

We approach concepting, or reconcepting, a restaurant by first identifying a food and beverage idea that addresses a specific and popular cuisine that is not being successfully addressed within the market and the location of the facility.

Next, we create a profitable menu that precisely relates to the expectations of and tastes of the target market we are concepting for, along with the price points that the market expects and will pay for the menu items offered.

In creating a menu, or evaluating an existing menu, one must accurately cost out all aspects of the food items and related elements that make up the total costs to produce each and every menu item.  In the past, we have witnessed a number of restaurants that have experienced good volume and were losing money.  Invariably, one of the primary reasons for negative profitably is a menu that actually costs more to produce than the price it is being sold at.  Without properly and correctly costing out a menu to maximize profitably, a restaurant is doomed to fail.

Our next step is to create a visual look that identifiably relates to the food and beverages being offered.  The complete environment created for the concept must encapsulate and visually support and compliment the cuisine being presented.  Here is where we often see where space planning and interior design that often conflicts with the concept and its operations.

Poor space planning (layout) of the restaurant, including the kitchen, will dramatically affect guest service and tabor costs.  The décor too must also complement the food being presented.  It must be welcoming to the guest and not overwhelm or distract them with accessories, intense colors, TV's and décor elements scattered over every inch of wall space.  We have all been in restaurants that were over designed and where we felt uncomfortable and anxious. This is a direct result of poor interior design and environmental controls such as sound levels, lighting, furniture selection, tabletop design and H.V.A.C. levels, to name a few faults.

Another major reason for restaurant failure is poor staffing.  Finding qualified staff and providing proper training for a concept is very difficult and time-consuming. The staff you have is the true face of the restaurant.  They are the ones that directly interact with the guests and represent the overall concept. Their contribution and support to the success of the food and beverage operation cannot be overstated.   

The next major cause of restaurant failure is ineffective advertising and promotion.  In the past, this was difficult and usually expensive.  But now, with today’s access to social media, promoting a facility has become much easier.  Although, a well thought out and designed, creative promotional campaign must be created and professionally executed in order to be successful.