Equipment to have before setting up a restaurant:

Cooking equipment

A restaurant is meant to cook food and serve it to the customer, which is natural. Unless your customers are a bunch of cavemen, you will need to cook your food and spice it before serving. This is why you’ll certainly require cooking equipment like deep fryers, stoves, ovens and grills to command the aroma out of your food items. You’ll also need a cooktop. This will give you the power to fry, sauté or cook any type of food without any restrictions.

Washing equipment

Customers will forgive you if you make all the mistakes restaurant owners make except for one; untidiness. People just can’t stand the fact that they may be exposed to health risks by coming to have a twenty-minute meal at your restaurant. The only way to avoid this is to acquire washing equipment and install them everywhere including the kitchen, restaurant halls and in the restrooms. Include appropriate sinks with enough supply of soap and warm water. Washing equipment like sink is extremely essential for cleaning your tableware, utensils and pots. And they are also essential in food processing.

Freezers and refrigerators

One of the most difficult aspects of starting a restaurant is the fact that you cannot correctly predict how many people will come in any day. So you need to pile up the food stuff in preparation for any emergency customer influx. But while you keep the food in the kitchen you need to ensure they are of top quality. This is what makes refrigerators and freezers one of the most important equipment to have before setting up a restaurant. It will help stop bacteria from growing in your food and save you from any disaster that may occur due to food getting spoilt. There are a large range of refrigerators and freezers for you to choose from the small under-counter ones to the walk-in models.

Safety equipment

The mixture of naked fire, cooking gas, kitchen furniture, cooking oil and humans in one room can only mean that disaster is around the corner. This is why you’ll need to acquire reliable and efficient safety equipment in your kitchen to manage any fire disasters in case of emergency. Apart from fire people can also accidentally cut themselves or trip and get injured. Some the kitchen fire safety equipment that you need to acquire includes first-aid kits to treat all kinds of injuries, fire extinguishers to suppress fire outbreaks, and vent system for cooking equipment.

If you don’t have the cash to buy the new equipment you can settle for the fairly used ones. But make sure that all the equipment are in good condition and create enough space to accommodate them.

The post Equipments to have before setting up a restaurant appeared first on Dzhingarov

Timing

It’s all well and good arranging to close down and get everything refitted, but the time you choose to do it can make a huge impact on your business. Obviously, for the time that the outlet is closed, business will be lost so the timing of your closure needs careful thought. You might want to shut during November ready for the Christmas rush but consider that people are often out doing their Christmas shopping almost as soon as the nights start to draw in. One of the quietest times of the year is mid-January, when people are trying to play catch-up from the present splurge of the earlier winter months. Paying off credit cards can cause people to stay in so closing for a two-week period around this time will get your venue looking fresh and modern just in time for people digging into their wallets again.

Design

Ultimately, your venue is going to need relatively regular re-fits to keep it looking up-to-date so don’t be afraid to go for an ultra-modern, on-trend design. It will depend on the type of venue you own, as a fast food outlet will probably need more refits than a high end hotel restaurant so you can go a little crazier with the design. Trying some funky paint patterns on the walls or using a whole different colour theme will freshen up the place and won’t break the bank. If you want to keep things a bit more classic, stick to a similar colour theme but make some changes to ensure the refit is noticeable. If customers can’t tell, it may have the same dreary, unappealing look as before.

Training

When the venue is closed for a refit, it can be difficult and costly to know what to do with the staff. If they are unable to do their jobs, consider temporarily transferring them to other branches of the company. This will give them the opportunity to interact with new people and could benefit both their knowledge and their skills. Alternatively, take the chance to give them some training. Customer service should always be a top priority in a customer-facing position so ensure they are up to date with what is required of them.

A teambuilding day may also be useful to gauge how well your staff work together and can also help to overcome any issues. While the venue is closed, get to know all the staff as well as you can. Everyone is busy when they are at work so with that element temporarily removed, get hands-on with the team and work on making them feel comfortable with each other. Encouraging them to have a skill-exchange will give them the chance to possibly learn something new, and make them feel like a valued member of the team.

Author: Alec Cooper – You can also follow him through his Google + profile.

The post How to modernise your food outlet appeared first on Dzhingarov

Check out Your Competition

When designing your menu, you need to create a list of dishes and an overall design that stands out from the crowd. What type of design did your competitors go with? What could be improved? How can you come up with a menu that uses their strengths and avoids their weaknesses?

Create a Design That Conveys Your Style

Colour choice, fonts, theme and overall design are all choices that can be used to display your restaurant’s unique style and concept. Each of these elements should be given careful consideration, so you can be assured that you are displaying a menu that accurately reflects the image you’re trying to create.

Create Visual Balance

Try sketching a “dummy” or mock up of your menu before you head to the printer. Arrange your information on the page to get an idea of how it looks visually. It’s best to arrange your menu by category, making it easy for customers to quickly find the appropriate section for the item they’re seeking. Some common categories are appetizers, entrees, desserts and beverages. One or two column designs are best for menus; more than one column of information is confusing and too busy to be easily read.

Less is More

You may be tempted to pull out all the stops with creative colour choices, fonts, clip art, photos and more. The key to creating a successful menu is to be conservative and classy. Avoid computer clip art, which will only make it look like you created the menu on your desktop computer. In addition, you probably should not use photos, as even the best food photography falls short of the real thing. If you must use photos, hire a professional photographer.

Choose a Professional Printer

It’s best to find a printer that will give you professional results even for a small number of menus. Many printers utilize digital technology to print custom books that will allow you to create a very professional looking menu at a great price.

Create Vivid Written Descriptions

Use descriptive language to write about your food. Be sure to explain what sets your items apart from the competition.

If you’ve followed these guidelines, you should be well on your way to creating a great menu for your restaurant. Once you’ve selected a professional printer, creating the final project should be quick and easy, and the results will be worth all of the time you’ve invested.

The post Tips To Design An Awesome Restaurant Menu appeared first on Dzhingarov