What It Takes to Bring a Restaurant Concept to Life

“I want to open a café” is the equivalent of saying “I want to get in shape.”

Whether you want to start a food truck, ghost kitchen, or 10,000 sq. foot full-service restaurant, Salt & Cayenne restaurant consultants can help you turn your idea into reality. Let’s talk about the road from concept creation to running a thriving new restaurant.

First Step: Concept Creation

When we create the concept, we want to define it to the point where someone (namely lenders and landlords) can picture exactly what it will feel like, the type of food that is served, and why the community needs this restaurant over another potential restaurant pitch.

In our concept creation phase, we’ll touch on an expected budget as well as the initial investment.  We will cover the business model and management requirements, further defining the owners’ role in daily operations. We’ll also discuss what kind of training you will need and/or who you will need to hire to ensure proper daily management.

—This is deciding, “I want to run the NY Marathon in November to get in shape.”

Second Step: Writing a Business Plan

Once we have the concept defined, we move on to creating the business plan.

The business plan takes a deeper dive into the summary established during concept creation and lays out the projected sales and expenses. Restaurant business plans are much different than any other business plan and require a lot of information. They are not only used to get funding but are also helpful in securing a location for landlords weary of new restaurants. Having a written business plan is also just good practice, giving you a concrete plan for how you intend to run your restaurant.

New to writing business plans or don’t have experience writing one for a restaurant? Salt & Cayenne provides our clients with a Business Plan Template that will ensure you’re gathering the necessary information to present a well-rounded business plan.

—This is getting your training schedule mapped out so you can prepare to run 26.2 miles.

Third Step: Concept Development

Once you have the plan with financing and funds, we get to start developing the restaurant.

Now we’re making the tangible, brick-and-mortar manifestation of the concept created in the first step. There are too many steps in this phase to list in one blog. To put it simply, this is when you go from having a restaurant on paper to having an actual restaurant ready to hire people and serve guests.

—These are the months of running, eating right, and training in preparation for the marathon.

Fourth Step: Opening a Restaurant

Now you’re ready to hire staff and establish a brand culture that gets your team excited about the concept. A thoughtful training program ensures your staff is knowledgeable and ready to sell the concept to guests. Once your staff is trained, you’re ready to open your doors for business.

—This is not the finish line; this is the starting line.

Final Step: You Are Operating Your Restaurant

This is the daily job of doing what you set off to do when you first made the call and said, “I want to open a restaurant.” Congratulations—you made it! Now keep running.

—You’re officially running the marathon—and staying in shape.

Ready to turn your restaurant dreams into a reality? Schedule an initial consult, and Salt & Cayenne will help you get the ball rolling. Cheers!