What You Need to Know if You’re Running a Restaurant (Including Waste Cooking Oil Collection)

There are a lot of different kinds of businesses out there and there are a lot of people who try to run them. You’ll have heard about people starting up clothes shops, small corner stores and even cleaning companies; the list is very long. However, some of the toughest kinds of companies to run out there (in my humble opinions) are restaurants. I’ve heard about a lot of restaurants and cafes that have started out with a good idea and business plan but have still failed. This is down to a number of reasons, and serves to prove that running a food place isn’t nearly as easy as a lot of people think it is. However, if you know what kinds of tactics to employ then there’s no reason you can’t be successful. So what do you actually need to do? Well, that’s why I’m here today. Here’s everything you need to know about running a restaurant. 

Know where to get your cooking oil from

My first tip might seem a little bit boring, but believe me when I say that it’s a really important step. Depending what kind of restaurant you are running, cooking oil will play a very big role in your day to day activities. So many foods rely on it for a great taste; if your cooking oil isn’t up to scratch, then the chances are your food will be served below-par as well. That’s why it’s important that you just go out and buy the first oil that you come across, and you need to give it some thought. There are other benefits if you select a good cooking oil, too; waste oil collection can be tricky so make sure you choose an oil that can be cleaned up and collected easily. 

So what else should you be looking for in a good cooking oil? Well, as you can probably already guess, the effect it’ll have on your food should be your primary focus. If you don’t do the right research and just choose a random oil, you might not be getting the best deal for both you and your customers. The whole point in a restaurant, after all, is to provide good quality food for everyone to enjoy. A high quality cooking oil can help provide this a lot, so make sure you figure out which oils will be the best to accompany your products while they are in the pan. This will help you to enhance the reputation of your cooking. 

You should also have a look at where your oil is sourced from. There are a lot of companies out there that provide cooking oil, and while you may be tempted to go with a well renowned name from somewhere else in the country, there could actually be a company relatively close to your restaurant that can provide just as high a quality of oil. That’s why research is so important- if you can find a good oil provider near you, it’ll save you a lot of money in delivery fees and if you ever need an urgent order, they could be just down the road. 

Know where to get the rest of your products

There are a lot of other products that you need to source, as well. Restaurants require a lot of equipment and food among other things (I know- I’ve worked in one!) and buying them can be tricky. Just as with oil, there are a lot of companies out there that sell these kinds of things. For example, when you’re buying the fruit and vegetables for your chain there will be a lot of greengrocers out there who are options. Again, don’t jump the gun and strike a deal with the first company you come across. Do some research and figure out who sells the best quality of produce at the most competitive prices and buy from them. This will ensure that you can save money while providing your diners with the best quality food as possible.

The same goes for simple things like furniture and alcohol. These kinds of things, if not taken care of, could be very detrimental to your restaurant; if people aren’t comfortable when sitting, they won’t want to come back. At the same time, if you have a low quantity and quality of alcohol on offer then they might not be too impressed and could leave bad reviews. You need to figure out who your target market will be and build your restaurant around that; buy accordingly. 

Make sure you hire staff who are capable

Once your restaurant is ready to get going, you’ll need to make sure that any staff you hire are up to the job. The last thing you want is for any of your waiters to start annoying customers, or for any kitchen porters to be slowing down the flow of dishes around the kitchen. Of course, especially with part time workers, it may take some time to train them up to a good standard and that’s normal. I was a kitchen porter myself and it took me a while to get up to speed. However, try to have a good judgement on any potential employee’s character and figure out if they have a hunger to succeed. It won’t help anyone if they’re unwilling to learn and adapt in the restaurant world. 

Make sure you have a good financial plan

As I mentioned at the start of this article, there are a lot of restaurants that go bust pretty quickly and you need to make sure that you don’t become one of these. That’s why you need to have a good financial plan in place; don’t just dive in at the deep in and hope things will work out. Take everything into account; how much will you be paying for all of your produce, products and bills? Once you know this, you can start to set prices on your menu to make sure you’re always making good profits. This will ensure your restaurant stays afloat and flourishes for years to come.