Tricks And Tips For Fast Food Business

The opening of a fast food cafe begins with the choice of the concept of the future institution and the search for sources of financing. It should be understood that opening a fast food cafe requires the same efforts as opening a regular restaurant. At the same time, the cost of financial resources can be no less. The cost of opening a business, depending on the format of the establishment, can be from 400 thousand rubles - for a street (mobile) cafe and from 1.5 million rubles for a stationary cafe.

That is why, newcomers are often advised to open a franchise. This somewhat reduces the size of the initial investment. But the main advantage of franchising is that the restaurateur receives ready-made technology, standards and a proven scheme for a successful business. Although this limits the rights of the business owner in some way, it helps to avoid many mistakes at the start of the project.

Before opening a fast food point, you should determine which cafe format will be the most profitable in a particular city or region. The location of the future institution, the presence of competitors, the specifics of the cuisine of the local population, the expected demand, and so on are subject to analysis. The fast food industry includes such formats as: street cafes operating in the open air (street food), mobile cafes or tents (outlet), stationary fast food establishments (quick service restaurants), stationary cafes on special sites in shopping and entertainment centers (food court).

At the same time, each concept includes enterprises with their own specifics, which are based on one or more products: hot dogs, burgers, pancakes, sandwiches, grilled chicken, milkshakes, pizza, shawarma, barbecue, pasties, etc.

Separately, we can single out a segment of the fast food market - "fun food". This includes cotton candy, popcorn, chips, carbonated drinks, and so on. The income of these establishments directly depends on the season and location - parks, playgrounds, attractions, and entertainment areas.

1. Speed ​​of service. Perhaps the main advantage of this format of establishments over other catering. The menu is usually bright and clear (light box), the client is served through several cash desks. The shape of the tables and chairs, as well as their location, do not allow you to stay in the cafe longer than necessary for eating.

2. Most dishes are prepared in a matter of minutes through the use of semi-finished products or pre-prepared products.

3. Limited range of dishes. Often the menu is represented mainly by one product (hot dogs, burgers).

4. Simple and convenient serving. Use of disposable tableware, packaging bags and paper.

5. The cooking technology is so well developed that it allows spending a minimum of time on training unskilled employees.

6. There is no waiter service for visitors - the main duty is only to clean the tables.

7. Low cost of the dish. It is achieved due to the low price of ingredients and the emphasis on high sales volume.

The choice of locations for fast food cafes is very extensive. This may be a roadside cafe located on a highway with a large traffic flow, a large shopping center (food court site), the central streets of the city in close proximity to office buildings, park and coastal areas and other highly passable places.

The main question is how you can negotiate the installation of a cafe in a particular place, if we are talking about a state site. A temporary cafe is one thing, in which case it will be easier to get permission, since you open for the season (6-7 months). Another thing is if you take a plot on a long-term lease - you can only get the right to lease a municipal plot at an auction (bidding). It is much easier to negotiate with a land plot and premises owned by a private person. The only question is the rental rate, which is often higher than for state land.

The choice of premises, and indeed the format of trade in general, also depends on what funds you have at your disposal. For example, opening a cafe at a food court site in a large shopping center will require higher investments than opening a small establishment in a mobile version (shopping trailer). In this case, the fixed costs of the business are also high. The rental rate in the shopping center is at least 2000 rubles/m2. To accommodate a cafe, at least 30-40m2 will be required - in this case, the rental volume will be 60-80 thousand rubles per month. Moreover, shopping centers are often very picky about the design of the establishment - hence the cost of its creation. Start-up entrepreneurs, with limited capital, very often open mobile cafes like a shopping trailer or mobile shop. The cost of opening a fully equipped point does not exceed 500 thousand rubles. Similar trailers are produced by a well-known company - Kupava Trading House LLC. At the request of the customer, a mobile cafe of any design can be made, with a ready-made set of equipment for cheburek, barbecue, pie, grilled chicken or shawarma cafe.

The well-known network “Kroshka Potato” operates in a similar format, with a network of more than 200 auto buffets throughout the country.