Restaurants have some of the highest running costs of any type of business. High overheads can make it difficult to make a worthwhile profit. Fortunately, there are many ways to bring down the costs of running a restaurant. Here are just a few tricks for running a restaurant business more affordably.
Utilities
Restaurants can often have high utility bills. Try to consider small ways to save energy such as switching to LED bulbs and investing in energy-efficient machinery. As for reducing your water bill, make sure that dishwashers are fully-loaded each time before turning them on and consider touch taps in customer bathrooms to prevent taps being left on.
Equipment
Investing in good quality equipment is important – frequent breakdowns, repairs, and replacements could cost you a lot of money. Brand new equipment will be more reliable and more energy-efficient, so consider this. Keeping equipment well-maintained will also save you money in repairs.
Food supplies
When buying ingredients and inventory for your restaurant, it’s important to choose the right supplier. Buy food in bulk when possible – wholesale vegetables and tubs of sauces can save you a lot of money. By keeping track of ingredient usage and introducing portion measures you can prevent unnecessary waste.
Marketing
Marketing is essential for helping you to attract customers. You don’t have to spend a lot on marketing – keeping your social media accounts updated and encouraging good reviews are cheap ways to market your business. Also consider ways of encouraging return customers, such as loyalty discounts.
Employees
A good restaurant needs good employees. Don’t rush the hiring process – by taking your time and considering lots of applicants, you can increase your chances of finding that perfect employee who is going to serve you well and stick around. It may be worth offering a few incentives to keep employees loyal such as bonuses or free meals. A friendly and supportive environment is of course key – if you’re there for your employees, there’s more chance they’ll be there for you.
Decorations/remodelling
Many restaurants spend huge amounts decorating their dining space to be as lavish as possible. It’s important that the interior is warm and inviting, but you don’t want to spend too much money on it. Think minimal and buy tables and chairs that are built to last. Make sure that surfaces are easy to clean – if things get scruffy more easily, you’ll want to replace them sooner.
