If you’re new to the restaurant business, you might be surprised how many moving parts go into running a successful operation. There’s menu design, interior design, and plenty of other details crucial to getting your business off the ground—and staying there. Thankfully, we’ve put together an infographic that will help walk you through the process of creating a restaurant blueprint:
What is a restaurant blueprint, and why do you need one
A restaurant blueprint is a plan for your restaurant. It will help you with planning, budgeting, hiring, and marketing.
A good blueprint will:
- Help you figure out the best location for your restaurant
- Set the tone and style of the space (e.g., casual vs. fine dining)
- Identify what kind of service model would work best for your customers
What should a restaurant blueprint include?
A restaurant blueprint, which is the structure of your business plan, should include the following:
- Location. This includes the name of your city and state as well as a particular street address and neighborhood. If you plan to open more places (such as franchises), this location will be where you want those businesses to be.
- Type of business. You’ll choose whether you’re opening a Michelin-starred fine dining establishment or a casual neighborhood diner based on what kind of food you’ll serve, how fancy it will be, how much people are willing to spend for it, etc.
- Size and capacity (in customers per day). How many people do you hope to serve each day? How many tables? How many seats are at the counters? In addition to sizing up how big your operation needs to be based on what kind of food service model you want for your business (takeout vs. delivery vs. dine-in), consider population density to where those potential customers live within reasonable driving distance from where they work or play—this will determine if there’s enough traffic flow during peak hours at certain times throughout weekdays only but not weekends because everyone has left town by then etc.
Creating a blueprint for your dining area
In any restaurant blueprint, the dining area should be warm and inviting. It should be comfortable and spacious. The space should also have a good view of the kitchen, where all those delicious dishes are being cooked. And it’s also nice to see the bartenders making cocktails at work behind their countertop bar!
And finally, remember that your dining room is where people go when they want to relax and take in their surroundings. Make sure some windows or doors open onto a pretty outdoor scene so guests can enjoy nature and great food with friends or family over dinner at your restaurant.
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A blueprint for your kitchen
In the next section, you’ll outline the kitchen and its various elements. The kitchen is the heart of your restaurant—let’s ensure it’s designed to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
- Take into account the type of food being prepared: If you’re planning on serving primarily French-style cuisine, your design will look different than if you’re having a Tex-Mex night every Tuesday. For example, with French cooking, there may be less of an emphasis on grilling or frying foods (since professionals do them at restaurants), so it makes sense for them to have other ways of preparing food that take longer but yield better results. On the other hand, if Tex-Mex tacos are going to be served regularly, it would make sense for their menu items to focus more on frying or grilling meats instead.
- Plan for safety: You will want this part of your plan documented thoroughly, so everyone involved knows exactly what needs doing in case anything goes wrong—and trust me: things always go wrong! Make sure everyone knows where all fire extinguishers are located and how many should be available at any given time; don’t forget about emergency exits, too (including any disabled access requirements).
Creating a restaurant blueprint will help you tackle all the steps to opening a new restaurant.
A blueprint is a document that will help guide the design and construction of your new restaurant. It includes all the elements needed for opening day—from floor plans and kitchen layouts to furniture specifications and color schemes. A blueprint also helps ensure that everything fits together smoothly during opening day. A well-designed blueprint can help reduce costs by avoiding costly mistakes during construction or remodeling work on an existing space.
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Conclusion
We hope that this article has benefited your understanding of the importance of creating a restaurant blueprint. You’re now equipped with all the tools necessary to create one and ensure it’s comprehensive. The process may seem overwhelming at first glance. Still, if you take it one step at a time and remember that every project needs a plan before beginning execution, your dream of opening up your business will become a reality!