Clubs & Restaurants.

CLUBS & RESTAURANTS

What makes a great restaurant?

From LocalServiceGuide.com

Do you dream of starting a restaurant? Do you have a great new idea for a restaurant start-up?

The number of people eating out has increased dramatically over recent years. Taking advantage of this increase has enabled many entrepreneurs to fulfill their dream of setting up a new restaurant.

Failure rates for restaurants are, however, high. Only one in three restaurants survives beyond two years. For many people their dreams turn into restaurant nightmares.

These Golden Rules will help you to ensure that your restaurant is one of the successes and not one of the failures.

1 - Remember Location, Location, Location
Many restaurants fail just because they are in the wrong place. Establishing a successful restaurant can be an uphill struggle. Choose a poor location and the hill will be much steeper. Ask the following questions:

• Where will my customers park?
• Is the area busy? How many people will walk past my restaurant each day?
• Is the area busy all day and in the evening or just for part of the day?
• Are there other restaurants around? – it can be easier to attract customers to a restaurant which is in an area already known for eating out.

2 - Check Out the Competition
Most restaurants are located close to their competitors. Having a number of restaurants in one area can bring in the diners to the benefit of everyone.

You do, however, need to consider carefully the effects of competition on your restaurant. Will two Lebanese restaurants in the same street both be busy? Are there enough business people eating lunch to ensure the profitability of your restaurant in competition with another five or six targeting the same customers?


3 - Choose Your Customers?

It is essential that you identify who you expect to eat in your restaurant. Will it be shoppers, business people, parents and children, students, theatre goers etc? The identity of your target customers will affect decisions about:

• Prices
• Ambiance e.g. music, decor
• Menu
• Location
• Level of service

4 - Decide on Your Style of Food
There are some restaurants thrive from selling a wide range of different styles and types of food but increasingly restaurants benefit from choosing a particular type of food such as:

• Italian
• Modern European
• Vegetarian
• Organic
• Snacks
• Mexican

It makes it easier for customers to know what to expect and for the restaurant to excel in a niche.

5 - Do Your Maths Homework
It is easy to get become so caught up in developing your theme, choosing menus and planning your kitchen layout, that you do not spend enough time on working out whether your restaurant will be profitable.

Your first task is to work out what your breakeven point will be. In simple terms, how many customers do you need to have in your restaurant each week to cover all of your overheads (rent, staff, bank interest, etc) plus the cost of the extra things which you need for each customer (food, additional staff, laundry etc). Some small restaurants will find it hard to reach breakeven despite being reasonably busy. The owners of these restaurants probably did not do their maths thoroughly enough before they started.

One you have worked out breakeven, you can then work out how many more customers you need to pay your own salary (its pretty important that you at least have enough to live on!) and make a profit.

Your numbers need to be realistic. Start peering through the windows of a variety of restaurants at various times of the day to see how full they are. Even reasonably popular restaurants are less than half full for a lot of the time. Make sure that your plans do not include assumptions which are overly optimistic.

6 - Once You Have Planned Your Restaurant – Do It!
The biggest barrier to running a restaurant is never getting started. It is easy to plan but never take the plunge. You need to be prepared, you need to have funds and you need to be willing to work hard but most of all, if you want to realize your dream of running a restaurant, you need to get started – today!

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State Restaurant Associations

Choose a state below to see contact information for that state's restaurant association.

State List: Alabama Alaska Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii

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Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico

New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota

Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington, DC West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

National Restaurant Association Publications

Washington Report — newsletter published every other Monday
NRA SmartBrief — daily restaurant-industry news
Restaurant.org news — online news highlights
Research News & Numbers — trends, facts and figures
Restaurant TrendMapper — analysis of economic news

Foodservice Publications — Broad Industry Coverage

My Foodservice News — 740-345-5542 phone, 740-345-5557 fax
Nation's Restaurant News — weekly, 800-944-4676 circulation, 212-756-5188 editorial
Restaurant Business — monthly, 847-763-9627 circulation, 646-708-7319 editorial
Restaurant Hospitality — monthly; for the full-service restaurant market;
216-696-7000 editorial, 800-901-6553 circulation
Restaurants & Institutions — monthly, 800-446-6551 circulation, 630-288-8204 editorial
Slammed Magazine — monthly, 617-422-0404

Foodservice Publications - Specialty Topics Asian Restaurant News — for Asian-themed restaurants Bartender Magazine — for and about bartending Beverage World — beverage production and distribution, monthly, 847-763-9627 circulation, 646-708-7301 editorial Bon Appetit — food and entertaining, 800-765-9419 Chain Leader — chain concepts and strategies, 800-446-6551 circulation, 630-288-8242 editorial Cheers — for fullservice restaurant and bar operators serving alcohol, 203-855-8499 Chef — the “idea” magazine for American chefs, 888-545-3676 ext. 10 circulation, 312-849-2220 editorial Chinese Restaurant News — serves American-Chinese restaurants in North America Club Management — official magazine of the Club Managers Association of America, 314-961-6644 Cooking For Profit — kitchen operations, 920-923-3700 Cooking Light — healthy cooking and living, 205-445-6000 Cornell Hospitality Quarterly — 888-437-4636 circulation, 607-255-3025 editorial El Restaurante Mexicano — bilingual magazine for Mexican, Tex-Mex, Southwestern and Latino restaurants, 800-407-5845 Equipment Solutions — foodservice equipment news and trends, 800-444-9745 circulation, 312-849-2220 editorial Fast Casual Magazine — ideas and trends for the fast casual segment, (502) 241-7545 Flavor & The Menu — flavor trends, 503-598-8500 Food and Drink — foodservice industry trends and news, 312-236-4090 ext. 2241 editorial Food Arts — for managers, chefs and caterers of fine dining restaurants, 212-684-4224 Food Channel Trendwire newsletter — food trends and information, 417-875-5187 Food Management — monthly; for the noncommercial foodservice market, 800-901-6554 circulation, 216-696-7000 editorial Food and Wine — upscale epicurean magazine, 800-333-6569 Foodservice Director — for the noncommercial foodservice market, monthly, 847-763-9627 circulation, 646-708-7318 editorial Foodservice Equipment and Supplies — foodservice equipment news and trends, 800-446-6551 circulation, 630-320-7000 editorial Foodservice Equipment Reports — evaluation/news of foodservice equipment and supplies, 847-673-8675 or 800-986-9616 Franchise Times — news and information for franchising, 800-528-3296 Fresh Cup Magazine — trade magazine for specialty coffee and tea professionals, 800-868-5866 Global Foodservice — international foodservice, 516-829-9210 Gourmet — recipes and trends, 800-365-2454 Hospitality Design — foodservice and hospitality design and decor, 847-763-9050 circulation, 646-654-4411 editorial Hospitality Technology — 973-252-0100 Hotel F&B Executive — the only national magazine covering foodservice operations within hotel, resort and casino properties, 847-551-9956 Hotels — international hospitality news, 800-446-6551 circulation, 630-320-7000 editorial ID — foodservice distribution, 646-708-7323 Lodging Hospitality — monthly; for the lodging market, 800-901-6551 circulation, 216-696-7000 editorial Lodging Magazine — the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s management magazine, 202-289-3100 Meat Marketing and Technology — news, trends and resources in the meat and poultry processing industry, 312-274-2201 National Culinary Review — magazine of the American Culinary Federation, 800-624-9458 Nightclub & Bar — reviews, management and marketing tips, 800-247-3881 Pizza Marketing Quarterly/Pizza Marketplace — ideas and news to increase pizza sales, 662-234-5481 ext. 120 Pizza Today — official publication of the National Association of Pizza Operators, 812-949-0909 QSR — quickservice industry news and trends, 919-489-1916 Restaurant Finance Monitor — for multi-unit operators, 800-528-3296 Restaurant Startup & Growth — monthly, 816-741-5151 Restaurant Marketing Magazine — marketing ideas and trends, 800-247-3881 Sante Magazine — for upscale casual to fine-dining establishments, 800-493-9585. Seafood Business — foodservice news and information about seafood, 207-842-5500 Taste of Home Recipes — find an array of home cooking recipes, tips and kitchen ideas, 800-344-6913 The Packer — business news in the produce industry, 800-255-5113 Weekly Restaurant Connections — industry e-newsletter, 832-860-5595 Wine and Spirits — practical guide to wine, 212-695-4660

Foodservice Publications — State & Regional A la Carte — published by the Louisiana Restaurant Association, 800-256-4572 Arizona Restaurant News — published for the Arizona Restaurant & Hospitality Association, 480-998-9568, horizonmedia@cox.net Empire Food Service News — covering upstate New York, (508) 385-7700 Entree Magazine — for Metropolitan New York restaurateurs Food Industry News — for foodservice professionals in the Chicagoland area, 847-699-3300 Foodservice East — covering the foodservice industry in the Northeast, 617-242-2217 Foodservice News — Upper Midwest, 800-528-3296 Food and Service News — published by the Texas Restaurant Association, 800-395-2872 Foodservice and Hospitality — restaurant industry news in Canada, 416-447-0888 Foodservice Monthly — for industry professionals in the Washington, DC metropolitan and Mid-Atlantic areas, 703-471-9806 Hospitality — hospitality news for the Western U.S., 800-685-1932 Kentucky Restaurant Journal — published by the Kentucky Restaurant Association, 502-493-7333 Main Ingredient — published by the Oregon Restaurant Association, 800-462-0619 Michigan Restaurateur — published by the Michigan Restaurant Association, 800-968-9668 Modern Foodservice — covers metro New York, Long Island and New Jersey, (508) 385-7700 New England Foodservice — covers foodservice industry in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, 508-385-7700 New York Restaurant Insider — for New York City restaurant industry, 212-931-8538 Oklahoma Restaurateur — the official magazine of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, 405-603-8130 Restaurant News of the Rockies — for foodservice professionals in the Rocky Mountain states, 303-753-6109 Restaurant Forum - Georgia — the official publication of the Georgia Restaurant Association, 770-452-1221 Serving Magazine — a monthly magazine for foodservice professionals in San Diego and Arizona. 619-233-3901 (San Diego), 480-970-4415 (Arizona) Southeast Foodservice News — for the foodservice market in AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN and VA, 800-865-7376 circulation, 770-449-9800 editorial Southwest Foodservice News — for the foodservice market in TX and the Southwest, 972-943-1254 Southwest Restaurateur — published by the New Mexico Restaurant Association, covering New Mexico, El Paso, and southern Colorado. 800-432-0740 Sunbelt Foodservice — covering Ala., Ark., Ariz., Colo., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.M., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tenn., Texas, Va., 770/534-8380 Today's Restaurant News — FL and TX editions, 561-620-8888 Total Foodservice — metro New York foodservice, 203-661-9090 Yankee Magazine — for restaurant and hospitality professionals in the Northeast, 603-563-8111 National Restaurant Association Publications Washington Report — newsletter published every other Monday NRA SmartBrief — daily restaurant-industry news Restaurant.org news — online news highlights Research News & Numbers — trends, facts and figures Restaurant TrendMapper — analysis of economic news Foodservice Publications — Broad Industry Coverage My Foodservice News — 740-345-5542 phone, 740-345-5557 fax Nation's Restaurant News — weekly, 800-944-4676 circulation, 212-756-5188 editorial Restaurant Business — monthly, 847-763-9627 circulation, 646-708-7319 editorial Restaurant Hospitality — monthly; for the full-service restaurant market; 216-696-7000 editorial, 800-901-6553 circulation Restaurants & Institutions — monthly, 800-446-6551 circulation, 630-288-8204 editorial Slammed Magazine — monthly, 617-422-0404 Foodservice Publications - Online California Wine and Food — foodservice, hospitality and tourism in California Foodservice Central— resources, news and marketplace Foodservice.com — industry information source GlobalHotelNetwork.com— hospitality industry news and resources QSRWeb.com — news and resources for quickservice, fast-casual and casual-dining operators

Foodservice Organizations & Associations National Restaurant Association National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation State Restaurant Associations International Foodservice Associations Airline Foodservice International Inflight Food Service Association Bartenders National Bartenders Association Bed and Breakfasts National Bed & Breakfast Association Catering National Association of Catering Executives See also: Catering Chain Restaurants National Council of Chain Restaurants Chefs American Culinary Federation James Beard Foundation United States Personal Chefs Association International Association of Culinary Professionals American Institute of Wine & Food Women Chefs and Restaurateurs Les Dames d'Escoffier International Share Our Strength Chefs Collaborative See also: Culinary web sites Clubs National Club Association Concessions National Association of Concessionaires Consultants Foodservice Consultants Society International Convenience Stores National Association of Convenience Stores Correctional Facilities American Correctional Foodservice Association Delicatessens International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association Dietitians/Nutritionists American Dietetic Association Dietary Managers Association See also: Food nutrition Diversity Black Culinarian Alliance Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE) Special Interest Group on Historically & Predominantly Black Colleges & Universities Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance National Black McDonald’s Operators Association National Society of Minorities in Hospitality See also: Women's organizations Educators & Trainers Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association See also: Careers & Education Financial Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Franchising International Franchise Association American Association of Franchisees and Dealers American Franchisee Association Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators See also: Franchising books Health Care Foodservice National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management American Society for Healthcare Foodservice AdministratorsHotels and Lodging American Hotel & Lodging Association Juice/Smoothie Juice and Smoothie Association Liquor Licenses American Beverage Institute National Association of Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Attorneys National Licensed Beverage Association Managers National Bar & Restaurant Management Association Manufacturers, Suppliers and Distributors American Frozen Food Institute Commercial Food Equipment Service Association Foodservice Equipment Distributors AssociationFoodservice & Packaging Institute International Foodservice Distributors Association International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Manufacturers Agents for the Foodservice Industry North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers Specialty Foods Distributors and Manufacturers Association Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Onsite Foodservice Society for Foodservice Management Sales and Marketing Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Schools American School Food Service Association National Association of College and University Foodservices Sommeliers The Court of Master Sommeliers Tourism Travel Industry Association of America Vending National Automatic Merchandising Association Waiters The Waiters Association (503-524-0788) Women Women's Foodservice Forum International Association of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs Les Dames d'Escoffier International Women in Franchising (International Franchise Association)