How to Open a Bar, Restaurant or Café | Developing your Concept
What is a restaurant, bar or café concept?
Developing the concept for your bar, restaurant or café is arguably the most important step to take at the outset of either starting or relaunching your hospitality business. It’s the first thing I work through with my clients when we are discussing designs for their venue, my design work has to be 100% informed by their concept strategy.
So lets dive in to exactly what a concept for your venue is…
Essentially it’s a highly detailed description of your overall idea and sets out the complete experience your guests, staff and community will have when interacting with your business.
It needs to be developed in a way that each element complements the others and everything works together so that that your customers will understand and connect with your brand. Above all it needs to create an exceptional experience that they will want to visit and return to again and again!
So, let’s explore exactly what’s involved:
What is included in a restaurant, bar or café concept?
Your concept needs to consider every aspect of your brand and venue experience, some of the key elements it should cover include:
Menu - what your food and drink offering will be, the style of the menu and your signature standout dishes.
Style of Service - how your staff will interact with your guests and what kind of service you will provide - casual/formal/somewhere in between. Really get into the detail of what those interactions will involve and how it relates to your brand values.
Ambiance & Decor - the style and look of your venue, how you want it to feel and the vibe you want to create.
Name, Brand Identity & Messaging - basically the words that you’ll use when communicating with your customers and how you will speak to them. Think of it a bit like a person and how the way a person speaks tells you about who they are.
Target Customer Base - who is your venue for, what types of people will be attracted by your offering and who are you making this for. Don’t just think about the individual (people mostly go out in groups) who are those groups - friends, families, colleagues, sports teams, couples?
Value & Mission Statements - these sound quite formal and like something you’d see in a corporate business plan but they are key pieces of your brand. In fact your values are the number 1 thing you should define - everything else needs to refer back to the core values that underpin your brand , whether that’s: excellence, fun, teamwork, community, sustainability, -your brand should have its own unique set of non-negotiable values that weave through everything.
Unique Selling Points -define what makes your venue and offer different, what will it become known for? A famous dish, specific events or rituals, the interior, the vibe?
Marketing Strategy - how are you going to market your venue? Define what channels you’ll be using such as social media or email marketing, ads or collaborations. Get clear on your overall strategy and how you’re going to reach your potential customers and invite them to come and experience your venue.
Why is the concept for your hospitality business important?
A detailed concept will serve as a guide in every decision you make about your business from who you hire, how you advertise and who your suppliers are, to what music you play, what crockery you use and what your menu is printed on.
It serves as the blueprint of your business and makes it easy for you to decide what things are inline with your overall idea and what things aren’t.
Having your concept clearly defined will help you attract your ideal customers and give them a consistent experience they will value, return for and recommend to others.
It will also allow you to communicate your vision to investors, designers, architects and consultants and ensure that the team you engage, to bring your vision to life, is on board with your plans.
And lastly it will act as a reference point for you to look back on as you reach key milestones in your business, to check whether you are keeping on track with your mission and realizing your vision. It will also allow you to refine your concept as you go and adapt to market changes. So having your concept recorded and documented is invaluable when it comes to developing and growing your hospitality business.
How to create a concept for your bar, restaurant or café.
Every hospitality business concept starts with an idea or theme, this might be an idea around the cuisine, or something inspired by travel or culture or an idea about a certain service style.
This is just the starting point and there are 4 key steps to take this idea and turn it into a developed concept:
To transform your initial idea into a fully developed concept, follow these essential steps:
Market Research: Gaining a thorough understanding of your local landscape, key competitors, ideal customers and key trends will give you the best chance to set yourself up for success in the market and set your venue apart by offering something which is desired and different.
Brand Development: The architecture of you brand is the foundation of your business and venue. After carrying out your research, crafting a strong and exciting brand should be the next step in your concept development process.
Offer Creation: Creating a compelling and cohesive offer which aligns to your brand and appeals to your target customers is vital and needs to include your menu, service style, entertainment, ambience and décor style.
Marketing Strategy: Crafting a strategic plan to attract customers, build brand awareness, and establish a strong presence in the market.
Once you've completed these steps, you should compile your concept into a persuasive presentation document or pitch deck, which will serve as a powerful tool , helping you to communicate your ideas effectively, get stakeholder buy-in and launch a wildly successful venue.
Develop a Standout Hospitality Brand with the step-by-step online course to help you plan & document a winning venue vision!
Developing your concept is an absolutely vital step in launching your bar, restaurant or café business, it requires work and time but will help to ensure your venture is successful, sustainable and enjoyable and in such a competitive market you cant afford not to undertake this process and make a thorough job of it. I hope these tips have helped you to get started!