Essential Knowledge Before Opening An Outdoor Restaurant
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, people's longing for natural and comfortable dining environments has become increasingly strong, leading to the emergence of outdoor restaurants. Whether it's a picnic experience in the mountains or a sunset dinner by the seaside, outdoor restaurants always bring surprises and relaxation that are different from traditional restaurants. However, opening an outdoor restaurant is not an easy task. It requires entrepreneurs to have comprehensive planning and execution abilities, as well as a deep understanding of the outdoor environment, in order to lay a solid foundation for successful operation.
1、 Site selection Considerations
Site selection is the lifeblood of outdoor restaurants. Firstly, it is important to pay attention to foot traffic and target customer groups. If it is a fast food style outdoor restaurant targeting young office workers, parks, squares and other areas adjacent to office buildings and commercial centers are ideal choices. Busy office workers can conveniently come to enjoy delicious food and replenish energy after lunch break or work; If targeting the family and parent-child customer group, large communities near parks with amusement facilities can attract customers with their families. They can enjoy the joy of outdoor dining while their children play.
The convenience of transportation cannot be ignored. Being close to bus stops, subway stations, or places with sufficient parking spaces can greatly reduce customers' travel costs, allowing them to avoid worrying about difficult parking and complicated transfers. At the same time, it is important to consider the surrounding competitive situation and avoid clustering in areas where there are already numerous outdoor restaurants of the same type. Unless you have a strong differentiation competitive advantage, you will be caught in a fierce competition for customer sources.
Natural environmental factors are equally crucial. Choose a scenic spot, such as a sea view, mountain view, or a tree lined street, where customers can enjoy delicious food while admiring the natural scenery. With a happy mood, the dining experience is greatly enhanced; But it is also important to pay attention to environmental hazards, such as noise and dust pollution near factory areas, and water accumulation in low-lying areas, which can have a negative impact on restaurant operations.
2、 Weather Response Strategies
Outdoor dining is greatly affected by weather, so a comprehensive weather response strategy is essential. Building stable and beautiful sunshades and canopies is the foundation. In terms of material, sun resistant, waterproof, and durable canvas or new composite materials are selected, which can resist the scorching sun, prevent rainwater leakage, and withstand wind and rain to ensure the safety of diners' meals. In cold seasons, outdoor heating equipment such as gas heaters, electric heaters, etc. should be equipped with a reasonable layout to cover every dining table area with warmth, allowing customers to enjoy their meals even in winter.
It is extremely hot in summer. In addition to shading, a spray cooling system can also be installed to absorb the heat in the air with tiny water mist particles, effectively reducing the surrounding temperature; Meanwhile, prepare sufficient fans to accelerate air circulation. In case of extreme weather such as rainstorm and strong wind, emergency plans should be prepared to communicate with customers in advance, provide indoor standby dining space, or flexibly adjust the business hours to avoid bad weather for customers and reduce restaurant losses.
3. Outdoor Table and Chair Selection
The outdoor environment is a test for outdoor chairs and outdoor tables, which should be sturdy and durable, able to withstand wind, sun, and rain. The combination of woven rope tables and chairs made of aluminum material and waterproof seat cushions is lightweight, easy to move, and rust resistant; Wooden tables and chairs add a natural warmth, but require anti-corrosion and moisture-proof treatment to ensure their service life. The style design of outdoor tables and chairs should conform to ergonomics, ensuring that customers can sit comfortably without getting tired. At the same time, outdoor space layout can be considered, and stacked or spliced tables and chairs can be selected for flexible adjustment and placement to meet the needs of different sizes of dining.
4、 Food Planning
Outdoor restaurant dishes cannot simply copy the indoor restaurant model. Considering that customers prefer a relaxed and convenient dining experience outdoors, snacks, light meals, and barbecue dishes are often popular. For example, exquisite sandwiches and burgers, paired with fresh fruit and vegetable juices, are convenient for customers to hold and eat without the need for complicated utensils; Grilled chicken wings, grilled skewers, and other fragrant barbecues not only satisfy the taste buds, but also create a lively outdoor dining atmosphere.
The freshness and storage requirements of ingredients are higher. Due to the relatively unstable outdoor temperature, it is easy to accelerate the deterioration of ingredients. Professional refrigeration and preservation equipment is required to strictly control the amount of food purchased and ensure that the daily dishes provided are fresh and of high quality. At the same time, it is necessary to combine local food culture and seasonal characteristics, and timely launch seasonal dishes, such as refreshing salads in summer and nourishing hot soups in winter, to attract customers to come and try them frequently.
5、 Marketing Promotion
In the era of information explosion, effective marketing and promotion can quickly make outdoor restaurants stand out. Utilize social media platforms, establish official accounts, regularly post exquisite dish pictures and videos of comfortable outdoor dining scenes to attract fans' attention, initiate online interactive activities such as check-in coupons, food photography competitions, etc., and increase brand exposure.
Collaborate with surrounding merchants to jointly promote. For example, launching a joint discount coupon activity with nearby cinemas and gyms to encourage mutual traffic; Participate in local food festivals and market activities, showcase specialty dishes on site, invite citizens to taste, and accumulate reputation. Distribute flyers offline, post posters in surrounding communities and office buildings, accurately reach the target customer group, let more people know about the existence and characteristics of the restaurant, and attract them to embark on an outdoor culinary journey.
6、 Personnel Training
High quality service can add a lot of points to outdoor restaurants. Recruit enthusiastic and approachable servers and provide systematic training. The training covers dish knowledge, familiarizing them with the ingredients, flavors, and preparation techniques of each dish, in order to provide professional recommendations to customers; Service etiquette training, standardizing words and deeds, welcoming customers with smiles and polite language, and responding to customer needs in a timely manner.
Opening an outdoor restaurant is a challenging and opportunity filled business, from site selection and weather management in the early stages, to preparation of dishes and restaurant furniture, to marketing promotion and personnel training, every link is closely linked. Only by comprehensively considering and carefully preparing, welcoming every diner with delicious and comfortable environment, can we stand out in the fierce market competition and create a popular and sustainable outdoor restaurant brand.
