MARTY BOMBENGER….Top Reasons Restaurants Fail
1. Location. I’ve said it over and over again. And I will continue to say until I am blue in the face. Location. Location. Location. A bad location is one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) reason a restaurant fails. Poor visibility, no parking, no foot traffic, or maybe being cursed are just a few of the problems associated with a bad restaurant location.
2. Restaurant Owners Who Don’t Work. Being a restaurant owner means, in most cases, working at the restaurant. Many people open a restaurant thinking they will pay a manager (see number 3, for this potential mistake) to run the front of the house and pay a chef to run the back of the house, while they sit at the bar with their friends and collect a paycheck. Wrong. One of many restaurant myths that I like to debunk. If you want to own a restaurant, but not work in it, then don’t expect to get paid. Restaurants can’t support deadweight very long.
3. Hiring Poor Management. You hire someone who you think will be a great general manager, or kitchen manager, or bar manager, since they have experience and excellent references. Then a few months down the road not only don’t they manage the restaurant, they alienate staff, drink away the profits and/or steal money. Hiring a manager is fine in some cases it is a necessity- but don’t ever trust anyone completely with your money or your business reputation. Remember that no one is going to care about your business the way you do.
4. Not Paying Taxes. Both state and federal taxes come with hefty penalties, fees and other assorted fines when paid late. It can also cause the state or other local government to shut down a restaurant completely if taxes aren’t paid.
5. Bad Customer Service. This is an obvious reason for any restaurant closing. But I still think it is worth repeating. Customer service, along with good food, is integral to staying open. Therefore, do not shy away from getting customer feedback, whether in the form of comment cards or just asking patrons how their meal is. I’ve often heard that for every customer complaint you get, three more are left unsaid. If that is true, then there are a lot of unhappy dining patrons out there who do not bother to say anything. And they do not bother return to restaurant they think have bad service, either.
6. Not Watching Your Cash Flow. Cash is king, no matter what credit card companies would like you to believe. It is vital that restaurants (well, any business for that matter), keep a close eye on their cash flow. Make sure you have enough cash to cover big expenses, like food orders and payroll, every week, along with all the other bills that come with a restaurant. If your checking account starts running into the red, it is time to look for ways to save money at your restaurant.
7. Keeping Payroll Too High. I cringe when I go to a local restaurant (one I used to own, actually) and see the number of staff working on a Sunday evening. The owners (who do not work there often- and are never in the front of the house) have several servers, three or four cooks in the kitchen, and a bartender- all sitting around. They could easily cut a third of the staff and still give good customer service. Another common problem with a high payroll is paying any one employee more than they are worth. Everyone has their price, and I have seen countless unsuspecting restaurant owners pay chefs or general managers way too much money, because they think they have to. Salaries depend largely on where you are located. In quiet ole Western Maine, even someone of Emeril Lagasse caliber will not make more than $50,000 or $60,000 (and that is very generous) as a head chef. Yet, I know of restaurant owners (with way too much money to burn) who have paid Chefs and General Managers well over that amount.
8. Not Advertising. As more and more chain restaurants open across the country, advertising and marketing are both key in establishing a new restaurant’s reputation.
9. Not Understanding Food Cost. Knowing how to properly price your restaurant menu is the first step toward making a profit. Most people know that seafood is more expensive than chicken and beef is more expensive than pork, but beyond that, what do you charge for pasta dishes? Salads? Desserts? The golden rule of 35% food cost will help you keep menu items in line.
10. Spending Too Much Money before Opening Day. Depending on the type of restaurant you plan to open, you may need anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000 or more. Remember that the loan has to last you until opening day. Do not go crazy buying new equipment and furniture. Buy what you need and consider the benefits of used equipment. Avoid putting anyone on payroll until as close to opening day as possible. Be frugal with your opening loan; do not treat it like you just won the lottery.
