You know the saying – “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” And, ironically, is the meal that gets skipped the most due to lack of time in the morning. Good business practice says to create a solution to a consumer pain point or problem. In this case, opening a breakfast restaurant could be a great way to meet the needs of your community.
You may be wondering how to open a breakfast restaurant. We break down the keys to successfully cracking open the breakfast industry.
Draft Your Business Plan
As with any business, you’ll want to draw up a breakfast shop business plan. This step is vital because it not only allows you to get your thoughts down on paper and see your vision come to fruition, but it will also be presented to potential investors. A thorough plan will ensure you get the funding you need to start your business. Every business plan should answer the following questions:
- What is your business and what product(s) do you provide?
- Who is your target audience?
- When do you anticipate you’ll break even?
- How will you market your business?
- How much money do you need to get your business up and running?
FInd a location
Whether your breakfast restaurant is a drive-thru location or a sit-down diner, you’ll need a good location. A solid restaurant site should be easily accessed from the road and have great visibility. It’ll also need plenty of space for parking (or a long enough drive-thru for multiple cars). You’ll want a location that’s large enough for you to have all the equipment, staff, and tables you’ll need without sinking your profit potential.
You’ll benefit most from the use of a broker to help you find the right location. You might think you’d save money by going it alone because you wouldn’t be paying broker fees, but the reality is you’ll likely pay more. A broker can negotiate better terms including cost. Yes, you’ll pay commission, but the long-term pay-off will most likely be greater.
Create your menu
Next in our “how to open a breakfast restaurant guide” is creating your menu. You’ll want to serve food you know your customer base will like. The advantage that breakfast restaurants have is their food costs are lower than other dayparts. Breakfast food is typically less expensive, which allows for bigger profit margins.
You’ll want your menu to have the breakfast favorites everyone loves while also having some of your own original recipes – satisfying all palates.
Hire staff & Secure equipment
Before your restaurant opens, you’ll need to set up your kitchen and hire your staff. If you buy a location that was previously a restaurant, you may be able to reuse some of the existing equipment to cut costs. Over time, as you bring in money, you’ll be able to make more equipment upgrades.
Your staff will be the first people your customers see when they come into your restaurant. When interviewing candidates, try to hire those who have previous restaurant experience and a personable nature. Make sure your team is enthusiastic and excited to greet and serve your guests!
Advertise your restaurant
Let people know who you are! Be sure to create social media pages for your restaurant location. If you don’t consider yourself a tech-savvy individual, you can always delegate running the pages to a staff member who may enjoy creating content. Post pictures of your restaurant and your food to let potential customers see what you’re all about before they step in to dine. Be sure to post regularly and respond to comments to drive engagement.
In addition to digital marketing tactics, place ads in your local newspapers or even do a direct mail campaign. You’ll want to create a marketing plan that is multi-faceted in order to reach the widest audience. Also, don’t rule out word-of-mouth! As a new business owner, you should be proud of your restaurant. Be sure to tell your friends and family about your new venture and invite them and their friends to visit your location.
Partner with a reputable franchise
When researching how to open a breakfast restaurant, the option of franchising will undoubtedly come up. Scramblers offers an eggs-xcellent franchise opportunity for new or seasoned investors. The investment range for a Scramblers franchise location is between $450,000 to $860,000. Franchise candidates are required to have a net worth of $500,000 along with $150,000 in liquid capital.
Your investment in Scramblers guarantees you access to a proven business model – perfected over the last 30 years – along with direct lines of communication with industry professionals. We are committed to helping our franchise owners capitalize on their investment.
Plus, our franchisees are able to enjoy a better work/life balance. Our locations are open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the first person only has to clock in 30 minutes before the restaurant opens. At Scramblers, franchisees are home for dinner and have more time to spend with family and friends.
Join scramblers, the breakfast industry leader
With locations primarily in the Midwest, we’re excited to continue expanding across the country. If you’re ready to open your own breakfast franchise, fill out the form on our website to get started and one of our representatives will be in touch.