When starting any business, it’s important to have a unique selling point – something that separates you from your competition. The restaurant industry is no different. The food you serve should be excellent, but that’s not all a restaurant is. You’ve also got to have a friendly staff and an exciting theme.
While researching interesting restaurant concepts, you’ll see quite a range. From cat cafes to gratuity-free restaurants, the list of unique restaurant ideas seems almost endless. We’ve gathered some of the top ideas.
FARM TO TABLE
Similar to the push to support local businesses, consumers are also interested in where their food comes from and supporting local farms. Partnering with a farm (or multiple) in your area will not only give you the highest-quality ingredients but is also a unique marketing strategy.
With an ever-changing menu based on what produce is in season, you’ll routinely have new and exciting dishes for your customers to try, enticing them to come back to your restaurant. You’ll also get to flex those creative muscles when brainstorming new menu items.
POP-UP RESTAURANTS
Not ready for a brick-and-mortar? No sweat! Pop-up restaurants are a great way to “try before you buy” with new restaurant concepts. Typically temporary establishments, pop-up restaurants allow entrepreneurs to test the waters before finding a more permanent space.
Whether you’re experimenting with a new menu or determining if a market is the right next step, a pop-up restaurant is the most cost-effective concept.
FOOD TRUCKS
While not necessarily new, food trucks have definitely undergone a modern makeover in the last 15 years and it seems as though they’re here to stay. They’re a great way to test out a new restaurant idea, and they’re less expensive to get rolling than a permanent location. Food trucks can be a stand-alone concept or an add-on to a brick-and-mortar location to expand revenue streams.
If this is your first venture into the restaurant world, a food truck could be a great place to start. In addition to lower overhead costs, a food truck allows you to go wherever your customers are. You’ll also have the ability to change spots during the day to be in more congested areas, and therefore in front of more people.
BYOM: BUILD YOUR OWN MEAL
This unique restaurant idea allows guests to choose exactly what they want from a list of ingredients. From protein and produce to starch and sauce, customers build their own meals exactly how they want. This reduces the risk of incorrect orders because your staff won’t have to remember substitutions or special requests. Food costs also tend to be lower for the same reason. Fewer orders sent back means less food wasted.
This concept can be done in multiple ways. One way is by giving guests a paper list so they can check off what they’d like to have made in the kitchen. Other restaurants have their ingredients in a cafeteria-style line where customers can grab what they want and bring it to a cooking area where the chef makes it right in front of them.
USE ROBOTS
Yes, you read that correctly. Technology is being embraced in the kitchen! A relatively new concept, robots are being used to cook food as opposed to having line cooks. Some restaurants are even looking into the possibility of using drones to deliver orders.
We’d like to clarify by saying that robots are not taking over the world. While the use of robotics can help with labor costs, you will still need to have staff in order to keep things running smoothly. Many restaurants have started to adopt more tech by having ordering kiosks available for customers either when they walk in or at their tables – but the savvy ones have employees standing nearby to help out when technical issues arise.
CRACK OPEN A UNIQUE RESTAURANT IDEA WITH SCRAMBLERS
At Scramblers, we pride ourselves on having a niche concept. Most restaurants try to broaden themselves to serve a wide audience, we did the opposite. In sticking to what we know, we made it a point to be the egg-sperts in the breakfast and lunch space.
We aren’t afraid to step outside the coop, either. During the 2010s, we noticed that our customer base was getting younger – and restless. We introduced our fast-casual concept, “City Egg,” which serves a Scramblers-quality menu with modern selections like quinoa, as well as the classics, and a simplified menu.
We’ve been franchising since 2005 and have locations primarily in the Upper Midwest, but we’re on the verge of rapid expansion to other areas of the country, bringing egg-spertise of the breakfast and lunch market to new owners.
If you’re ready to invest in an interesting restaurant concept like Scramblers, fill out this form.