Advice for Opening a New Restaurant in Albuquerque

Like any small business, starting a restaurant involves a ton of hard work, but with proper planning, your restaurant business can thrive. If you are curious to know what the process of starting a restaurant entails, keep reading as we explore five things you can do to help you navigate the process.

1. Apply for business insurance.

When you consider the large cash outlay, low-profit margins, and overall competition involved in the restaurant industry, being a restaurant owner can be one of the toughest ways to be a business owner. These and a host of other challenges make it pertinent for you to invest in the right small business insurance. Like all the types of insurance available to small business owners, business insurance can protect your small business from property damage and help ease the risks inherent to the industry.

2. Rent a self-storage facility.

A self-storage facility is beneficial to restaurant owners as it helps improve business processes by freeing up space. Some factors that affect how beneficial a storage facility will be to your business include the size of your restaurant, its location, and setup.

The best storage facilities provide specialized storage solutions such as temperature-controlled units for restaurants to store surplus perishable inventory. Unlike most home kitchens, commercial kitchens go through their perishable goods in a matter of days, fast enough to prevent the food from going bad. In this way, an offsite storage facility close to the restaurant provides a great storage option.

Storage units provide a great storage solution for holiday-themed and seasonal stock. Business needs change with the seasons and a storage facility can help you make this transition. In warmer months, for instance, you may need to have access to your outdoor restaurant furniture such as outdoor table umbrellas and bases and exchange them for outdoor heater parts in the colder months. Having a storage facility located in a convenient location, say, close to your restaurant for instance can allow you to put away seasonal stock for your preferred inventory.

If you’re wondering how much is a storage unit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, online storage unit finders like US Self Storage can help you figure this out. You can contact them by phone, or visit their website to compare public storage unit prices in Albuquerque, NM. Through their site, you can also rent and reserve a storage unit in your preferred unit size for free. An added advantage of using a self-storage facility located through their website is that their storage units have state of the art amenities like climate-controlled units with security cameras, a facility manager, 24-hour access—to mention a few.

3. Create a meal concept.

The food and drinks menu is the core of your restaurant and what will allow you to carve a niche for yourself in the competitive foodservice industry. Knowing this, the size of your commercial kitchen will directly affect the food and drink offerings you choose to include in your menu. In some cases, a small kitchen could mean that you will have limited options to offer, and vice versa. This should however not be a deterrent as with the right restaurant equipment and an ingredient selection that can be crossed utilized, you can make the most of your kitchen space.

4. Invest in commercial restaurant equipment.

With your restaurant menu acting as a guide, you can now order your restaurant equipment. As you consider what appliances to include in your kitchen, look at the maintenance required. Ask the vendor how often you will need to have it serviced, and if they provide this service as well. Also, consider how often you will need to clean the equipment. Countertops and dishes will need regular cleaning, while some commercial cooking equipment can go weeks before the next cleaning session.

The material used in building foodservice equipment also determines the longevity and usability of the equipment. Common commercial restaurant equipment is made from galvanized steel, wood, aluminum, and stainless steel.

• Stainless steel: Despite being expensive, its resistance to stains, discoloration, and corrosion makes it the most preferred material for kitchen appliances and restaurant equipment.
• Galvanized steel: This is steel that has a zinc coating. Avoid using this in areas exposed to moisture because when it gets wet, the zin coating chips, resulting in rust.
• Aluminum: This a perfect choice for commercial cooking equipment as it reflects light and heat, and is rust-resistant.
• Wood: Although this is another affordable choice, consider using this in areas that have minimal exposure to moisture as this material absorbs a ton of moisture. Areas with minimal food and drink traffic like the customer service or reception area for instance could benefit from laminated wooden counters.

Customer service is a big deal in the restaurant industry, and one way to show hospitality is by offering beverages to your patrons. Knowing this, consider purchasing either a water cooler or water dispenser (hot water, cold water, or room temperature) as this will help you score points with your guests and maybe even earn you a great review on Yelp. Small touches like adding a coffee maker in the lounge area, or having customized and branded water bottles can also be a great way to accommodate your guests.

With the million other things you need to do to get your new restaurant on its feet, shopping for restaurant equipment for your new business can feel like an added workload. Noting this, the customer service team at Go! Foodservice is ready to partner with you and help you find the best equipment for your restaurant. If you are unable to pay the full amount immediately, they have a third-party financing option that can help you make the payments at a pace that feels comfortable to you.

5. Purchase a security system.

Fisheye security cameras are preferred by most restaurant owners due to their wide-angle-lens which allows them to capture large areas. They are also particularly helpful in reducing hard-to-see blind spot areas, meaning that you do not have to install multiple surveillance cameras.

Key features to look out for in a fisheye security camera.

• Resolution: Since a fisheye security camera can create wide and panoramic images, ensuring that it is in the highest resolution possible will significantly increase the quality and clarity of the images captured.
• Flexible viewing angles: Consider 270° fisheye cameras as these allow you to capture wider panoramic views. This will increase your scope of reference as this camera covers a large area.
• Weatherproof: Due to their ability to provide panoramic images, and capture wide-viewing angles, they are preferred for outside security. To be on the safe side, the experts at Verkada suggest that you opt for a camera that has an IP67 OR IP66 waterproof rating. Modern vendors also stock fisheye cameras that have an in-built climate control setting which allows the camera to remain operational even in harsh weather.
• Night vision: Regardless of where you place your fisheye camera (outdoors or indoors), make sure your fisheye has in-built settings that allow it to capture images in the dimly-lit, poorly-lit, and dark sections of your restaurant.

A security system, especially security cameras not only helps you prevent theft, but it also helps you track employee performance.