The Pros and Cons of a Pop-Up Restaurant
Pop-up restaurants are getting more and more popular and we are finding them popping up all over. Restaurants, both new and existing established concepts, have been hopping on the pop-up trend. And with there being plenty of benefits of doing so and could make sense to look into doing one for yourself. The growth of the pop-up has been huge, which shows that it is something that is going to be sticking around for a while. Customers love them, as well as doing good things for business, so what's not to love...
Of course, there can be a lot of organising,
to get a pop-up restaurant to succeed. But when done well, it can do great things for your business. Here are just some of the pros and cons, to see if it is something that you would consider doing.
Relatively Inexpensive
Whether you are an established restaurant that wants to launch something new or trial a new concept or if you are a new restaurant, it is a great way to get your name out there. It is short-term, so can be very cost-effective in terms of hiring the space to use, and it can be quick service or specific service, if it is just to showcase one thing, for instance. Some pop-ups are just run as supper clubs or even as a one-off night or over a few days in an existing restaurant/space as a special event.
Quick
If you are a new business or an existing one that wants to try something new, then other than the planning behind the scenes, the execution of the pop-up can be quick and efficient. You could get people in like exhibition stand builders to put together the look of the space, as well as just order in what you will need for each day; when it is gone, it is gone. It can be quick to do and to put together so it can be worth doing when you just want to launch or get something new out there, rather than wait for your official brick and mortar store.
Heavy PR and Social Media Reliance
On the flip side of things, pop-ups do rely quite heavily on PR and social media in order to get your name out there or advertise the fact that there will be a pop-up. So if you don’t have a great following, then you might need to recruit the help of influencers local to where it is being held, to help. If you approach an existing restaurant that matches your target clientele you could utilise their database to promote your pop-up. This can be a win for both you and the restaurant you are partnering with.
Staff Costs
Renting a shop front for a day or so can be pretty inexpensive. But really, the costs that are associated with a pop-up come from the staff that you need to run the place. The chances are that they will be working long hours so you will need to pay well or have lots of staff coming and going in order to give customers a great experience.
Pop-ups are fun but they do need hard work. It is best to see them as a promotional thing for your restaurant, rather than a huge moneymaker, as it will be hard to predict how well it is going to do. The marketing, as well as your chosen location, really are key.
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