What many start-up restaurants simply forget that could close them
When you start any restaurant, it’s typical for fear of failure to be at the forefront of your mind. This is a fear which comes alongside any new enterprise. When you’re starting something, after all, you’re piling money into an unknown product. At this stage, you have no idea whether people are going to like your food or not. Still, you have no choice but to invest in a restaurant space and ample ingredients to get you started. Some business owners even have to take out loans and see their dreams crumble under debt.
What you might not consider, though, is that your new business could fail, even if people like what you do. In the food industry, you could have a restaurant filled with people and still face closure. That’s because you need to do more than just perfect your food before you open. You also need to make sure that you’re playing by the rules.
Many start-up restaurants simply forget that there’s more to succeeding here than keeping your finances above the water. If you take your eye off the ball, the following could also see your efforts here down the drain, quite literally.
Not thinking about tax
Anyone who starts a business knows that tax matters. What you might not realize is that you need to think about your tax return from the moment you open your doors. As of April this year, the Making Tax Digital scheme means that you need to prepare finances digitally the moment you start trading. If you just think you can ‘deal with this next year’, you’re in for a horrible surprise. You may even find that the tax man comes around and shuts you down on the spot. The solution is to get an accountant that is good but also knows the industry.
Not getting on top of food hygiene
You’re no fool. You know that food hygiene matters. You keep your prep areas separate and concentrate on things like temperature control. But, did you know that you also need a food safety certificate before you can open? It doesn’t matter how sterile your practices, you face closure without one. That’s because an official inspection is essential before your business is deemed fit. While closure here should be temporary, you’ll struggle to get going again after people hear that food safety shut you down.
Not putting proper plumbing in place
Though you might not realise it, your restaurant plumbing is crucial. Before opening, you need to make sure that all your water sources are clean and fit for use. This is an area of restaurant prep which many entrepreneurs overlook. Again, though, it can see you shut down for safety concerns. I have seen this happen when a new venue hasn't installed adequate facilities to have many issues when they open and suddenly have a large influx of use.
Don’t rush your open date, then. Take time to get professionals in and ensure your business is clean in every sense of the word.
Photo by Benjamin Zanatta on Unsplash
Photo by Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash