Starting a restaurant is as difficult as getting any other business off the ground. If you don’t have investment, it can be very hard to open a full restaurant on your own. Don’t worry. There are plenty of different ways to get your food out to the world and make some money you can invest in your new restaurant. People like an underdog, especially someone who makes great food. Customers will support a fun location, event, and delicious meals. When you’re trying to get your food to hungry people, below are five ways to get your restaurant started.
Do Pop Ups
One super fun way to get your food out there and create excitement about what you’re doing is to do a pop up. When there is a place, you can set up for a night, take advantage of that opportunity. Get the word out on social media and pass out flyers to the local community. A pop up is a great way to show what you’ve been working on and make some money to save for opening your restaurant. There are plenty of big chefs and restaurants that started with humble beginnings. Pop ups have become very popular. When you can only get your delicious food at one place during certain hours, you will create demand and your business will grow.
Start a Food Truck
Another awesome alternative to a full brick and mortar restaurant is to start a food truck. Food trucks are much more affordable than a full restaurant and they happen to be very popular. It is also a way to get your food to more mouths because you can travel around. You will find better ways to get your food to the people. You can make deals with breweries who host food trucks. You can travel around to different neighborhoods. You can blast your location on social media. Food trucks have become one of the most popular ways to start selling your food to happy customers even if you can’t immediately afford to open a brick-and-mortar location.
Open a Ghost Kitchen
What is a ghost kitchen? This term refers to a kitchen-only establishment that doesn’t have a dining room. Ghost kitchens have become popular, especially in the post-COVID-19 economy. With delivery services and pick-up options expanding, the ghost kitchen has become a popular way for chefs to showcase their food when they don’t have enough resources for a full dining room. This is another way that entrepreneurs can keep money coming in before opening the full-scale restaurant. Whether you’re opening a Philadelphia ghost kitchen or a ghost kitchen in Austin, Texas, any city with a good delivery economy could be just the place to start your food adventure.
Strike a Deal with a Bar
Do you have a bar that you particularly like? Do they need some food options? One option is to strike a deal with the bar and become their on-site food. This is especially pertinent if the bar has a kitchen they aren’t using. Whether you can build a small kitchen, sell cold sandwiches or something else you don’t need to cook, striking a deal with a bar to take care of their food services could be a great way to get your food to the people. Depending on the bar and the situation, you could get off the ground by working with someone else.
Set Up a Stand at Events
Finally, if you can set up a stand and sell a limited menu at an event, it’s a great way to get the word out and make some cash. Do you have a local event that would host you? Even if you’re not familiar with the options for events where a food stand could be successful, you should do some research. Ask around. Don’t take no for an answer. When you want to serve delicious food to the people, don’t give up. Find the right place to get your food out there and make some money while you’re at it.
Whatever your dream, it’s important to start somewhere when it comes to food. If you can’t afford to open a full restaurant, you need to show people what you have in any way possible. As soon as you have some momentum, you will be surprised how quickly the operation grows.