Location is one of the most important factors in the success of a restaurant. Parking and accessibility can be just as important as good food and service. There is a saying in real estate circles: "When you buy, you earn". The location of the restaurant has an impact on many aspects of your business, from the menu to the style of the dining room. If you have already chosen a location for yourself, it is not worth getting too used to it until we are sure that the location has features that are in line with our expectations.
It is ideal if the restaurant has its own parking lot. If this is not possible, which often happens in big cities, it makes sense to consider joint renting or buying part of the parking lot from a hotel that has its own parking lot. Quite often, such parking lots are also under the roof. Many famous restaurants are located in hotels, and they have many good reasons for this. Their cooperation pays off, as they attract guests to the hotel, where there is usually a very large number of diverse people.
There's also a good reason why many well-known restaurants are located along highway exits - they're very easily accessible to potential customers. There are many restaurants that do well, even if they don't have the best food and/or service, thanks to their location being close to highway exits or attractions. Nearby e.g. The Eiffel Tower and the Roman Colosseum can thus be found many restaurants with questionable food quality and poor service, but they are always full, as they are frequented by tourists who have visited the sights. They can also afford above-average prices. The vast majority of successful restaurants can be found quickly and easily, often without the help of navigation.
Visibility and accessibility go hand in hand and are extremely important for a restaurant in a new location. People can know that the restaurant is open and can visit it. It is important to inform potential customers through both a physical presence and an online presence. That is why land prices in city centers are higher than land prices in peripheral areas. They offer a level of visibility that attracts people who had no intention of visiting the restaurant but were just passing by. The restaurant must also be advertised in online search engines and social networks, as this strengthens our presence in several different media. In browsers, it is also necessary to register our restaurant in order to be able to describe our offer and prices.
Are there enough potential customers in the area of our restaurant? If we have enough residents in the area, we can acquire regular customers, who are the backbone of bars. To determine this, we can carry out a study of the area, which is usually quite expensive. Most new caterers have very limited budgets and it is very difficult to afford expensive analysis and research. Cheaper alternatives are the creation of diagrams or the help of surrounding institutions or the town hall. It is also possible to explore the surroundings on your own, by walking around and talking to the residents.
