Important Things You Need For A Food Business

Running any type of business can be hard, but a business involving food can bring some complex issues as well as standards. Unless you want to end up on kitchen nightmares being called a donkey in front of your peers, it is important to understand the crucial elements of any good food business. 

From the food to the service – everything needs to run smoothly to ensure happy customers and plenty of profit in your back pocket. 

The best equipment 

The first thing to consider as a good business is investing in the best quality equipment and tools. From a Vulcan oven to an ammonia cascade refrigeration system, you must have everything ready to go and in working order to create the best possible food for your customers. You will have to fork out some serious money for great kitchen equipment, but this is a long term investment and it will save you a lot of money later on in repairs or complaints. 

A brilliant brand 

Branding is key when it comes to a food business and you’ll be making a huge impact on your success by choosing the right brand for your company. Think about the type of food you serve first of all, whether it be Italian or English cuisine, bistro or gourmet. This will help you decide on a name that fits your brand as well as a colour scheme that reflects you as a company. This will help to ensure people know what they are expecting even before you place the food down on their table. Building an experience is key and by building up a great atmosphere you’ll be able to build a loyal following. 

Excellent food 

Food is the key to any restaurant, and when hiring a team for your kitchen you need to pick only the best and most trustworthy people. By choosing a team of talented individuals you will improve the quality of the food you are able to make, and this will have a huge impact on your business as a whole. It is so important for you to build up a menu of amazing items that are perfect in every way. 

Maintainable recipes 

Speaking of building up your menu – make sure when you build your menu you choose recipes that are easy to make and maintain over even the busiest of nights. It is crucial to make foods that will stand the test of time. Here are some simple recipes you can add to your menu that will always be a winner: 

Chilli con carne 

Ingredients: 

• 500g lean beef mince 
• 50g sliced jalapeños 
• 1 red chilli 
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp chilli powder 
• 1 tsp coriander 
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1 white onion 
• 1 tin red kidney beans 
• 1 tin black beans 
• 800g chopped tomatoes 

1. Heat a pan with oil. Chop up an onion and add to the pan, sweat for 8 minutes. 
2. Add beef and cook for 10 minutes. 
3. Add the spices, beans, and chopped chillies and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add chopped tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour. 
5. Serve with rice, sour cream, toasted bread, or tortilla chips. 

Perfect pizza dough 

Pizza dough is so easy to make and you can use it to make pizzas as well as dough balls for anyone who comes to your restaurant. 

Ingredients: 

• 500g strong bread flour 
• 7g fry active yeast 
• 320ml lukewarm water 
• 1 tbsp sugar 
• 1 tbsp salt. 

1. Add water, sugar and yeast into a jug and leave for 15 minutes. The mixture will become fizzy and this means that the yeast is active and ready to help form the best bread. 
2. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix until a dough starts to form. 
3. Turn out on to a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. 
4. Place in an oiled bowl and cover. Leave for 2 hours or until doubled in size. 
5. Knock out the air from the dough and turn out onto your work surface. Split into 3-4 pizzas and roll out into a pizza shape. 
6. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes as you prepare your toppings and preheat the oven to its highest temperature. 
7. When ready, top, and cook for 10 minutes. 

Word of mouth 

One of the most powerful forms of marketing you will get as a small restaurant owner is word of mouth marketing. Word of mouth means that people who visit you will spread the word to their family and friends and may even come back again bringing new people. The best way to encourage word of mouth marketing is to offer people a discount if they refer a friend and they come back again. This will ensure that you get as many new faces in your restaurant as you can and it will help you to solidify your place in the local community. 

Comfortable atmosphere 

Creating a beautiful and cosy atmosphere is the most important thing for you to do as a business owner. Make sure that you decorate your restaurant with warm and inviting colours as well as creating a bright and open space for people to enjoy. You will also be able to create a seating area for those who only want to come in for drinks, and this will create a real relaxing vibe for the restaurant. Put your personal stamp on with some artwork on the walls and think about using booths for those who want to sit together as a larger party. There are many options you can choose for your restaurant and you can always look to others in your neighbourhood to get some inspiration for what you can do. 

Friendly staff 

It is crucial if you are starting a food business that you invest in friendly staff. The staff who work for you will all be customer facing and this means that every single person is representing your company. Only choose people who you genuinely like and get along with because under high pressure conditions it is important that people do not lose their cool and end up stressed.