Guidelines for Creating a Successful Restaurant

Facilities

Parking

When scouting out a site for your restaurant, be sure to look at the surrounding exterior common areas as well, if any. Convenient and ample parking is essential for making your business accessible to your guests. If you share a parking lot with other businesses, do the hours of those businesses conflict or compliment your hours? Will customers have to walk a long way or use a difficult path to get to your door? If the restaurant is not clearly visible from the parking area, are there directional or informational signs clearly marked to guide them to your entrance?

Is the parking area safe, both during the day and at night? Is there adequate security and lighting? Are handicapped spaces clearly marked and free from obstructions? Make sure all customers can arrive and depart safely and conveniently at all times. Clearly mark any spaces or areas where it may not be clear to customers who are parking to visit your establishment.

Restrooms

Clearly marked restrooms make finding the facilities easy for patrons. If the restrooms are not visible, signs may assist in directing guests.

Clean and sanitary restrooms are extremely important for both patrons and staff, and should provide sufficient and necessary equipment and supplies for proper hygiene. Service personnel should frequently attend to restocking needs, periodic cleaning, and efficient communication when restrooms are in need of attention.

You also want to extend the image of your restaurant through the restrooms. A dirty, dingy, or poorly maintained restroom can destroy the image created throughout the rest of the place. Not only should restrooms be easily accessible, clean and well-stocked, they should be as comfortable and fashionable as the entire restaurant. Restroooms are an essential element (and a legal health requirement) of any restaurant, and should not be neglected in any respect.

"The code of the road is, if there is anything to eat, eat;
if there is a place to sit, sit; if there is a restroom, go."

~ Jessica Savitch

Photos Source: www.morguefile.com

© 2011 Andrew Brent