5 signs that you are ready to open your next restaurant outlet

Looking to expand your restaurant business? Many think that opening a second restaurant outlet should be much simpler as it should be similar to opening your first restaurant outlet. Contrary to popular belief, opening your second restaurant outlet is often tougher than the first.

A common challenge is that most restaurants are not properly set up for expansion yet even though business is booming. 

In this article, we share some signs that your restaurant is ready to expand to its next outlet. Alternatively, you could use these pointers to prepare your restaurant for expansion.

5 ways to tell your restaurant is ready for another outlet

1. Your restaurant is financially ready
2. Operations are not full dependant on you
3. Your restaurant has systems and processes in place
4. You are mentally prepared
5. Your restaurant fits the market at your intended location

Your restaurant is financially ready

This is perhaps the most important question to ask about your restaurant. Is your restaurant making profits consistently? Is its earnings able to cover the other restaurant expenses before it breaks even, if so, for how long?

These are the 2 most important questions that you should ask about your restaurant to prevent going into the red.

Operations are not fully dependent on you

Do you find it tough to be away from your restaurant such that when you are away, more operational hiccups start to occur, or worse, profits are reduced? That is a sign that your restaurant is very dependent on you being present.

If your restaurant is highly dependent on you, its performance will start to diminish when you spend more time away at your second restaurant outlet. This is why before proceed to set up your second restaurant outlet, you have to have the right management team. If you would like to know the traits to look out for when hiring a restaurant manager, click here.

Your restaurant has strong systems and processes in place

One of the most important aspects of restaurant growth apart from good financials and management team is having the right systems and processes in place.

Developing standard operating processes or SOPs, adopting digital solutions such as POS systems, self ordering kiosk, QR ordering system and even a Hybrid that combines a POS system and self ordering kiosk into a dual touch screen terminal that is no larger than a regular POS system. helps to take the load off your shoulders when it comes to operation management and even helps reduce the reliance on manpower.

This will play a part in allowing your restaurant to run on autopilot mode without heavily relying on your presence.

You should ensure that these digital solutions and SOPs can be duplicated at your second restaurant. Using different systems at different restaurant outlets will lead to a management nightmare as systems do not talk to one another and data cannot be synchronised. 

On top of that, your staff will have to go through another round of training when they are cross deployed due to the use of different technologies and SOPs.

Your restaurant fits the market of your intended location

Are you a location where the market is predominantly senior citizens but your restaurant serves mostly fried and comfort food? You would probably want to reconsider.

Before deciding on a location for your next outlet, take a look at the type of customers that regularly patronise your restaurant. Then, you would want to carry out a site survey of your shortlisted locations to see if the majority of consumers there are of your target market, before finalising a location for your newest restaurant outlet.

Getting a POS system and digital solutions for your restaurant

As we mentioned above, getting the right SOP and technologies such as a restaurant POS system and digital solutions for your restaurant is important for scaling up.

MEGAPOS restaurant POS system links with your  comes helps you centralise your restaurant’s operations, comes with an online backend that allows you 

If you are interested in a restaurant POS system that integrates with self ordering solutions such as QR ordering, online ordering, self ordering kiosks and also, payment terminals.

It helps you centralise your restaurant operations, comes with online management that allows you access outlet reports, dashboards and update backend settings and POS and self ordering solution’s menus remotely, thus, simplifying your operations. 

Click here for a FREE demo on MEGAPOS Restaurant POS Systems and Self Ordering Solutions(QR Ordering, Self Ordering Kiosks & Online Ordering!