Guidance and Flexibility — Two Factors That Help Restaurateurs Succeed

Posted on the 19 December 2013 by Stacie Walker Stacie @staciewalker

Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Traci Des Jardins worked hard to get to where she is today. She owns four successful eateries and trained in France with some of the most respected chefs in the world. Still, it wasn’t easy for her to climb to the top of the food chain.

Des Jardins worked in kitchens that seemed more like locker rooms, and she found it challenging to ask for funding in an industry where male bonding lays the foundation for successful business deals. But she’s now a role model for female restaurateurs, and she and others like her have a lot of tips to help other women who want to be successful in the restaurant business.

Find the right people

Des Jardins was lucky to find a mentor who wanted to help her succeed, and a panel of experts at a recent National Restaurant Association conference said budding entrepreneurs must seek mentors — male or female — who can help them find their way.

The panel also stressed the importance of networking and being a strong advocate for one’s own culinary talent. You can’t wait around with the hope that someone will notice you. Get out, rub elbows and personally invite people to come to your restaurant for dinner. Offer a complimentary cocktail as a way to show thanks, or pick up the tab for dessert. You’ll win over new clients, who will then recommend your restaurant to others.

Be flexible and efficient

Offering a catering service is a great way to earn additional income during the first few years of business, and it can introduce new clients to your cuisine. But it takes a lot of planning, organization and flexibility to run a restaurant while fulfilling catering requests.

You may need to hire one person who oversees all catering tasks. That person should be adept at using normal kitchen downtime to fulfill catering orders and should look for ways to streamline efficiency. For example, if desserts can be prepared the night before, load them onto work carts so they can be the first item loaded into the catering vehicle the following day.

You may wish to limit menu offerings for catering and encourage “family style” meals for large parties. Devote one area to catering storage for items like chafing dishes, serving spoons and tablecloths. Then your catering staff will never have to scramble in search of an important item.

Admit when it’s not working

Sometimes, it’s hard to admit that your own plan or idea isn’t working, but you have to adapt quickly to market fluctuations or changes in customers’ preferences.

Des Jardins responded to a decrease in wine orders by lowering wine prices on the menu. In other cost-cutting measures, she also eliminated live music and laid off some of her kitchen staff, including the pastry chef. But entrepreneurs must be willing to make tough decisions if they want to remain competitive in the restaurant business.