Opening a foodservice business: what to decide before you start

01

Start from the concept, not the equipment

The most common mistake when opening a foodservice business is taking decisions in the wrong order. Before choosing machines, define who your customers are, when you expect peak traffic, which products form the core of your menu and roughly what an average order will be worth.

Those decisions make the real needs of the business far clearer: the space required, the number of workstations, opening hours, the equipment and how preparation and service will be organised.

02

Space, workflow and infrastructure

Good space planning can significantly affect service speed, especially at peak hours. Map the path from order to hand-off, limit unnecessary staff movement and count how many steps a team member takes per order during the rush.

• Product visibility, especially where the look of a product can drive impulse purchases.
• The ventilation clearance each machine requires, according to the manufacturer's specifications.
• Electrical supply (single or three phase) before choosing machines.
• Access to water, drainage and wash-up areas where required.
• The time needed each day for cleaning and proper care of the equipment.

03

Design a menu the business can actually support

A bigger menu is not necessarily a better menu. A more focused list of products that can be prepared quickly and consistently, sharing ingredients or equipment, can reduce complexity, waste and staff training time.

Categories such as soft serve, granita, frozen yogurt and beverages can work either as core products or as an addition to an existing menu, depending on the concept and the audience: they offer high visibility, fast execution and a consistent result regardless of who is on shift.

The goal is not to add as many products as possible, but as many as you can deliver properly and consistently.

04

Account for seasonality and peak hours

In tourist, seaside and seasonal businesses, a large share of annual turnover can be concentrated in a relatively short period. Equipment choices must therefore consider not only average daily demand but also the requirements of peak hours.

It is equally important to know what support exists when something does not work as it should. Before choosing a supplier, look at service capability, technical guidance, spare-part availability and response time during the season.

Acquiring equipment does not necessarily have to happen through purchase alone. Depending on the supplier and the form of cooperation, options such as professional equipment on loan may be available.

At Plaza, for example, selected equipment can be provided on loan as part of a product supply agreement.