If you have dreamed of going into business for yourself by starting a pizza shop or restaurant, you may be able to get started sooner than you thought. While one way of getting started is to purchase a franchise of a well-known national chain, this is expensive and you will probably be limited regarding your creativity dealing with menu items and decor.
There are certainly pros in choosing a franchise. These include national ad campaigns, name recognition and support from other owners. The downside is that many people who want to get into the pizza business don't have the hundreds of thousands of dollars required to buy into most of the national chains.
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For them, a mom and pop type of startup may be the way to go. The investment, while still substantial, will be far less than when dealing with a franchise. Also, you will have full control over all aspects of your restaurant or shop including menu, decor and staff policies.
Here are some things you will need to do or to consider before getting started.
Local Ordinances
The very first thing you should do is learn all of the rules and laws regarding operating a restaurant in your location. A trip to city hall is a good place to start as most will have materials available for you to read regarding all of the local ordinances. Remember that before you open you will have to pass a health department inspection, so you've got to know up front what is required.
Location
The location of your restaurant or shop is one of the most important factors relating to the success or failure of your business. Ideally, you should look for a location with a lot of foot traffic that is easily accessible both to people walking by and to people who drive to your location. Being visible from a main street is a huge advantage. Locations near college campuses, military bases or large industrial or office parks are a huge advantage. Of course, these premium locations will come at a higher price, but if you can afford such a location it is worth the investment.
With a pizza business, delivery is huge. If you can't afford a prime location, concentrate most of your advertising dollars pushing your delivery service. If your business is largely delivery, then location will be less important.
Menu
When planning your menu you'll need to make several choices: Do you want to stick to common well-known items, or do you want to include more original fare? Do you want a large menu with lots of choices, or would you rather keep it simple? If you're not sure, then consider starting with a smaller, more basic menu. As you begin to enjoy some success, you can add items to your menu at any time. This is better than having to cut items due to poor sales as you may lose some customers that have grown to like a certain item.
Also, will you be doing most of the cooking, or will your staff? If your staff - which may include teenagers - that may be another reason to keep your start up menu rather basic.
Suppliers
Research suppliers for both good value and reliability. Nothing will kill a business faster than not having food available because of a supplier who didn't come through.
Advertising
Advertising is as important to the success of your business as location and food quality. No one will come to your shop or restaurant if no one knows you are there! There are ways to get the word out that are less expensive than television and newspaper ads. If you can afford it, consider hiring a local ad agency to help you get started. It will be well worth the initial investment.
Of course, there are other areas you'll need to consider including decor, staff and special promotional events. Once you have these items nailed down, you may be truly ready to start your business. Good luck!
Starting a Pizza Business
Enjoy this article? For more pizza and pasta tips and recipes visit our Seattle Pizza Blog [http://seattlepizzablog.com].
Jessica Ackerman is a senior staff writer for Padrinos Pizza and Pasta - one of the best pizza places in Seattle. There are countless options for late night food delivery in Seattle but make sure to order from our pizza - Voted the best pizza in Seattle by Seattle Magazine.
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