Want to start your foodie adventure with a takeaway business? No doubt you’ve looked at takeaway for sale ad listings, highlighting the businesses that catch your eye and made your mouth water. Or perhaps you’re considering starting a food business from scratch.
You might be a brilliant cook or have a grand plan for your food establishment, but do you know what it takes to run a successful takeaway business?
We’ll share with you the top 7 ways you can turn your foodie dream into a profitable takeaway shop.
1. Get your prices right
Getting prices right is one of the most challenging aspects of a takeaway business, but key to its success. You want to position your prices so they’re competitive and appealing to the customer, but not too cheap that you out of business within the first year of operating.
Consider the costs of the ingredients, your staff’s wage, packaging costs, the cost of fuel to know exactly how much each meal on your menu costs. You’ll then be able to make an informed decision on the profit percentage you’d like from each sale. You should also keep in mind the cost of your premises, services and equipment.
2. Enhance your customer service
Just because you’re running a takeaway business, doesn’t mean you can neglect or lower your customer service standard. Even if the food is delicious, if a patron has had a negative customer service experience, they won’t be back. There are too many food outlets to skimp on the service.
Put in the time to train your staff and establish ways you can reward your customers for their loyalty.
3. Refine your systems
A successful takeaway and delivery establishment greatly relies on its ability to provide a customer with quality food, quickly. This often comes down to refining your systems.
Analyse what’s working and what’s not. How can you improve the time it takes to receive the order, cook, package and serve or deliver the food to your customers? Remember though, fast is not always better if it means the quality is compromised.
4. Source the best food suppliers
Finding the best suppliers for your takeaway business will reflect on the quality of your food and the bottom line. While some opt to find the cheapest supplier, this is often going to result in inferior produce and inconsistency.
Spend the time to search the market for the right supplier for your business and balance value and quality. Remember, if you’re ordering regularly and develop a good relationship with your suppliers, you’ll have more bargaining power to reduce the price.
5. Refresh your packaging
Packaging is one of the first things your customer sees, so making a good impression will help your business flourish.
Consider the quality of your packaging as well as how your branding is presented on the food items. It doesn’t need to be expensive, just a little more refined than grease proof paper.
6. Widen your delivery zone
If your takeaway business delivers, widening your delivery zone can help you expand your customer base and increase your bottom line. Research nearby areas to see if it would be a viable option for your business.
Will you require a vehicle rather than push bikes? Will the food need to be in a refrigeration or hot box so it still arrives tasting delicious?
Remember to consider also if your business can handle more orders. You don’t want to stretch yourselves and incur longer waiting times.
7. Develop a good marketing strategy
Competition in the food industry is strong. For the success of your business, you’ll want to develop a good marketing strategy that enables you to promote your brand and your product.
If you haven’t already done so, build a website. Get on social media, create newsletters and do some Facebook or Google advertising. Join a third-party service or even build your own ordering app. Promote special offers, give out discounts to loyal customers and show off your food.
