THE TOP 5 LESSONS I LEARNED GOING FROM STREET FOOD TO A BRICKS AND MORTAR SITE.

We’ve all got a vision. The next big step in your career that will hopefully set you on a path of greatness.

Whether you’re; a street food business owner wanting to get out of the weather and into a bricks-and-mortar site, a part-time bartender with an idea for a quirky rum lounge, or even if you have no hospitality experience at all but you dream of building a Korean Taco restaurant, you can take your first steps on your journey with these 5 crucial lessons that I learned when I went from street food to bricks and mortar.

NO 1 - Build your identity

Before you even start thinking about which building to get, first you must create your brand. This means more than just getting a logo made on Canva.

Yes, you’ve got the menu sorted and you’ve got a rough idea about your target audience, but you’ve got to go deeper than that.

Think about your concept as an actual person. Make them come alive in your mind. How do they speak? Who’s in their peer group? What kind of personality do they have?

From this, you’ll be able to feel your brand. You’ll not only know exactly who your customer base will be but also how you speak to them and even what vocabulary you use.?

This will guide everything you now do, from; setting up your website, social posting, PR campaigns, and most importantly…

NO 2 - Finding the right site

So now you know who your brand speaks to and how to speak to them, you’ll get a sense of where to open your site. If you have a fast food concept aimed at students, for instance, there’s no point opening in a low-footfall residential area.?

Speak to neighbouring business owners, talk to your local councilor about future development plans for the area, and take your time to look at a few places.?

Go and sit in the cafe opposite during your expected peak times and see whether there’s enough going on.?

Do your maths and work out what your break-even will be now you know your premises costs and margins. If you think you can smash that target, go for it.

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NO 3 - The time will never be right, just fucking do it.

“Next year, will be the year.”

“I don’t have enough money.”

“How will I support my family?”

These are all common thoughts that will creep in when you start to think about taking the plunge. I know this because I had them all before opening my first restaurant. One thing I can tell you is that there will never be a perfect opportunity to start, you’ll always find an excuse not to do it. But if you are brave and you take steps to mitigate most risks like; finding a banging site, identifying a gap in the market, understanding your break evens, and building your brand, then all the things that hold you back in your mind will become rocket thrusters to drive your business into the stratosphere.?

There’s no better feeling in the world than knowing that your earnings aren’t limited and could literally be whatever you want them to be. You are the architect of your own path to success.

NO 4 - don’t be a slave to no wage

Unless you have investors, in the early days make no mistake cash will be tight. It’s easy at this stage to fall into the trap of working all day every day to save money. I know, I’ve been there.?

Get your hands dirty when you need to but don’t just fill gaps in the rota. Use this time to great effect by learning every single aspect of the business by actually doing it. You don’t need to be the best at each area, but knowing a little bit about each thing will really help in the future.?

You know the old saying “don’t ask anyone to do a job you’re not willing to do yourself”? Well, it gets a lot easier to delegate if you know what the hell you’re doing in the first place.

So during the time spent working IN your business bring value to your business by working ON your business at the same time. As time goes on, you and your team will create efficiencies that start streamlining processes. Use this time to get a head start on that and always remember to write down and share what you discover in an organised structured document, which then becomes your Operational Manual.

Start building your team and as you grow and start looking at ways that you can delegate. It’s a big step going from 1 or 2 helpers in your food truck or gazebo to a whole team of 20+ employees, but you need to learn how to teach, delegate and trust. The effectiveness of your teaching will be a driver to the level of trust you can put in your team to operate without you.

NO 5 - never stop dreaming big

Opening that first site is a dream that always seems both a long way off and just around the corner. You’ve got the concept on lock, maybe you just need a little more bravery to make that first step? But it’s within reach, you CAN do it!?

That life that you’ve always dreamt of is just a couple of tough decisions away, but the one thing that you should never let go of is the vision.?

Shut your eyes.?

Picture the hustle and bustle of your now operational busy restaurant. Smile as you watch a room full of customers enjoy and engage with the idea that clever old you created in your mind. Hold on to that thought and keep dreaming big.