Come aprire un ristorante

What type of restaurant to open

Once you’ve decided to open a restaurant , it’s best to first have a clear idea of ​​the type of cuisine you’ll offer your customers. There are, as we know, many different types: while some are ” evergreens ” that enjoy widespread success regardless of current trends, others follow current fads .

While a restaurant specializing in, for example, typical local cuisine is a relatively reliable and stable investment over time, the prospects of the latter are somewhat uncertain . Consider, for example, the boom in Japanese, Argentinean, or Mexican restaurants in recent years: after a period of great initial success, these restaurants aren’t guaranteed to maintain a constant level of profit over the years.

A classic example is Chinese restaurants, many of which have been converted to Japanese-style to meet market demands and the sushi trend. Moreover, it’s not essential for an entrepreneur to be of foreign origin to open an ethnic restaurant : the capital and labor organization can be Italian , and the business can also employ foreign chefs and staff who are experts in that country’s cuisine.

If you intend to start a stable and long-lasting business, the best choice is probably to focus on typical local cuisine , which is not declining either in terms of popularity or customer attendance.

Following current culinary trends can be an option for entrepreneurs who want to benefit from time-bound opportunities, thus continually renewing their restaurant offerings according to market trends .

Requirements and permits to open a restaurant

From an administrative and bureaucratic standpoint, anyone intending to open a restaurant must first register with the Chamber of Commerce of the province where they reside. The restaurant manager must also notify the municipality where the business will be located that they meet the necessary requirements set by law (no. 287/91).

These requirements include, specifically, completion of compulsory education, reaching the age of majority, possessing a hotel school diploma or having successfully completed professional courses in food service, having passed the relevant exam at the Chamber of Commerce, or having previously worked as a public employee serving food or beverages.

Alternatively, it is sufficient to have been registered in the REC ( Register of Commercial Operators , kept by the Chamber of Commerce) before 4 July 2006.

The restaurant manager must also obtain a permit to serve food and beverages , including alcoholic beverages, and a health permit issued by the ASL ( Local Health Authority ). Finally, the restaurant must comply with current regulations regarding safety and fire prevention .

New restaurant: focus on quality

Unlike many other commercial activities, restaurants enjoy an additional advantage: they respond to a need , naturally that of food, but above all they are able to satisfy that essential pleasure inherent in our culture represented by good food and the sociality associated with it.

For this reason, even during the recent times of economic and financial crisis, restaurants have generally weathered the impact of the general contraction in consumption without excessive difficulty.

Naturally, this applies only to restaurants that are able to differentiate themselves from others by offering quality food , prepared with selected ingredients and placed in the hands of expert and competent chefs .

Quality is precisely the aspect to focus on in order to run a successful restaurant; this greater sophistication inevitably leads to higher costs , but the most expensive restaurant is not necessarily the best . The ideal solution is undoubtedly to offer the right compromise between the prices charged to customers and the quality of the menu offered. In fact, the average Italian wants to eat well , while also trying to spend a fair amount !

Great care must be taken with the raw materials used, without skimping on price and carefully selecting suppliers. Restaurants offering menus and dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients are currently enjoying great success, so-called ” zero kilometer ” restaurants, highly regarded by both consumers and Slow Food Presidia.

It’s a good idea for restaurants to also serve dishes for people with special dietary needs : for example, a series of vegetarian or gluten-free dishes, or dishes prepared without the use of milk and therefore suitable for those with food allergies or intolerances , could be offered.

To provide quality cuisine, it’s essential to rely on the professionalism of chefs and kitchen staff who are experts in their field; and finding a good chef isn’t always easy, in fact. It’s well known that good food should be paired with good wine , following typical Italian tradition: therefore, the same attention paid to the cuisine should be devoted to the cellar and the choice of wines.

In addition to a selection of the most famous Italian and international wines , it’s advisable to also focus on niche products, perhaps typical of the area. To offer your customers quality wines and suggest the ideal pairings, it’s a good idea to consult with a professional sommelier . In addition to a well-stocked cellar, it’s also a good idea to focus on a good selection of beers ; for example, one option worth considering is to stock up on local breweries to offer customers an alternative to the usual commercial beers (both on tap and on tap).

Precise and attentive service is certainly essential to putting customers at ease and contributing to a restaurant’s good reputation . For this reason, the dining room staff and, in general, all those in contact with customers must be carefully selected, professional , helpful , and courteous .

Restaurant furniture

In our culture, convivial moments take on a significant importance, and when we go to a restaurant, we want to have lunch or dinner in a quiet , welcoming , and relaxing environment . Anyone wishing to open a restaurant must, therefore, keep this implicit customer request in mind when choosing furnishings, furniture, wall paint, and even paintings and other furnishings.

Tables, chairs, and the bar counter can be traditional , like a trattoria, or have a more modern and contemporary feel. The choice depends entirely on the type of restaurant and the owner’s personal tastes; the key is always to make the customer feel comfortable .

For this reason, bright colors should be avoided, both on the walls and in the furnishings, and designs that are too cold, blocky, or eccentric are also not recommended. To make families with children feel more comfortable, it’s a good idea to provide high chairs that attach to the table or even actual high chairs .

The color of the rooms should preferably be pastel shades , in keeping with the furnishings; and the lighting should be particularly carefully chosen to create a welcoming atmosphere.

For example , directional spotlights are excellent . By illuminating individual areas, they allow even large spaces to create the impression of private corners,
similar to booths. A few potted plants, along with tasteful paintings on the walls, complete the overall impression of the restaurant’s interior.

Great care must also be taken when choosing tablecloths , cutlery , and menu graphics . The menu, in particular, must be legible and well-laid out. A very valid option, though not widely practiced in our country, is to include an English translation for each menu item . This should be done by a language graduate (a do-it-yourself approach is absolutely forbidden!), in order to meet the needs of foreign customers , both tourists and locals.

To complete the work, all customer-facing staff must be provided with neat, preferably standardized uniforms .

A common sore point in public places is the availability of restrooms . Often, a venue may have adequately appointed public areas, but seriously lacking in amenities. Therefore, it’s important that these areas be maintained as well as the outdoor areas.

Restrooms should be bright , clean , well-furnished, possibly separated into men’s and women’s restrooms, and constantly stocked with hygiene supplies. If space permits, a folding changing table should also be installed for parents of younger children.

The exterior sign must be clearly visible and legible, clearly displaying the name of the establishment and the type of cuisine offered. Customers generally prefer to drive directly to the restaurant unless it is located in a pedestrian zone. Therefore, there should be ample free parking available near the restaurant . Even better is a private indoor parking lot , available to customers.

Promotion and marketing

Especially when starting a restaurant business, it’s a good idea to effectively advertise your business, preferably through agencies specializing in the sector. Communication is a key factor in encouraging new customers to try a new venue, and should be promoted, for example, through posters in public places, distribution of flyers and brochures , and promotional offers .

Messages on local radio stations or ads in local newspapers are also excellent communication tools . The restaurant must be clearly visible from the outside: a clearly visible sign and road signs indicating its location are therefore essential.

More important than actual promotional campaigns, which can be carried out occasionally even after the restaurant opens, is word of mouth . A customer who has enjoyed a restaurant, in addition to being likely to return, will tend to speak highly of it to their acquaintances, thus increasing interest in the establishment.

It is precisely this network of social relationships that very often determines the failure or success of a restaurant: for this reason, from the very beginning it is good to make the customer feel at ease and leave satisfied .

Restaurant promotion can also be achieved by participating in local tourism fairs or festivals, or by participating in initiatives promoting local food and wine traditions .

Opening an Italian restaurant abroad

Italian cuisine, as we know, is a treasured and sought-after heritage around the world. Therefore, anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of adventure should definitely consider opening an Italian restaurant abroad .

Anyone who has traveled abroad will have noticed the proliferation of pseudo-Italian restaurants around the world: often, these establishments have nothing Italian about them except the sign, a menu written in a poorly written language, and a few tricolor icons here and there. It is precisely in this chaos of the restaurant industry that an Italian entrepreneur can open a restaurant that offers customers a taste of the “true” gastronomic tradition of the Bel Paese.

Here too, focusing on quality is essential: and this can be a problem due to the sourcing of raw materials. Some of them must be imported from Italy, which can significantly impact retail prices.

Quality is , however, the primary objective to focus on, to make a difference, and this attention can be expressed, for example, even in something as small as the menu . This must be translated into the host country’s language by a native speaker, to avoid penalizing the restaurant with a sloppy and incomprehensible menu.

The choice of a foreign city or location should be carefully considered, asking yourself: in which countries is Italian food most appreciated? What are the current tax regimes? What is the existing competition, and what are the typical social and eating habits of that nation?

The situation must obviously be evaluated on a case-by-case basis , but in general, especially in North American, Anglo-Saxon, Eastern European countries, but also in Germany and Scandinavia, the prospects are very good.

In addition to these “classic” destinations, you could also consider opening an Italian restaurant in locations that are popular with mass tourism , as well as with our compatriots (for example, the Red Sea, the Greek Islands, the Canary Islands or the Balearics…) who don’t want to give up the pleasure of good Italian food even while on holiday.

Websites to consult about restaurants

FIPE – Italian Federation of Public Establishments.
A website containing a wealth of useful information related to the restaurant industry, with specific channels dedicated to legislation, conventions, and bureaucratic and administrative procedures.