Develop Your Restaurant's Concept First

By Lloyd M. Gordon, President
GEC Consultants, Inc.
Skokie, IL 60076

Reprinted from an article in Food Industry News, November, 1995

It is important to have a dynamite concept if you are planning to open a new restaurant. Whether or not you are an old hand at the restaurant game or a neophyte you must start with a concept. Only if you plan to buy an existing restaurant to continue operating it as is, or if you are planning to operate a franchise can you ignore this most important task.

It is crucial that you have a suitable concept. By concept I mean the over all vision of the menu, what you will serve, your services, how and who will do it, the ambiance of how the facility will look, and what impression it will make on the customers the first time they come in and repeatedly thereafter. Finally, how will you treat your customers and what impression will they carry home of you and your staff? For the restaurant to work effectively its important that all of these elements work together. This vision of working together is what is called the Concept Unification Plan (CUP).

CUP should try to address these issues:

1. The concept be as unique as possible to separate you from the competition.
2. The dining concept is developed directly with the theme in mind and is incorporated into it immediately.
3. It must be easy to recognize and understand.
4. All elements of the system are aimed at customer service, satisfaction and perceived value.
5. The food should be designed to be prepared in a timely manner reflecting the type of service (fast food or leisurely).
6. The food should be presented to the customer promptly and in an appealing manner.

Unless you have made a comprehensive study of design, it is crucial that when this is ready to be presented to the public, the restaurant's appearance and how the food is prepared and delivered should fit together so as to reinforce one another.

It's advisable to have a professional, experienced in creating concepts that work, participate with you at this time in the development of your concept planning. With professional help, what you want and need, can be accomplished in a timely fashion at a minimum cost with little or no loss of momentum.

If you have questions regarding concept development (CUP), I'm only a phone call away.

Mr. Lloyd M. Gordon, President of GEC Consultants, Inc. has an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has concepted more than 390 restaurants and has been consulting for over 44 years. He helps people enter the restaurant industry, points the way to profitability, and helps keep them successful. To discuss "Develop Your Restaurant's Concept First" he can be reached at 847-674-6310.

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