Hotpot is one of the most easily replicated models in Chinese cuisine. With the continuous innovation of the catering industry, the hotpot industry has been expanding in recent years. In some cities, there are examples of five new hotpot restaurants opening on one street within half a year. Seeing that the hotpot industry is booming, this issue of Hotpot Factory has compiled a guide to opening a hotpot restaurant for everyone to refer to for those who are about to enter the catering industry.
1. Psychological preparation before opening a store
Be prepared to endure long-term hardships. Many people who want to open a store only see the benefits of “good cash flow and ideal returns”, but ignore the difficult side of this industry.
2. Be prepared for marketing
Some hotpot entrepreneurs open hotpot restaurants with the idea that “I have many friends, and my friends and I eat out a lot every year”. In fact, the catering industry is a real marketing industry. Relationships can only add icing on the cake, but not help in times of need. How to position your hotpot restaurant and how to market it based on the positioning and advantages are the issues you should think about most .
3. Prepare infrastructure
Fire safety and food hygiene in the catering industry are prerequisites for opening a restaurant . Firefighting work must not be sloppy, and you must be careful when using fire, electricity, and oil in the kitchen. Once an accident occurs, not only will you suffer economic losses, but you will also be held criminally liable. If you do not pay attention to food hygiene and cause a mass incident of food safety, the company will also suffer a devastating disaster.
4. Funding preparation before opening a store
In the bustling first-tier cities, the traditional catering industry must have certain scale advantages to gain a foothold in the market. Especially in the hot field of hot pot, the competition is becoming increasingly fierce, and the scale of single stores is also expanding, which makes the living space of small hot pot restaurants increasingly squeezed. Therefore, in order to stand out in this market environment, it is necessary not only to provide high-quality dishes and services, but also to have sufficient scale and financial support.
For a hot pot restaurant with an area of 200-400 square meters and 15-35 tables, its start-up capital requirement is about 100,000 yuan or more . Among them, rent is the largest expense, and at least 7 months of rent needs to be prepared, including half a year’s rent and a deposit equivalent to one month’s rent. In addition, decoration, facilities and equipment purchase, employee recruitment and training, and early advertising and publicity are also essential. These expenses added up to a considerable amount.
5. Store selection
Site selection is crucial to the success of hot pot restaurants. A good storefront can make the success rate of hot pot restaurants soar by more than 50%. However, the site selection process is not easy. It requires a lot of time and effort. Mature business districts have long been occupied by many businesses, and new business districts need time to cultivate.
Ideal business districts usually have some obvious characteristics. First, the number of permanent residents and floating populations must be considerable to ensure a stable flow of customers. Secondly, the density of the catering industry is also an important indicator, which means that there is a strong demand for food in the area. In addition, sufficient parking spaces are also an indispensable condition. If the parking conditions are not ideal, such a location should be resolutely abandoned.
In addition to these hardware conditions, the quality of advertising space and door head image also directly affects the exposure and attractiveness of the store. At the same time, the internal structure of the house is also crucial. Too many columns will bring great obstacles to decoration and layout, which in turn affects the effective operating area. In addition, the store’s floor height is also a factor that needs to be considered. Generally speaking, the floor height should be above 2.8 meters to ensure the comfort and utilization of the space.
When choosing a business district, not only the hardware facilities of the store should be considered, but also the surrounding customer sources should be deeply analyzed. This includes understanding the distribution of customer sources within 2 kilometers, income and consumption habits. These factors will directly affect the market positioning and business strategy of the store.
After the intentional selection of the business district, the subsequent investigation work should not be underestimated. It takes at least one month to observe the flow of people and vehicles at noon and at night to assess the busyness of the area. At the same time, it is also necessary to observe whether the surrounding buildings have air conditioning, the amount of domestic garbage, and the lighting at night. These details can reflect the living conditions and consumption levels of residents in the area.
During the investigation process, the analysis of competitors is also an indispensable part. It is necessary to understand the brand scale, decoration style, food quality, per capita consumption, management and service level of the surrounding catering companies. By carefully observing the operating conditions of these catering companies at different times, you can better understand the market demand and competitive situation. In order to get a deeper understanding of the opponent, sometimes you need to visit their stores many times.
6. Decoration of hot pot restaurant
Environment, this seemingly invisible existence, is always influencing our mood, and then changing the taste of food at a subtle level. Hot pot, a cooking method that brings together the essence of Chinese cuisine, is naturally impeccable in the pursuit of taste, but if the influence of the environment is ignored, its integrity and appeal may be greatly reduced. In the past, those popular hot pot restaurants with an average price of less than US$ 40 per person, although the taste was mellow, often discounted the experience of diners due to the simplicity and dullness of the environment.
Decoration is undoubtedly a “bottomless pit” involving depth, but for popular hot pot restaurants, how to create unique highlights within a limited budget is a science. The creation of the environment is not only the decoration of the appearance, but also the inheritance of culture and the projection of emotions. A well-decorated hot pot restaurant can often give customers more emotional sustenance and cultural experience.
Walking into such a hot pot restaurant, you will feel a unique atmosphere. The design of the store is fashionable and warm, and the use of modern materials such as metal and glass makes the entire space look spacious and bright. The details reflect the ingenuity of the designer. The stools may be carefully selected from IKEA supermarket, which are affordable but comfortable to sit on; or customized colorful sofas, creating a fashionable and casual hot pot bar atmosphere. This bright color and transparent space will undoubtedly brighten the mood of customers.
For hot pot restaurant operators, there are some tips to pay attention to during the decoration process. For example, when renting a store, negotiate with the landlord for a rent-free period during the decoration period, which can not only reduce financial pressure, but also ensure that the progress of the decoration is not restricted by the lease period. In addition, the clothing of the hot pot restaurant staff is also an important factor in creating the overall atmosphere. Clothing that is coordinated with the decoration style will undoubtedly enhance the customer’s dining experience.
For operation, the decoration should be integrated inside and outside. The atmosphere and layout of the business area and the scientific distribution of the back kitchen are also very important. A reasonable layout can solve the problems of staff efficiency and product standards for later operations. Therefore, you must find a designer with catering experience to plan the layout.
7. Recruitment and Training of Employees
The catering industry is a well-known labor-intensive field. Recruitment is particularly difficult. In addition, the uneven skills of employees make hot pot restaurants with an area of 200 to 400 square meters face considerable challenges in human resource allocation. In order to ensure the smooth operation of daily operations, hot pot restaurants usually need to prepare more than 10 employees . However, due to time constraints, decoration and personnel recruitment and training must be carried out simultaneously, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of management.
In the recruitment process, the first task is to select management personnel, including store managers, front office managers, supervisors, chefs, finance, warehouse management, procurement and other key positions. Their selection cannot be hastily decided based on a resume or an interview. In order to ensure that the recruited personnel are both capable and dedicated, we need to conduct field visits to their past workplaces to fully understand their work performance and actual capabilities. After all, some people may be good at speaking but lack practical operational skills, while some people, although not good at speaking, can silently dedicate themselves and prove their value with practical actions.
8. Procurement
First of all, after the hot pot restaurant is in normal business, various wastes such as sewage, waste cardboard, wine bottles, bottle caps, etc., although seemingly insignificant, are actually resources that can be exchanged for money. Through reasonable waste recycling and treatment, hot pot restaurants can not only reduce environmental pollution, but also obtain additional economic benefits.
However, on the other hand, this sentence also warns us that in each link of the kitchen, if there is a little waste, or a little negligence in the procurement link, it may lead to the phenomenon that the boss of a hot pot restaurant that seems to be well run cannot make money. Therefore, procurement, as an important link in catering management, must be highly valued.
Different raw materials have different qualities, which will have a lot of impact on product production. The boss cannot simply rely on the opinions of customers or staff to modify, but must do sufficient research and analysis and then gradually solve the problem.
In the early stage of opening, it is very necessary for the boss to personally participate in procurement. There are four benefits to doing this: first, by personally understanding various products, the boss can more accurately grasp the market demand and product quality; second, by personally understanding the conditions of various markets, the boss can more flexibly adjust the procurement strategy and reduce costs; third, by personally finding out the price, the boss can more effectively control costs and improve profitability; finally, by personally learning to identify the quality of products, the boss can more confidently respond to various market changes and maintain the competitiveness of the hot pot restaurant.
In recent years, due to the alarming increase in raw material prices, as operators, we must always pay attention to market conditions to find out price changes. At the same time, we must also care about the yield rate of raw materials. For example, the quality of enoki mushrooms of the same price and weight will be different due to different manufacturers, which directly affects the number of servings that can be produced and served. In addition, the yield rate of the same product in different hot pot restaurants will also be different. Therefore, as operators, we must continue to learn and explore, reduce costs and improve profitability by increasing the yield rate. Only in this way can we be invincible in the fierce market competition.
9. Hotpot Pricing
The catering industry, once known as a highly profitable industry, has now entered the era of micro-profits. With the changes in the market and the intensification of competition, this industry is experiencing unprecedented challenges. In the past year, the hot pot market in first-tier cities has felt this cold wave even more. The cost of hot pot dishes has soared by 30%, and the price of raw materials has also been rising. In particular, the prices of dried chili and dried pepper, the main raw materials for hot pot base, have doubled and 30% respectively, and the price of cooking oil has continued to rise. However, in the face of such cost pressure, hot pot companies dare not raise prices easily, fearing that they will lose valuable customers, resulting in a significant reduction in gross profit.
In addition to the increase in food costs, the rise in rent, employee wages, and water, electricity and gas prices have also brought considerable pressure to hot pot companies. As housing prices continue to rise, rents have also soared, which has further increased the operating costs of companies. At the same time, the increase in wages of service industry employees has also caused the labor costs of companies to continue to rise. Coupled with the rise in water, electricity and gas prices, the profit margins of companies have been further compressed.
Against this background, the pricing of dishes has become a very sensitive issue. If the price is too high, although most guests may not complain directly, dissatisfaction will quietly grow in their hearts. Once this dissatisfaction accumulates to a certain extent, many guests will choose not to patronize. Therefore, how to reasonably control costs and formulate competitive prices while ensuring the quality and taste of dishes has become an urgent problem for hot pot companies to solve.
In order to solve this problem, some hot pot companies have begun to try new methods. They formed a dish evaluation team composed of people from all walks of life. The members of this team include taxi drivers, factory workers, housewives, company white-collar workers, private enterprise bosses, government officials and famous gourmets. These members have full right to make suggestions on the portion and price of dishes, and their opinions and suggestions will directly affect the promotion and pricing of new dishes. In this way, companies can more accurately grasp market demand and consumer psychology, so as to formulate a more reasonable dish pricing strategy. This not only helps to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, but also helps to safeguard the interests of consumers and achieve a win-win situation.
10. Cost Control and Energy Saving and Consumption Reduction
Dear friends, especially those who are planning to enter the hot pot industry and open a single store, I want to remind you that every step on the road to pursuing your dreams must be taken carefully. The operating cost of a hot pot restaurant is a link that needs to be closely watched. Rent, water, electricity and gas fees, employee wages, taxes, miscellaneous expenses, and advertising expenses are all not small expenses.
In the face of these expenses, we must learn to be thrifty and spend every penny on the right things. In terms of rent, site selection is the key. We must find a location that is both in line with the brand positioning and relatively economical. In terms of water, electricity and gas fees, we must always pay attention to the possibility of energy saving and consumption reduction, such as setting the air conditioning temperature reasonably and turning off unnecessary lights and electrical equipment in time. In terms of employee wages, in addition to reasonable salary setting, we must also pay attention to employee training and management to improve work efficiency.
In terms of taxes and miscellaneous expenses, we must achieve reasonable tax avoidance, while optimizing various links such as procurement, transportation, transportation, and maintenance to reduce unnecessary waste. In terms of advertising, we need to communicate deeply with senior food journalists to develop a creative and economical publicity plan, choose the right media and price, and ensure that every penny is used to the maximum effect.
Remember, opening a hot pot restaurant is not just about making money, but also about building a brand that satisfies customers, makes employees proud, and makes you proud. Therefore, we must start with every detail and be thrifty in order to be invincible in the fierce market competition.
11. Reference for the flow-through design of hot pot restaurant kitchen products
In the world of hot pot, we can bring a brand new visual and taste feast to our guests by learning from the transparent concept of Western cuisine. The spacious open product display cabinet is like a charming stage, which makes the kitchen no longer hidden behind the scenes, but becomes the focus of attention. Here, each hot pot ingredient is carefully presented like a work of art. Enoki mushrooms, lettuce, seafood and other ingredients are served on a plate with pictures and texts, as if telling their stories.
When the outside waiters take out these delicious dishes according to the order, it not only saves the special runners, but also reduces the labor cost of the kitchen, achieving a double improvement in efficiency and quality. The stainless steel sliding rod next to the display cabinet is cleverly designed, making it easy to pass the dishes, which not only reduces the labor intensity but also improves work efficiency.
The connection between the various areas of the kitchen is also exquisite, with the operation area, cold storage, freezer, material display area, insulation area, dim sum steaming area, etc., forming an efficient and orderly production line. The operating staff can flexibly adjust the food supply according to the sales situation to ensure that every dish is freshly baked to meet the taste buds of the guests.
The clever combination of the dishwashing area and the rough processing area makes the best use of the space, avoiding conflicts during peak working hours and ensuring the cleanliness and hygiene of the ingredients. In addition, the restaurant’s unique self-service area for sauces and beverages allows guests to freely choose according to their preferences, greatly enhancing the dining experience. In such a dining environment, you can not only eat happily, but also feel the relaxed and free atmosphere, which is exactly the style that young people love today.
12. Opening
Preparation for opening a business should start from the following three aspects:
After the decoration and training are successfully completed, the next step is the preliminary preparation for the opening. In order to ensure that everything goes smoothly, it is crucial to choose an auspicious day for opening, especially on weekends, which can attract a large number of people. In order to create a strong opening atmosphere and attract more customers, inflatable arches, air columns, colored balls and congratulatory flower baskets will be carefully arranged outside the store. If conditions permit, we will even build a stage and invite professional singing and dancing teams to perform, bringing customers a visual and auditory feast. It is necessary to remind you that since these arrangements may occupy public roads, we must go to the urban management department in advance to handle the procedures and register for filing to avoid any unnecessary trouble on the opening day. During the opening period, formulating preferential measures is also an important means to attract customers. Many hot pot restaurants will choose to implement a 6.8% discount at the opening, but we must realize that discounts are a double-edged sword. Although it can attract a large number of people in the short term, customers may quickly lose customers after the discount period. Therefore, we can consider adopting the method of sending 50 yuan for every 100 yuan spent, which can not only bring customers a greater sense of discount, but also attract more repeat customers. Even after the coupon giveaway is over, our store is still able to maintain a high popularity. In order to further expand the influence of the opening, we also need to prepare about 50,000 yuan for advertising in newspapers, television or radio and other media. In the first few days of the opening, we will use advertising to let more people know about our store and attract them to come and taste it. Through such a publicity strategy, we hope to attract a large number of customers at the beginning of the opening and lay a solid foundation for the future development of the store.
If you have any questions about this detailed guide to opening a hot pot restaurant, please feel free to communicate with us. We are a hot pot base supplier from China. We also run our own hot pot restaurant in Chengdu. We have rich experience in hot pot products. You are welcome to communicate with us.A sıcak tencere tedarikçisi from China.
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Nasıl kullanılır: Tüm malzemeleri 2,9 kilo suyun içine koyup kaynatın ve Çin usulü güveç restoranının lezzetini yaşayın.
Bu sıcak tencere baharatının ambalajı ve ürün biçimi, sıcak tencere restoranlarında kullanıma çok uygundur. Bildiğimiz kadarıyla, dünyadaki sıcak tencere restoranlarının büyük çoğunluğu bu ürün biçimini tercih ediyor. Biz bir sıcak tencere taban malzemesi fabrikasıyız. 30'dan fazla farklı lezzet ve formda sıcak tencere sunuyoruz ve küresel toptan satış sağlıyoruz. Profesyonel bir sıcak tencere taban malzemesi tedarikçisi olarak, ürünlerimiz ayrıca özelleştirmeyi de destekliyor. Dünya çapında sıcak tencere restoranları işleten arkadaşlarımızı bize danışmaya davet ediyoruz.
If you have any special ideas about running a hot pot restaurant, need wholesale hot pot base seasonings or other requirements, please feel free to communicate with us.
