If you're thinking about starting a business in the away-from-home dining sector, a self-service restaurant could be a good deal! They're very successful because they're an affordable, practical, and healthy option for everyday meals.
To understand the advantages and check out some tips, keep reading this article!
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What is self-service?
Self-service is an English term that means serving yourself. It refers to establishments where customers serve themselves, without depending on a waiter.
In a self-service restaurant, the food is laid out on a buffet accessible to customers. Desta forma, eles podem montar o próprio prato escolhendo entre uma variedade de opções. Um buffet tradicional costuma ser composto por:
- Salads, seasonings, and sauces
- Meats
- Rice and beans
- Pasta
- Extras like fritters and french fries
- Desserts
- drinks
After serving themselves, customers head to the register to make the payment. There are restaurants that charge by the weight of the plate, known as “pay-by-weight buffets”, and others that charge a fixed price for unlimited servings, called “all-you-can-eat buffets”.
Self-service became popular at establishments that operate during lunch hours. The idea is to meet the demand of people who want to have a full and health-focused approach meal away from home, at an affordable price and without having to wait for the order to be prepared.
It worked so well that other business models started adopting the same system. While at first pay-by-weight or all-you-can-eat buffets tended to serve simple meals, today there are options for every taste, including more sophisticated and expensive ones.
Besides, there are also restaurants with different concepts and cuisines that operate under this same system. It's common, for example, to find sushi or pasta self-service.
In other words: there are many possibilities for self-service restaurants and the advantages are plenty. We'll see more about this next, keep following along!
What are the advantages of this restaurant model?
It's no wonder self-service is so popular. This system has a number of advantages both for customers — who can have a quick meal with autonomy, convenience, and low cost — and for the owner.
Below, we've listed the main advantages of opening a self-service restaurant.
A broader audience
One of the characteristics of self-service buffets is the variety of options. The menu is quite varied, it can change each day of the week, and customers are free to put together their meal however they want.
That's why this type of restaurant caters to the preferences and needs of a broader audience. It's different from an à la carte, where there are more limited options that are usually geared toward a specific cuisine.
Greater capacity and table turnover
Since customers serve themselves straight onto their plate, there's no need to serve from different platters. So the dining room tables can be smaller, increasing the restaurant's seating capacity.
Besides, since they don't have to wait for orders to be prepared, customers eat faster and table turnover is higher.
In other words: you can serve more customers and earn more.
Simpler operation and a smaller team
The operation also tends to be simpler than in other restaurant models, both for food preparation and for service.
There's no need to prepare each customer's order separately, as happens with à la carte, which makes the work in the kitchen much simpler. Production follows the planned menu and the expected demand, with refills whenever necessary.
Since customers serve themselves, the service team can be smaller, with just a few waiters to clear the plates, clean the tables, and serve the drinks.
This way, self-service manages to have lower costs and good profitability.
7 tips for building a successful self-service restaurant
In addition to completing all the steps to open a restaurant — such as analyzing the market and the competition, creating a business plan, handling all the paperwork, thinking about the layout and equipment, among others. —, you also need to consider the specifics of self service. Check out some tips below!
1 – Location
Choosing a good location for your establishment is essential, but in the case of a self-service restaurant it's even more important.
Find a busy area, with lots of companies and shops nearby, since these places have more people who need a quick, convenient meal.
Also, check whether the spot is clearly visible and whether there are other restaurants of the same style nearby.
2 – Target audience
Understanding your target audience's profile is very essential to defining the concept of your self-service restaurant.
As we saw earlier, a pay-by-weight buffet can either offer simple, home-style food at an affordable price, or go for a more elaborate menu with higher prices. That will depend on your customers' needs and expectations.
3 – Menu
Variety is the word that defines a self-service menu. A pay-by-weight buffet should offer several options of salads, meats, sides, and extras.
It's also important to make changes throughout the week, since customers often come to the restaurant daily. Having a themed day, serving a specific type of cuisine, can be an attractive differentiator.
Besides, it's always worth including options that cater to different eating habits and dietary restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, lactose-free, gluten-free).
4 – Food safety and hygiene
In a pay-by-weight buffet you need to pay special attention to Food safety and hygiene, since the food is left out in the open and accessible to customers.
Besides ensuring everyone's health, this can also affect the perception of value and quality. A lack of organization and hygiene can damage your restaurant's credibility.
Follow health regulations to the letter, make sure the buffet is always clean, keep hand sanitizer and gloves available for customers, be careful with the cutlery and napkins, among other precautions.
5 – POS System
Self-service restaurants usually have peak hours, when traffic and turnover are at their highest. That's why having a fast POS system is essential to avoid long lines to weigh and pay.
Choose a system with scale integration that's stable and reliable, like EPOC POS. With it, the cashier can record every sale in a few clicks and charge customers quickly.
6 – Marketing
Good marketing is essential for the success of any business. In the case of a self-service restaurant, some actions you can invest in are:
- Create a Google Business Profile to be found on the search engine and Maps
- Promote the menu of the day on social media
- Send the menu of the day to customers via WhatsApp
- Hand out flyers at nearby companies and shops
- Have a sign in front of the establishment with the day's highlights
7 – Building loyalty
Keeping your clientele loyal is the secret to your business thriving. Create a loyalty program with discounts and perks for people who visit your establishment frequently.
Sending communications via WhatsApp to registered customers, letting them know the menu of the day, is an excellent strategy for maintaining a good relationship. Partnering with nearby companies, with special discounts, is also a good idea.
Finally, you can offer freebies like a chocolate or a complimentary dessert on special occasions. Sometimes small gestures show how much you value your customer and contribute to a better experience and greater loyalty.
Count on EPOC to grow your self-service restaurant
As we've seen, opening a self-service restaurant has several advantages and, by following the tips we've listed in this article, you can be very successful in your venture.
If you want an efficient operation and hassle-free management, discover EPOC!
Our platform has everything you need for your restaurant to grow: a fast POS, an administrative back office, a digital menu, and many other solutions. Fale com nossos consultores to find out how we can help.
