Mexican Restaurant & Take Away Business - Where Would I Start

[pumpjack]

ive been tinkering with this idea for some time, dreaming actually. ive never run a business before , any ideas what would be usefull info for me, where to start etc

maybe i should post this in business section ?

cheers

[Old_Geezer]

Start with a course in business management, then put a business idea together to get the bank to loan you money, and hire the best Mexican chef you can get, and good friendly intelligent experienced waiting staff. Market extensively.

[Zacs-Master]

You should start with market research, funding possibilities, a business proposal with projected figures (presuming you’ll need a business loan) and lots of enthusiasm, together with a realisation that at least 20% of restaurants fail within the first year and the high street is a tough place to be at the moment, as an eatery.
You should consider approaching Just Eat for your takeaway side of the business.

[douglas9401]

I'd be asking myself why there are relatively few Mexican outlets compared to others and going back to the drawing board.

[Zacs-Master]

Well, yes, you should factor in the design of the place and fit out costs.

[jackthehat]

Why Mexican?

[pastafreak]

This may be of interest...

https://www.statista.com/statistics/482890/ethnic-food-consumption-great-britain/

[Spungle]

A good place to start would be to look at Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Disasters on Youtube and see how many would-be restaurateurs fail and why- it's very enlightening and would certainly challenge anyone thinking of going into the restaurant industry. So many ventures fail because of poor local research (what is actually needed in my area, who are my customers going to be, what can they get elsewhere for the same price, is there enough need in the area), lack of passion (do you have the stamina, energy, determination and guts to give it 100 per cent every day, however you feel?), leadership ability (do you know how to lead a team of staff, retain staff, inspire them and handle difficult situations), have you got capital (ie a financial plan in place that has been honestly and thoroughly costed and thought through with a financial adviser- what profits do you need to break even and when will you make a profit), and accountability(can you be honest with yourself, run an open-book policy, be transparent with your business partners and staff, and be willing to take responsibility if things go wrong). I wish you the very best in your venture, but please don't rush into following your passion only- it can be a very expensive mistake!

[Old_Geezer]

"Why Mexican?"

Because so many authentic Mexican dishes are great and there aren't enough Mexican restaurants to choose from.

But yes, if you know nothing of any cuisine then one is as good as any other. I guess, why not Mexican ? Perhaps pumpjack knows of some illegal Mexican immigrants. ;-)

[LadyCG]

Mexican food is the last food I'd ever choose to eat.

American-style smokehouses are proving very popular right now, as are organic, wholefood-style cafe bistros. Middle Eastern and North African cuisines are gaining more of a following these days.

If you ask me there are not enough dedicated fish and seafood restaurants around.

[IJKLM]

How authentic is your Mexican cooking? Can you source real Mexican ingredients and prepare them in true Mexican recipes and style?

And which region of Mexico? Cuisine of the north-eastern region is very different from the southern part, which is different again from the Holiday resorts around Cancun.

Or did you visita Tex-Mex restaurant and enjoy the fajitas?

If the latter, don't even think about it.

I've only been to Mexico once (Guanajuato), but ate in dozens of different restaurants and the food was generally wonderful - mostly using maize flour rather than wheat flour. here are hundreds of different styles of mezcal and tequila, as well as local beers that are way better than dos equis and the other commercial brands.

My point is that if you are authentic, then you stand a chance of making money.

If you are just another Tex-Mex with Fajitas, Enchilladas and one type of tequila (with the worm in it), then maybe think again.

Good luck

[Guilbert53]

Sorry to be so negative but I can tell from the way you have worded your question any Mexican restaurant you open is going to fail.

A HUGE number of restaurants that open fail, even those opened by people with a well known name and good business sense (Jamie Oliver for example).

So why on earth do you think that someone who has NEVER run a business before is going to succeed?

At least start by WORKING in a Mexican restaurant to see how it is done.

Then find at all you can about the restaurant business (maybe subscribe to some magazines and newspapers aimed at the food industry) and visit "food trade" web sites.

You can NEVER have too much information before opening ANY business.

[Guilbert53]

As a follow on from my comments above, you do realise you will have to borrow a huge amount of money before you even open the restaurant.

I have never run a restaurant but my guess is you may need to borrow say £100,000 so you can rent the retail unit, have the kitchens and dining area fitted out and hire the staff (you have to hire and pay the staff even before the restaurants open and starts to make money).

So you could be £100,000 in debt before you even get your first paying customer.

Also note a number of large restaurant chains are in financial trouble, Prezzo for example have had to close 94 of its restaurants just to try and stave off administration.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43259062

The restaurant business is cut throat, prone to failure and VERY hard work.

Think hard before you take that risk.

Maybe start small by cooking Mexican meals in you own home and selling them locally (home delivery?) and then see how the business grows.

Many cooks and chefs started this way and with the internet it is easier than ever to start a small business at home.