There are tons of reasons why relocating your restaurant may be a perfect business solution. Most restaurants are being relocated so that they can stay in business. Sometimes, relocation is the only option even though it’s not the easiest one.
Deciding to relocate your business has to be a careful and thought-through decision. Many factors need to be considered before you make the actual move. So, to help you out, we compiled a list of everything you need to consider when managing a restaurant relocation.
Choose the right location
Before making any rash decisions, you should do some research. The key to a successful relocation is finding the right location. Logically, the new location should be better than the old one, it should have all the benefits the old one didn’t have.
The most important thing when researching the right location is to see if the population base is in the area you’re planning to move to.
You should also consider your current customer base. If you move further away from your current location, there are high chances that you’ll lose your current customers. This can be ok only if you want to start anew and target a completely new market.
Another thing to keep in mind when researching locations is visibility and accessibility. It would be great if you could find a location that is visible from all the main roadways and accessible as well.
The last thing to consider is whether or not your current vendors and providers cover that new area you have your eyes set on. If that’s not the case, you’ll need to look for new vendors and providers.
Choose the right time for moving
Just as the right location is important, so is the right time for moving your business. Relocating the restaurant at the peak of the season is not the best plan, so think of a better time. If the peak of the season for you is in the summer, then winter is the logical time to move the business.
Similarly, you might want to move during the week so that you can open at the weekend. Or you even have the option of moving during the weekend when there is less traffic on the roads.
In case you’re hiring professionals who do office removals, they might advise you when is the best time. Usually, the moving prices go up during the holidays and vacation breaks, so that’s also something to keep in mind.
Get organized
The key thing when you’re relocating your business and you want a smooth transition is to be super organized. This is especially true when you’re moving a business such as a restaurant.
When it comes to a proper organization, writing a to-do list is the best thing to do. Writing this sort of list will help you stay on top of everything that needs to be done and stick to the timeframe.
A to-do list is nothing complicated but a list of all the things that need to be done. The first and most important thing on your list should be to notify your employees about the move. Employees don’t like to be surprised with things like these, so notifying them well before the move will help them prepare and even help you with the move.
Inform customers
Next on your checklist is informing the customers about what you’re planning to do. By properly informing your current customer base about your upcoming move, you’re making sure that they follow you wherever you go next. Announcing the relocation of a business can be done in many different ways.
Informing customers is an easy job, all you have to do is put a sign in front of your restaurant. Additionally, you can reach out to them through social media. You can generate hype around a new location by posting photos and videos of the moving process.
You can also send out newsletters or print out new flyers. The way you want to inform your customers about this new next chapter in your business is up to you.
Make sure you change online information
Don’t wait until you’ve moved to do this. Instead, change all your online information just before you’ve moved. If you change it too early, you will confuse your customers.
The best would be to change all the information just a couple of days before opening. Of course, you have to make sure to inform them that the old location is closed.
Relocating your whole business can be a risky move, so it’s crucial that you do everything right. This is especially important if you’re relocating a restaurant. Make sure that every step of the moving process is done correctly – the right location is crucial, so make sure you do thorough research before jumping head-first into the move.