Ben’s General Contracting’s Guide To Building A Successful Burger Restaurant

7 practical tips for ‘Building A Better Burger Restaurant’  – Free ebook download below

Are you looking to open a new burger restaurant or expand your franchise into a new geographic locale?

Whether it is neighborhood restaurant or multi-location burger franchise, every burger restaurant has the goal of becoming a profitable enterprise that customers will love. Ben’s General Contracting suggests seven key tips in our free ebook (click on the image to the right or read it below). Plan, design, construct and market your restaurant better.

CLICK TO THE RIGHT TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE BURGER RESTAURANT EBOOK NOW   >>>>>

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Take Out or Eat-In Dining Considerations

Depending on how much dining room space you need, you can save a lot of money on construction costs. A take out only burger restaurant will save significant funds by not building a dining room. A counter area may suffice to provide short term seating options. However, in a Long Island burger restaurant, both take-out and eat-in dining options are often available to customers because restaurants tend to service the fast-casual and family crowds. If you do build a dining room, seating should accommodate individuals, small groups, and families. Small tables can be combined with counter/bar seating to accommodate eat in singles and small groups. These areas are typically much smaller than other types of restaurants.

 

Pay Particular Attention To Your Grill and Hood Set Up

The logistics of your grill/hood are essential to plan ahead. Hamburgers need a grill, and a grill requires a venting power hood with Fire suppression. Figure out the location of the grill and the requirements of the local fire code or fire Marshall. An Ansul hood specialist is critical to the success of a restaurant. Be safe, but also create a kitchen area that maximizes productivity. If your kitchen is open, surfaces like stainless steel will look great and are easily maintained.

 

Big Kitchen vs. Small Kitchen. What’s Ideal?

Burger restaurant kitchens can be small because hamburger restaurants usually have a limited menu. You need fryers and ample refrigeration, but it’s “all about the grill.” This is one of the reasons that your menu must be determined upfront. The menu will shape your needs and that will determine equipment. Try to anticipate menu items that be added as well, so that you can build your kitchen “right” from the start.

 

Choose Your Surfaces Wisely – They Each Have Distinct Advantages

For ease of cleaning, floors, walls, and doors should be washable. Hard surfaces like stainless steel, ceramic tile, and vinyl are very good options in your burger restaurant.

Dining rooms and other rooms should use a balance between being aesthetically pleasing and easily cleanable surfaces. Some products that Ben’s has used are concrete polished floors, epoxy coatings over floors, concrete counters, granite counters and synthetic counter surfaces. Wallpaper has increased in popularity with a dash of art work here and there. Modern wood panels and open ceilings are also in style.

 

Installing Equipment – Getting Your Contractor Involved Upfront

To install restaurant equipment, work directly with your general contractor. Although it may seem to save money ordering the equipment on your own, a good general contractor will understand all items needed and specifications on equipment. Things will run much smoother and quicker if all purchases are under one person. A good GC will co-ordinate and time everything correctly and be able to control all vendors. Keep in mind time is money! Avoid costly redos by coordinating everything upfront.

 

Choose The Right NY Restaurant Contractor

Work with an award-winning restaurant contractor that has strong references and similar restaurant construction experience. For example, Ben’s General Contracting built Long Island’s first Burger Bandit in Lynbrook, NY, a high profile restaurant construction project. We have completed dozens of other similar commercial projects for National and Regional franchises, brands and companies.

When you work with the right general commercial contractor, you will have a partner whose goal is to make your project go smoothly through all phases. If you are rebuilding or renovating a restaurant, a contractor will also help make sure that downtime and disruption is minimized. They will help you formulate a plan to avoid conflict with other tenants that may be in the building.

 

Make Sure Your Marketing Plan Is Rock Solid

Whether on Long Island, in NYC or anywhere else, the burger niche is crowded. It’s also a considerable financial investment. But that does not mean that you can’t stand out. In fact, when we built the new Lynbrook Burger Bandit, we were impressed with the restaurant’s interesting design features, its memorable menu options, and the thought put into the branding behind the location.

Beyond a strong brand, you must reach your audience cost-effectively. Develop a marketing plan and differentiate at all customer touch points. Focus on creating happy customers who will drive business, word of mouth, and positive reviews. Build your reputation locally, get involved with the local community, leverage the local press, and use social media to get the word out. You can create your own advantage over other restaurants by simply marketing your business better.

If you have any questions about how to go about build a new restaurant in New York or anywhere in the country, reach out to us at Ben’s.