This is the second part of a column dedicated to the food and beverage industry. In the first part we talked about why most restaurants fail within the first year of business. And to corroborate such an idea, I mentioned the story of Mansoor, who was unfortunately plagued with some of the common challenges that many restaurant owners face before and while operating their businesses.
The first attempt at “entering the game” was unsuccessful for Mansoor because of a multitude of reasons, but we could comfortably say that the type of cuisine, interlinked with the human resources problem constituted the “nail in the coffin”. Location was also a challenge, as Mansoor picked a place that was indeed relatively central, but the closest parking area was more than a short walk away.
Clients surely did not like the time required — especially in the heat of the summer — to reach their destination.
Fortunately, Mansoor did not abandon his dream, but based on the failure of his first attempt, he managed to turn things around. Today him and his family manage a successful Omani restaurant, and his clients love the food. However, Mansoor had to apply a few changes to his strategy. First of all, he had to change location. After signing the first 12 months lease in the inconvenient area I described earlier, he decided to aim for a place with a very convenient adjacent parking lot. That made a world of difference, as clients are now just a few steps away from their cars to the doorstep of the restaurant. By doing so, he is also saving some money on the rental, because the new location is not as central as it used to be.
The other major change required, as I have already mentioned, is the type of cuisine. Venturing into foreign palates was his bet with the previous restaurant. But his decision was made with what he liked in mind, not what the general population might have appreciated. Moreover, the more exotic is the cuisine proposed, the harder it necessarily gets when it comes to finding a qualified chef.
Lastly, what really made the trick with Mansoor’s second restaurant, is that the family is heavily involved now. He told me that no one at the restaurant has the time to sit down. Because they own the restaurant, his son — who was also helping him towards the end of the previous venture — as well as his wife, and his two daughters - although only part- time - are all committed to make the experience perfect for the clients. In fact, when the Omani chef is not available, Mansoor’s wife is perfectly capable to replace him and deliver the same quality of food. This is priceless, as the restaurant faces virtually no downtime.
Mansoor — according to what he told me — is a perfectionist. So he demanded that the chef standardised all recipes, and optimised the cost of food to 40% of the selling price. Those working in the industry might know that 35 per cent is more of a common benchmark. However, Mansoor allows for higher costs for the ingredients, and absorbs the extra 5 per cent by working in the restaurant himself with his family, thus reducing the manpower costs.
My sincere congratulations to Mansoor for the way he learned from failure.
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