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Your own business: how to open a roadside fast food cafe. How to promote a roadside cafe on the highway in one day

In June 2013, the Business Studio plans to conduct online training "Business plan for a roadside cafe". This type of business continues to be of great interest to entrepreneurs from various regions, including start-ups.
There are many examples with different options organizing such a business. A roadside business can be very successful or a failure. The reasons mainly lie in the chosen strategy, which should take into account the experience of other enterprises, regional characteristics, and its own capabilities.

Today we’ll talk about unsuccessful projects and mistakes when planning such businesses:

Roadside restaurant complex designed for large number visitors. A fairly large plot of land was allocated, separate houses-gazebos for companies were built from timber, and playgrounds for children were equipped. Stylish, attractive design, advertising along the highway for several kilometers. Located on the capital's highway, in the center of a fairly large village. The price level is above average. The problem is there are almost no visitors. Occasionally you can see 1-2 cars in the parking lot, and more often - not a single one. What is the reason? In our opinion, initially the wrong bet was made on wealthy motor tourists, of whom not so many travel along this route. And although this region is attractive for tourists, the main flow from the capital goes along a branch road, and few get here. For other potential visitors - business travelers and entrepreneurs, as well as truckers, this village also has roadside cafes at the entrance and exit, with more affordable prices, specialties and large parking lots. Local residents don't like the restaurant either - it's expensive and too elegant. This situation has been going on for a year now. One can only guess how many losses the owners suffered. Some improvement in the situation is possible if work is carried out with partners who will send target clients here. For example, with travel agencies, in order to include lunch in a restaurant in the program of tour routes. But you will have to pay decent commissions. Simple advertising most likely will not work - the flow of transit cars is not the same. The restaurant is also not very suitable for corporate events and celebrations - there is not a large common room, a dance floor, and it is located right on the highway - noisy and not very cozy.

Roadside cafe with home cooking at a gas station. It worked quite successfully for a year. This gas station, located at the exit from the village, had affordable prices compared to other nearby ones on this route. True, there was no additional service organized at the gas station - no store, no maintenance. Only roadside cafe, which another entrepreneur opened in a trailer, improved the area a little, put a couple of tables under umbrellas on the street and also organized the sale of chilled drinks and ice cream. But the owner of the gas station had problems, and now it is not working. Of course, the number of customers in the cafe has also sharply decreased - only those who have already been here and liked the cuisine, and some local residents who are satisfied with the prices and simplicity, come in. It’s time to close, but for now the cafe is open so as not to lose regular customers and in the hope that the gas station will still open. What also saves the situation is that the entrepreneur liked this business, and he managed to open another cafe in another village, and there the flow of customers is quite large, not only from passing people, but also from local residents.

Cafe-motel on the highway, exit from the village. Busy metropolitan highway. The café-motel building is located directly above the road. Quirky architecture made of timber, but smacks of handicraft. There are few places - both in cafes and in motels. Rather, this property can be called a rural tourism facility rather than a motel. The owners live right on the property, in another house, keep farm animals and even a mini-zoo for clients. Perhaps in a more convenient place for relaxation it would have attracted the attention of visitors, but the proximity to a busy highway is not very conducive to relaxation. As a result, there are very few cafe clients and guests, investments in the construction of the building do not pay off and are unlikely to pay off for such a business. Although there are practically no current costs - the owners serve occasional clients on their own, without involving employees.

Cafe with national cuisine, the building was built and equipped on credit. The route is quite busy, but there are very few visitors. The hostess is in despair - the interest on the loan is eating up the remainder of her savings, the invited chef is preparing to leave, and possible clients are rushing past in their cars. Obvious mistakes - lack of advertising national cuisine, unusual for of this region, one-sidedness of services, chronic shortage of money, which is felt in everything. There may also be anti-advertising for the establishment - direct or word of mouth.

To the above examples I would add, perhaps, roadside unfinished projects and completed but never opened objects, or the opening of which was delayed for a very long time. Common reasons: issues with land that was not properly registered, issues with the sanitation station, which did not accept the object due to gross violations, ignoring or conflicts with local authorities, miscalculations and underfunding of construction. Well, and most importantly, they rushed to implement their project, but did not coordinate the project, did not draw up the documents, did not calculate the costs, and, often, did not even bother to order the project.

Each of these examples has its own miscalculations and mistakes, and despite all the optimistic expectations, practice can show the opposite.
Be sure to analyze the risks, develop a marketing plan, calculate the break-even point and pessimistic forecasts, supplement the main services with additional ones and come up with your own tricks to attract customers!

In this material:

A roadside cafe as a business attracts with ease of organization, relatively low investments (when compared with similar establishments catering within the city) and increased demand for services. The times of the 90s, when terrible things happened in such establishments, are long gone. Today, almost every point on the side of the road is an example of maintenance and delicious dishes. For the project to start successfully and pay for itself in short terms, a business plan for a roadside cafe is required, which includes financial calculations, analytical actions and organizational measures.

The relevance of the idea of opening a roadside cafe

It’s not worth explaining the relevance of the project, because it’s enough to drive along the highway once and see a huge flow of cars. People regularly travel somewhere - some for work, others for leisure, and others for travel. The goals of motorists are, by and large, unimportant; the main thing is the number of vehicles on the highway, and this means potential customers for a roadside cafe.

For lately society has changed a lot. This is reflected not only in the growth of transport per capita, but also in attitudes towards food. If earlier going to a cafe was considered a luxury or a waste of money, then modern man Saves time even on cooking. It’s easier for him to go to the nearest establishment and have a quick snack than to take a supply of food with him on the road. This is also explained by the fact that catering services have become more accessible to ordinary citizens - food and dishes have become cheaper compared to salaries and living standards. Spending 250–350 rubles for lunch in a cafe is much more profitable than buying sausage and cheese or snacking on fast food.

Considering the increased volume of transport and flows on the highways, existing establishments can be said to be unable to cope with the influx of customers. It’s not uncommon to see a situation where 10–12 cars are parked at one point, which means at least 10 occupied tables. The next cafe is a similar situation. For an entrepreneur, this means only one thing - opening a new outlet will not only not cause competition, but will also to some extent help colleagues in unloading clients, which is especially important on weekends and holidays.

Features of a roadside cafe

Catering on the highway has a lot of features and differences from similar points in the populated area. This includes:

Location - busy highway. It is desirable that it has federal significance to increase the number of visitors. In the case of a regional road, the success of a roadside cafe is reduced to nothing, because 90% of motorists are residents of the region and go to their homes. Trucks and other cargo transport rarely choose the regional road, and if they do travel along it, they stop for lunch in a populated area.
Interior - a cafe should not “shout” about the elite and prestige of the establishment, because the majority of visitors are drivers for hire. They will feel uncomfortable in such a place in work clothes. Reverse side– too simple or Soviet interior will also scare off those who want to dine with its down-to-earth appearance. The room should be decorated simply, but tastefully and in modern style. It would be a good idea to consult with a designer and use his services.
The cuisine is simple, tasty and satisfying. Naturally, boiled jacket potatoes should not be included in the menu, but lobsters would also be out of place. As a rule, people on the road just want to eat homemade food, therefore, various soups, main dishes, meat and salads are mandatory categories on the menu. Additionally, the assortment should be diversified with cold appetizers, fish, baked goods (truck drivers like to take pies and baked goods with them), and also include juices, water, and dairy products.
Service - polite and smiling waiters, fast service and high quality products will not leave most visitors indifferent, and therefore they will visit their favorite establishment again.
Availability of parking is a mandatory item, which should include spaces for both cars and trucks.
A catchy name - if visitors remember the name of the cafe, they will not explain to their friends how to find it using landmarks. And this will contribute to the speedy dissemination of information about the new establishment. All kinds of “Transits” and the relationship with the region number will not give the same effect as a capacious and catchy name chosen by naming. For example, “Horn”, “Exhaust pipe”, “Diesel”. If you have no options, you can order an original name from freelancers.

Help: the more ridiculous, funnier and more original the name is, the faster and further the fame of the cafe will spread.

Market analysis: target audience, competition and risk assessment

More than 50% of the target audience of all roadside cafes are truck drivers. It is on the basis of their requests and food needs that a business must be founded. The remaining categories of people are amateur motorists traveling on various errands. The journey often takes more than half a day, so ordinary citizens don’t mind having a snack at their favorite cafe.

Competition among roadside catering establishments is quite high. But at the same time, the length of any route allows you to choose a convenient location for opening a new food place.

When choosing a national cuisine, proximity to a competitor can be beneficial for both, because each driver will choose exactly what he likes.

Despite the large number positive aspects business, opening a roadside cafe is not without risks:

inflation - the consequences for the entire business are the same, namely an increase in the price of purchased raw materials, which entails an increase in menu prices and a decrease in purchasing power;
competitors - opening a catering facility nearby with a similar focus, targeting the same target audience;
legislation – the adoption of laws that negatively affect small businesses and public catering in particular;
the opening of a new highway or bypass road, as a result of which the main traffic of motorists will pass by the cafe;
natural factor - this can include anything from strong winds or hurricanes that knock down trees on buildings catering, and ending with fires, spring floods and attacks by wild animals.

Organizational plan

Registration of activities

To open one point of a roadside cafe, it is enough to register an individual entrepreneur. The procedure is simple, inexpensive and fast. Algorithm of actions:

Preparation of documents - passport, TIN, application and receipt for payment of state duty (800 rubles). Payment using the details can be made in advance or funds can be deposited on site through a terminal or ATM.
Contacting the tax service with documentation - at the same time, a taxation system is selected and OKVED codes are entered.
Waiting for a decision - after 5-10 days, the entrepreneur receives a certificate of registration of the individual entrepreneur in his hands.

Help: when paying state fees via online services, you must print a receipt, otherwise the documents will not be accepted.

Tax system – simplified tax system 6%.

OKVED code – 55.30 (activity of cafes and restaurants).

In parallel, it is necessary to collect a package of documents for regulatory organizations (SES and fire inspection):

a lease agreement for premises or ownership of real estate intended for a cafe;
employment contracts with personnel;
employee medical records;
agreement with a utility service for waste removal;
conclusion on the disinsection and deratization measures taken;
quality certificates for products;
certificate of registration of business activity.

Based on the documents provided, organizations issue a conclusion on permission to conduct business in the provided premises.

Premises and requirements for them

Requirement for premises legislative level– availability of electricity, water supply and sewerage.

It is important for an entrepreneur:

federal highway with busy traffic;
availability of parking;
area up to 100 sq. m;
number of seats – 50–70;
the presence of a gas station, agricultural complex, small settlement and other infrastructure nearby that facilitates the influx of visitors;
visibility of the cafe from both sides of the road.

Purchase of equipment, furniture and inventory

For the cafe you will need:

water heater;
electric stove;
coffee machine;
scales (mechanical and electronic);
container for washing dishes;
fridge;
freezer;
cutting tables;
household kitchen appliances (kettle, microwave);
dishes and cutlery;
bar counter;
showcase;
furniture for the hall (tables, chairs, hanger);
room decoration items (curtains, curtains, chandeliers);
LCD TV for the hall;
speaker system for playing music and radio;
equipment for the utility room;
furniture and household appliances for the employee break room.

Creating an assortment of dishes

Sample menu:

first courses - soups, stews, borscht, cabbage soup;
main courses – potatoes in various ways preparations, porridge with side dishes, cutlets, chops, etc.;
salads;
cold snacks;
shashlik;
dumplings;
dumplings;
desserts;
tea, coffee, drinks;
bakery;
fast food;
fermented milk products;
store products - cookies, snacks, seeds, candies;
cigarettes.

Note: Alcohol can be found in roadside cafes, but is rarely popular. If you want to start selling alcoholic products, you must register legal entity(LLC), because the individual entrepreneur does not have the right to do this.

Staff

Staff in a roadside cafe with an area of 100 sq. m:

administrator;
general cook – 2 people;
waiter – 2 people;
bartender-cashier – 2 people;
cleaning lady – 1 person;
security guard – 2 people;
kitchen worker – 2 people.

Advertising and marketing of a roadside cafe

billboards on the route to the cafe in both directions;
pillars installed no further than 100 meters from the entrance to the point;
banners or billboards at nearby gas stations;
LED signs that work at night;
glowing sign.

Financial calculations

Investments in the project

Start-up costs (in rubles):

20,000 – paperwork;
100,000 – rent of premises;
90,000 – repairs;
50,000 – landscaping;
150,000 – purchase of equipment;
80,000 – purchase of furniture;
40,000 – advertising.

Total: 530,000 rubles.

Current expenses

Monthly expenses:

100,000 – rent;
30,000 – utilities;
350,000 – salary;
100,000 – spending on food.

Total: 580,000 rubles.

Income and profit calculation

The average bill for a visitor to a roadside cafe is 800 rubles (lunch + food for the road).

The number of clients per day is 50 people.

Daily revenue – 40,000 rubles. Per month – 1,200,000 rubles.

Net income – 1,200,000-580,000=620,000 rubles.

Taxes, unforeseen expenses and the frequency of visiting the cafe should be subtracted from this amount. The optimal income in pure form based on the given parameters is 350,000 rubles.

The payback period, taking into account investments and monthly expenses, is six months.

When planning to open a roadside cafe, you need to strictly follow the business plan, and also adjust it along the way if any changes are made to organizational or financial issues. Thanks to this, it is easy to anticipate 90% of risks and build the right development strategy.

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Location

As experts note, the catering industry outside the city is underdeveloped, so it makes sense to think about a roadside cafe. IN European countries both a coffee shop and a restaurant can coexist peacefully on the roads fast food. But judging by Russian experience, fast food is the most acceptable option, since visitors to such establishments are usually in a hurry.

In addition, it is worth thinking not only about how to open a roadside cafe, but also where exactly to establish it. Best options- gas stations, places near settlements, and also shopping centers. A cafe can also be opened near a recreation area (on the banks of a river or lake). Many people advise choosing the southern direction (that is, south of the city or village), so you won’t be bored even in winter.

Choosing a room

Very often, premises that are rented out for organizing an establishment on the road are in a deplorable condition. To bring them into proper shape, you will have to make expensive repairs. It is most profitable to open a cafe on the basis of ready-made complexes, which are located at major road junctions. Several nearby sales points will certainly attract the attention of travelers.

Some features

In addition, having decided how to open a roadside cafe, it is advisable to comply with several unspoken requirements:

the establishment must be designed for at least 70 seats and have an area of at least 100 square meters. m;
the room should not be too spacious, a cozy atmosphere should reign here;
the cafe is equipped with parking, not only for cars, but also for trailers and trucks, in addition, it is necessary to create convenient driveways;
It is advisable to decorate the interior discreetly and simply, however interior decoration It shouldn’t resemble a Soviet canteen, which completely kills your appetite.

Required Documentation

To start a business, you need to register an individual entrepreneur. However, if the cafe plans to sell alcoholic drinks, then you only need to create a Limited Liability Company. Once the premises have been selected, permits should be obtained from the fire service and sanitary and epidemiological station.

So that your roadside cafe responds sanitary requirements, it is necessary to take care of the availability of water and electricity supply, as well as connection to other communications. The entrepreneur also needs to obtain a license to sell alcohol. Without fulfilling all these requirements, a businessman may face big problems.

Equipment purchase

You will also need equipment:

retail (window displays, cash register);
kitchen (stoves, furniture, dishes, plumbing, household appliances);
warehouse;
ventilation

The cost of equipment can vary, on average it ranges from 100 thousand to 1 million rubles. It all depends on how seriously you intend to equip the living room and kitchen.

Roadside cafe menu

The cuisine should be hearty, but quite simple. lobsters, marbled beef and lobsters are clearly not needed. But it is very important to focus on the quality and freshness of the products. If possible, the menu should be varied, but quickly prepared.

You must offer your guests hot first and second courses, sandwiches, and barbecue. It is also advisable to include several salads on the menu, but they need to be prepared immediately before serving, because you never know in advance what the guests will order. In short, you need to provide as many types of dishes as you can store so that you can easily reheat or cook them later.

You can diversify your roadside business a little by offering take-out food in closed containers. You can also sell related products: water, cigarettes, juices, coffee, tea. You can also allow drivers to fill a thermos with boiling water for free (which is especially important in winter). The service of a roadside cafe should be high quality and fast. Every visitor should have the impression that he has become a long-awaited guest, and even better - that he has been at home.

When thinking about how to open a roadside cafe, don't forget about competition. There may be several similar catering outlets in your area. You need to do something to attract a client, right? You can come up with some kind of “trick” of your own. For example, sell unusual, original snacks that your competitors do not have.

Then you will need to go to cafes of this kind and find out their menu. A good option is to open an establishment that specializes in preparing dishes of one particular national cuisine. And, of course, we don’t forget that all people love gifts, albeit small, but pleasant.

Let's say, mini-souvenirs as a keepsake or some other little thing - inexpensive, but necessary in the household (a pack of napkins, a small towel, you never know what else). Don't worry about incurring additional costs. The fact is that you can make a small markup on the cost of dishes (exactly as much as the gift itself costs), most likely, the visitor will not even notice that he is buying something other than lunch.

Financial component of business

Of course, the establishment’s income will depend on the number of visitors. There are unlikely to be regular customers in such road catering (due to the specifics of the business). Due to this main factor success - capacity.

If you are wondering where to place your cafe, then seriously think about opening a catering point along the road.

Such cafes have long ceased to be considered “second-class” establishments; they are in great demand among the majority of motorists, travelers and workers who, involuntarily, have to eat on the road. If you are wondering how to open a roadside cafe, then read how to write a business plan.

Well-known restaurant chains began their journey precisely with the format of roadside cafes, and they were right. So you can’t go wrong, either an economy class restaurant or an ordinary roadside cafe.

Most locations outside of both large and small cities have not yet been developed. This means that competition in this business is practically zero. If we take into account the European experience of businessmen, then we can confidently say that both a small cafe and a quiet, cozy coffee shop can be located on the highway, which will generate the same income. But, focusing on our population (central Russia), we understand that most people are in a hurry to the city and prefer to eat in the car rather than sit in a cozy cafe, so it would be more cost-effective to organize a catering point that will prepare fast food that you can Use it both in the establishment and take it with you.

Let's make up sample business plan and using an example, let’s look at how to open a roadside cafe.

There are several unspoken rules that a businessman who opens a cafe on the highway should follow.

the premises for your restaurant should not be very large; a small, cozy, even intimate atmosphere is preferable;
your catering establishment must be equipped with a good entrance, and, if possible, parking, a motel and other amenities;
cafes count on small quantity people, approximately 70-80 people;
The cafe's opening hours are preferably 24 hours a day. After all, in any case, even if the cafe is open from 6 to 23, you will have to hire several shifts of workers.

The business plan must also take into account the return on investment of the enterprise. A cafe on the highway can be considered successful if more than 500 people visit such an establishment per day.

you should be extremely attentive to drivers and tour guides of popular tourist routes. If they appeared in your cafe several times, then this is a reason to make a deal with them: next group they bring tourists to have a “snack” exactly to you, and for this you offer the driver (tour guide) a free full lunch;
construction public toilet next to the cafe. With this maneuver you will kill two birds with one stone: on the one hand, you will receive additional profit from the toilet itself, on the other hand, it will lure people to the restaurant (cafe). Most people passing by will stop at your public place. And on the way back, they’ll stop by a cafe and, at a minimum, buy a pie and a bottle of water.

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Menu development and staff hiring

The business plan should also contain the menu of your establishment. Here you need to find a “golden mean”. On the one hand, everyone wants to eat healthy food, on the other hand, no one wants to wait a long time for its preparation. Focus on dishes whose cooking time is no more than 20-25 minutes.

The menu should include several types of salads, the ingredients for which can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. And just before serving, you just need to chop and season them.

Also include takeaway items on the menu. Many truckers and travelers will want to take with them fresh sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, main courses in closed containers, chips and other shelf-stable foods.

Allow cafe visitors to use boiling water for free. Many drivers stop in precisely those places where they are not trying to extract money from them, even for boiling water. In gratitude for this, they order very impressive dinners from you.

Never skimp on the quality of the food you prepare! Let your business plan not be entirely accurate and pay off a couple of months later than planned. Always prepare dishes only from fresh products, despite the fact that all your visitors will be random people and are unlikely to return to complain about food poisoning after visiting your cafe. But word of mouth will do its job. Always remember this.

For one shift you will need a qualified cook, 2 waitresses and a cleaner, with a 2/2 work schedule.

Depending on the “influx” of visitors, you can vary the number of waiters. Or you can even make a counter where one person will take orders, and then he will deliver them or hand them out at the counter.

The cleaning lady's task will be to clean the premises 2-3 times a day: in the morning, before opening, wet cleaning at lunchtime and after the cafe closes.

All service personnel must have health certificates. Nowadays, a trend has become fashionable when the director gives money to his subordinates so that they “buy” themselves a health book. Now, don't do this! After all, one sick waiter can infect hundreds of people a day, let alone an unscrupulous cook.

From time to time, check the neatness of the waiters, make comments to the cook who forgets to wash his hands. This is not a way of manifesting dictatorship, it is basic rules, which are worth mentioning.

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Official side of the business plan:

If you already know where to start opening a roadside cafe on the highway and have definitely decided to test your strength by writing a business plan, then it’s time to formalize your business.

And here there are two options: if you want to open a cafe without selling alcohol, registering as an individual entrepreneur is suitable, but if alcohol is on the restaurant menu, you should register your business as an LLC, CJSC or OJSC so that you can obtain a license to sell alcohol.

Another feature of your establishment could be “order in advance” for regular customers. In this case, stock up on business cards and a work phone number where orders will be received. Thus, a truck driver approaching a cafe will be able to order the dish he likes in advance and, upon arriving at his destination, he will not waste time.