People are becoming less likely to go out and eat and more likely to order takeaway food. This isn’t just down to restrictions, studies have shown people prefer staying at home rather than going out, and they want the same delicious food wherever they go. If you’re thinking of starting a catering business, then a place that offers takeaway or delivery food could be the way to go, but where do you start?
Takeaways need a commercial kitchen
While takeaways often come from restaurants, if you are setting up a business that’s purely delivery only, then you might want to look at setting up a unit with a kitchen. Either way, you’ll need a commercial kitchen, which you can fit with Electrolux Professional products to ensure you have everything you need to cater for the busiest of times.
Get the word out there
The takeaway business is competitive. You’ll no doubt be up against a huge range of established businesses, as well as local restaurants who already offer these services. That’s why you need to get the word out there and do lots of marketing. You should make sure your site is SEO optimised, so when people are searching for local takeaways, you are at the top of results, and also ensure you are on social media and regularly updating your pages.
Offer online ordering
There are many advantages to setting up online ordering.
- You make the order process easier for customers
- Payment can be made online, which is easier for both parties
- People don’t need to call you up, so it’s easier to take orders
- Customers can track their orders and so it cuts down on contact
It’s worth considering joining an online ordering platform, as people will often use this method to find local takeaways, and they can simply put their order in 24/7 without you needing to answer the phone.
Offer something unique
No town needs a dozen pizza places, so it’s worth thinking about the kind of cuisine you’ll offer and whether it’ll be successful locally. Having a unique selling point, such as a more unusual type of food on offer can help you stand out, although you need to make sure there’s a market for it. People often tend to go for the same types of food over and over, so you may not want to risk going way off track.
You can find lobster tails for sale, and other fine dining options, which are guaranteed to be a fresh look on a takeout restaurant. This is a great way to offer something unique to your customers and would be a great way to get new customers to order from your place, simply because you are different.
Know local food regulations
Food is one industry where there are strict regulations. This is because you need to ensure people are safe when they eat your food. You need to check out your local food safety regulations, and make sure you follow best practice when it comes to storage, preparation, hygiene, catering to people with allergies and much more.
A takeaway can be a lucrative business, thanks to people spending more time at home, so if you love to cook and have an idea for a cuisine that’s not available locally, then you may want to look into the feasibility of starting this sort of business. You never know where your idea might take you.