from 2 000 000 - 2 500 000 ₽
Number of seats:60+
Average check:300 ₽
Payback period:18-24 months
Many dream of their cafe. But not everyone survives in a competitive market. Roadside fast food cafe is a free and promising niche. You can earn no less, and there are more development prospects.
The Russian food service market is saturated, and the competition on us is merciless. Such harsh working conditions force restaurateurs to learn new formats and expand their business geography. A promising area where you can still find a free niche are catering establishments on highways. Most of the points outside the city have not yet been mastered, the competition here is much lower than in cities. And besides this, the services of roadside cafes are relevant for many people.
City highways are already clogged with various outlets, but interregional highways, on the contrary, are almost not mastered by public catering establishments. The same options that are often represent a “cafe from the past”. Such institutions, most often, even outwardly represent a rather pathetic sight and do not enjoy the trust of drivers and their passengers. The most promising and modern format of cafe near the tracks is the fast food segment. During long trips, most drivers and passengers use the services of fast food outlets. And the stereotype that a roadside cafe can only feed poison or fried pies is already inappropriate.
The cafe near the highway is the same restaurant that must meet the requirements, meet the standards of any food service establishment and even have its own concept. In Russia, roadside cafes are only taking the path of correction. It is stimulated by the example of European restaurateurs who manage to place next to the highways both a small dining room with home cooking and a cozy coffee house. But in Russia, the idea of not a measured meal at the side of the road, but a quick snack, would rather take root. Therefore, it will be more profitable to open a fast food outlet. This is food that you can quickly cook and take with you to your snack machine along the way.
Choosing a place for a roadside cafe: the main difficulties
Please note that choosing the right place is one of the most important points for a roadside cafe or a roadside restaurant. Therefore, you need to know some nuances in order not to be mistaken. An improperly selected location can significantly reduce revenue.
Optimal placement of a roadside cafe:
gas stations;
territories near settlements;
recreation areas on the slopes in picturesque places;
close to convenient traffic intersections.
At gas stations, things are not as simple as they might seem. Gas station operators are unlikely to be happy with the appearance of a competitor who will offer a decent alternative to their products. For gas stations, you are a direct competitor, so opening your establishment may face competition even on the sidelines, almost in an open field.
But this is not the only difficulty. The development of the territory along the highways is also difficult because such places often do not meet the requirements. Problems arise at the level of connection to electricity, sanitation, sewage, the same thing - with the utilization of revenues and transportation of products. All communications should be brought to the site that you plan to use as a cafe. If this is not the case, no one will allow you to open a catering establishment.
As a result, communication and delivery of fresh products to remote locations become a very expensive pleasure. Trying to save money, many cafe owners are trying to make a menu of instant dishes. Unfortunately, often this ends with pizza heated in the microwave.
Solving this problem is also not easy. Serious investments will be required to conduct communications, which will almost double the costs. In this regard, most entrepreneurs decide to open an institution on the territory of ready-made complexes located on highways. Points concentrated on one territory work for each other and, as a result, increase sales. But it’s not a fact that a business already rooted in these complexes will want to let you in.
Therefore, carefully evaluate the area where you plan to place the cafe. Be sure to consider the possibility of connecting to utility networks, the presence of other institutions nearby with which you can cooperate, as well as the degree of adequacy of their owners.
Development of a business plan for a roadside cafe
The development of a business plan is recommended to begin after you solve the issue with the premises. Be sure to think over the production, financial and marketing parts. If the project will be financed by borrowed funds - you will have to draw up an investment plan. This will require the bank when it will consider your loan application.
A well-thought-out, well-designed business plan will help not only in raising funds. It will avoid unnecessary expenses and problems at the start. What issues should be considered as part of a business plan:
collection of all permits;
room design (documents, communications, repairs, etc.);
equipment purchase;
staff, schedule of work, payroll;
description of the concept, service, production process;
menu development;
promotion methods;
calculation of all expenses: initial and monthly;
calculation of the planned profit;
calculation of the main economic indicators: the cost of dishes, revenue and profit, profitability, payback period.
The result of your work should be a detailed plan of your actions to open a cafe. So you will understand what you need to do, how much time each stage of preparation will take, what kind of revenue the institution must have in order for it to be profitable. When you know these numbers, it will be easier for you to navigate the complex process of organizing a cafe and make business decisions.
The main part of the business plan is the calculation of financial indicators. At the planning stage, you can understand whether it is profitable to open a roadside cafe in these conditions, or whether it is better to find a more profitable business.
How to register and arrange a cafe by the highway
The procedure for registration and registration of a roadside cafe is quite laborious. The registration and registration algorithm is as follows:
Register your business as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity . For the format of a roadside cafe, IP is suitable. If you plan a network of fast food outlets, you will need to register as a legal entity. Registering a business is the first step, because the lease is concluded with you, as with an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. As a tax system, it is worth choosing a simplified tax system at a rate of 15% (income minus expense).
OKVED codes for a roadside cafe: 56.10 “Activities of restaurants and food delivery services”, 08/18/2019 “Activities of restaurants and cafes with full restaurant service, cafeterias, fast food restaurants and self-service”, 08/18/2019 “Activities of catering enterprises with services Takeaway".
Locate a point of sale . Contact the road construction department to find out which area the selected land belongs to.
Submit an application for land ownership or lease . This is done by the district administration.
Make a lease or ownership of the land by contacting the FUGRC.
Design a cafe building . When you are issued a decision on the transfer of the land, contact a licensed architect to draw up a design and sketch of the building for the cafe and engineering communications.
Receive and sign the act of approval. After the design documentation is ready, contact the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning with this. You will be provided with an act of approval, which should be signed in the administration, district communal systems, fire protection and SES.
Contact the architecture department. With the signed act, you must again contact the department of architecture. After that, you will receive a building permit.
Get permission to open a cafe . Then go to the administration to approve your documents. If the entire package of documents is collected in accordance with the requirements, you will be given permission to open a cafe.
Invite a commission to make an opinion . When the construction of the facility is completed, you need to invite a commission that will inspect the building and make an appropriate opinion.
Pass the SES check . The next controlling organization is SES. Authorized representatives will come to your institution to inspect the premises and issue an opinion on the possibility of opening.
Pass fire inspection . The final stage is the verification of fire supervision.
When you get all the permissions, you can proceed to the organization of the production process.
Roadside cafe concept: what the client wants today
Many entrepreneurs believe that a roadside cafe is far from a restaurant, so marketing laws can not be followed. Today, the “and so it will” strategy works worse. Clients have formed certain consumer expectations from roadside establishments, ranging from their appearance and quality of service to the menu. Fewer drivers are willing to trust their health to incomprehensible stalls with chebureks and tent signs with Pepsi-Cola logos, around which packs of dogs constantly run.
Regardless of whether the cafe is located on a tourist track or on a regular one, it is important for any visitor that the institution meets the following conditions:
purity;
fast service;
tasty and quality food;
budget prices.
That is why the most popular catering format on the tracks today are fast-food cafes that meet all the stated requirements of the consumer. The specificity of restaurants on highways is that the decision to stop at a particular institution is made from a moving car, that is, at high speed. In the psychology of drivers, a clean, safe and cheap restaurant with fast service is associated with open spaces, large and transparent windows (often on the floor), an open kitchen, a bright and attractive sign, in general, all the distinguishing features of modern fast-food chains. On the contrary, associations are far from the best from dark and nondescript buildings: it is unsafe, the food is stale, they cook for a long time or tasteless. As a rule, if it’s not about picturesque places with viewing platforms, then most people do not need waiters either. The concept of roadside cafes perfectly fits the principle of self-service and the ability to take food with you.
The main plus of fast foods is, of course, a large flow of customers. If the owners of traditional cafes consider it a success to host two to three dozen people a day, then fast food patency can be 500-1000 people a day. With such a flow and an average check of at least 300 rubles, the daily revenue can be from 150 thousand rubles.
In any case, a roadside cafe by the highway assumes the following parameters:
availability of convenient access roads and parking;
number of seats at least 60;
room no more than 200 sq.m.
Too large a room for a roadside cafe is not advisable to open. It is better to create a cozy atmosphere and save on space. No need to place a lot of seats. In roadside cafes, visitors do not linger for a long time, so places are quickly vacated.
Making a roadside cafe menu
In a roadside cafe, you should offer uncomplicated cuisine or make a menu of simple dishes from the point of view of cooking technology, especially when it comes to fast food. Today, no one wants to wait long: at roadside cafes they stop not to pass the time, but to satisfy hunger.
What dishes should be included in the menu
The most popular product on the road is coffee or drinks based on it. Therefore, be sure to include coffee in the menu.
Burgers / Sandwiches. Burgers are the most convenient option for a snack on the road: hearty, you can take with you and eat on the go or in the car.
Baking The perfect complement to coffee. But this is not only a sought-after menu item, but also a marketing device. It turns out that the aroma of fresh pastries is associated with a homely atmosphere and stimulates visitors to make a purchase. The popularity of hearty pastries can be explained by the fact that, as a rule, it is more affordable in comparison with other snacks. One such product is enough for lunch, and this is one of the most budget options. Usually, baked goods in roadside cafes are prepared from frozen convenience foods - it’s cheaper, faster and easier.
Ready meals (salads, chicken nuggets, french fries) are usually offered in full-fledged fast- food cafes. All dishes are prepared directly in the cafe from the blanks, for which they use special equipment: grills, deep fryers, ovens, etc. Therefore, if you plan to include these items in the menu, be prepared to purchase additional kitchen equipment.
Snacks . Do not forget to dilute the assortment with various snacks that visitors can grab on the road. These are chips, crackers, cookies, nuts, chocolates - place them on an open window to stimulate sales.
Also consider these recommendations:
Provide free boiling water for cafe visitors . Such a trifle can form a good impression about you. And by chance a visitor who came to you, for whom you did not regret the boiling water, wants to buy lunch from you.
Never save on food quality . Let your expenses pay off a couple of months later, but you will keep the quality. Cook only with fresh products, despite the fact that most of your visitors will be random people, and you do not need to fight for a regular customer.
Staff recruitment for a roadside cafe
Ideally, make the cafe work schedule around the clock. This will increase revenue. But for round-the-clock work you need to organize two shifts. For one shift you will need at least one cook, 2 sellers and a cleaning lady. Schedule - 2/2.
Of course, the number of staff depends on the format and number of visitors. In any case, the separation of duties is necessary for service personnel. More flow and revenue - more staff: someone is responsible for drinks, someone for receiving orders and cash, someone for issuing. In modern fast food establishments, each employee has clear job descriptions that allow you to achieve fast service.
Do not seek to save on wages. Set the average wage for your region to motivate employees. Remember that one of the main difficulties for staff will be the remoteness of the place of work from home, so consider what bonuses this can be compensated for.
Purchase of equipment for a roadside cafe
To create a roadside cafe you will need to purchase four basic types of equipment:
trade (showcases, cash register);
kitchen (stoves, furniture, dishes, plumbing, household appliances);
Warehouse
ventilation.
The cost of equipment may be different. It all depends on how seriously you intend to equip the hall and kitchen. According to rough estimates, the minimum set of necessary will cost 700-800 thousand rubles. Depending on what exactly you will cook, what the production process chain will be, whether you will work with frozen products or prepare everything yourself, the list of necessities can vary significantly. If you want to, for example, sell such a popular type of fast food as burgers, we recommend that you read this article.
When choosing equipment, try to avoid buying all kinds of ready-made kits that the Internet is full of today: you may not need most of this at all. As a rule, if an entrepreneur does not have enough experience in catering, then for the selection of equipment it is best to resort to the help of a future chef who will tell you what to buy, where to put it, and so on. It will be faster and easier than trying to comprehend all the subtleties yourself.
How to advertise a roadside cafe
For a roadside cafe, the most effective way to promote it is through outdoor advertising. The decision to visit the institution is made when a hungry person drives past the sign or sees a sign that promises him a delicious lunch. Use billboards, “banners”, signs.
Develop cross-marketing promotions. This means exchanging potential customers with companies located in the immediate vicinity of your cafe, for example, gas stations.
It is very important to correctly position the cafe on the highway. It should be located so that most potential customers can conveniently drive up to the institution, without making unnecessary maneuvers for parking.
In general terms, the marketing plan is as follows:
Creating a bright, memorable sign and the name of the cafe;
Placing large banners on roadside billboards;
Development of a system of discounts and customer rewards;
Search for partners for cross-marketing
You can also order a commercial on the radio. Motorists often listen to the radio along the way, and such an advertisement will surely reach your target audience.
To increase sales, you can use the following advertising tricks:
Offer cooperation to drivers and guides. Let them bring a group of tourists to you, and you give your partner a free full meal, or some percentage of the sale;
Have a public toilet nearby . This is a significant reason to stay right next to your public place. Most of those who stop are likely to drop by the cafe and at least buy a bottle of water.
Create combo dinners on the menu . This will make it easier for your visitors to choose. As a rule, visitors to a roadside cafe do not have time to study the menu for a long time. Help him with the choice. You will do better both for the client and yourself, because it is much more convenient to trade such take-away kits.
How much does it cost to open a roadside cafe from scratch
We give an approximate calculation without taking into account the purchase of products.
Paperwork . Registration of a business and the collection of all permits will cost about 20 thousand rubles.
Building and land . The approximate cost of this item of expenditure is 1 million rubles. If you plan to rent a building, it will naturally be cheaper. However, it is unlikely that you can find a suitable room. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you have to build a cafe building from scratch.
The cost of repairing the premises, kitchen equipment and furniture . It will cost about 700-800 thousand rubles. It is undesirable to save a lot on these articles, since the quality of the prepared dishes depends on the equipment.
Salary of staff . PHOT will be approximately 200 thousand rubles.
Advertising . About 100 thousand rubles will still have to be spent on advertising and other expenses. Outdoor advertising will cost 50-60 thousand rubles. The rest will go to cover additional costs that you can not foresee when planning.
In general, to open a cafe near the highway you will need investments in the amount of 2-2.5 million rubles. This capital pays off in 1.5-2 years.
Summarize
To make the final decision whether to open a roadside cafe, evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of this idea.
Cons of business at roadside cafes:
difficulties in preparing documentation . The owners of roadside cafes need to go through the process of obtaining permits, which is complicated by relations with local authorities.
poor technical specifications and poor engineering infrastructure . The remoteness from the “civilization” imposes additional costs on the owners of roadside cafes, which significantly increase the volume of initial investments. Because of this, profitability decreases and the duration of the preparatory phase increases.
Logistics Due to the remoteness of points on the highway, logistics (organizing regular delivery of fresh products) is becoming expensive. All this affects the cost of dishes and, accordingly, their final price. In order to optimize, many roadside cafes reduce the range of dishes and make a menu of instant products.
These reasons inhibit the development of catering on highways. Many restaurateurs prefer to work in an already developed, albeit more competitive, area than to fight with the administration, dissatisfied gas stations and lack of communications.
The main advantage of this format of roadside cafes is the low level of competition. In addition, a favorable location guarantees high traffic. A popular roadside cafe can earn about 100 thousand rubles a day. Not every institution in the city can boast of such profitability.
If you still decide to open a cafe near the highway, it is better to make a choice in favor of the already developed territory, where there are ready-made complexes. So you can reduce the amount of capital needed to invest in the opening.
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Evgenia Yurkina(c) www.clogicsecure.com - a portal to business plans and guidelines for starting a small business 08/18/2019