Op, candid advise is that you should first conduct a feasibility study on this business you are trying to do. I will advise you engage an independent professional to do this and give you his opinion on whether to go ahead or not. This study will definitely start with internal assessment of you and your present state (self and business), the environment, detailed strategy you want to adopt......this will resolve into needed structure, systems, infrastructures and technology...........Until you know all these, you cannot know how much you need for the business......Meanwhile, before committing any cost, it is necessary to conduct a viability test on the business while projecting into possible profitability and liquidity.......Lastly, dont forget sensitivity analysis and exit strategy...........My one naira advise to you

extremelygolden:



Which is it that you need clarification on?

the whole upstairs-downstairs thing...

Originalsly:
It just amazes me how people always want to start from the top. As far as I can see......OP has no clue about starting nor running a business ...not even roadside business... and to make matters worse has no intentions of doing any research on his own. He just want to be spoon fed. Restaurant business is not for lazy people period....the bitter truth.

Nobody is born with the technical know-how of running a business...

There is a place we all start from... and this is mine..

I might fail at the beginning, but i know i will surely get a hang of it

njays24:
You have to first of all consider the location,then if you're looking to either let or lease at least the size of a standard 3/bedroom size apartment,then the equipments and cooking utensils e.g pressure cookers,ovens,a/c fans,fyfurnitures,heat extractor,cutlleries'light/fittings, TV,receipt machine,etc. As at 2005 that I started my eatery,I purchased all that I listed above and more including ice cream machine and even industrial cake mixers,I spent not less than 8million naira. Now it could be more or less depending on the kind of restaurant you're opening. If its a regular average restaurant,you might not spend up to 3m for a start. I wish you better luck!

hmmm... nice...

and i am guessing you are still going strong...

MaleoPearls:
First and foremost, the location matters. If it is in a big City, then you need big capital. But if it is in a remote place, then 50K is enough. IMHO

Even if its a hole.....50k,Haba!

mashnino:


hmmm... nice...

and i am guessing you are still going strong...

By the grace of God. The major challenge we have is power,but we have a standby 40kva generator,but spend quite a lot on diesel.

mashnino:


Nobody is born with the technical know-how of running a business...

There is a place we all start from... and this is mine..

I might fail at the beginning, but i know i will surely get a hang of it

True...but Bro...is this the best you can do before coming to the table? You came with practically nothing....not even the basic info like the location you have in mind....is it Victoria Island?....in Aba?....or somewhere in the Congo? How serious or businesslike can you be if you can't even provide these common sense info? "The heights of great men reached and kept ....were not attained by sudden flight..... but they as their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night". Chew on that....no disrespect.

Fesomu:
Like they say " you can't lose in a food business" good idea bro..pursue ur dream, its a nice one .. The person that owns white house @ sabo yaba is a fucking millionaire...pls go for local food...it sells better...that kind local food wey na for fire they go comot the amala..o dig?

One and only white house,their amala fit make person crase hehe

Originalsly:
True...but Bro...is this the best you can do before coming to the table? You came with practically nothing....not even the basic info like the location you have in mind....is it Victoria Island?....in Aba?....or somewhere in the Congo? How serious or businesslike can you be if you can't even provide these common sense info? "The heights of great men reached and kept ....were not attained by sudden flight..... but they as their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night". Chew on that....no disrespect.

I provided them above to someone that asked...

I can't/won't just ask about this kind of thing without doing my own research...

I have done my own outside research, but one place i still lack is Salary and Kitchen wares...

I would have asked about that..but i wanted to hear from the Brilliant minds of Nairaland what it requires to start a restaurant

Just to cross-check what i already know and added knowledge too..

njays24:
By the grace of God. The major challenge we have is power,but we have a standby 40kva generator,but spend quite a lot on diesel.

So it's continental dishes or just the regular Rice and Co...

mashnino:


So it's continental dishes or just the regular Rice and Co...

A normal eatery of eat in and take away. Fried rice n chicken,jollof rice,coconut rice,chicken n chips,pastries,ice cream,popcorn,bread,cupcakes, wedding and other kinds of cakes,shawama, coctail drinks,etc. We also cater for parties;cook for you or supply small chops and cocktails. We do almost anything you want us to do,and if it's bigger than uis we sublet it.

mashnino:
Hey guys

It has always been one of my dream to start a restaurant, i mean a RESTAURANT not roadside food vendor

I know it can be costly to start but i just want to know like what price range should i be talking about...

and one thing i ve always been confused about is the salary for the cooks and food servers(waiters)...

So please anybody here who can help here...

cc seun lalasticlala

Send me a mail at: bighuntentertainment@gmail.com. I think I have some level of experience in this field. Have worked in eatery before and I have moved forward.

bedfordng:
you've been given a big advice.the first thing to take care of when planning to start a business is to register the business name which many business owners fails to do and it may cost you more if sharp guys got a hold of the name you are making use of because they can sue you for using the name which you have been using for ages.

When starting a business, try and register the name first after you've coined a name to go professional and stand out. Most business in nigeria don't have their business name registered.

Just imagine starting a business with a cool name and you've gathered lots of customers but the name is not registered. A sharp guy will use you as bank account by registering the name and sue you for it because the name now belongs to him and not you and you will pay for damages.

So do what is right and start off on the right track. First coin a name and register it before you even open the restaurant.i won't even advice my enemy to open a business without registering the name first because by the time you plan to register it, it may not be available when they search for it or a sharp guy may kick you out of business by stealing your brand if they register the name and open a restaurant at the same area where yours is located and there is nothing you can do because he/she is now the rightful owner of the name.

Years of hardwork gone.just like a website domain name, register your business name before you start.

Not totally true

mabeni:
thanks for d correction brov!

hun, I BE BABE NAH....So call me sis

fpeter:



hun, I BE BABE NAH....So call me sis

hahahaha... you have been brother-zoned

njays24:
A normal eatery of eat in and take away. Fried rice n chicken,jollof rice,coconut rice,chicken n chips,pastries,ice cream,popcorn,bread,cupcakes, wedding and other kinds of cakes,shawama, coctail drinks,etc. We also cater for parties;cook for you or supply small chops and cocktails. We do almost anything you want us to do,and if it's bigger than uis we sublet it.

wooww...

you dey cook everything na...

ehen please... i am scared of food wastage..how do you handle that..?

bedfordng:
you've been given a big advice.the first thing to take care of when planning to start a business is to register the business name which many business owners fails to do and it may cost you more if sharp guys got a hold of the name you are making use of because they can sue you for using the name which you have been using for ages.

When starting a business, try and register the name first after you've coined a name to go professional and stand out. Most business in nigeria don't have their business name registered.

Just imagine starting a business with a cool name and you've gathered lots of customers but the name is not registered. A sharp guy will use you as bank account by registering the name and sue you for it because the name now belongs to him and not you and you will pay for damages.

So do what is right and start off on the right track. First coin a name and register it before you even open the restaurant.i won't even advice my enemy to open a business without registering the name first because by the time you plan to register it, it may not be available when they search for it or a sharp guy may kick you out of business by stealing your brand if they register the name and open a restaurant at the same area where yours is located and there is nothing you can do because he/she is now the rightful owner of the name.

Years of hardwork gone.just like a website domain name, register your business name before you start.

gbam! And it's nt even expensive...

With food, it is always good to determine that you have a food recipe that is customer tested before you invest big capital into it..
We need good and appealing food..With that said, if you sit by the road side on a wooden bench and table with a few buckets and pots, selling good food, customers will return if it is quality and good price..
How mch do these road side sellers spend to start up simple food stops? If your food can survive the most basic set up like a road side seller, then it will survive further investment with a furnished location for a kitchen, seating tables and employees..
Just be sure your menu recipe comes first with gusto and with hygenic practices to support it.. After that, you can make it anywhere even on the road side in the open air..

mashnino:


wooww...

you dey cook everything na...

ehen please... i am scared of food wastage..how do you handle that..?

We calculate and measure whenever we cook. Its not as if there won't be wastage at all,we sell some of our wastages to dog owners.

njays24:
We calculate and measure whenever we cook. Its not as if there won't be wastage at all,we sell some of our wastages to dog owners.

hmmm...seems to me there is never a waste particularly..

But will it b a bad idea if i give my leftover for the previous day to this homeless children that roam the street?

More of like giving back to the needy..ofcourse the food will be warmed and giving to them in good condition

although the children are not well kept...those that are well aquainted with the north know what i am talking about...

[quote author=mashnino post=33925902]

hmmm...seems to me there is never a waste particularly..

But will it b a bad idea if i give my leftover for the previous day to this homeless children that roam the street?

More of like giving back to the needy..ofcourse the food will be warmed and giving to them in good condition

although the children are not well kept...those that are well aquainted with the north know what i am talking about...[/quoteThat particular job of giving to charity is my mothers job. She has taken it upon herself to give to the orphage homes. She takes raw foods,provisions and sometimes cash to them once in a month. But we don't give leftovers to anyone.

[quote author=njays24 post=33926135][/quote]

Thanks..you have been very helpful.... and if by God's grace i get this thing up and running

and all goes well... A dinner is coming your way...lol

In my own honest opinion; having ran a business myself, i would say even if you have all the money in the world, any business you want to start, start small first. Test the waters. It is very important. Don't throw in all your money at once into it yet. The location itself will determine the kind of food people in that area will be eating. It is very easy to lie down and imagine all the money that you will be expecting to coming into your hands. Its not that easy. Restaurant business is stressful! You have to be there present to run it by yourself. It is a business that is very easy for staff to steal from you. If you send them to market they can pocket some money on the side from the market list. Even while making sales the staff can equally cheat you. So you really have to 'bring your eyes down'. I am not wishing you bad at all but i gave this same advice to a friend of mine months back when she was starting hers. She was hardly there. Her staff ran it down. They was a lot of stealing going on and she couldn't detect it. It was not funny when she discovered that she was making sales by the high number of customers trouping in but at the end of the day she still had to borrow to keep buying foodstuff and fuel for the generator. Like my friend did you can pick some stuff from your home first, like generator, freezer, cooking utensils, etc.
While testing the waters then you begin to find out what your customers really want on the menu. People begin to know you. Then you go through your daily sales record religiously. Know how much you are spending / putting in and how much you are actually getting as profit. If you find it encouraging then from there you start to expand. When you begin to expand you can now buy all the fancy furniture and other nice things you wanted to bring in at first. IMHO 600k is okay to start (shop rent inclusive) as capital.

mashnino:


Thanks..you have been very helpful.... and if by God's grace i get this thing up and running

and all goes well... A dinner is coming your way...lol

You're welcome it's my pleasure.

crowns2:
In my own honest opinion; having ran a business myself, i would say even if you have all the money in the world, any business you want to start, start small first. Test the waters. It is very important. Don't throw in all your money at once into it yet. The location itself will determine the kind of food people in that area will be eating. It is very easy to lie down and imagine all the money that you will be expecting to coming into your hands. Its not that easy. Restaurant business is stressful! You have to be there present to run it by yourself. It is a business that is very easy for staff to steal from you. If you send them to market they can pocket some money on the side from the market list. Even while making sales the staff can equally cheat you. So you really have to 'bring your eyes down'. I am not wishing you bad at all but i gave this same advice to a friend of mine months back when she was starting hers. She was hardly there. Her staff ran it down. They was a lot of stealing going on and she couldn't detect it. It was not funny when she discovered that she was making sales by the high number of customers trouping in but at the end of the day she still had to borrow to keep buying foodstuff and fuel for the generator. Like my friend did you can pick some stuff from your home first, like generator, freezer, cooking utensils, etc.
While testing the waters then you begin to find out what your customers really want on the menu. People begin to know you. Then you go through your daily sales record religiously. Know how much you are spending / putting in and how much you are actually getting as profit. If you find it encouraging then from there you start to expand. When you begin to expand you can now buy all the fancy furniture and other nice things you wanted to bring in at first. IMHO 600k is okay to start (shop rent inclusive) as capital.

Now that's very scary... That's why i want to make most of the transactions cashless...

Getting a POS is my number one priority ooo...

I am a graduate of Computer Science, so i think i know some ways to curb some of these loop holes with tech...

But mehn... this your post is really scary..but at the end of the day.. it will add to experience..

Thanks for dropping by...i really appreciate

bedfordng:
you've been given a big advice.the first thing to take care of when planning to start a business is to register the business name which many business owners fails to do and it may cost you more if sharp guys got a hold of the name you are making use of because they can sue you for using the name which you have been using for ages.

When starting a business, try and register the name first after you've coined a name to go professional and stand out. Most business in nigeria don't have their business name registered.

Just imagine starting a business with a cool name and you've gathered lots of customers but the name is not registered. A sharp guy will use you as bank account by registering the name and sue you for it because the name now belongs to him and not you and you will pay for damages.

So do what is right and start off on the right track. First coin a name and register it before you even open the restaurant.i won't even advice my enemy to open a business without registering the name first because by the time you plan to register it, it may not be available when they search for it or a sharp guy may kick you out of business by stealing your brand if they register the name and open a restaurant at the same area where yours is located and there is nothing you can do because he/she is now the rightful owner of the name.

Years of hardwork gone.just like a website domain name, register your business name before you start.

This piece of advice is the most important. If you open your unregistered restaurant...with your big green and white neon sign. .....,,...... M A S H N I N O 's finger licking R E S T A U R A N T.... and your joint becomes the talk of the town and the place to eat ...yes, I can register the exact name.... build my restaurant to look exactly like yours .... sue you ...shut you down.....and guess whrere your clientele would always come to eat?.....while you be preaching lamentations?....and trying to build another brand?...if HBP doesn't send you express back to the dust.

Thanks ,it depends on your budget ,while an ambitious budget could go as high as N5M while a modest one could go as low as N1m
all depend on u and the environment of the biz.

njays24:
You're welcome it's my pleasure.

ehen..please do you know the name of this touch screen monitors they use in fast food

it is always attached to a receipt printer... the attendant selects the food the customer wants to buy

and then the thing generates the amount and prints the receipt

mashnino:


ehen..please do you know the name of this touch screen monitors they use in fast food

it is always attached to a receipt printer... the attendant selects the food the customer wants to buy

and then the thing generates the amount and prints the receipt

That's the receipt machine.

oyin01:
Not totally true

ok

If starting up any business is no child 's play, then setting up restaurant business isn't what anyone can venture into.From the outside, everyone desire to own one but how many dare pay the price required ?
If you want to start a restaurant bizness, the first thing you need is not money, neither is it a good location or the equipment. What you need is PASSION! It is the passion that keeps you going when things are tough, when customers refuse to show up even when your food is good and this passion is what propels you to go through the stage of little Beginning into something great.
I started a restaurant business precisely a year and 2 months ago and glory be to God it has grown into close to a million naira worth of business.
Time will not permit me to really highlight many other things and I will try n do that lata. Try and get your passion right and asked yourself if this is what you really want

beylinko:
If starting up any business is no child 's play, then setting up restaurant business isn't what anyone can venture into.From the outside, everyone desire to own one but how many dare pay the price required ?
If you want to start a restaurant bizness, the first thing you need is not money, neither is it a good location or the equipment. What you need is PASSION! It is the passion that keeps you going when things are tough, when customers refuse to show up even when your food is good and this passion is what propels you to go through the stage of little Beginning into something great.
I started a restaurant business precisely a year and 2 months ago and glory be to God it has grown into close to a million naira worth of business.
Time will not permit me to really highlight many other things and I will try n do that lata. Try and get your passion right and asked
yourself if this is what you really want

Pls how much did you start with?