The present state of our world has frightened many wannabe restaurateurs, and for good reason. COVID-19, forced closures, and the seemingly vicious distancing rules in many countries have thrown the global restaurant industry into mystery. Regardless, some restaurant startups survived the pandemic and even thrived. In light of this, this piece highlights those restaurant businesses with a high chance of success.
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Why Your Startup CAN Make It
Traditionally, restaurant running costs are high due to intensive labour requirements, waste, costly operations facilities, heightened competition, and low margins. The pandemic only made it worse.
The advent of free menu makers has reduced costs and improved delivery services, but the effect of COVID-19 lingers. Even long-standing industry players are still adjusting to weather COVID-19's impact, let alone the newcomer.
This doesn’t mean any food business startup is doomed to fail, especially now that we’re hopefully in the twilight of the coronavirus era. There are factual reasons to be optimistic about your food business start-up. For example, a recent report by Yelp says:
“Food and restaurant openings were down in 2020, but had mostly recovered by Q4.”
A Brief Guide on the Best Restaurants to Start in 2023
To start a successful restaurant, you need more than just food ideas. You must thoroughly research the local restaurant market and probably even consult experts or risk taking the wrong first step.
Your research will determine where to locate the restaurant, recipes to offer, menu prices, marketing channels, ingredients, and so on. You can find more detailed articles on how to start a new restaurant for deeper explanations of restaurant market research.
Even if you’re to start a restaurant chain, market realities are why you’re unlikely to offer the same dishes in each restaurant.
For example, the staple foods of a city or country can sell well in all your restaurants within that city or country. However, attempting to sell some dishes everywhere might lead to losses. You may find that the locals aren't used to such foods, the ingredients are in short supply or even unavailable, or there might be too much competition for them.
Food Truck Ideas for 2023
Of all food service businesses, a food truck is the least difficult to start, and for valid reasons. Its startup cost is relatively low, it isn’t labour-intensive, you don’t need to lease a location or buy many facilities, and you can establish it in a matter of days. A free menu template further slashes the startup cost since you won’t spend on design and printing.
There are more than 100 food truck ideas (recipes) you can start offering today, and you can create other blends yourself or modify some recipes.
Here are a few to kick-start your imagination:
- Popcorn chicken
- Birria tacos
- Brie and cranberry burgers
- Chilli loaded nachos
- Vegetable samosas
- Pork gyozas
- Chilli chicken ramen
Restaurant Recipe Ideas for 2023
Akin to food truck recipes, restaurants can choose from among 100+ dishes to offer. The most important thing is offering the right dishes at competitive prices in the right market.
No matter how good your cooks are, only when you sell what people want will they buy — provided they can afford your prices.
So, here’s a list of popular dishes from various cuisines that you could offer:
- Herby toad in the hole
- Aubergine rollatini
- Chicken shawarma
- Omelette Irani
- Chicken a l’orange
- Jackfruit Carnitas
- Chicken Katsu curry
- Roasted lamb and trimmings
- Cherry and almond tart
- Key lime pie
Other Food Service Businesses to Try
Apart from the traditional restaurant and food truck business, there are other unique ways to sell food and make reasonable profits.
A few examples are:
- Ice cream shop
- Coffee shop
- Meal kits
- Baked goods
- Sauces: This may appear unusual, but you can focus on sauces and make good money from them. If you can create a unique sauce that tastes great, you can create a vast market around it by selling to other food service businesses or direct to consumers. The biggest challenge is getting the right taste and marketing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which food items business is most profitable?
There’s no universal best idea when it comes to the most profitable food items for restaurants. All you need to do is offer what people want, how they want it, and affordably.
What food sells the most in restaurants?
Staple foods sell the most in restaurants. While some special dishes can gain widespread acceptance in a community, they’re no substitute for staple foods.
What is the easiest restaurant to start?
In our opinion, a food truck is the easiest restaurant to start. It provides meals, just like any other restaurant and doesn’t require a fixed location.
Conclusion
This article is short but explains a lot about the best restaurants to start in 2023. One point we must emphasise is that there’s no magic word for starting a successful food service business in 2023. Plenty of time and effort goes into identifying a suitable location and offering popular dishes at competitive prices.
