25 Best Business Ideas for Restaurants to Make Money

It’s not too hard to make money with the right business ideas for restaurants!

This article shows you 25 really awesome such money making business ideas for restaurants.

 

Importance

From the mid-section of your body once again that old familiar sound and feeling begin to take place.

It is the sound and feeling of hunger and one that you can almost set your smartwatch by.

It must be dinnertime and sure enough, you check your watch, and it reads 532 p.m.

Your body sends the clear message that it is time to eat.

You check the inside of the refrigerator, and nothing looks appealing and then you check the outside of the refrigerator and look at restaurant menus to see if there is an agreement with your mind and stomach on what to eat.

The reality is that 100% of us need to eat.

Sometimes our meals are planned and sometimes we are spontaneous but in either case, a decision needs to be made on what to eat.

If we choose to eat out or have “take out” our decision is based on what type of food we have a craving for, our budget if we want simply to eat or have an experience, etc.

The restaurant business goes through the same process.

However, their motivation is income and as part of that goal meeting the food needs of their customers.

With that in mind let us look at the restaurant business and serve up some ideas for the eatery to make money.

 

25 Best Money Making Business Ideas for Restaurants

 

1. Food Truck 

There are two ways to get individuals or customers to eat at your restaurant.

The customers can come to you and eat at your location, or you can get the food to the customer.

Getting the food to the customer can be delivered also in two ways.

One way is to utilize or promote food delivery services such as UberEats or DoorDash.

Another way, to get food to your customers and increase your visibility is to utilize a food truck.

By investing in a food truck, you can take your menu items to businesses and areas where employees frequent on their lunch breaks.

Also, an aspect of your business that you can expand through a food truck is by catering your services for several events.

 

2. Cafe

An option to increase your restaurant business is to not only provide a sit-down service where customers can order food but also expand your service to include the use of a café style restaurant eating experience.

The inside of your restaurant can be a formal sit-down dining experience.

On the other hand, the customer may be on a tight schedule and may just wish to eat quickly a sandwich, salad, have a specialty drink, etc and eat in the café.

 

3. Pop-up 

A way to create interest in your community is to utilize what is known as a “pop-up” restaurant.

As the name pop-up implies, it is just a quick business that is started and then closes down in a few days.

The promotion or marketing of this restaurant opportunity can stimulate interest and curiosity in the community and may provide a unique meal for the customer or a unique cuisine that is basically here today and gone tomorrow.

The interest that is shown by the customers may indicate the need for something more long-term and may drive customers to your establishment and perhaps incorporate the “experiment” on a permanent basis.

 

4. Family-Style 

A family-style dining option for restaurant-goers is to eat at your restaurant that offers family-style dining.

Family-style dining is defined as large servings of the menu item served at the table and, just like at home, the items are served upon the plates of the family members.

Ordering is quick and efficient where the menu is brought to the family, an order number is provided to the waiter or waitress and the meal is brought out with all of the side dishes and the main course.

 

5. Specialty 

A specialty restaurant is a dining option in which only one item is on the menu but is served in a variety of ways.

For example, the menu item could be anything related to chicken and the specialty of the restaurant is the various ways that the chicken can be prepared.

Examples of preparation would include fried chicken, chicken cacciatore, Parmesan chicken, chicken Alfredo, chicken nuggets for the kids, etc.

This restaurant option may cut down on expenses as it relates to side dishes and help to minimize staff involvement knowing that the customer is going to order chicken but prepared in different ways.

 

6. Cooking Classes 

Owning a restaurant, as with any other business, is all about the customer.

As it relates to the restaurant, perhaps an opportunity to engage the customer, even more, would be to involve them, on certain nights of the workweek, in providing an opportunity to be part of the food preparation.

They could learn about the way the restaurant business works, how the food is prepared, learn about different recipes, and get an opportunity to sample some of the prepared items.

Following the involvement with the cook, the customers would be invited to go out to the dining area of the restaurant and sit down and enjoy their meal.

This could be a great way for them to be fully engaged in the whole dining experience from start to finish.

 

7. Farm-to-Table 

A commitment that a restaurant can be involved with is the serving of food that has been produced through significantly reduced carbon emission processes.

Your restaurant would work with local farmers and have the food delivered fresh every day to the restaurant.

The appeal to certain customers may be that when eating at that restaurant they are doing their part to reduce the carbon footprint and eating quality locally grown food.

 

8. Interactive 

Many restaurants make the eating out experience very interactive.

A case in point would be some Asian restaurants in which the food is cooked right before the customers and provides an entertaining and unique way of dining by having the food prepared right them.

As a restaurant owner, perhaps the installation of a couple of hibachi grills with a professional chef preparing the food in front of the customers may be a good way of jumpstarting your restaurant business.

 

9. Theme 

As stated before, the customer not only wants to eat well but also have a full experience.

Therefore, a possibility of providing that full experience for a customer is by providing a theme to your restaurant.

It could be a dining facility that is a throwback to the 50s or 60s, and the guests can talk about their nostalgic days as they interact with all of the items displayed on the wall and the various pieces of restaurant furniture.

Being involved in such an evening out would be a memory created for all.

 

10. Picturesque 

As a restaurant owner, it is important to remember the power of social media and the visual aesthetics involved when individuals post on their social media platforms their dining out experience.

Often, those that follow others on social media platforms will remark about the eating out experience posted by the individual.

Remarks or responses by an individual’s following will remark about those in attendance, the atmosphere of the restaurant, and the visual surroundings as well as the look of the food.

It is important to remember that a picture is worth 1000 words and an engaging photo taken by one of your customers will go a long way in promoting your restaurant business.

 

11. Partner 

With there being strength in numbers, a good way to promote your restaurant business would be to partner with another company involved in the foodservice industry.

For example, if there is a local brewery in town, you could work with that brewery in providing that craft beer as part of your spirit’s menu.

Also, there are restaurant chains that may not be represented in your community.

For example, if the Cheesecake Factory does not have a location in your geographical area, perhaps you could work out a contractual agreement with them to provide their cheesecake as part of the dessert menu.

As part of your marketing and advertising process, you can indicate to your customers or potential new customers the availability of these added features to your menu.

 

12. Entertainment 

In keeping with the full experience of dining out that customers wish to enjoy, perhaps you could make arrangements with a local entertainer to provide the entertainment with the evening meal.

Possibilities would include being a singer, piano player, etc.

Also, in the course of the evening, you could perhaps have a karaoke night or some other type of contest in which the patrons would want to stay around and be involved in the festivities.

You could charge a minimal cover fee and perhaps provide “well drinks” at a reduced cost during a certain timeframe.

 

13. Own Meal 

To add to the customer’s enjoyment, you could provide your menu with the opportunity for individuals to pick and choose what ingredients or foods they would like prepared for their meal.

In essence, they would be building their own meal dependent upon their own favorites as it relates to adding ingredients.

• Sources and Websites to Help You Get Free Food To Eat
• Sources and Websites that Really Pay You To Eat Food

 

14. Delivery 

Due to the recent pandemic, some customers have grown accustomed to having their food delivered to them.

In keeping with the customer’s needs, it is important to provide this opportunity for individuals to purchase food from your restaurant and have the option of having the food delivered.

You could rely on food delivery services, UberEats, DoorDash, or you could initiate your own delivery service and make that delivery service uniquely your own.

Perhaps your restaurant has a theme such as the early 1920s or the roaring 20s.

You could create a vehicle that captures this era and even the horn could have an “Ooga” sound.

 

15. Charities 

Another great way to increase your visibility and help your community in the process is by selecting a charity once a month.

Perhaps, a percentage of the money collected for the purchases of desserts by customers could go towards the coffers of that not-for-profit.

Customers have the opportunity to eat at your restaurant, and while eating feel good knowing that they are giving back to their community by giving to respected and powerful charities within the community area.

• Business Ideas for Photographers
• Large Scale Business Ideas

 

16. Holidays 

Many individuals like to go out and enjoy a meal at a restaurant during special times of the year.

Examples of those special times of the year could include Mother’s or Father’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, meals during the holiday season, etc.

These days you can hold specials as it relates to who or what the relationship role is in the family.

For example, on Mother’s Day, you could hire a special Mother’s Day entertainment singer, provide a carnation or provide a discount for those mothers in attendance.

 

17. Yelp 

Another important part of the digital marketing dynamic is through social media platforms such as Yelp.

When an individual is looking for a restaurant, often one of the sites that will be made available to the individual looking for the restaurant is Yelp.

Yelp provides a good opportunity for a potential customer to look at the ratings of the restaurant, read any reviews, how to contact your restaurant, etc.

Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to sites such as this and if there are any miscommunications or negative postings, address those issues and consider them seriously and make the proper strides to correct any of those misunderstandings.

 

18. Local Event 

As part of your advertising focus, it is important to be aware of what else is going on in your community.

For example, if a bicycle tour is going to be coming to your city, it is important to focus on that event and to surround your advertisement leveraging that event by gaining new or drawing in existing customers.

This would not only benefit your restaurant and a possible increase in patrons but could stretch out your marketing dollars by taking advantage of marketing that is already in place.

 

19. Marketing

The success of any business, including the restaurant business, is based upon an aggressive and diverse marketing plan.

The marketing plan could be through the use of local media such as radio stations, television stations, newspapers, etc.

Also, in today’s day and age, it is important not to overlook the importance of social media and perhaps advertising through such platforms as TikTok, free radio stations such as Pandora, and more.

Also, as the restaurant owner, it is important to meet and greet other business leaders and customers, and be a part of local service clubs such as Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, etc.

Also, when there are events in the community, you may wish to rent a booth if possible and provide samples of your restaurant fare.

 

20. Coupons 

In order to get people into your restaurant, it is often a good idea to offer coupons that provide a discount for individuals.

Often, in a community, there are booklets that are mailed out to individuals in the community that offer a variety of coupons for services in the city at a discount.

You can take advantage, as a restaurant, of this booklet that goes to community households and offers a discount on your meals served.

The discount could be for senior citizens, with one individual buying a meal at full price with the other meal provided to a companion at half-price with or without a free beverage.

This is a good opportunity for a senior who wishes to eat out but oftentimes has a limited income and therefore this will allow for their dollars to stretch further.

 

21. Kid’s Night 

Certain nights of the week are slower than other nights as far as dining out is concerned.

Two of the slowest nights are Monday and Tuesday.

On either one of these days, you could offer children to eat free or at a discount on these nights to attract more customers and provide a discount for the family.

You would need to specify what age is classified as a child in which they could take advantage of the half-price or eating free.

 

22. Senior’s Night 

An age group that is on a fixed income and would like to eat out but often costs prohibit them from doing so is the senior citizen population.

Therefore, on a specific night, you could have senior citizens eat at half-price when accompanied, perhaps with the members of their family.

This would allow families with seniors to interact with members of the family and enjoy a pleasant time and meal together, as well as enjoy the discount offered to senior citizens.

 

23. Veterans 

A well-respected segment of the community that can live in any town or city is the veteran community.

A good way to honor the service of these men and women is to provide a discount to them on a particular day of the month or less frequently.

An added benefit to the business would be those that attend the meal with the veteran, who would pay full price, could potentially be new or repeat customers.

Also, the community will recognize what your business is endeavoring to do in honoring those that have served, and an appreciation for that focus will show their appreciation by dining at your facility.

 

24. Children’s Contest 

Many restaurants offer a little pack of crayons and drawn sheets of paper so that the children can be engaged while the food is being prepared and brought to your table.

A monthly contest could be held by collecting these scribblings or drawings and portrayed on the walls of the restaurant, minus any food scrapings.

At the end of the month, the customers can vote on the artistic work of their choice and the competition could be in various categories such as the child’s age.

The winner of the event could perhaps win a family meal for themselves and members of their immediate family.

 

25. Engage Staff 

A great way to empower the staff at a restaurant is to have a staff meeting occasionally and invite the staff members to offer suggestions on how the business can improve as well as address any particular employment challenges that the staff may be experiencing.

This will not only provide a venue for the staff to feel empowered but an opportunity to possibly hear some great ideas that can be implemented and increase the bottom line.

The staff member that suggests a great idea and it becomes successful can be provided with a monetary reward or presentation of a gift certificate.

 

Personal Story

During the earlier part of my ministerial career we, along with the senior pastor, were hosting a financial consultant from our denominational headquarters.

We had chosen this restaurant to eat at and were discussing business as well as getting to know each other.

We were having a delightful time.

The next thing we knew, our conversation was interrupted by the high whirring sounds of a vacuum cleaner.

Looking at our watches we realized that it was closing time for the restaurant and time had gotten away from us.

Rather than the restaurant staff asking us to politely leave, they went about their end-of-the-day routine which includes vacuuming.

We all laughed and appreciated the staff accommodating our rudeness for overextending our stay.

Of course, that restaurant became our favorite dining out spot because of the food, the great time we shared, and the professionalism of the staff and management.

 

Money Earning Restaurants Business Ideas FAQs

 

What is the Biggest Challenge That Restaurant Owners Face?

One of the biggest challenges facing owners is keeping good staff.

A recent statistic indicated that turnover was at a rate of 73%.

 

What Seems to Be the Best Marketing Strategy for a Restaurant?

According to Fast Casual the best marketing strategy or service to offer today is to provide options for the guest.

In particular the options of mobile ordering and delivery.

 

You Can Do It

The restaurant business can be a tough business to make a profit from.

The high cost of food, managing staff, overhead, etc. are all challenges faced by the food industry.

However, with some creativity and marketing strategies, customer loyalty can be built as well as attaining new customers.

 

Conclusion

People have to eat, and the old adage is that if you feed them they will come.

Customers and potential customers just need a little incentive to dine in or have take-out.

Your hard work will pay off in satisfying the grumbling sounds and taste buds of your clientele.