Sydney Community College

Start Your Own Café or Restaurant

Everything you need to plan a successful café or restaurant. How to create a popular concept, choose a good location, prepare for competition, locate suppliers and find good staff. The legal, financial and personal aspects of your business will be at the forefront of all discussions – set up costs, total investment, partnership issues and ‘bottom line’ success. Plus, how to assess the profit potential of a food business for sale.

This is a very practical course run by a former restaurant owner (now consultant) with many years of experience. Included in the course fee is a private one-hour consultation on your individual plans.

If you want to learn to Start Your Own Café or Restaurant in Sydney, then this course is for you.

Agenda

During this course the intention is that the following topics will be covered, but not necessarily in the order given. Due to the variable nature of Adult Education classes, parts of the curriculum may be adapted to suit the needs of the class

Introduction:

• Cafés, Restaurants and Small Business issues

Customers are Everything:

• What you need to know about your target customers
• What will your customers want?

Legal Issues, Health Requirements and Legal Structures:

• Licenses and approvals needed to operate a business
• The Taxation Office – how to keep them happy and out of your way!
• NSW Food Regulations
• The legal structure of your business
• Your partnership agreement

Buying a Restaurant or Pioneering?:

• Information you need when looking at a business for sale
• Tricks and traps for the unwary
• Factors to consider in deciding whether to buy a business or to pioneer
• Putting together a Business Plan

Staffing – Find Good People and Keep Them!:

• The Chain of Employment
• Advertising and interviewing techniques to save time and frustration
• Choosing the right staff for the job
• Staffing checklist

Location, Layout and Design of Your Business:

• Kitchen layout and design
• Equipment List
• Restaurant makeovers

Marketing for Restaurants and Cafés:

• What it’s all about – concept, pricing, location and promotion
• What sort of marketing works best in the hospitality business?

Menus and ‘Concepts’:

• Designing a profitable menu
• Menu inspiration

Putting it all Together and Making a Profit:

• The Breakeven Sales point – the level of sales when you make a profit
• Set up costs and investment
• Key Performance Indicators – KPIs
• The problem of theft

Resources for the Future:

• Books
• Articles
• Websites

Objectives

The intended Learning Outcomes for this course are as follows.

By the end of the course the student will be able to:

• Understand current hospitality trends and the competitive pressures facing restaurants and cafés in Australia
• Prepare a feasibility study for a business they are planning
• Calculate the profit potential of a typical small restaurant or café
• Understand the issues involved in buying an existing business that is for sale
• Understand the broad legal issues involved and locate specialist advice
• Prepare for the recruitment of staff suitable for their business
• Locate sources of equipment and supplies for a new business
• Understand the key design issues for a small restaurant or café

Other Information

The fee includes a consultation for each student after the workshop valued at $60.

Leichhardt Campus, Sydney Secondary College (formerly Leichhardt High School) is located on the corner of Balmain Road and Moore Street West. Pedestrian entrance is on Balmain Rd near Annesley St intersection. Limited parking is available in the school car park, which is accessible from Derbyshire Rd (west of Balmain Rd). Drivers can also park in Annesley St or Hill St (east of Balmain Rd).

PLS NOTE: All classes need a minimum number of students to go ahead. If your course does not have enough students it will be cancelled and you will be informed.***Please be aware that you may be informed of a cancellation &/or change via SMS or E-mail.