If you walk into your local shopping centre, you will see exactly the same things as you would in any other shopping centre in the country – a number of large, brand name stores; some smaller, independently run shops; a sprawling food court stuffed to the brim with fast food restaurants.
Unfortunately, with the current state of the economy, many of the larger retailers have been finding themselves strapped for cash, with many of them (HMV, GameStation, Woolworths and the like) either going bust completely or going into administration.
There is, however, an upside to this troubling situation – small businesses are coming back into fashion, experiencing their own renaissance and flourishing. Food carts are doing well and food kiosks are really taking off. Take advantage of this boom as soon as you can; here’s how to do it.
What Cuisine Are You Offering?
The first, and most important, thing to do is to work out what you’re going to offer on your menu. Most people who are looking to enter into the food industry have some form of experience; if you’ve never worked at a restaurant before, you’d best make sure you are competent and prepared to serve food.
If you have good knowledge of a certain type of cuisine, or you have a background in it (say your mother is French, for example), this can be a good way to find your niche. Practice, practice, practice – you need to get good before people will pay for it, so start force feeding your friends and family until they love your cooking!
Location, Location, Location
Figure out where you want to be! Look around your local shopping centre or even on the main street in your town – either of these would make a good place to start. If you’re going to the mall, make sure to do some research: look out for areas with high amounts of foot traffic as these will be the places where you get the most customers.
Try not to go inside a food court or other area with lot of competition, as you may find yourself lost among the competitors. However, if you feel your offerings are unique or that you stand out from the crowd, a food court may well be the best place for you.
Get Authorised
Unlike a touch screen kiosk, like the ones offered at www.evoke-kiosks.co.uk, a food kiosk will need special permits. You’ll need a vending licence as well as a handful of health certificates to prove you pass hygiene laws and the like.
You will probably need to undergo a number of different inspections too; speak to other food kiosk operators in your local area to find out exactly what you need to get hold of and what hoops you have to go through before you are allowed to start.
Once you’ve done everything you need, you can open your doors for business! Bon appetit!
