How to promote a roadside cafe. Experience of Japanese restaurateurs.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

Starting investments: from 2,000,000 - 2,500,000 ₽

Number of seats: 60+

Average check: 300 ₽

Payback period: 18-24 months.

Many people dream of having their own cafe. But not everyone survives in a competitive market. Roadside fast food cafe is a free and promising niche. You can earn no less, but have more development prospects.

The Russian catering market is saturated, and the competition is merciless. Such harsh working conditions force restaurateurs to develop new formats and expand their business geography. A promising area where you can still find a free niche is catering establishments on highways. Most of the points outside the city have not yet been developed; competition here is much lower than in cities. Besides this, the services of roadside cafes are relevant for many people.

City highways are already clogged with various retail outlets, but interregional highways, on the contrary, are almost undeveloped by public catering establishments. The options that exist are often “cafes from the past.” Such establishments, most often, even outwardly present a rather pitiful sight and do not enjoy the trust of drivers and their passengers. The most promising and modern format of cafes near highways can be called the fast food segment. During long trips, most drivers and passengers use the services of fast food outlets. And the stereotype that a roadside cafe can only serve you poison or fried pies is no longer appropriate.

A cafe near the highway is the same as a restaurant that must meet the requirements, meet the standards of any catering establishment and even have its own concept. In Russia, roadside cafes are just beginning to improve. The example of European restaurateurs who manage to place both a small dining room with home cooking and a cozy coffee shop next to highways is stimulating. But in Russia, the idea of a quick snack rather than a measured meal on the side of the road is more likely to take root. Therefore, it would be more profitable to open a fast food catering outlet. This is a meal that you can quickly prepare and take with you in the car for a snack on the road.

Choosing a location for a roadside cafe: the main difficulties

Please note that choosing a suitable location is one of the most important points for a roadside cafe or roadside restaurant. Therefore, you need to know some nuances so as not to make mistakes. The wrong location can significantly reduce revenue.

Optimal placement of a roadside cafe:

gas stations;
areas near populated areas;
rest areas on the highways in picturesque places;
close to convenient transport links.

At gas stations, everything is not as simple as it might seem. Gas station operators are unlikely to be happy about the appearance of a competitor who will offer a worthy alternative to their products. For a gas station, you are a direct competitor, so opening your establishment may face competition even on the sidelines, almost in an open field. But this is not the only difficulty. The development of areas along highways is also difficult because such places often do not meet the requirements. Problems arise at the level of connecting to electricity, water disposal, sewerage, and the same thing with the disposal of income and transportation of products. All communications must be connected to the area that you plan to use as a cafe. If this is not the case, no one will allow you to open a catering establishment.

As a result, communications and delivery of fresh products to remote locations become very expensive. Trying to save money, many cafe owners try to create a menu of fast food dishes. Unfortunately, this often ends with microwaved pizza.

Solving this problem is also not easy. To carry out communications, serious investments will be required, which will almost double the costs. In this regard, most entrepreneurs decide to open an establishment on the territory of ready-made complexes located on highways. Points concentrated in one territory work for each other and ultimately increase sales. But it’s not a fact that a business that has already taken root in these complexes will want to let you in. Therefore, carefully evaluate the site where you plan to locate the cafe. Be sure to consider the possibility of connecting to utility networks, the presence of other establishments nearby with which you can cooperate, as well as the degree of adequacy of their owners.

Development of a business plan for a roadside cafe

It is recommended to start developing a business plan after you resolve the issue with the premises. Be sure to think through the production, financial and marketing parts. If the project will be financed with borrowed funds, you will have to draw up an investment plan. The bank will require this when it considers your loan application.

A thoughtful, well-written business plan will help not only in raising funds. It will help you avoid unnecessary expenses and problems at the start. What questions need to be considered as part of a business plan:

collection of all permitting documentation;
registration of the premises (documents, communications, repairs, etc.);
equipment purchase;
staff, their work schedule, payroll;
description of the concept, service, production process;
menu development;
promotion methods;
calculation of all expenses: initial and monthly;
calculation of planned profit;
calculation of basic economic indicators: cost of food, revenue and profit, profitability, payback period.

The result of your work should be a detailed plan of your actions for opening a cafe. This way you will understand what you need to do, how long each stage of preparation will take, how much revenue the establishment must have in order for it to be profitable. Once you know these numbers, it will be easier for you to navigate the complex process of organizing a cafe and make business decisions.

The main part of the business plan is the calculation of financial indicators. At the planning stage, you can understand whether it is profitable to open a roadside cafe in these conditions, or whether it is better to find a more profitable business.

Pre-launch plan

To ensure high-quality and prompt execution of a business plan for opening a roadside cafe , you should implement a specific plan of mandatory actions, including:

Registration of the establishment's activities in the form of a legal entity.
Opening a current account and registering with the tax office.
Selecting a point on the route with suitable infrastructure.
Obtaining the necessary licenses and permits.
Assess existing market opportunities for attracting investments and select the optimal option.
Studying the issue of attracting personnel willing to work in a place remote from populated areas.

How to register and arrange a cafe near the highway

The registration and registration procedure for a roadside cafe is quite labor-intensive. The registration and registration algorithm is as follows:

Register your business as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity
. For the roadside cafe format, an individual entrepreneur is suitable. If you are planning a chain of fast food outlets, you will need to register as a legal entity. Registering a business is the first step, since the lease agreement is concluded with you as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. As a tax system, you should choose the simplified tax system at a rate of 15% (income minus expenses).
OKVED codes for roadside cafes: 56.10 “Activities of restaurants and food delivery services”, 56.10.1 “Activities of restaurants and cafes with full restaurant service, cafeterias, fast food and self-service restaurants”, 56.10.21 “Activities of public catering establishments with service Takeaway".
Determine a location for your retail outlet
. Contact the road construction department to find out which district the selected land plot belongs to.
Submit an application for land ownership or lease
. This is done by the district administration.
Draw up a lease or ownership agreement
to the site by contacting the FUGRTs.
Design a cafe building
. When you are given a decree to transfer the land, contact a licensed architect to draw up a design and sketch of the building for the cafe and the installation of utilities.
Receive and sign the approval document.
Once the design documentation is ready, contact the architecture and urban planning department. You will be provided with an approval document, which should be signed by the administration, district utility systems, fire protection and SES.
Contact the architecture department.
With the signed act, you need to contact the architecture department again. After this you will receive a building permit.
Get permission to open a cafe
. Then head to the administration to have your documents approved. If the entire package of documents is collected in accordance with the requirements, you will be given permission to open a cafe.
Invite a commission to make an opinion
. When the construction of the facility is completed, you need to invite a commission that will inspect the building and issue an appropriate conclusion.
Pass the SES check
. The next controlling organization is SES. Authorized representatives will come to your establishment to inspect the premises and issue an opinion on the possibility of opening.
Pass a fire inspection
. The final stage is a fire inspection.
Read also: Business idea: organizing your own car restoration business

Once you have received all the permits, you can move on to organizing the production process.

Roadside cafe concept: what does the client want today?

Many entrepreneurs believe that a roadside cafe is far from a restaurant, so marketing laws may not be followed. Today, the “it will do” strategy is working worse and worse. Customers have formed certain consumer expectations from roadside establishments, ranging from their appearance and quality of service to the menu. Fewer and fewer drivers are willing to trust their health to obscure stalls selling pasties and tent signs with Pepsi-Cola logos, with packs of dogs constantly running around them.

Regardless of whether the cafe is located on a tourist route or on a regular one, it is important for any visitor that the establishment meets the following conditions:

purity;
fast service;
tasty and high quality food;
budget prices.

That is why the most popular catering format on the highways today are quick service cafes, which meet all the stated consumer requirements. The specificity of restaurants on highways is that the decision to stop at a particular establishment is made from a moving car, that is, at high speed. In the psychology of drivers, a clean, safe and cheap establishment with fast service is associated with open spaces, large and transparent windows (often floor-length), an open kitchen, a bright and attractive sign, in general, all the distinctive properties of modern fast food chains. On the contrary, dark and nondescript buildings have far from the best associations: they are unsafe, the food is stale, takes a long time to cook or is tasteless. As a rule, if we are not talking about picturesque places with observation decks, then most people do not need waiters. The concept of roadside cafes fits perfectly with the principle of self-service and the ability to take food with you.

The main advantage of fast food is, of course, a large flow of customers. If the owners of traditional cafes consider it a success to host two to three dozen people a day, then the traffic of fast food outlets can be 500-1000 people a day. With such a flow and an average check of at least 300 rubles, daily revenue can be from 150 thousand rubles.

In any case, a roadside cafe near the highway assumes the following parameters:

availability of convenient access roads and parking;
the number of seats is at least 60;
premises no more than 200 sq.m.

It is not practical to open a room that is too large for a roadside cafe. It is better to create a cozy atmosphere and save on space. There is no need to place many seats. In roadside cafes, visitors do not stay for long, so seats become available quickly.

Creating a menu for a roadside cafe

A roadside cafe should offer simple cuisine or create a menu of dishes that are simple in terms of cooking technology, especially when it comes to fast food. Today, no one wants to wait long: people stop at roadside cafes not to pass the time, but to satisfy their hunger.

What dishes should be included in the menu

The most popular product on the go is coffee
or drinks based on it. So be sure to include coffee on the menu.
Burgers/sandwiches.
Burgers are the most convenient snack option on the road: filling, you can take it with you and eat it on the go or in the car.
Bakery
. An ideal addition to coffee. But this is not only a popular menu item, but also a marketing technique. It turns out that the aroma of fresh baked goods is associated with a homely atmosphere and encourages visitors to make a purchase. The popularity of hearty baked goods can be explained by the fact that they are usually more affordable compared to other snacks. One such product is enough for lunch, and this is one of the most budget options. Typically, baked goods in roadside cafes are prepared from frozen semi-finished products - it’s cheaper, faster and easier.
Ready meals
(salads, chicken nuggets, French fries) are usually offered in full-fledged fast food cafes. All dishes are prepared directly in the cafe from ingredients, for which special equipment is used: grills, deep fryer, oven, etc. Therefore, if you plan to include these items in the menu, be prepared to purchase additional kitchen equipment.
Snacks
. Don’t forget to dilute the assortment with various snacks that visitors can grab on the road. These are chips, crackers, cookies, nuts, chocolates - place them in an open display to stimulate sales.

Also consider these recommendations:

Provide free boiling water for cafe visitors
. Such a little thing can form a good impression of you. And a visitor who happens to come to you, for whom you did not spare boiling water, will want to buy lunch from you.
Never skimp on food quality
. Let your costs pay off a couple of months later, but you will maintain quality. Cook only from fresh ingredients, despite the fact that most of your visitors will be random people, and there is no point in you fighting for a regular customer.

What will be the costs after opening the cafe?

The hall for the cafe was prepared, equipment for the establishment was purchased. It's time to worry about staff and supplies.

We will need the following staff: 2 cooks, 2 bartenders and 2 or 4 waitresses. Plus, two service employees are needed: a cleaner and a loader/plumber (“a narrow specialist with a wide profile”).

Since this is not a full-fledged large restaurant, you do not need highly experienced chefs, and accordingly, their salary will be more modest. On average they receive 20 - 25,000 rubles.

The rest of the employees will have a salary in the range of 15,000 - 18,000 rubles. (average for the Russian Federation according to Rosstat).

Cleaning and maintaining the restaurant premises can be done by one person: if the equipment is new, then there won’t be much hassle with it.

Position Quantity Approximate salary of 1 employee, rub.

1	Director (owner)	1	Profit percentage
2	Accountant	1	Part-time 8,000 or outsource – 3 – 4,000
3	Cook	2	25 000
4	Bartender	2	18 000
5	Waiter	2-4	12-18,000 + tip
6	Cleaner (cleaner)	1	12-15 000
7	Helper (loader, plumber)	1	12-15 000

At a minimum, you will have to hire 7 people for the establishment, and the cost of their salaries will be approximately 125,000 rubles.

Why so much? Is that really all it takes to open a cafe?

Yes, exactly that much because The cafe operates in two shifts - morning and evening. Therefore, the entire staff of one shift must be multiplied by two. Hence two cooks, two bartenders, etc.

Let’s not forget about the administrative staff of your establishment – the accountant and the director. If you are a director, you will take your share from the profit, so we will not take you into account, but we will have an accountant, but he can be hired part-time or outsourced.

You may also need an advertiser, that is, another 25,000 rubles, but there is an option to hire people who will receive a percentage of the clients attracted to your establishment: no orders, which means no costs for their salary.

Total personnel costs will be approximately 150,000 rubles. per month.

a) Products and consumables.

To open a cafe and its subsequent uninterrupted operation, it is necessary to establish logistics connections with suppliers of products in your category (acceptable in price and quality).

Average costs for the purchase of meat, vegetables/fruits, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), etc. are approximately 85,000 - 100,000 rubles. per month.

Much depends on whether the product is produced locally or imported from abroad, so this process needs to be controlled.

In addition to groceries, you need to allocate money in advance for such seemingly unobvious expenses as stationery, garbage bags, all kinds of rags and washcloths. This usually costs about 3,000 rubles per month if the cafe has high customer traffic.

In the future, it will also be necessary to pay attention to the depreciation of equipment - plates and cups tend to break, chairs break (especially cheap ones), and clothes get dirty.

However, this is not included in the initial cost plan, which in the business plan covers the first 6 months of operation. Everything that happens in the second half of the year and later should be covered directly from the cafe’s revenue.

b) Other regular payments.

Regular payments, in addition to salaries and costs of purchasing products, include utility bills, rent of premises and taxes.

All of them are also best presented in table form:

Type of payments Quantity Total amount per month, rub. Total 111,000 rub.

Communal expenses	12 000
Rent	80 000
Taxes (employee social security)	2000 * 7 people	14 000
Taxes (for the organization itself)	5 000

In general, the business plan is ready - we have sorted out the expenses part. It's time to take stock and determine profitability.

Recruitment of personnel for a roadside cafe

Ideally, make the cafe work around the clock. This will increase revenue. But to work around the clock, you need to organize two shifts. For one shift you will need at least one cook, 2 sales assistants and a cleaner. Work schedule - 2/2.

Of course, the number of staff depends on the format and number of visitors. In any case, separation of duties is necessary for maintenance personnel. More flow and revenue means more staff: someone is responsible for drinks, someone is responsible for taking orders and the cash register, someone is responsible for dispensing. In modern fast food establishments, each employee has clear job descriptions that allow them to achieve fast service.

Don't try to save on wages. Set average wages for your region to motivate employees. Remember that one of the main difficulties for staff will be the remoteness of their place of work from home, so think about what bonuses can compensate for this.

Purchase of equipment for a roadside cafe

To create a roadside cafe, you will need to purchase four main types of equipment:

retail (window displays, cash register);
kitchen (stoves, furniture, dishes, plumbing, household appliances);
warehouse;
ventilation

The cost of equipment may vary. It all depends on how seriously you intend to equip the living room and kitchen. According to rough estimates, the minimum set of necessary items will cost 700-800 thousand rubles. Depending on what exactly you will be preparing, what the production chain will be, whether you will be working with frozen products or preparing everything yourself, the list of what you need can vary significantly. If you want to start selling such a popular type of fast food as burgers, for example, we recommend that you read this article.

When choosing equipment, try to avoid buying all kinds of ready-made kits that the Internet is replete with today: you may not need most of it at all. As a rule, if an entrepreneur does not have enough experience in catering, then to select equipment it is best to seek the help of a future chef, who will tell you what to buy, where to put it, and so on. It will be faster and easier than trying to comprehend all the intricacies yourself.

Equipment you need to open a cafe

Let's start this section where we left off earlier - with ventilation. Yes, we made ventilation passages, but for all this to work, we need built-in fans. Especially for the kitchen, where it will be impossible to work in the summer without ventilation.

For a hall, kitchen, warehouse and bathroom, you may need 4–7 fans, the cost of which can reach 40–45,000 rubles.

Please note that without good ventilation and exhaust hood in the kitchen, the regulatory authorities will not issue you a permit, so you need to pay very close attention to this section to open a cafe.

Next, you need to consider equipment separately for the hall and kitchen, as well as for storage areas. In the first case, the task is to beautifully serve food and drinks to the guests of the establishment, as well as to entertain them, and in the second case, to prepare food, preserve food so that it does not spoil, etc.

With the hall everything is relatively simple. Here you will need tables and chairs for 50 people (plus spare ones), as well as auxiliary equipment and entertainment equipment.

Here is an approximate estimate of what is needed to open a cafe in relation to the arrangement of the hall:

Furniture and equipment for the hall Quantity Cost, rub. Total 422,500 rubles

Table	13 pcs.	19 500
Chair	55 pcs.	33 000
Bar counter	1 PC.	150 000
Customer self-service line	1 PC.	100 000
TV	1 PC.	20 000
Special effects system (“color music”, spotlights)	1 PC.	10 000
Speakers and microphones (audio system)	30 000
Showcase with cooling function	1 PC.	30 000
Refrigerator for drinks in the living room (with transparent door).	1 PC	30 000

Furniture and equipment for warehouse and industrial premises that are needed to open a cafe are as follows:

Furniture and equipment for work premises Quantity Cost, rub. Total 269,000 rubles

Production table	4 things.	16 000
Washing	2 pcs.	6 000
Racks for vegetables and fruits	2 pcs.	8 000
Electric stove	1 PC.	50 000
Fridge	2 pcs.	100 000
Freezer	2 pcs.	40 000
Microwave	4 things.	28 000
Deep frying equipment	1 PC.	15 000
Grocery scales	2 pcs.	6 000

In addition to all this, you need to purchase dishes to open a cafe.

Since we are talking about an average establishment for 50 people, this list will be huge:

digesters,
plates for first and second courses,
cups with and without saucers,
glasses (separately for dry and red wine, for champagne and cocktails),
salad bowls,
pots,
frying pans of different diameters,
glasses,
cutlery for customers and kitchen staff.

The total cost of this will be from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles, depending on the manufacturer, size, material from which they are made, etc.

Thus, the cost of registration, decoration of the premises and the purchase of all necessary equipment will cost you approximately 1,275,000 - 2,000,000 rubles.

Is this too much? Of course, this is not a small amount, but if the location is chosen correctly, then the initial investment can easily pay off in six months to a year.

However, that's not all: we have expenses for daily activities, such as purchasing products, supplies, and paying employees.

How to advertise a roadside cafe

For a roadside cafe, the most effective way of promotion is outdoor advertising. The decision to visit an establishment is made when a hungry person drives past a sign or sees a sign that promises him a delicious lunch. Use billboards, banners, and signs.

Develop promotions aimed at cross-marketing. This means exchanging leads with businesses that are located in close proximity to your cafe, such as gas stations.

It is very important to place the cafe correctly on the highway. It should be located so that most potential clients can conveniently drive up to the establishment without making unnecessary parking maneuvers.

In general, the marketing plan looks like this:

Creating a bright, memorable sign and cafe name;
Placing large banners on roadside billboards;
Development of a system of discounts and incentives for customers;
Finding partners for cross-marketing

You can also order a radio commercial. Motorists often listen to the radio while on the road, and this type of advertising is sure to reach your target audience.

To increase sales, you can use the following advertising tricks:

Offer cooperation to drivers and tour guides.
Let them bring a group of tourists to you, and you provide your partner with a free full lunch, or some percentage of the sale;
Organize a public toilet nearby
. This is a significant reason to stay right next to your public place. Most of those who stop will probably stop by the cafe and, at a minimum, buy a bottle of water.
Create combo meals on your menu
. This will make it easier for your visitors to choose. As a rule, visitors to a roadside cafe do not have time to study the menu for a long time. Help him make a choice. You will do better for both the client and yourself, because selling such take-away kits is much more convenient.

We select personnel

In the service sector, the human factor is of key importance, so hire cafe staff yourself, after first making sure of their professionalism. This will minimize possible unpleasant situations and the risk of emergency situations at work. A small establishment requires the following staff:

2 administrators. Salary from 40 thousand rubles.
2-4 auxiliary workers for shift work. Salary level from 15 thousand.
2 bartenders from 18 thousand rubles.
2 chefs who are paid from 40 thousand.
4 waiters, rate for each from 17 thousand plus tips.

The rate can be either fixed or paid as a percentage of daily or monthly revenue. Of course, the “scope” of the establishment matters. At first, you can get by with one cook with an average salary of 30 thousand, but then hiring 2 more assistants will not hurt.

In this case, specialized education is not as important as experience in the industry. Also, sellers must be extremely polite and stress-resistant.

How much does it cost to open a roadside cafe from scratch?

We give an approximate calculation without taking into account the purchase of products.

Paperwork
. Registration of a business and collection of all permitting documentation will cost approximately 20 thousand rubles.
Building and land
. The approximate cost of this expense item is 1 million rubles. If you plan to rent a building, it will naturally be cheaper. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to find suitable premises. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you will have to build a cafe building from scratch.
Costs of renovating the premises, equipping the kitchen and purchasing furniture
. This will cost approximately 700-800 thousand rubles. It is not advisable to save much on these items, since the quality of the prepared dishes depends on the equipment.
Staff salaries
. The payroll will be approximately 200 thousand rubles.
. You will have to spend about 100 thousand rubles on advertising and other expenses. Outdoor advertising will cost 50-60 thousand rubles. The rest will go to cover additional expenses that you cannot foresee when planning.

In general, to open a cafe near the highway you will need an investment of 2-2.5 million rubles. This capital pays off in 1.5-2 years.

How much does it take to open a cafe and when will the expenses pay off?

It all depends on the region where the entrepreneur plans to work. An establishment near a small town requires only 500 thousand investments, while organizing a cafe on a busy highway near a city with a million population will require an investment of 1-2 million rubles.

Approximately average monthly expenses will be at the level of 350 thousand rubles, including the purchase of products.

Here is a list of approximate expenses that must be included in a roadside cafe business plan:

Purchase of equipment and repairs from 400 thousand rubles.
Obtaining various types of permits and approvals from 50 thousand rubles. About the same amount is needed for advertising the establishment.
Staff salaries from 150 thousand rubles.
Purchase of products for an average menu of 15-20 different dishes from 15 thousand rubles.
Other expenses – 70 thousand rubles.

Let's assume that the establishment will have 50 seats. About 150 people will visit the cafe per day with an average bill of 100-150 rubles. Such an establishment will bring the owner only 25 thousand rubles every day, the average monthly revenue reaches 675 thousand rubles.

The amount of profit will also depend on the location of the cafe on the highway and the presence of competitors in the immediate vicinity. So it will pay off in 12 months and in the second year it will begin to bring profit to the owner.