Are you a (future) restaurateur looking to open your own crêperie? A popular French specialty, the crêpe is the gourmet product par excellence, both convivial and profitable. With 9 out of 10 French people eating them regularly, crepes represent a lucrative and promising opportunity. Follow the 8 key steps to successfully open your crêperie!
1. Opening a crêperie: choosing between independent or franchised status
Before taking the plunge, it's important to decide whether you want to open an independent creperie or join a franchise. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice will depend above all on your profile and your objectives.
Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit, restaurant experience and a strong desire for personalization? Then opening an independent crêperie is the right choice for you. On the other hand, opt for a franchised crêperie if you prefer to benefit from the support and reputation of an established brand, with tried-and-tested methods.
2. Draw up a solid business plan
A well-developed business plan is the backbone of your project. It will not only help you structure your project, but also convince future investors and financial partners.
Your business plan should include several sections:
- Market analysis: competition, local demand and trends.
- Marketing strategy: targeting, positioning and communication plan.
- Financial forecasts: initial costs, projected revenues, cash flow and break-even point.
- Operational plan: day-to-day management, procurement and human resources.
👉 Find out more: 7 steps to a restaurant business plan
3. Find sources of financing
Very popular, crêpes are said to be one of the most profitable products in the French restaurant business. But before you can achieve a decent margin rate, it's vital toobtain the funds you need to cover your investments.
To finance your project, you have several options: bank loans, public aid (subsidies, zero-interest loans or tax exemptions), private investors (business angels or venture capitalists) and crowdfunding.
4. Keeping up to date: licenses, regulations and administrative formalities
To open a crêperie, you must comply with various regulations:
- Licenses: license IV if you serve alcohol or fast-food license.
- Health and safety standards: HACCP compliance, food hygiene training.
- Administrative formalities: registration with the relevant bodies, civil liability and comprehensive insurance for restaurant owners.
- Legal formalities: choice between sole proprietorship, EURL, SARL, etc.
As a restaurant chef, you have responsibilities and obligations to meet. Make sure you're fully aware of the legal requirements to avoid any unpleasant surprises!
👉 To find out more: Restaurant licensing: Which one to choose, how to obtain it and at what price?
5. Choosing a crêperie location in a competitive market
In France, there are almost 4,000 crêperies, half of which are located in Brittany (source: LCI). That's why it's crucial toassess the direct local competition. Thorough market research and strategic thinking will help you choose the ideal location for your crêperie.
To find the ideal location, other aspects also need to be taken into account: visibility and accessibility. It's best to set up in a high-traffic area with good public transport links, to attract as many customers as possible and increase your chances of success!
6. Design an effective communication campaign
Now's the time toattract your first customers and spread the word about your crêperie! A well-orchestrated communication campaign is essential to achieve this:
- Visual identity: logo, graphic charter, decor, furnishings.
- Digital strategy: website, social networks, local SEO, Google My Business listing, newsletters...
- Local advertising: Google Ads, flyers, partnerships with local businesses, events, influencers.
Use modern tools to optimize your visibility, attract and retain customers. If you need to, call in a communications and digital strategy agency!
7. Define necessary resources
At this stage, you'll need to identify and plan everything you'll need to run your creperie on a day-to-day basis. This will help you ensure that everything is in place to provide quality service from the moment you open.
Your creperie will need a variety of resources to run efficiently on a daily basis:
- Personnel: recruitment and training of master crepe makers, waiters and managers.
- Equipment: billigs, refrigerators, kitchen equipment.
- Suppliers: reliable suppliers to guarantee the quality of raw materials.
8. Digitize your creperie with an all-in-one solution
The crêpe is a highly profitable product (with very inexpensive basic ingredients) and the budget required to open a crêperie is not very high. However, creperie sales are generally quite low. In fact, the average ticket is around €12, so restaurateurs have to rival each other in ingenuity to make a good profit.
To increase sales in your crêperie, you need to be effective in these 2 areas: build volume to compensate for a relatively low average bill, and boost additional sales.
Digitalization is one of the keys to achieving these objectives, by injecting a wind of innovation into both service in the dining room and the overall organization:
- Order at table via QR code: save 12 minutes per table and generate more orders
- Online ordering: website, app and click & collect to create a new channel for takeaway and delivery sales
By following these tips, you'll lay a solid foundation for a successful opening and efficient management of your creperie, guaranteeing its long-term success.
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Are you opening or taking over a restaurant? Contact an Innovorder expert to get personalized advice for your restaurant!
