Has your restaurant business been running very well for some time now? Do people from the other side of town or in the next city, ask you if you are thinking about expansion? More importantly, have you accumulated enough capitol? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then it is high time you think about expanding your business. Opening a second location will not only add more revenue to your business, but will also enhance the reputation of your restaurant making it more popular.

1. First, make sure you have ample time to devote to both restaurants once the new business starts. If you neglect the first in favor of the second, you not only harm your reputation, but your cash flow will also slow down. Therefore, before you venture to a new location, make sure you have someone that is as qualified and dedicated as you are to work in your place in any of the locations. Schedule your day in such a way that you visit both of them consistently. You may have to spend more time at the new location in the early days; even so make sure you visit your original location at least every other day.

2. If your restaurant is family run, then the new location can be an excellent way of inducting a family member who is also interested in this business. The secret of success behind many family-run restaurants is this passing of experience from the older generation to the new.

3. As for choosing the new location, go with the same market research that you used for your present location but in a different part of the city. See that the demography in that area fits the crowd who generally come to your restaurant. If it is in a new town or city, be sure you know the local zoning laws. Also, gauge the sentiment of the locals regarding a new business opening in their town.

4. When the location is ready, dip into your savings to get everything prepared for opening. Now it is not prudent to use all of your savings for the new location; so complement that with some kind of loan. You can use your portion to buy/lease the new location and the loan to buy the equipment like chairs, tables, decorations, kitchen gadgets, etc.

5. Hire new employees before the opening of the new restaurant. You can also promote existing employees based on their performance level. Make them team leaders or maitre d\’ in the new location. That way, your existing employees will be happy to be part of your new location while new employees will bring freshness in your present location.

Now that everything is ready, you should advertise the grand opening. Send emails to all your regulars telling of your new location. You can also offer promotional discounts to people trying the new location. If it is a new town, don’t forget to advertise in local papers, TV channels and other such media. If you have an online site, promote this event there. In fact, you can make it more interesting by writing a blog about the whole process! That way, your readers/customers will be eager to try out your new restaurant giving you a push in making this venture a success too.

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