Cuban Flavor will bring to the market a new experience of Cuban culture. It will reflect the ethnicity of Cuban food culture. However, the restaurant will ensure that it integrates the western ideas of food with traditional Cuban cuisine to give customers a complete new experience. The restaurant will utilize Cuban traditional recipes but with modification to meet the need of westernized Cuban customers. It is therefore a taste of blend of Cuban traditions and Western cuisines. The restaurant will rely on creativity of its chefs in the way they can integrate and create a balance between the two cuisines.
To ensure that the restaurants revolve around development of Cuban foods, it will find a supply line that will import traditional foods from Cuba. The restaurant will also look into hiring chefs who are efficient in preparation of traditional Cuban foods but who also have experience in preparation of Western cuisines. The layout of the restaurant will be a true reflection of Cuban traditions. Seats, tables, and other equipments in the physical layout of the restaurant will be a true reflection of Cuban culture most especially the culture which defines Cuban kitchens and dining tables. It is such uniqueness and cultural appeal that the restaurant hopes will keep patrons trouping in day in day out.
The restaurant will captures atmosphere of having dinner in Havana, not in the present but in 30s. It will create a connection between the present and the future in such a manner that patrons feel connected to the dcor, cuisines, music, and other attributes of the restaurant. It is going to the most exiting and inspiration restaurant a Cuban can have dinner. It will be a place for lovers.
Concept Development
Restaurant concept revolves around a given theme that defines the target market (Walker et al., 2005). The concept of development of Cuban Flavor is inspired by the fact that there are many Cubans who are currently living in Santa Monica area in Los Angels. It is the need to provide these people with cuisines that connect them to their culture that motivates the development of this restaurant. However, it is also in the realization that most of the Cubans have already been integrated into the American way of life and may be most of them do not have taste of Cuban cuisines which means serving them pure Cuban cuisines many not be attractive. Therefore a blend of Cuban and American cuisines makes the perfect inspiration for this restaurant. The main theme will revolve around having a dinner in Cuba which means the hotel will have complete dinner set up. It will be a place where lovers can enjoy while connecting with their traditions.
Cuban Flavor will not only be a hotel that captures the modern life but that which takes people back to the years when some were not even born. It is going to be constructed and operated as inspirational remembrance of life in Havana in 30s. The inspirational restaurant will act as a link between Cubans and their past life. It will not only be a restaurant but also an entertainment center complete with Cuban dancers and also a big patio where one can smoke and get a drink. However the dcor will be that of a formal look to create a moment of the present but connected to the past.
Site Selection
Site selection determines the success or failure of the business (Griffin, 2005). Cuban Flavor will be located at the junction of Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Monica Flyway. It will be near Ocean Park at the beach. This will provide a perfect location where clients can enjoy breeze from the sea and at the same time enjoy their classic Cuban dishes. This location is quite strategic since patrons can access it using both ways and it is just perfect place where there are many other entertainment joints including Ocean Park. This location is also close to other entertainment centers like Temescal Canyon County Park which are known entertainment joints. There is little doubt that this would be the perfect location for this important Cuban hotel.
For this hotel be in line with the theme of the Cuban Cuisines, site selection must also be appropriate to reflect the time that has to be captured. Therefore the hotel will be located in an older building which was has a long life of more than two centuries. The location design of the restaurant would be an old deco meet Spain which means it would bear marble look. They may not be real marbles but they will have a more fresco looks. There will also be many pillars which would create a 30s scene in Havana or a scene that has been taken off from famous movies like godfather II and Movie Havana. Outside, there will be a lot of trees and other tropical plants which will create a perfect dinning atmosphere in and outside the restaurant. This would be a perfect location for the hotel in view of the advantages it offers.
Market Analysis
Marketing is at the heart of any business and effective marketing cannot be carried out without prior marketing analysis which assists the business to determine the market conditions (Mc Donald et al., 1997). Restaurant business is a part of the wider hospitality industry which has been growing at unprecedented rate. It is ranked as one of the rapidly growing industry owing to the increasing convergence of world economies, social and cultural integration, and other factors. Niche marketing in this rapidly growing industry is one of the main factors which are driving rapid growth of the industry.
One most important question to answer in market is who is the target market Although this appears to be a simple answer, everyone is not an answer to the question. As has been highlighted above, niche marketing has been identified as one of the factors driving rapid growth of the industry. Niche marketing in this case involves targeting a particular segment of the market. Cuban Flavor will target different age groups of Cuban origin people. However the restaurant will pay more attention to the needs of the middle aged group since they are more likely to consumer restaurant dinner services compared to children and the old age segment. The restaurant will also target middle aged income individuals although the prices of food and drinks will not be exorbitant.
Since the restaurant is located near a beach, there will an influx of tourist in the beach. The restaurant will also target this segment of middle and high income tourist and corporate individuals. This variation in target market will ensure that the restaurant standardize its menu products and prices to suit all target markets.
Competitive Analysis
After carefully looking into the current market for Cuban restaurants in Santa Monica, Los Angels, it can be demonstrated that the level of competition is not that high and there are chances for setting up the restaurant in the area. A review of the market shows that there are about four restaurants that specialize on Cuban foods in Santa Monica. These include
Versailles Restaurant
El Rincon Criollo
The Ayalas Salvadoran and Cuban Food
Mercedes Grill
Although there are just four hotels which are listed above, it is important to note that they are likely to offer high level of competition especially when it come to the quality of foods and service offered. Three of these hotels, except The Ayalas specialize in Cuban thematic foods while The Ayalas has also a focus on other Latin American foods. All these restaurants can offer a higher level of competition as they have already been established and therefore there is need to formulate a working marketing strategy that will ensure that the new Cuban Flavor is up to the market challenge.
In order to understand how Cuban Flavor can rise up to the level of competition in the market, it is important to evaluate the competitive strengths and weakness of the existing restaurants. This will generate a comparative matrix that can rate the operative competitiveness of the competitors in a scale of 1 to 10. The competitive matrix comparing these restaurants can be generated as follows
Comparative AspectCuban FlavorVersailles RestaurantEl Rincon Criollo
The Ayalas Salvadoran and Cuban FoodMercedes GrillCompetitive Pricing Offer reasonable menu prices that matches quality9787Brand PromotionCarry out extensive marketing campaign to reach as many consumers as possible even those outside Cuban food bracket needs9877Quality of customer servicesContinued training of employees and ensuring that all employees have public relations values8987Menu presentation Ensure menu presentation reflects the theme around which the restaurant is established. Menu presentation should reflect Cuban community ethnicity values that are embodied in their food practices.8778Total Points34313029
From the above competitive matrix, it is evident that the level of competition in the market is quite high going by the total score from the matrix. Versailles Restaurant comes out as the main competitor that Cuban Flavor has to beat. In positioning the new restaurant to the competitive market conditions, all these factors must be carefully considered to understand areas in which the new restaurant can build on strengths to overpower its competitors.
Financial analysis
Financial analysis is important for any business as it serves the following functions
Determine the viability of establishing the business
Determine the period it will take for the business to break-even
To estimate the projected future growth of the business in view of projected financial performance and industrial trend
A good financial analysis starts with feasibility analysis which is a study that looks into cost-benefit relationship. Feasibility analysis looks into the market condition, the available funds, the project financial performance and other factors to determine whether the business will be viable to establish or not.
The following will be estimated start up capital for the business
Start up cost estimates ()
Fixtures, equipment 200,000
Installing fixtures, equipment 50,000
Services, supplies 100,000
Decorating, remodeling 1,000,000
Beginning inventory cost 50,000
Legal, professional fees 10,000
Licenses, permits 20,000
Telephone utility deposits 1,000
Insurance 10,000
Signs 20,000
Advertising for opening 15,000
Unanticipated expenses 50,000
Total Start-up Costs 1,576,000
The following will be the sources of the projected start up capital
Capital sources
Owner contribution 1,000,000
Loan from parents 200,000
Bank loan 376,000
Break Even Analysis
If we assume the average annual fixed cost will be 1,246,000. The average cost of meal in the restaurant will be 20 while the variable cost is 8. Therefore break even analysis will be achieved at 1,246,000 (20-8) 103,833 meals. This means that divided by 12, only 8,652 meals per month will have to be sold or 309 meals per day.
License and Approvals
Before the restaurant can start its operations, it will need to have a builders permit. This will permit the construction of the venue where the location will be location. It will also allow for plumbing, water, gas, and all other necessities.
The restaurant will also require having beverage and alcohol perform in line with government regulations. The license will be issued under ABC act and will permit the business to do all except unlawful things. The restaurant will also be required to have public health license which will assure consumer of its high standards of food handling. These licenses will enable the business to operation well.
Design, furnishing and equipments
Cuban Flavor will have to live up to its theme of Cuban restaurant. Therefore design, furnishing and even equipments will all reflect Cuban lifestyle. In other words, once clients enter into the restaurant, they have to see as if they are in Havana. The restaurant will be adorned with Cuban artifacts to reflect Cuban cultural life.
Plant layout
Main entrance
D
A
E
M J
A L B
C H
A F
G
I K
Rear entrance (for food materials)
Key
A Dinning area H Preparation area
B Snacks beverages section I Cloak rooms
C Main Kitchen J Dish washing area.
D Fast foods section K Goods receiving area
E Service counter L Hand washing sinks.
F Managers office M - Bar
G Store
The restaurant will be comprised of the different areas. There will be the dinning areas where patrons will be taking their meals. This areas will be furnished with tables and chairs traditional to Cubans cultures but with a touch of modern western lifestyle. This area will be designed in a way to offer buffet services. There will be snacks and beverage section from which patrons can take snacks and beverage. There will also be the main kitchen which will be mainly used for food preparation. There will be preparation area which will be adjacent to the main kitchen. Dishwashing areas will be used to wash diseased and will be located near the service counter and near the kitchen. Other areas will include managers office, store, cloak rooms, and fast food section which will be used mainly to serve tourists who may frequent the restaurant during the day.
Menu Development
Menu development is at the heart of any food service establishment. It sets out the actual foods service organization in the restaurant, determine pricing, and other important aspects of the restaurant (Seaberg, 1991). Menu development should clearly align with the theme of the restaurant. It should portray foods items which are ethnic to the people of the country that is targeted by the restaurant.
Menu development in Cuban Flavor will revolve around Cuban foods. It will reflected food items that are ethnic to Cuban people and their traditions. Among the Cuban recipes that will be used in food preparation includes
Cuban Sandwich
Cuban Shrimp Soup
Picadillo beef
Cuban Fufu
Mojito Cocktail
Cuber Libre cocktail
These are just few of the food items that will be served to reflect Cuban touch of menu items.
Menu items will reflect well priced although not too expensive. However, menu items will not be expected to be that cheap since the restaurant will be incurring huge cost importing some ingredients from Cuba since some cannot be found in Los Angels. Menu items will be priced differently and will range from as low as 5 per item to 19. This will be for lunch menu items. This will mainly comprise of fast foods which are quick and fun types of foods which takes shorter time to consume especially for business people who may not have all the time to enjoy luxurious cuisines. This menu item will mainly comprise of small plate which comprise of more salads and sandwiches. The main menu will however be offered at dinner. This will have collaborative pricing scheme where an average person will be expected to spend about 15 to 40 which will the higher price for lobster and steak dishes.
While all foods will be expected to come from Cuban and Latin America staple foods, beverages will mainly constitute of two or three favorite mixed drinks which are closely associated with Cubans. In the menu items, there will be many appetizers and desserts.
The prices of menu items will be higher that common price in most Cuban restaurants. This is because the restaurant will be expected to offer high quality foods. It will have more waiters and in away make it a high class restaurant though it will also be targeting middle income patrons.
Employment of key personnel
In order to run the restaurant effectively, the management of the restaurant will employ a team comprise of well qualified individuals who are willing to give results and high quality services to the clients. The restaurant will put up different interrelated departments which will be playing complementary roles to the other. The following will thebe the main personnel that will be hired
Human management supervision
Food and beverage
Chefs
Cooks
Cleaning staff
Advertising staff
Bar service
Waiters
These will be the key personnel that will be involved in the day to day running of the restaurant. There are other specialized services that will be sought from outside the restaurant especially from specialist.
Apart from the owner of the restaurant, there will the General Manager who will be responsible for the daily running of the restaurant. The General Manager or GM will be overall supervisor of the hotel staff and will be generally responsible for the overall performance of the restaurant. GM will been head of the staff in the restaurant and will assign duties accordingly. He or she will coordinate and direct all the operations of the restaurant to ensure that the restaurant maintain quality, courteous food services, and many other aspects that are pertinent to success of the restaurant. Most important GM will be responsible for ensuring good public relations with the customers and other stakeholders.
Chefs and cooks will be responsible for food preparation while waiters will be responsible for food services. Since they are at the heart of the operation of the restaurant, they will be required to maintain high level of professionalism. Cleaning staff will be responsible for maintaining meticulous cleanliness in the restaurant. Bar service will take care of the restaurant bar while advertising staff will carry out marketing strategy for the company.
Selection and training of key personnel
To ensure that the restaurant maintains its high quality status, it will select only qualified and experienced service staff (Walker, 2004). It will not recruit first time waiters and all waiters will be expected to have service in the similar for more that two years in quality restaurant. However employing experienced staff does not guarantee that the restaurant will be set for direct success. There will be a lot of retraining of the staff to equip them with the necessary skills to offer high quality services. Those who do not perform will be dismissed in the course of their work and new waiters hired. They will be expected to write papers on wines and alcohol each and other week and all will be expected to learn Spanish. There will be one head chef under who all other will be selected. This will not be hard since you can test their experience easily.
There will be several days of training of the staff each and every year to re-equip them with high level skills.
All staff will be expected to put into practice what they have learned during training. As part of orientation of new employees, they will be given handouts that details what they will be expected to perform and learn in the course of their stay in the restaurant. They will be expected to know the menu and know how to pronounce menu items correctly.
It is my belief that Cuban Flavor will perform excellently in the market. The restaurant will be situation in the best location that can tap people from different direction and easily accessible. The restaurant will carry the Cuban theme which will be reflected in the room dcor and food menu items. With competent staff on board, the restaurant will be one of the best in Lost Angels.
Categories:
0 comments:
Post a Comment