The need for an F&B consultant has arisen for a few reasons. 1) Juice bars, restaurants & cafes all over the country open and close quickly due to poor planning and execution. Food & Beverage consultants know how to make it work. 2) The relationship between physical exercise and a healthy diet is understood by most (particularly in this industry) but adhered to by few. This happens because club owners are not classically trained to operate in a food service environment and, therefore, they don’t know how to market their products and they make simple mistakes that should be easy to avoid. It is frustrating for club owners, operators and staff to see a client work out hard at the gym and then head for the coffee shop to pick up a sugar-laden iced latte. This money could be better spent on a healthy and beneficial snack, shake, or preferably a meal in your club. 3) And lastly, without prior experience, club owners do not know the right questions to ask or how to recognize early warning signs when they appear. Being a classically trained chef and having managed a wide range of establishments for over a decade and a half, it’s apparent that these are errors not specific to the fitness industry. But you do have a benefit that these other establishments do not… A captive audience with a desire to improve their overall health and well-being.
For these reasons and more, it has become imperative to employ a restaurant kitchen design firm to properly design your F&B operation. When done correctly, a juice bar/café/restaurant can, not only add to your bottom line, but also enhance the experience of members.
With the assistance of a skilled restaurant or commercial kitchen design firm, implementing everything from a healthy juice bar to a full service restaurant in your club can be an easy and streamlined process. Even experienced architects who specialize in the fitness industry will always recommend a consultant for new clients who are looking to implement a food and beverage component. Not to be misunderstood, a consultant is not a replacement for an architect and visa versa; they work in tandem to bring everything together seamlessly for the client.
This may seem like a large order to fill, which is why you should solicit assistance from a professional who can take you though the process and teach you how to make this new business a part of your own. Start small with a snack or juice bar, watch it grow, keep things interesting and it just might turn into a full scale café or restaurant in no time. Now you’re reaping the benefits of two businesses! It may take some time and research to locate the right consultant for you but they are out there, and the initial investment in their services will save you considerable money and will pay dividends in member satisfaction and, ultimately, retention.
Tags: captive audience, commercial kitchen, early warning signs, fitness industry, food service environment, juice bar, juice bars, kitchen design firm, physical exercise, restaurant kitchen