Feasibility Studies and Business Plans

During start-up, we will evaluate the feasibility of your concept and location to ensure the protection of your investment. A well-conceived feasibility study and business plan will provide your team the confidence to avoid crucial missteps and financial loses.

Feasibility Study  A feasibility study is an invaluable tool in evaluating the probability of success and risks associated with your restaurant project. Our team will travel to your location and compare your concept’s unique features with your specific site attributes and then present a financial forecast of your business to you. Typical with most feasibility studies we will:

• Conduct site visit to inspect nuances of your location, the local community, and competitive set
• Establish the primary, secondary and tertiary trade areas
• Analyze the dominant demographic and lifestyle groups in your trade area
• Determine the target guest profile and depth of guest profile within the primary trade area
• Determine the size of the targeted groups
• Review the competitive set of restaurants
• Evaluate sales performance of local restaurants vs. national averages
• Review and identify all possible traffic and location barriers for the current site
• Present estimated annualized sales projections for the new restaurant concept based upon our findings

 

Business Planning  A business plan is a formal presentation of the business goals, the reasons why we believed they are attainable, and the plan for reaching profit goals and creation of wealth. We find a well-organized business plan can greatly improve your restaurant’s ability to consistently establish and meet objectives in a way that best serves the company’s owners, employees and investors. At Chef Alfred and Co. we will deliver your business plan addressing the following topics and more:

• Confidentiality Agreement
• Executive Summary
• Market Analysis
• Business Overview
• Assumptions and Explanations
• Products and Services
• Operating Model
• Management and Ownership
• Funds Required and Their Uses
• Mission Statement
• Year 1 Sales and Profit Projections & Breakeven
• 5-Year Projection
• Return on Investment Analysis

 

From start up to opening day, we will guide your team through the project calendar resulting in a successful opening.

Building A Growing, Profitable & Efficient Business

The goal of each Operation is to build a growing, profitable, and efficient business that benefits the investors, managers, crew and community over the long term. To that end successful restaurant businesses possess a unique blend of creating a buzz in the community and delivering wealth to the owners.

Learning From Experience  With more than 35 years’ experience in the Hospitality industry we understand how to balance these success factors and create a business strategy that can accomplish both objectives. If you are struggling with either of these components consider asking one of our associates to come and examine your business. Our operational turnaround analysis will review:

• Conceptual Foundations and Brand Attributes
• Profit Performance
• Food, Beverage, and Labor Cost Management
• Food Quality and Service Performance
• Industry "Best Practice" Operating Systems and Application
• Vendor Selection and Pricing
• Human Resources Management
• Payroll Management
• Marketing Plan Review
• Lease Negotiations .... and more

 

Solutions That Work  As a result of our business review, we will identify and prioritize your opportunities, provide solutions, and outline a strategy to turn your business around.

We have the experience to train you how to utilize proven systems you can implement immediately.

Exceptional Culinary Development and Kitchen Operations

Food is our passion!  We believe the food is the essence and soul of your operation. It is what first comes to mind when guests are making a dining decision and causes them to return to your establishment time and time again. Our approach when developing innovative menus and food offerings is to focus on creating food with integrity, food with honesty and food that is simple yet elegant.

In every case we like to align ourselves with clients who share our same passion for food. We have found collaboration between enthusiastic clients and our consulting firm always results in an outstanding food program.

Experience Matters  Finally, our decades of experience as Executive Chefs enables us to present recipes that taste great, increase frequency, and create a buzz in the community. As our client you can expect our food and beverage development to include but not be limited to:

• Master Recipe Manual – standardized recipes which include detailed food product specifications, ingredient amounts, portion sizes, detailed production methods and procedures and photographs to ensure test kitchen consistency
• Food Order Guide specifications and Vendor Specifications
• Detailed Recipe Costing and Gross Profit Analysis
• Kitchen Operating Systems – prep production sheets, station schematics, station set-up sheets, through-put analysis and training, cleaning checklists
• Kitchen Equipment and Supplies Specifications
• Equipment Training and Maintenance Procedures
• Food Handling and Safety Programming

 

Our kitchen management systems will give you the courage and confidence to not constantly reinvent your concept but focus on executing what you know you do well!

Exceptional Culinary Development and Kitchen Operations

Sweating The Details The design of your kitchen and layout of your restaurant can be the difference between success and failure, regardless of your restaurant’s food quality. With restaurant development costs ranging anywhere from $200,000 to $3,000,000, you should use extreme care when deciding the best place to spend your development dollars.

Chef Alfred & Co. has enjoyed working on over 12 design-build projects. We will:

• Reduce your risk
• Protect your budget
• Oversee the entire project on your behalf

 

One of the major reasons new restaurants fail is that there are insufficient funds to properly develop and operate the new business. There are literally thousands of opportunities to exceed the budget developing and opening a new restaurant. Too many operators open up behind the curve in terms of having the necessary operating capital on hand due to over spending on the design and equipment. Many kitchen equipment suppliers will do the design for free. But we know, there is no such thing as free. The fees are built into the equipment cost.

 

How We Can Help

Start with a business plan and feasibility study  Whether you’re opening a 30-seat café or a 250 seat steakhouse, you should have a plan… a business plan. This plan should include a feasibility study outlining the probabilities for success or failure within your development budget, concept, and location. Without these formal tools, your entire development budget is at risk. This is one of the places you should not shortcut (you should not shortcut any areas in developing a new restaurant).

The difference between doing it yourself and spending some development dollars for a professionally prepared business plan and feasibility study will return to you 10-fold. We have written scores of professional business plans and feasibility studies for clients which gave them an accurate road-map for their entire development. As part of the business plan, a menu will be developed that will meld with the concept that you have in mind. This is where your kitchen design starts. The menu will drive what equipment is required and the tentative space needs.

Design the kitchen and restaurant to fit your specific needs  As the site selection is finalized, Chef Alfred & Co. will work with your general contractor or Architect to ensure that the kitchen design fits the concept and the menu. We will ensure that the flow of the kitchen fits the logistics of food preparation to reduce back-of-the-house labor. We will provide guidelines for the front-of-the-house layout for the optimal customer experience and labor considerations. We will help determine how and where orders should be entered into the POS system and how those orders should be communicated to kitchen. We will ensure that the flow enhances your guest experience and can be maintained easily.

It all starts with a great idea

The right idea for your organization at the right time. Our targeted process follows a choreographed, orderly progression that minimizes the risk normally associated with new products or product rejuvenation.

We work with you to create the food and beverage products that fit consumers' desires.

 

Product Research & Development Services

Experienced in the areas of food and beverage product development, scale-ups and production startups, we help transform great recipe ideas into successful food products. Following is a comprehensive list of our services.

• Collaborative Product Ideation
• Concept Identification
• Prototype Creation
• Consumer Exposure and Assessment
• Prototype Refinement
• Product Presentations
• Prototype Scale up
• Assist manufacturers during product Scale-ups, matching production samples with Research and Development controls:
1. Quality Control Protocols
2. Reduced Cost Formulation
3. Production Startups
4. Production Specifications
5. Vendor Specifications
• Develop and issue specifications to inform vendors of company delivery requirements on items such as temperature on arrival, sampling procedures, cleanliness of delivery vehicle etc.
• Equipment Consulting:
1. Assess, evaluate and recommend equipment
2. Assist with plant design work and product flow
• Integrated Support Services:
1. Full-service Marketing Research including focus groups and surveys
2. Naming
3. Packaging
4. Pricing
5. Menu Design & Optimization
6. Nutritional Facts Panel & Ingredients Statement Development
• Product Testing Programs:
1. Understand products that need to be produced
2. Aid in development of new products
3. Provide direction for product change
4. Test new products for consumer acceptability
5. Test new products to determine concept/product fit
6. Assess revised formulations for product improvements

 

Enjoy restaurant caliber food, service, and company without lifting a finger or leaving your home. Chef Alfred offers customized gourmet menus, full-scale service, and best of all, the perk of serving your own wines and cocktails. However, we are of course, happy to offer wine and cocktail pairings to match your menu upon request. Begin with hors d’oeuvres as your guests arrive, followed with a sit-down 3 to 8 course meal or tasting menu. Forget about the dishes and end the evening at your own leisure, in good company and in the comfort of your own home.

Forget about the stress of hosting an event, choosing a designated driver, worrying about a babysitter, or struggling to pick a restaurant that will please your entire party. With our custom menu offering, and dedication to perfection, every event is flawlessly executed.

Corporate Events should be a treat, not a chore. Rest assured that your colleagues and business partners will undoubtedly be impressed! Quality and taste as well as Décor are the top priorities for Chef Alfred, no matter how big or small the event. Services offered include classic corporate catering for any occasion, various platters & drinks for in-office meetings, Menus that are distinct, personalized, and made with only the freshest and top-quality ingredients.

Chef Alfred won’t keep secrets from you. Loving life and enjoying food can be your pleasure as well, which is why Chef Alfred is proud to offer clients gourmet cooking classes. Interactive services include traditional cooking classes in your home, demonstration classes for special events and corporate team building sessions.

Get in on some of the secrets of the trade. Sit back and relax as we take you, step-by-step through the process of preparing a gourmet meal – and then enjoy eating it. Jump into the kitchen and join in if it suits you! Here are a few examples of our client’s favourite occasions for experiential cooking:

• Couples cooking class
• Girls Night In Dinner Parties
• House Warming Celebrations
• Corporate Team Building

 

Chef Alfred is a full-service company, offering specialized event planning and staffing services for your events. We pride ourselves in helping all of our clients create engaging, elegant, and memorable dining experiences for all of their guests, and we’d absolutely love to help plan your next event.

Our event planning / staffing services include (but are not limited to):

• Equipment Rentals (China, Linens, Tables, Chairs etc.)
• Decorative Arrangements (Flowers, Balloons, Banners, Table Accessories etc.)
• Experienced Chefs
• Experienced Wait Staff
• Professional Bartenders and Sommeliers
• Menue Recommendations and Placement
• Entertainment

 

Chef Alfred can recommend the following venues for your next function or party:

• Central London Business Centre