If you’re a frequent user of takeaway food apps such as JustEat and Deliveroo, you may have noticed the growing number of options in recent years.
With the covid pandemic forcing people to stay indoors rather than eat out, takeaways were seemingly popping up all over the place, offering pretty much every type of cruising imaginable!
Although the return to normality has meant that people are choosing to eat out again, people still love home delivery, making takeaway a potentially lucrative business idea – provided you do it right.
In this blog post, we’ll offer some tips for anyone thinking of opening their very own takeaway, as well as pointing out some common mistakes to help you make your new business venture a roaring success!
Choose Menu Carefully
When it comes to setting up a takeaway, without a doubt the most important part of the process is choosing what food to serve. The importance of this cannot be overstated, as the food you offer will have a massive bearing on the amount of customers you get.
For example, if you choose to open a takeaway in an area with an abundance of well-established pizza shops, it might make sense to opt for something else as this section of the market has already been cornered.
Once you’ve settled on the type of food you’ll offer, you’ll need to choose your menu. Do your research and put a lot of thought into this.
By offering delicious food that your patrons can’t find elsewhere in your area, this not only encourages repeat custom but those happy, well-fed customers will be more likely to leave good reviews and recommend you to their friends.
Although there has never been as many takeaway options, many of them offer very similar food. So do your best to stand out among the competition with a unique menu that’s sure to excite the locals!
Find A Good Location
Although the rise of food ordering apps means that location isn’t as crucial as it once was, you’ll still want to attract as much passing trade as possible. This means that finding a good location is still important.
What constitutes a good location will probably depend on the time of day you’re operating and the food you’re looking to serve. For instance, if you’re serving breakfasts or you’re open at lunch time then locating your business in close proximity to offices or businesses would be a shrewd move.
In any case, a busy area with high pedestrian flow ensures your business is visible, which should help you attract passersby looking for something to eat.
You should also check out the area you’re looking to move to. As touched on already, opening your business in an area that’s already well-served with similar food outlets may restrict the amount of customers you get.
Try to get a gauge on the local demographic and their preferences. Perhaps some market research where you ask locals what they’d like to see in their area would help. If your vision doesn’t align with local preferences, perhaps it’s wise to find another location.
Memorable Branding
In a crowded market such as takeaway food businesses, it’s important to stand out among the competition. Creating distinctive, unique branding can help you do just that.
There are many ways you can create memorable branding. Start with your social media channels, employing a specific tone of voice and adding some eye-catching imagery.
You can also use branded packaging which not only gives your business a professional look, but also acts as a miniature advertising board everywhere your customers take your food or drink items.
We stock a range of customisable packaging that can be adorned in your business’ branding, helping you create a unique and memorable look.
Get On Food-Ordering Apps
In the past customers would pick up their phone and order their takeaway, but those days are well and truly over as most now use food-ordering apps like JustEat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo.
These platforms are the UK’s go-to takeaway apps and have millions of daily users, so if your business isn’t signed up then you’ll be missing out on a lot of custom.
If you’re a top-performing business, you’ll also be rewarded with lots of good reviews, which will encourage more custom and help your business grow.
Use Eco-Friendly Packaging
Since September of last year, single-use packaging has been banned. The ban includes online and over-the-counter sales and it covers items from new and existing stock.
For anyone still using single-use plastic, Trading Standards departments will have the authority to fine and prosecute. So to avoid hefty fines, it’s best to abide by the rules and stick to biodegradable packaging.
Thankfully, you’ll find a wide range of paper items on our website. If you plan to serve drinks, we have many cups and tumblers to choose from. These can come branded or unbranded.
For food, we offer burger boxes, kraft bowls and many other takeaway packaging items. All of this is fully compliant with the new rules recently put in place, so if you’re in search of a wholesale takeaway packaging supplier to help you stick to the new legislation, you’re in the right place!
Legal compliance isn’t the only reason to use eco-friendly packaging. Research suggests that customers would rather shop with environmentally conscious companies. So by going green with your packaging, this could help you secure more business.
If you would like to find out more about how Elpack Packaging Solutions can assist your business, or discuss your bespoke packaging needs, get in touch with our expert team today! Call us on 01425 524021 or drop us an email at info@elpack.co.uk