How to Start a Korean Restaurant

If you want to start your own Korean restaurant, this article will help you get started on the right page. Here, you'll find four steps that will push you to predictable success.

You might wonder how to start a profitable Korean restaurant business establishment.

Starting a restaurant with the right information will push you to success faster. Avoid mistakes. We will guide you to move forward and embrace this lucrative business.

Step 1 is to start with a Korean restaurant business plan.

Developing a game plan means knowing who will be your Korean restaurant business competitors and developing a strategy for creating business for yourself and taking business from them too! Yes, it sounds harsh, but that is how restaurants survive. Sooner or later, your business will suffer if you don’t adopt this philosophy.

Here’s an example of a business plan. A family of 4 will only eat in one restaurant at a given time. Let’s say it was lunchtime. If your establishment happens to be along a stretch of 4 other restaurants, your chance of getting that business is 1 to 5 or 20% chance. This means 80% odds are against you. A strategy is something like having a special menu outside your normal menu that one of the other establishments also offers. Now, you increase your chances to 40%.

Having said that, also access who will be your Korean restaurant clients. What are the nearby neighborhoods you can reach? Are they Korean populated or mixed, or maybe not at all? How far is the next Korean business competitor?

Next, make checklists for fish, chicken, beef, pork, and vegetable suppliers and a checklist for restaurant equipment.

Step 2 is settling your location, licensing, and financing dues.

The start-up cost for a Korean restaurant business includes remodeling overhead like renovations, plumbing, electrical, and air conditioning. Korean restaurant business licenses are also expenses that have to be covered. Try consulting with an accountant or a financial analyst to have a rough estimate of your initial overhead and your financing options. Also, consult for a debt reduction plan. Often, we are so eager to get into debt to start a business that we fail to plan how to get out of debt afterward.

Step 3 is to hire a staff.

Make sure the people who work for you have excellent work ethics and attitudes, are knowledgeable and teachable about your product, and are people-oriented.

Step 4 is to have a delicious Korean menu.

Korean menu primarily consists of steamed cooked rice, noodles, tofu, soup, vegetables, and meat with the use of several herbs and spices, particularly doejang and gochjang. Kimchi, a spicy radish specialty, is unique to all Korean restaurants. Popular Korean meat dishes are Buljogi, which is shredded beef, Galbi which is pork or beef ribs cooked over a metal plate, and Hoe, which is a raw seafood dish. Sundubu jigae and Samgyetang are the common soups and stews ordered, while Naengmyeon is the common noodles. And Bibimbap is their famous mixed rice. These are just a few suggestions you might want to add to your menu.

4 Comments

  • minho kim said on October 28, 2009
    How to Start a Korean Restaurant

    Step 4 is to have a delicious Korean menu.
    ~~~ Popular Korean meat dishes are Buljogi which is ~~~
    [correction spelling]
    incorrect : Buljogi
    correct : bulgogi
  • Sang u ko said on April 11, 2012
    Houston tx I was wondering How much does it cost to start up a korean restaurant
  • Alexandra said on April 13, 2012
    Hello! We would like to start a chain of korean takeaway restaurants in Russia. We are looking for a Thai partner. If you are interested? just contact me: business-center-office@yandex.ru, +79160851335
  • yass000u said on September 9, 2014
    i always wanted to start korean restaurant or korean coffee in my country. in a matter of fact, there are no korean restaurants in my country, not even one. not even asian food restaurants except few indian ones. i live in algeria ... the main issue is the supplies, the necessary ingrediens for the korean, japaneese, chineese, thai or even indonisian dishes such as soya sauce some vegetables and mushrooms are very rare ... actually i never found any. please answer me on my email. as i would like to discuss more in priviate. thank you.

    Comment

    (All the above fields are required.)