A restaurant can be a difficult, yet very rewarding business to start and run. In order to succeed in the restaurant space, you’ll need great recipes, a willingness to work hard and dedication to making your restaurant succeed. Here are four of the important things you’ll need to do to get your restaurant up and running.

Come up with a Great Idea

With so many restaurants around today, you need more than great food to set yourself apart. The most successful restaurants have a theme or underlying concept behind them. Whether you start a restaurant inspired by an Irish pub or a beach-side bar, be sure that you have an idea that will attract diners. When you build your restaurant, you should also make sure that your decor matches the theme you choose.

Try out Different Recipes

Once you have figured out what kind of restaurant you want to start, it’s time to start constructing your menu. Come up with several different recipes and try them out to decide which ones you like best. If you have a recipe you like but think could be better, don’t be afraid to play around with it to improve it. Ideally, your restaurant should open with 20 or more different menu offerings, including at least a few appetizers and deserts.

Find Great Suppliers

After you know what food items you’ll need to keep in stock to make the menu items you decide on, it’s time to start lining up high-quality food suppliers like the Klosterman Baking Company or someone similar. You want to work with a company that will reliably deliver your supplies on time, as having an item off the menu for even a day can cost you money. You should also be sure that your supplier offers excellent ingredients, as using the best ingredients will make your food better for your patrons. If you plan to open a restaurant with a bar, you’ll also need a liquor supplier that meets the same criteria.

Organize the Logistics

The final step in opening your restaurant is to get all of the logistics put in place. This means finding a building to rent or buy to house your restaurant, getting the necessary local and state licenses and hiring waitstaff, cooks and bartenders. These steps can take some months, but don’t get discouraged. During this time, you can also start to promote your restaurant’s impending opening on social media, ensuring that you’ll have a good flow of business when you finally do open.

These four steps are the most crucial to opening a restaurant. If it’s your first time starting a restaurant business, you may run into some unexpected obstacles along the way. Don’t worry, though, as you will get through them. Stick to your plan, and you’ll have your own restaurant up and running before you know it.