Not every available space is right for a restaurant. A good restaurant location is harder to find than some people think. Food and service are important to the success of a restaurant, but the location can be just as crucial, especially in the early years. Here is the Anna Ziuzina guide to what a great restaurant should include, apart from the food that is!

Here are some tips to find the best location for your restaurant:

Parking is a must

People are lazy. There is just no way around it. If they have to walk far to get to your restaurant, they may choose to go somewhere else more convenient. If you live in a town where everyone walks and there is public transportation, this will be less of a factor. If you are thinking of a restaurant location, in a place that requires you to drive to get there, you'd better have parking space available. If your restaurant location doesn't come with a large parking lot, choose a place that is near a municipal parking lot that allows for the public to use.

Know your neighbors

When looking for a restaurant location, consider who else is doing business around your neighborhood. Are there already half a dozen restaurants with the same concept as yours? Is the area busy or full of empty storefronts? Usually, successful businesses attract other successful businesses.

Don't be impulsive

You may visit one spot and decide that it is "the one." But before you start sketching out the dining room, be sure to visit multiple sites. And visit prospective restaurant sites during different times of days, during the week and on weekends to have a better view of the possible targets your restaurant can accommodate. Choosing a location out of town, in a remote area is a gamble. Customers might visit for special occasions, but not on a regular basis. This will eventually lead to bankruptcy.

Put safety first

One of the first steps in choosing a restaurant location is finding out if the building is safe. Does it have proper wiring, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, handicap-accessible doors, restrooms, ramps? A walk through the building will help you determine what needs to be done to a space before you put up a restaurant.

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