A fine dining restaurant in Gulf countries like Oman is a blend of delicacies and a bespoke experience. With its rich history and culture, the food on the Omani dinner table tells a tale of Arab royalty. Unsurprisingly, tourism in the country is flourishing, and on its back, the restaurant industry is burgeoning. It is thus, the right time for Omani restaurateurs—and upcoming restaurateurs—to own this bustling dining scene. If you plan to do that, you are at the right place. Here’s a quick guide that will take you through various steps of opening a fine dining restaurant in Oman.
Guide To Opening A Fine Dine Restaurant In Oman
Opening a fine dining restaurant is expensive and daunting. However, the basics remain the same; you need to create an inviting ambiance, invest in classy furniture, train your staff well, and have royal dinnerware.
Here is our step-by-step guide to opening a fine dining restaurant in Oman.
Budgeting
Starting a fine dining restaurant requires a hefty investment. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the investment you need and how you will raise it. You will need capital for-
- Licensing
- Buying/renting property
- Hiring and training staff
- Managing daily operations
- Buying insurance
- Buying equipment
Once you arrive at a ballpark figure, you will need to figure out the best way to find investors. Before fundraising, keep the following points in mind:
- Make a plan for your restaurant business.
- Research your business, location, competition, market.
- Think about the concept of your restaurant and the services you want to offer as per your target customers.
Once you have a detailed plan ready, it’s time to look for investors.
Investment
Before finding investors, you must secure funds for around four years to successfully run the restaurant as it can be a risky business. You can get initial capital investment and working capital via:
- Self-funding
- Partnership
- Venture capitalists
- Bank loans
- Restaurant financing companies
You can use either or a combination of these ways to fund a fine dining restaurant business.
Also Read: How to Get a Loan for Your Restaurant Business from Restaurant Financing companies.
Permits And Approvals
It is important to learn about the rules and regulations a restaurant must follow in Oman. You will need the following approvals:
- Registration and approval by the Ministry of Commerce
- A safety and security license by Civil Defense
- Approval for the activity of import of vegetables and fruits
- Liquor license
- Health license
- Approval from Municipal Services Departments
- Approval from the fire department
- Lift clearance, if required
The approvals may differ as per your restaurant’s seating capacity and location.
USP Of Your Restaurant
You need a unique concept and format for your restaurant to stand out among many others in the market. You can choose anything from extraordinary serving style, authentic yet out-of-box menu, or theme-based ambiance. Your market and audience research in the first step will also help you make this decision.
Generally, fine dining restaurants have classical music or soothing musical instruments to play in the background. In addition, you can experiment with the lighting–dim light at night and natural light during daytime.
The location of your restaurant also factors in here. It should be easily reachable by civilians and tourists alike. Make sure it is visible from a distance. Also, the place should be hygienic; otherwise, authorities might delay the approvals.
Essentials For The Restaurant
Once everything is finalized, you need to plan and buy restaurant equipment. Plan what you need before going shopping, as the equipment is usually a one-time investment.
- Kitchen Essentials: It includes freezers, stoves, ovens, sinks, and other kitchen equipment, along with counters and cutting surfaces.
- Front-end essentials: It includes furniture, table cloth, salt-pepper shakers, napkins, and a menu.
- Operational essentials: They make the restaurant work seamlessly. It includes credit-card machines, registers, and management systems.
Hiring And Training Staff
To ensure your fine dining restaurant has excellent services, you need highly trained staff. While interviewing your prospective employees, go through their skills and do a background check. It will help you understand their workability. Make sure they have no criminal record. After hiring, it is important to train them. Training also helps you retain staff.
You will need the following staff for your fine dining restaurant:
- Kitchen staff: Chef, night chef, assistant chef, and helpers
- Bar staff: Bartenders and helpers
- Managing staff: Cashier, storekeeper, and restaurant manager
- Other staff: Captains, stewards, housekeepers, guards, and delivery staff
Right Technology For The Restaurant
Embracing technology right when you begin restaurant functions makes management easier. For example, a point of sale (POS) system customized for fine dining restaurants can help you with the following:
- Tablet billing: Customers can place orders using tablets. It reduces human errors.
- Online table reservation: Customers can book tables beforehand and choose their tables.
- Feedback management: Record customer feedback and increase engagement.
- Detailed reporting: It gives detailed reports about daily sales, stock consumption and helps in inventory management
- Billing operations: It helps in smooth billing and reduces human errors.
- Waiter performance management: You can measure the performance of your staff and monitor their check-in and check-out timing.
- Marketing campaigns: You can leverage technology for running marketing campaigns and getting more customers.
Starting and running a fine dining restaurant in Oman is difficult. But proper planning will make the entire process easier. Start with figuring out how much investment you would need and who could potentially invest in your restaurant. Once you have that down, the journey will become smoother. Keep in mind all the approvals and permits a restaurant in Oman needs, and with the right technology and people, you shall have a smooth ride.
