One Fat Frog has seen countless restaurant startups spring up in Lakeland, Florida, with some succeeding while others fail. There are many factors that go into whether a restaurant makes it or not; one of the most important is customer demographics. The customer demographics determine your restaurant’s hours and theme, which determines your menu, which determines the restaurant equipment you need to buy.
Your restaurant startup should be targeted toward your customers. Just as you wouldn’t try to sell ice to an Eskimo, you need to know who the customers in your area are and what they want. If you are opening a restaurant startup in Lakeland, you need to know the restaurant demographics of Lakeland, and particularly in whatever area of Lakeland where you plan to open the restaurant.
The most obvious customer demographic you need to learn is socioeconomic status. Customers in an affluent area are not going to be attracted to your restaurant if your main selling point is that you have cheap food. Conversely, you shouldn’t open a wine bar in an area where most people make minimum wage. In Lakeland, the median household income is relatively low, so it would not be a good location for high- priced restaurants.
Age is another big factor that needs to be considered when you look at the demographics for your restaurant startup. If it is an area heavily populated by retirees, having early bird specials, brunches, and opening extra early for breakfast can help you cater to the customers’ eating habits. Younger customers tend to want to stay out later, so late night drink specials would help your restaurant appeal to a younger crowd.
Gender and marital status are other major customer demographics to consider. Lakeland is 53% female and 43% of the adult population is married, so that is a lot of unmarried men and women. That may mean Ladies Nights at your restaurant or it could mean staying open late. It could mean ditching the TVs playing sports for something with a more feminine appeal. Whatever you do, make sure your new Lakeland restaurant is targeted toward the customers in your area.
Once you know who your customers are, you know your hours and your theme. Once you know that, you can plan a menu. First-time restaurant owners too often plan a menu based on what food they enjoy; instead, it should be catered to your customer demographics. Once you have a menu, you know what will need to be cooked and how it will need to be cooked. That means you’re ready to get some restaurant equipment. That’s where One Fat Frog comes in. With a 100,000-square-foot showroom, we have a plentiful stock of used restaurant equipment with free delivery to Lakeland. Once you know what you need, give us a call of 407-480-3409 and let’s get started on your restaurant dream.
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