7 Tips for Negotiating a Restaurant Lease

When looking at leasing a restaurant space, it's important to know your rights and not rush into any decisions. Here are some tips when negotiating a lease:

1.) If a premises has been vacant for a while and in this slow economic current climate, it may be possible to negotiate a lower monthly rent payment. Examples include

• getting the first couple of months' start-up for free
• not paying until the restaurant opens for business
• or pro-rating rent so that it is very low rent for the first year of the lease but it increases thereafter (though be careful not to entrap yourself in an expensive lease because you back loaded the payments.)

2.) During the negotiation stages, ensure that the space is checked thoroughly and passes various inspections (fire safety, health inspector checks, etc.) and detail any items of disrepair before you move in. If any alterations or repairs are necessary, discuss with the landlord which repairs he is willing to foot the bill for. As a general rule, if any repairs will 'stay with the building' after you have left, such as plumbing work, it should be the landlord's responsibility to pay for these or to deduct the costs from your rent.

3.) Ensure that any agreements made with your landlord about paying for repairs are put into writing.

4.) Consider building in the following clauses to your lease agreement to protect your business. Possible add-on clauses include:

• sublease (to allow you to sublet the space to another business if necessary).
• a break clause. (allows you to end a lease early if necessary).
• co-tenancy (if the landlord has an anchor tenant, this clause allows you to break the lease if this tenant is not replaced by a certain time).
• exclusivity (to prevent your landlord leasing any other of his premises in the same location or complex to your direct competitors).

5.) Ask that the lease be put in the name of your corporation and not your name personally.

6.) It is not standard practice to pay for the landlords legal costs, so make sure you do not offer to do this during the negotiation phase.

7.) It is important to investigate the consequences of defaulting on lease payments. Find out how the landlord would react (e.g. will they lock the premises immediately or begin eviction proceedings?)

10 Good Facebook Post Ideas For Foodtrucks

1.) Do a Trivia Contest

Example: Answer correctly, win a free burrito: His government overthrew the only monarch of the 2nd Mexican Empire #AdelitaJeopardy

2.) Remind About Catering

Example: Hey Denver! We are now accepting summer catering reservations. Book your event with us now through February and SAVE 15% on your catering package!

3.) Promote New Items

Example: New item special: chicken curry. Join us ! :) happy Friday

4.) Offer Discounts

Example: Weekly Special - order any entree plate and receive a free can of soda! Show this tweet to the cashier when ordering to receive your drink.

5.) Offer Discounts via Secret Codeword

Example: We will be at Nooch Vegan Market tomorrow for Falawesome Friday 12-4pm. Tell us Our Falafel is Falawesome and get a $2 hummus sampler free with any purchase $6+!

6.) Post Honest Updates to Build Trust

Example: Water pump on the truck just failed! Going to be closed today but will reopen tomorrow! See you then!

7.) Encourage Ordering Ahead

Example: Cold & wet today! Call or text in your order and we'll have it ready for ya :) 503-946-6150

8.) Set Goals

Example: Today we hoped to hit 200 likes and thanks to all our amazing and great supporter we were able to hit 203 likes. Love you guys ;)

9.) Talk up the Food, Duh

Example: Delicious batch of Caramelized Onion and Smokey Blue Cheese Soup is simmering and getting ready for lunch service. Crisp green beans are saucing away in a smoked paprika pickling juice. Maybe it is all of the wood smoke we ingest from the 23rd & Alberta lot fire that is dictating our flavor preferences right now!

10.) Promote Voting in Local Contests

Another successful day at Auraria, sold out once more! Thank you all for your patience today, we hope we've earned your VOTE for Manna as the Best Food Truck in Denver!

10 Good FacebookPostIdeas For Foodtrucks

1.) Do a Trivia Contest

Example: Answer correctly, win a free burrito: His government overthrew the only monarch of the 2nd Mexican Empire #AdelitaJeopardy

2.) Remind About Catering

Example: Hey Denver!We are now accepting summer catering reservations. Book your event with us now through February and SAVE 15% on your catering package!

3.) Promote New Items

Example: New item special: chicken curry. Join us ! :) happy Friday

4.) Offer Discounts

Example: Weekly Special - order any entree plate and receive a free can of soda! Show this tweet to the cashier when ordering to receive your drink.

5.) Offer Discounts via Secret Codeword

Example: We will be at Nooch Vegan Market tomorrow for Falawesome Friday 12-4pm. Tell us Our Falafel is Falawesome and get a $2 hummus sampler free with any purchase $6+!

6.) Post Honest Updates to Build Trust

Example: Water pump on the truck just failed! Going to be closed today but will reopen tomorrow! See you then!

7.) Encourage Ordering Ahead

Example: Cold & wet today! Call or text in your order and we'll have it ready for ya :) 503-946-6150

8.) Set Goals

Example: Today we hoped to hit 200 likes and thanks to all our amazing and great supporter we were able to hit 203 likes. Love you guys ;)

9.) Talk up the Food, Duh

Example: Delicious batch of Caramelized Onion and Smokey Blue Cheese Soup is simmering and getting ready for lunch service. Crisp green beans are saucing away in a smoked paprika pickling juice. Maybe it is all of the wood smoke we ingest from the 23rd & Alberta lot fire that is dictating our flavor preferences right now!

10.) Promote Voting in Local Contests

Another successful day at Auraria, sold out once more! Thank you all for your patience today, we hope we've earned your VOTE for Manna as the Best Food Truck in Denver!

7 Ways for Restaurants to Use Pinterest

1.) Use awesome photos. Pinterest is a visual bulletin board medium, use it visually.

2.) Start with a photo or video that you just have to share and simply create a board. Over the next few days add some more items to the board until it feels full or at least fullish. 

3. ) Once you have an active board (5 or more items) start sharing your board by adding the links to your website, Facebook, and Twitter. Ideally, these photos will give viewers feel like they are insiders.  Photos to consider: putting up your restaurant’s sign, a great looking, new dish you are considering, or behind-the-scenes photos of the chef and other staff.

4.) Be consistent.  All branding reflects back on you, everything that can be associated with your name is branding, and marketing.Use the Pinterest boards to reflect your restaurant in the most favorable way possible every time.

5.) Promote your Pinterest page with table-top tent cards or a bit of text for the link added to the menu. It will encourage customers to look at previous things you’ve done while they wait for their orders. 

6.) Allow customers to add to your group board. Also, allow them to share their own Pinterest boards (not: you’ll have to follow them to add them). If customers add to your board but the content isn’t relevant, just delete it. 

7.) Stay current…each week schedule some time to add new pics and/or video to your Pinterest board— and take down that Christmas dinner shot before mid January.

5 Tips for Choosing Restaurant Glassware

1.) Make Glassware Distinctive: Match glasses and mugs to the restaurant’s décor, which helps present a fluid dining experience for customers.Consider more elegant glassware for fine dining, or choose casual options for a relaxed and fun environment. Remember that first impressions with customers can make a significant difference in their overall satisfaction level. And glassware is oftentimes the first thing a customer sees when entering a restaurant. Make sure the mugs, glasses, and other glassware on the table stands out. Make your choices pleasing to the eye.

2.) Select Durable Glassware: Choose durableand long-lasting glassware. This can save money in the long run, so select products from a manufacturer with a great reputation. Focusing on lower-priced products alone could actually cost more in the long term as lower-quality items can break, chip, or crack more easily.

3.) Avoid Bulky Glassware: Diners prefer glasses that are easy to hold and handle. And if you want bigger glasses, for items like beer mugs, consider getting them with a handle. Think of your glassware as more than just an accessory. It can function as a focal point a customer’s dining experience.

4.) Use a Wide Selection of Glassware: From beverage glasses with or without handles to large or small coffee mugs, make sure to cover all of your bases. Available products also include soda glasses, dessert glasses, and tumblers. And for fine dining establishments, choose wine and champagne glasses that keep in mind the overall restaurant design.

5.) Find Startup Capital: Need help raising the funds to pay for all this new glassware? Reach out to potential customers and partners through Foodstart.com, the community funding site just for the food-and-beverage industry.