For a long time, large shopping centers have become a place of pleasant spending time for the whole family. Having walked through numerous boutiques, having bought many useful things, I want to have a nice rest. Here at your disposal are cinemas, slot machines, and for children - trains or electric cars.
Fairly hungry, exhausted by an abundance of emotions, visitors to shopping centers go straight to where you can eat deliciously. But many do not even realize that such squares are called food courts. And seeing the colorful signs, they ask: “Food court - what is it? You must definitely go there! ”
What are food courts?
Food courts in shopping centers are a combination of several fast-food items on one common area. As a rule, they belong to different companies. Each has its own menu, prices and level of service. Such fast-food outlets are designed according to the general image of the company. Necessarily supplied with designer lightboxes every food court. What is this, too, many do not know, although probably everyone saw them. Lightbox is a luminous board with attractive mouth-watering advertising pictures.
Despite the fact that several companies work side by side in one large room, the area for visitors is common. The entire free area of the food court is filled with a large number of dining areas. Another distinguishing feature of such restaurants is self-service. With one small exception: the dishes after the visitors clean the local staff.
Modern designers equip the general interior of restaurant courtyards as comfortable and cozy as possible so that visitors would like to come back here every time. One of the prominent representatives of such a fast food item is the "European" food court. It is located in the shopping center of the same name in Moscow. And “European” is notable for a large number of restaurants in it and very comfortable dining areas.
Food Court Features
Eating quickly and tasty is the key principle of the fast food zone, as it might seem at first glance to the average layman. But it is not so. The main thing is to be on the top floor of the food court. What does it give? Everything is very simple. To get to the dining area of a huge shopping center, the buyer needs to go through numerous shops with attractive display cases. In this case, the chance of increasing the profit of outlets increases. Indeed, many people come to shopping centers not for the sake of shopping, but to enjoy the delights of modern fast food.
The second, but no less important, function than controlling the flow of visitors is the work time. It is important that the food court in the shopping center be open even after the closure of the shopping pavilions and can serve visitors to entertainment complexes.
The location of the food court
The location on the top floor of the food court is also explained by a large number of emergency exits and specially arranged ventilation. But in which place of the vast area of the last floor there will be a cafe on the food court - also important. Its most advantageous location is where the best overview of all the windows of the trading pavilions is. Such bread places the owners of shopping centers surrender at the last moment, because the demand for them at any time is especially great.
The most profitable option is to place a food court in the center of the trading floor. What this will bring is obvious: a full 360-degree view of all shop windows. And visitors to any boutique will certainly be seduced by alluring smells that will appetizingly spread throughout the floor.
Therefore, the location of the food court on the ground floor, as well as a separate entrance to it, are inappropriate. If the shopping center is one-story, then the restaurant courtyard is equipped at the very end of the trading floor, so that on the way there the visitor takes something with him.
Foodhall - A New Generation of Food Courts
Fast, tasty, and most importantly, inexpensive - these are the main nutritional criteria of our compatriots. Many do not care that all this delicious food is prepared from semi-finished products that are not of high quality and first freshness. But this situation is in our country, but in Europe, people have revised their views on the diet. And the food hall has already replaced the familiar and beloved food court. What it is, many of us have no idea.
The first foodhall appeared in Italy. By the principle of the device, it is very similar to a traditional food court. But the foodhall menu has in its arsenal fast and tasty, but at the same time as healthy dishes as possible. They are analogues of restaurant masterpieces. Of course, the price is several times higher than fast food, but Italians put higher health. Therefore, food halls have become widespread and more popular with them than the notorious fast food restaurants.
We, of course, cannot yet speak about the organization of such a catering for healthy food. After all, natural products will increase the price of dishes so much that many will stop visiting food courts in shopping centers and switch to food of unknown origin - shawarma and lavashi whites. However, if you find compliant suppliers of fresh products, then the customers in the foodhall will not end. But today in our country it is only a dream ...
Fast Food Business For Beginners
A rather tempting and profitable idea is to organize your own restaurant in the common food court area. But what needs to be considered and where to begin the beginner in this business? And is there any chance at all to break through among venerable competitors? Let's try to understand all the nuances of this matter.
We make connections
If you do not have experience in the restaurant business and good friends among the leadership of the shopping center, then the idea of organizing a fast food restaurant will be unprofitable. Because in the competitive selection for the location of the point in the food court, preference is given to brand firms. But often, if there is a place, and restaurateurs are in short supply, there is a chance to prove themselves. And if you have good friends in the management circles of the shopping center, then the chances of getting a bread place are doubled.
Present
Even if you are an experienced restaurateur, drawing up a competent presentation of your future point will be only a plus. It is necessary to include in it the developed menu to the smallest detail, the design of the place, the price of dishes, as well as a convenient communication project, beneficial for you.
Make out
After receiving the desired location and signing an agreement with the leadership of the shopping center, you need to proceed to the registration of a fast food restaurant. It requires special permits from certain authorities.
But besides the permission of the shopping center management to work in the food court, considerable funding will be required. Although the business idea itself is almost a win-win, it may initially be unprofitable. Therefore, it would be more expedient to open several points.
Based on this, the organization of fast food in the restaurant courtyard of a large shopping center is more beneficial for networkers working in this area for more than one year. And in 96% of cases, preference is given to them, and not to beginners, even with an extremely profitable business plan.
Food Court Interior
It depends on the overall design and location how profitable the food court will be. The photos below represent the most enticing design solutions for food courts.
The very idea of design implies a laconic combination of coziness and comfort with functionality and aesthetics. At the same time, the design of the food court differs from the general atmosphere of the shopping center, focuses on itself, inviting you to come.
An important role in the setting of the food court is furniture. The first food courts were arranged on the principle of "eat quickly and leave", so the dining areas were not comfortable and carried only a functional load. However, today the concept has changed. And the creators of the general interior should arrange everything so that the visitor stays here longer and the next time he comes here.
According to this principle, furniture is chosen - comfortable plastic or soft chairs, and in many restaurants and mini sofas. They are perfectly complemented by comfortable tables, made so that the usual snack behind them turns into a dinner party. And the most automated lines for accepting and issuing orders significantly increase the speed of customer service.
The main rule of food court design is maximum comfort and dining areas. And do not forget about originality. After all, it is the appearance that lures the visitor to familiarize themselves with the menu, and his comfort conquers and makes him come here again and again.