• Business Growth & Optimisation

4 Factors to Consider When Opening a New Restaurant

5 min. read25.03.2021
By Team Zeller

Operating a restaurant is more of a challenge today than it was a few years ago.

Business owners have a heightened responsibility to keep both staff and customers safe from contracting and spreading COVID-19, while also protecting employee livelihoods and meeting their obligations.

But does that mean you shouldn’t follow your passion to open a new restaurant? Absolutely not. It simply means you have some additional planning to do to ensure your venture succeeds.

In fact, Zeller research indicates the hospitality industry will rebound beyond pre-pandemic levels — offering quick-thinking merchants an opportunity to cash in. Read our report for more information on the changed dining habits of Australians.

creative-social-distancing

Restaurant owners have had to think creatively when it comes to keeping customers socially distanced.

Seize the opportunity for innovation

We typically see a spike in innovation both during and shortly after times of crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic proves no different. In times of crises:

  • new customer needs and habits emerge;

  • competition is displaced, providing an opportunity for new businesses to grab market share; and

  • new problems emerge, which require fresh, innovative solutions.

Our local hospitality industry in particular has risen to the challenge of lockdowns with creative solutions such as finish-at-home fine dining, pantry staple packs, pared-back menus designed for delivery, and more.

If it’s your goal to open a restaurant, the first thing you should do is consider the landscape in which you’ll be operating. Assess those businesses that survived (and thrived) throughout 2020, and consider how your business idea might also need to adapt to our new normal.

Keep reading to discover four key considerations for starting a new restaurant in a post-COVID world.

1. The mobility of your menu

The 23rd of March 2020 will forever be marked in our history books as the day restaurants, cafes and bars shuttered across the nation. Those who could pivot to home delivery did so, and as a result, there may be an increased appetite for these services among your future customers.

Can your menu easily be adapted for takeaway? And does traditional takeaway make sense, or would meal kits be a better choice? Shane Delia, experienced chef and owner of Melbourne’s Maha, Maha East and Maha Bar, told The Guardian that meal kits were typically more complicated to create than regular takeaway, for example.

You’ll need to consider how your restaurant will adapt to the new realities of hospitality. Read our blog for more tips on creating a menu that's right for takeaway.

2. A budget for delivery

You’ll also need to consider how delivery fees will impact your bottom line. Do you want to pay fees to third-party delivery providers, or invest in your own ordering software and drivers? Depending on which direction you go, the price to your business (and your customers) can vary greatly.

When it comes to budgeting for home delivery, there’s the:

  • menu item – the actual food ordered

  • service fee – a fee charged by the delivery company

  • taxes – sales tax, based on applicable tax laws

  • delivery fee – the price for having the food delivered

  • gratuity – the optional tip for the delivery driver

to take into account.

Spending some time thinking through how your business would pivot when faced with a lockdown. This will help you build a more complete plan for your business and understand the risks, costs, and opportunities involved.

3. The capacity math

Outside eating space is now more important than ever – it can be the difference between serving a couple of customers and serving a full house.

If you’ve already got a potential location in mind, work out how many customers you could realistically house if the strictest capacity measures were reinforced: one person per four square metres. (Staff are typically not counted when calculating restaurant density.)

We’ve seen many restaurants expand their footprint to the sidewalk in 2020; remember to investigate applicable licensing laws so you’re not caught off guard.

4. Safety measures

As the new owner of a restaurant, you have a responsibility to keep yourself, your staff and your customers healthy. You can use Healthdirect Australia’s COVID-19 restriction checker for restaurants and cafes to find details on the rules applicable in each state and territory, and stay up-to-date on changes to those regulations. Depending on where you open your business, you may need to register a COVID-safe plan with your state or territory’s government as well – but don’t stop there.

Contact tracing is an important and effective measure to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. QR code check-in is now the norm; your customers can scan a code, enter their details, and check in with ease. There’s a number of options available, including Mr Yum and, for Victorian locals, the Government’s own free QR Code Service.

Your payments terminal should support contactless payments, to avoid spreading germs, and you’ll also need to consider mobility. Customers shouldn’t have to move through different parts of the restaurant in order to pay their bill.

How far might your customers be from your Wi-Fi modem or router? If you’re considering utilising an outdoor space, a terminal that uses a SIM card will enable you to take payment where most convenient. Or, ideally, look for a terminal with both Wi-Fi connectivity and a SIM card – that way, if there’s issues with one network connection you’ll be able to rely on the other. You can read more about wireless payment terminals in our blog on the Benefits of Mobile EFTPOS Machines.

The pandemic has had, and continues to have, a serious impact on the cash flow and profitability of many restaurants.

Both new and seasoned restaurant owners will need to take a number of proactive steps to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on their business.

Once you’ve considered all of the above, you’re in a position to start working on your business plan. You’ve already addressed the most crucial question: how your new restaurant will succeed in the new normal. Need help with the rest? Sign up to our Business Blog for useful tips to turn your business idea into a reality.

Zeller Terminal: Your EFTPOS Payments Solution, and So Much More

Meet your newest recruit: a sleek, reliable multitasker that takes payments, processes sales, cuts costs, grows tips, splits bills, and boosts your brand. Once upon a time,  EFTPOS terminals did one thing: accept card payments. In 2024, they have become the beating heart of a business’s finances, incorporating myriad tools and features to help merchants not only deal with the increasing volume of card payments, but also make informed business decisions, deliver premium and branded customer service, and get you paid faster. Zeller Terminal is one such device that’s leading the way in payment technology in Australia. Integrated into Zeller’s financial ecosystem, which offers a  point-of-sale system ,  transaction account  and  savings account ,  debit cards  and  corporate cards , a  contact directory  and  mobile app , Zeller EFTPOS Terminal is a key component of an all-in-one system that gives businesses real-time visibility of their cash position, important sales insights, and near-instant access to their funds. So much more than an EFTPOS machine, Zeller Terminal is a key growth driver for your business, and below, we explain twelve reasons why. Top 12 benefits of Zeller Terminal 1. It saves your business money. Zeller Terminal is yours to own outright for the low cost of $99, or $199 if you choose Zeller Terminal 2, which comes with a built-in point-of-sale system. There are no monthly rental fees, no lock-in contracts, and no hidden costs. Once you start taking payments, you will only ever incur a 1.4% transaction fee for all card types – including AMEX – or 1.7% for over-the-phone transactions. Plus, with Zeller Terminal’s flexible surcharging capability, you can choose to pass on all or part of your merchant fee to the customer. Unlike many merchant services providers which lock you into surcharging for an added fee, Zeller’s zero-cost EFTPOS  option can be turned on, off, or customised at the press of a button. 2. It accepts every payment method. Zeller Terminal gives your customers the option to pay however is most convenient for them. To make payment, a customer can: tap their smartphone, watch, or other  NFC-enabled device  to the terminal tap their contactless debit and credit cards to the terminal insert a chip card into Zeller Terminal and, if needed, securely enter their PIN swipe their card and enter their PIN, or sign directly on the screen (available on Zeller Terminal 1 only) call you and read their card details over the phone 3. It simplifies checkout with a free, built-in point-of-sale system. Traditional point-of-sale software can be costly to growing businesses, which is why Zeller Terminal 2 incorporates a simple POS solution right into the hardware, for free:  Zeller POS Lite . Designed for micro, small, and mobile businesses, this easy-to-use POS solution records sales and delivers a fast and secure customer checkout experience. With Zeller POS Lite, you can: Manage a library of items directly on the terminal or via Zeller Dashboard or App Customise your product offering with modifiers and variants Design your home screen grid to allow quick access to frequently used items Generate itemised receipts which customers can receive via email, SMS, or QR code View detailed sales reports to understand what you are selling and when Create and manage discounts Get set up instantly – Zeller POS Lite comes automatically installed on Zeller Terminal 2 4. It boosts your brand with customisable receipts and screensavers. Zeller ensures your brand is central to the payment process by allowing you to customise both your receipts and your machine’s screensaver. Whether they’re printed or sent digitally as an email or SMS, Zeller receipts can incorporate a custom image at the top of the receipt, as well as business details, social media handles, a brief message or returns policy. Similarly, Zeller Terminal’s large digital screen can be customised with an image of your choice, allowing you to engage your customers with your brand while you scan their items or pull up their order on your point-of-sale. Much more than a simple payment device, Zeller Terminal is an innovative marketing tool that can be leveraged to instil your brand messaging. Customise your Terminal screensaver and your receipt to align with your brand. 5. It splits payments. Gone are the days of making your customers get out their phone calculator to figure out who owes what after a group meal. Zeller Terminal’s  Split Payments  functionality gives customers the option of splitting by custom value or by number of people. Not only is this more convenient for your patrons, but it speeds up the payment process, freeing up the EFTPOS terminal for it to be used by other staff. Additionally, by giving each individual customer the option to pay their share, it gives them all the opportunity to provide a tip. Everyone tips differently, so by giving more power to each customer, it is not only a more democratic process, it's likely to result in cumulatively greater tips for your business. 6. It settles the bill, tableside. Zeller Terminal’s  Pay at Table  feature is revolutionising the dining experience. Where before waitstaff would have to jostle between the diner’s table and the point-of-sale machine to settle a bill, Zeller Terminal now allows you to see total outstanding bills, take payments and close tables — all on one device. Rather than the customer paying at the counter or finalising the bill in the traditional, time-consuming manner, waitstaff can deliver the bill and the mobile payment device, all at the same time. The status of a table is updated in real time and synced across all machines, reducing human error and optimising the whole operation. 7. It makes processing refunds easy. Zeller Terminal supports both complete and partial refunds – and you, as a business owner, have the ability to restrict who can provide a customer with a refund. It’s an added level of protection for your business. Refunding a payment doesn’t cost your business anything; Zeller doesn’t charge any additional fees for refunding a customer. 7. It gives you real-time insights. Track key metrics from your Zeller Terminal in your own Zeller Dashboard or on  Zeller App . By providing powerful real-time data and a searchable transaction history, Zeller equips you with the tools you need to better manage cash flow, identify cost-saving opportunities and sales patterns. With most payment services providers, daily transaction information is unavailable until totals are tallied up at close of business — and important business information can only be found in a monthly merchant services statement. Having the ability to see how your business is performing at a glance enables you to quickly understand your short-term cash flow, progress sales targets to meet (and outperform) business objectives, and ultimately make smarter business decisions. 9. It gets you paid faster with same-day settlements. When you settle your funds into a Zeller Transaction Account, your day’s takings from Zeller Terminal will be deposited into your account the very same night, 365 days a year. If you choose to settle your funds into a third-party bank account, you will receive them the next business day. Speeding up the settlement process means you have access to your funds faster, helping to keep your cash flow healthy, and helping to avoid delays to wage payments or supply orders. 10. It can be controlled remotely. If your business operates across multiple locations, you need an easy way to manage your EFTPOS payment terminals. Every one of your Zeller Terminals can be controlled from your Zeller account, ensuring consistency across your entire operation. Update your staff permissions, enable and disable surcharging, update the information on your receipts, and more from one easy, online location. 11. It increases your tips. Zeller Terminal makes it easy for customers to leave a tip. This is particularly useful for hospitality businesses — you don’t have to enable the feature, but the functionality is there. You can configure your Zeller Terminal to provide a range of tipping options, either prompting a customer to leave a tip calculated on a percentage of their purchase or allowing them to enter a custom amount. This is a proven tactic, designed to grow tips for your business. 12. It reduces paper with digital and QR code receipts. A recent study* revealed that Australia produces 10.6 billion paper receipts annually, but because of their chemical coating, none of them can be recycled. With consumers and businesses becoming increasingly aware of their environmental footprint, many are choosing digital receipts as a convenient and sustainable alternative. Zeller Terminal embraces this step forward by offering customers the choice to have their receipts sent via email or SMS (available on both terminal models), or they can quickly scan a QR code which appears on-screen after the payment has been processed and download their receipt directly to their smartphone (Zeller Terminal 2 only). *‘Life Journey of an Average Receipt’ report, commissioned by Slyp, undertaken by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Plus protection for your business. Zeller uses end-to-end encryption and industry best practices to protect transactions from the time they are taken at the terminal to the time your money is received. Whether you choose to use an open or secured Wi-Fi connection or a mobile broadband-based connection, all the information Zeller processes is encrypted to our servers. Our team adheres to industry best practices in cybersecurity and threat management, constantly monitoring transactions for suspicious activity and blocking fraudulent transactions. When payment disputes occur, our team of experts deals with the bank for you, helping you avoid costly chargebacks. We’re always looking ahead. Our team of developers are hard at work, continuously building new functionality to give your business an edge. That's why, when you sign up for Zeller, there are no lock-in contracts or commitments. We know you’ll love our solution enough to never want to leave. Learn more about how  Zeller Terminal  can help your business grow by accepting every card payment, quickly and securely, for one low rate. By sharing your details with us, we may contact you from time to time. We promise we won’t bug you — and you can unsubscribe from communications at any time.

How Pay at Table with Zeller Terminal Can Boost Your Restaurant Revenue

Our latest payments feature is here and it’s revolutionising the hospitality experience. The payment process is often the Achilles’ heel of many restaurant experiences. How many times have you received the bill, placed your credit card down, and then had to wait another fifteen minutes before being able to finally pay for your meal? Countless. This is because, until now, many restaurants have been hamstrung by a disconnection between their point-of-sale machine and their EFTPOS terminal. The time it takes for a waiter to deliver the bill to the diners, retrieve the payment terminal, return to the table, then round off the table in the POS system , is considerable. Multiply this by the number of tables in the venue and you can easily understand the aforementioned delay. Pay at Table technology is changing that. By centralising the POS and payment process into one device, Pay at Table bridges the gap between tapping or swiping a card, and settling the bill in the system. Read on to understand how this technology works and how it can help turn over tables faster, and ultimately drive revenue for your restaurant. If your restaurant is currently not using a POS system and you value efficiency and improving customer experience, consider exploring the best POS systems for restaurants in Australia . These systems can further streamline your payment process, helping you turn over tables faster and ultimately drive revenue. How does Pay at Table work? Pay at Table is effectively an extension of your POS machine, on your EFTPOS terminal. Waiters pick up Zeller Terminal , view open tables, see total outstanding bills, take payments and close tables — all on one device. Rather than the customer paying at the counter or finalising the bill in the traditional, time-consuming manner, waitstaff can deliver the bill and the mobile payment device, all at the same time. The status of a table is updated in real time and synced across all machines, reducing human error and optimising the whole operation. Benefits of Pay at Table technology 1. Increased efficiency Being able to close a table independently of the POS machine means that the latter isn’t blocked by taking payments, it can instead be used to open and manage tables. Naturally, this reduces foot traffic throughout the venue, eliminates queues, and turns tables over more quickly. Staff are freed up to process orders faster, leading to improved service and ultimately, higher sales. 2. Improved customer satisfaction Leaving customers waiting to pay for their bill can leave a bad taste in the mouth — pun not intended. Zeller Terminal’s Pay at Table functionality makes for a smoother process and offers the added benefit of allowing customers to split the cost by the number of people or by a custom amount . 3. Encourages generous tipping Zeller Terminal comes with a built-in tool which can easily calculate the fair amount for a gratuity and will provide the customer with various tipping options to choose from. Displayed clearly for your customers to review, this feature can increase your server’s tip earnings and erase confusion surrounding tipping protocol. Zeller Terminal makes it as easy as possible to prompt your customers to leave a tip, either as a percentage of the purchase amount or a custom amount. Or, you can switch the functionality off altogether. 4. Helps build a customer relationship When wait staff use Pay at Table, an opportunity is provided to spend more time interacting with the customers, ensuring they’ve had a great dining experience in your establishment. The technology also means you can email digital receipts on the spot. Not only is this handy for your customer’s record-keeping and to reduce costs and waste associated with paper receipts, but it’s a great way to expand your customer database by capturing email addresses. You may be able to use these details to keep in touch with your diners, providing them with up-to-date news and special offers that will keep them coming back to your restaurant. 5. Safer transactions Payment security is front of mind for most consumers these days. By having a mobile payment device available, your customer’s card remains in their possession at all times. This offers them security knowing that no one else has had access to their card details or identity. It can also mean fewer chargebacks for your business to handle. The next generation of payment processing Pay at Table is just one example of the many ways that traditional payments are evolving to keep up with the times. New technology is affording us more flexibility to create industry-specific solutions while emerging trends are changing the way we pay. Get started with Pay at Table today Pay at Table is currently available to use with selected POS systems. Contact our Sales Team to learn more about installing Pay at Table on your Zeller Terminals today. 

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