10 Successful Restaurant Concepts to Choose From

Do you want to dive into the food industry, but you're not sure what type of restaurant would bring you the biggest profit? Then you are in the right place because, in this, article, you will find a variety of successful restaurant concepts to get inspired by.

Moreover, we will give you tips on how to choose the best restaurant concept for your business and list the must-have tools for long-term success.

What is a restaurant concept?

The restaurant concept will be the foundation of your business. It is what differentiates your restaurant from other food establishments and attracts a specific audience.

A restaurant concept encompasses the following elements:

• Type of service: be it fast-food, casual, formal or buffet-style;
• Atmosphere: the way the place is designed will have a significant impact on the client's experience when dining;
• Menu: including the type of cuisine, ingredients, menu design, food photography, and menu descriptions;
• Location: you can tie your restaurant concept to a specific location especially if your restaurant is near a landmark, a beach, or up in the mountains;
• Marketing: by promoting your restaurant, you make it clear to potential customers what your concept is and what they can expect when they order from your business.

10 Successful restaurant concepts

In order to choose from the following successful restaurant concepts, you must answer these questions:

• What are the clients in your future restaurant's location interested in? What food do they like? What type of service do they prefer?
• What excites you? What concept do you relate to the most? What concept would you be proud to endorse?

1. Virtual Restaurant

A virtual restaurant is one of the most successful restaurant concepts recently. It was launched during the pandemic and has been growing strong because many clients prefer to order food at home over going out.

Here are the main advantages of a virtual restaurant concept:

• Lower labor and fixed costs: because you only need a kitchen to prepare the food and no space to entertain clients, you can opt for a smaller place that costs you less compared to a traditional restaurant. Without servers, you only have to budget for the kitchen staff;
• Ability to experiment: without a big inventory, you can change up your menu often to find out what your customers like;
• Serve a large number of clients: without being confined to a specific number of tables, you can sell as much food as your kitchen can prepare in the hours you are open.

Read more: How to Start a Virtual Restaurant: Complete Guide to Success

2. Fast food restaurant

You see them everywhere because clients like convenience. They want good food, and they want it fast. You have the option to buy into a franchise and come up with your type of food that can be prepared in a timely manner.

Fast food restaurant concepts are great because:

• Lower labor costs as you don’t have servers at tables, just employees behind the counter;
• Lower food costs because you have a short menu with a limited number of ingredients;
• They are one of the most popular restaurant concepts proven to work in most countries.

Read more: How to Take Advantage of the Best Fast-Food Ordering System

3. Fast casual restaurant

Are you looking for successful restaurant concepts that are a step up from fast food? A fast-casual concept may be the one for you because while you still promise clients a fast service, you also offer them more upscale food and seating where they can enjoy their meals.

Here are the pros of a fast-casual restaurant:

• You can charge higher prices compared to a fast-food restaurant, especially if you offer healthier options;
• You can better define your target market and target your marketing techniques to them;
• You can create a better customer experience by offering comfortable seating.

Read more: How to Improve Guest Experience in a Restaurant: 6 Practical Tips

4. Family-style restaurant

Family style is one of the successful restaurant concepts that is ideal if you choose a location in an area with many families. It implies making your restaurant an inviting place for kids by offering entertainment and creating a relaxed atmosphere.

You will enjoy:

• Many big-value orders because clients will come in groups;
• Easy targeting for restaurant promotions by creating meal combos and offering discounts for big orders;
• A large number of loyal clients: if you offer families an unforgettable experience, they will visit you often and recommend you to their friends.

Read more: Implement these 10 best restaurant promotions right now to increase your sales

5. Food truck

If you don’t have the money to invest in a location or prefer the freedom of following the clients, then a food truck may be the right choice for you. Food trucks are a fun and exciting way to serve food that customers appreciate for convenience and food innovation.

When you open a food truck, you can expect:

• Low overhead costs as you will have both a limited number of employees and a limited amount of space to pay for;
• Ability to innovate with food: because the kitchen is small, you can focus on a single type of meal that you elevate to perfection;
• Capacity to follow clients: you can be near office buildings, parks, at events, all on the same day.

Read moreL How to Make a Food Truck Menu That Will Increase Your Sales Online

6. Coffee shop

Coffee shops are no longer places where you can only have coffee. They have transformed into one of the most successful restaurant concepts, serving mainly brunch dishes and desserts, alongside a variety of beverages.

Here are the pros of running a coffee shop:

• High profit margins as the main things you will sell, beverages, cost very little and can be sold at high prices;
• Fast table turnover as the meals are lighter and people will spend less time in the coffee shop;
• Easier inventory management because you will have only a small amount of ingredients to prepare the brunch items.

Read more: Low Food Cost Menu Items That Will Help You Increase Your Restaurant's Profit

7. Farm-to-table restaurant

This is one of the successful restaurant concepts that you adopt only if you believe in the cause because it comes with a lot of challenges. For example, the food cost will be higher, and this will be visible in your menu pricing which can deter some clients.

However, if you have a passion for locally sourced ingredients, you will enjoy:

• A loyal base of clients that appreciate the work you do in supporting the local economy;
• Easy marketing as you can always promote the fresh and local ingredients that you use in your cooking;
• Seasonal menus that allow clients to experiment with new tastes and aromas every few months.

Read more: Menu Marketing Tips: How to Promote New Menu Items Online & Offline

8. Fine dining restaurant

Fine dining restaurants take the eating-out experience to another level. Starting from the table clothes, wine pouring, and even toilet cleanliness, everything must impress and make the client feel like they got a good value for their money.

If you decide to create an exquisite atmosphere and a several courses menu, you can expect:

• Higher profits because the portions will be smaller yet the prices higher to reflect the craftsmanship of your chef;
• A chance to win awards if you impress critics with your food;
• Higher tips because the clientele are usually high earners.

9. Buffet restaurant

A buffet restaurant involves clients in the food service. They either just pick the cooked food and then go to the counter to pay for it or choose some uncooked options and go to the cooking station to have it prepared in front of them.

People choose buffet restaurants because they:

• Are a cheaper option compared to traditional restaurants because clients have to serve themselves;
• Can get the portion they want, not too big and not finish it or too small so they leave still hungry;
• Provide a variety of customization options. For example, a ramen buffet can have multiple toppings that allow customers to create the perfect dish.

Read more: How to Customize Your Restaurant’s Menu: The Easy Way

10. Gastropub

If you are looking for successful restaurant concepts that cater to people who love both food and drinks, a gastropub can be a great option for you. Part pub, part restaurant, it offers the best of both worlds, all paired with an inviting atmosphere.

Gastropubs are a foodie haven because they:

• Serve high-quality beverages from craft beers, renowned wines, innovative cocktails to experimental non-alcoholic drinks like kombucha;
• They get to try new things as gastropubs are known to have an ever-changing menu;
• Get an experience, not just food. Gastropubs often organize events such as concerts, parties, or quizzes.

Useful tools you need to promote your restaurant concept

If the successful restaurant concepts mentioned above inspire you and you feel prepared to take it to the next step, we are here to help you with some useful tools. No matter the concept you choose, you will need the following:

• A restaurant website
• An online ordering system

A restaurant website

You want a restaurant website that will immediately get you noticed and have clients line up to order your delicious food. If you have 10 free minutes, you can use GloriaFood to generate a website that is:

• SEO-optimized: to help you rank high in Google searches, where clients that look for your type of cuisine and concept will easily find you;
• Sales-optimized: the moment clients reach your website, they will be guided to your menu. There, they can not only browse it but also order food in a few clicks if you also have an online ordering system;
• Intuitive: clients don't have to scroll and access multiple pages to find the information they are looking for. They are gently guided to important details such as contact information, working hours, the About section, and even available promotions.

Read more: How to Get an Optimized Website That Delivers a Top-notch Restaurant User Experience

An online ordering system

Serving only the clients that come to your location will lead to limited sales. If you want to sell more, you need to allow customers to order your food online. With the free online ordering system from GloriaFood, you will enjoy:

• A streamlined online ordering process: clients can place orders in seconds directly on your website and you can accept them easily using the order-taking app;
• Useful marketing features: increase the number of new and returning clients using intuitive modules for promotions and email marketing;
• Ability to monitor your progress: with the integrated Reports module, you can keep on top of your restaurant statistics and constantly find new ways to improve your business.

Read more: How to Set up Online Ordering System for Your Restaurant’s Website

Final words

Use the successful restaurant concepts listed above as inspiration to create one that best fits your ideal business idea. Don’t forget to also research the market to ensure you will have enough potential customers to make a profit.