Takeaway food is loved in the UK. This is why in 2023, there are 48,029 takeaway and fast-food restaurant businesses (and counting) across the country. Sure, many industries are struggling at the moment — but the takeaway industry certainly isn’t one of them.
Whether you run a Chinese, American, or Thai takeaway, you’re going to have to compete with lots of other takeaways in your area. Some of these takeaways will already have loyal and established customers, which makes the task even harder for you. However, by following the five steps below, you can quickly establish your takeaway and start attracting more happy customers.
Ready to learn more? Dive into the details and transform your takeaway business today.
Step 1: Use Eco-Friendly Food Packaging
The best takeaway businesses have now switched to eco-friendly box take away styles. There are two main reasons for this: it’s better for the planet and more cost-effective for businesses. Plus, you can easily add your company logo and other marketing materials so you can boost your brand recognition even further. Now that’s a smart way to run a business.
Step 2: Choose the Best Location
Location, location, location. In order to run a successful takeaway business, you need to have an excellent location. This way, you’ll be able to get more customers and also cover a wider range of delivery spots, therefore reducing the number of customers you have to turn down as they are too far away.
Ideally, your takeaway business should be located in an area that’s as busy as possible. Think busy student hotspots and town centres — you get the idea. Naturally, you’ll have to pay higher rent if you move to a better spot. However, providing you choose your spot wisely, the added profits you’ll get will ensure the higher rent isn’t a problem.
Step 3: Offer Low Delivery Prices
One of the biggest deciding factors behind whether a customer will choose your takeaway or not are the delivery prices.
If you have a high delivery price, such as £5, this is a guaranteed way to lose out on customers. However, if you offer low delivery prices, such as anything below £2, you’ll be able to attract a lot more customers.
Step 4: Have a ‘Special’ Menu Item
Next, you need to have a special menu item. If you look at the most successful takeaways, they all have special menu items, often referred to as ‘chef specials’. These are the items that customers love the most and come back for time and time again. When you have a signature special, you can heavily market it and attract more customers.
Step 5: Join Just Eat and Uber Eats
Lastly, make sure you register your takeaway with Just Eat and Uber Eats. Both of these platforms are the UK’s go-to takeaway apps and have millions of daily users. Remember, as you start to get better customer ratings on these apps, you’ll fly higher up the rankings and more customers will notice your takeaway when they search for local options.
