Incorporating The Authenticity of Your Culture and Cuisine in The U.S. - Small Restaurant Start Up Ideas
Sell Your Food at lower prices than Nearby Restaurants’ Prices if you can
I have experience in Korean culture and cuisine and how the shops look and feel after living in Korea for two years, before moving back in the US, where I have been for the past 1.5 years, this is why I’ll be using Korea as my example.
One of the biggest benefits- beyond being fresh and nutritious- of Korean street food, and other foods in other countries, is that it is cheap. Veggies, rice, and seaweed are all low-cost ingredients. But for whatever reason, they are sold at significantly more expensive prices in the US. This does not make your food competitive and it must be competitive. People don’t like change and they won’t usually go out of their way to seek out a new cuisine they know nothing about, when they already have a base of food that they enjoy.
In Korea, gimbap is less than $2.50, In the US, specifically in Utah at my local Korean restauraunt, gimbap is $9 before taxes. That is over 3 times the price.
maintain the quality!!
Quality is one of the best reasons to try other cultures’ food. But for some reason time and time again, when a new food comes to the US it gets changed and the quality is sacrificed. I understand trying to adapt to meet consumer desires but these changes often happen before the customer has had time to make up their minds.
Do Chinese restaurants really believe that Americans are actively looking for food that is coated in grease and that will hurt their stomach? No. They want yummy food, it’s just that historically American culture has only served us greasy food that tastes pretty good, like McDonald’s french fries. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a demand for anything else. Give customers a chance to get acquainted with new foods before trying to ‘adapt’ them to new tastes. If people in YOUR country/culture already like them, then there will be people in America who will like them too. It will take time but you are selling yourself short when you try to sell people a half-assed version of your culture’s recipes.
Create an experience.
Not one that will add significant costs into your product. But simply having a window so people can watch you make unique dishes is an uncommon experience that draws people in. Theme your restaurant to be AS AUTHENTIC AS POSSIBLE. Stop selling Korean food in generic buildings, make sure you offer chopsticks, and serve soju, or makgeolli, other authentic drinks in the container they are provided in, in Korea. Your country and culture are so vibrant and detailed, SHOW IT OFF!!! And you don’t need to come up with basically anything on your own, do what is done in the country! Believe me, people WANT TO SEE and EXPERIENCE IT!!
Get your hands dirty, use YouTube, and DIY some projects for your restaurant/cafe if you need to, but focus on bringing authenticity into your entire experience.
Take the time to EXPLAIN things to people.
The quickest way to ensure that people never come back is to finally get them in the door and then leave them feeling dumb, awkward, and out of place. Explain to each group that comes in (EVEN if they indicate that they have been there before) exactly how to order, what the food is, how to eat it properly, offer forks, offer information and plenty of pictures of menus for the customer to read, maybe even give them printed paper menus with the information so that they can bring it home. Have waitstaff available to answer questions.
Offer information on history that explains the significance of things and why things are done the way they are
This takes time but do NOT raise your prices when you provide this information. I get that it takes time to collect this information and present it but technology is cheap and you will take two steps back if you raise your prices for every little bit of value that you add.
Be proud to offer a great service, experience, or product at a REASONABLE price.
You are helping to promote your entire country and culture, keep that in mind and enjoy the process. Hire employees that are proud to share this incredible world to those who haven’t experienced it yet.
The food is important, however people already have the foods that they like, the experience of a new culture is what will convince them to leave their comfort zone to take the leap of faith and try something totally new.
