The fast popularisation in recent years of the pop-up restaurant format really shouldn’t be a surprise. In an era in which there is so much debate about how we can retain the vibrancy of our town centres, pop-up eateries can play a big role in bringing a (quite literal) freshness to what might otherwise seem unlikely spaces. 

A pop-up restaurant could make a lot of sense from the perspective of someone who is considering starting one, too. Pop-ups aren’t associated with the same heavy overheads as more permanent eateries, and they offer a lot of flexibility in terms of location. They can even enable you to more tentatively start running a restaurant business, without the level of commitment that a longer-term presence would represent. 

Even better, if you make all the right moves, a pop-up restaurant business could even generate a worthwhile income for you. So, here are several key steps to take to help maximise your restaurant business’s chances of success. 

Determine a style, name, and theme for your restaurant 

Your answers to these questions will guide so many of the other decisions you make on your pop-up restaurant – so, don’t be afraid to start jotting down ideas, to see where your imagination takes you. 

You should be confident in your pop-up restaurant having a concept that will genuinely fire the imaginations of passers-by. After all, this will greatly impact on the theme of your restaurant, and the exact dishes that you serve to customers. 

Put together a business plan 

Any business really requires a business plan. It is a document that will set out the structure and approach of your business, serving as a guide for you, and a showcase to potential investors, sponsors, and lenders of your business as an attractive and viable concern. 

Find the most suitable location 

The location will be one of the most critical factors in the success or failure of your pop-up restaurant. So, it shouldn’t be a shock for you to learn that finding an appropriate location can be one of the most challenging aspects of launching this type of business. 

It might seem obvious to simply suggest you establish your business in a location with plentiful footfall. But it is also important to consider that a pop-up restaurant set in an outdoor location, for instance, will offer a markedly different experience to one based inside an existing indoor venue. 

For these reasons, you will need to give careful thought to the matter of location – including the ‘vibe’ to which you aspire for your restaurant, and how you will obtain permission to use your favoured space. 

Secure the necessary licences, permits, and insurance 

There will almost certainly be some formalities you need to go through, if you are to set up your pop-up restaurant in the space you have picked out as the optimum one. 

You can expect to need to obtain a business licence, food service permit, and relevant insurance. The Food Standards Agency provides further information on registering a food business in the UK. 

Start assembling a compelling menu 

The food itself will naturally always be ‘the star’ of your pop-up restaurant. And if you have reached this stage of the realisation of your eatery, you will hopefully have a good idea of its gastronomic direction. 

If, however, there is still some lingering uncertainty in your head as to what kind of menu your pop-up restaurant will have, you will need to ask yourself some tough questions. Those could include in relation to where your ingredients will be sourced from, and to what extent you might specialise, such as by only focusing on brunch, rather than breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

With my own formidable track record in the creation of captivating bespoke menus, if you would appreciate the expert assistance I can bring to your pop-up restaurant catering, I would be delighted to talk to you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me today, by calling 020 7924 6868 or completing and submitting my online enquiry form, for an in-depth discussion

Sophie Wright Catering