# Interest group forums > Food Industry Forum >  Starting up a Fast Food / Takeaway

## RolandC01

Hi ( My First official post ),....

I would like to open a fast food store.  Ive done a little searching to find out about this topic, however there is not much on opening one up,... there is heaps on franchising but not if one is starting from scratch.

The part that I am most concerned about is the legal side from a point of view of health department requirements and legislation.  Is there anyone out there who could refer me to a good website or book that would aid me?

I am at the beginning of a long road so I would rather do a proper investigation before I really commit to this.

Many thanks,Roland

----------


## Dave A

If no-one else comes up with anything, I'd suggest you chat to Anthony. He does have some experience in the restaurant game in Durban, so probably will know some of the ins and outs of it.

The other option is to contact city health (inspectorate) and ask for info. I've found them quite helpful in my line of work.

----------


## Blurock

> Hi ( My First official post ),....
> 
> I would like to open a fast food store.  Ive done a little searching to find out about this topic, however there is not much on opening one up,... there is heaps on franchising but not if one is starting from scratch.
> 
> The part that I am most concerned about is the legal side from a point of view of health department requirements and legislation.  Is there anyone out there who could refer me to a good website or book that would aid me?
> 
> I am at the beginning of a long road so I would rather do a proper investigation before I really commit to this.
> 
> Many thanks,Roland


Welcome to the Forum SA.

You do not give any information about yourself, so it is difficult to comment. Are you currently in the food industry?

You have the right idea to do research first and I can only echo the advice given by Dave.  :Big Grin:

----------


## cejay

Welcome to TFSA Rowland.

I still give in my opinion in support of what Dave said.Hope to see you around as you embark on this long journey.

----------


## AmithS

Hi Roland,

I wouldn't worry too much about the health side in terms of legals at this point (don't get me wrong it is extremely important in a food environment) , You basically need a licence to trade and acceptability of food premises certificate from the council.  this basically means that your establishment meets with all the guidelines of the council. For this I would recommend getting a reputable shop builder to assist you.  Also ensure you have adequate insurance.

In terms of the other items it would entail regular pest control, cleanliness procedures in your store etc... (This is in very brief)

The part I would be more concerned about at this point is profitability of your plan  :Smile:  i.e. market research!
What do you intend to sell - menu?
Food cost structure (research suppliers)
Rent, wages, etc... (location is very important)
break even analysis
clients - ie who will you be selling to?

Speaking to someone in your area with experience is definitively a good move. The more people you speak to the better for you  :Smile: 

Franchising can be a good alternative IF you chose the correct brand (research again) providing all the necessary assistance and support structures.  In this way you don't mind paying franchise fees if it takes the guess work out of opening a store yourself from scratch!

All the best!

----------


## Citizen X

Welcome to the forum!

----------


## AmithS

Just another taught...

Something I like to do is spend time observing other businesses in a similar field, as this also gives good insight into the industry.

So in this case I would spend a few hours at an establishment similar to what you are thinking off in a similar area with similar clientele.

Make some notes and do some estimated calculations  :Wink:

----------


## RolandC01

Hi,
Many thanks for the replies and advice.  It is much appreciated!

It has always been a dream/goal of mine to startup some sort of small business in the food industry.  My thoughts have been aimed at either a coffee shop or fast food takeaway.   Recently I came up with a good idea for a fast food place that I think has really good potencial as a future franchise,... (thats me dreaming a little ).  I am not in the food industry nor have I ever run my own one....

SinghMS, you have some very good advice and I thank you.  I need to get a bussiness plan going and start filling in some of the blanks.  As I sit and write this I wonder how Im going to get some of this info, but I guess thats all part of process.  As part of my market research I would like to possibly get a stall at one of the weekly flee markets and see what the response is to the food item.  If all goes well, I can use it as a projection.

Franchising is not an option for me because of my lack of both experience in the industry and funds with sums of R1.5m+ being asked for many.

So thats my story. Little experince, limited funds with a good idea and dreams to fuel it.  I am however convinced that it can and will work,.. everyone loves to ( and has to ) eat.

----------


## AmithS

Hi RolandC01,

No problem you are more than welcome, if you have anymore questions I will try and help  :Smile:

----------


## AndyD

Maybe you'll find this useful from the health and hygeine side of things.

HACCP Hygene Code Of Practice.pdf

I'm not very clued up on the legal side I'm afraid.

----------


## july541

Think about franchising. Franchising can offer a simplified entry to the takeaway market, and can offer you the benefits of an existing corporate structure, stock management, and brand recognition. You might want to consider franchising as a route to self-employment – but you should remember that it it is not always the right option.

----------


## HR Solutions

It always fascinates me when someone answers to a post ..... 5 years later ..... and its normally the americans .......I wonder if they have been thinking about the answer for 5 years ..... are they all that slow ?

----------


## PlatinumWealth.co.za

> It always fascinates me when someone answers to a post ..... 5 years later ..... and its normally the americans .......I wonder if they have been thinking about the answer for 5 years ..... are they all that slow ?


Or... A poorly coded spam bot. 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

----------


## jiMenu

If you look around you will see many fast food shops or restaurants already there. So, the first thing you need to do is try something different. If people find something different in your restaurant they will eventually attract towards it. Digital Menu For Restaurants is one such thing which is in trend nowdays, where customers can easily order from their phone or tablet. Moreover, your staff can operate and see orders and it will work them more faster and accurate. jiMenu is one such website which provides digital menu in a very reasonable rate. https://jimenu.com

----------

