I always choose nice,clean and convenient place when getting gum,candy,soda or gas. even if its little more on price than a stinky, old smaller place and a lot of other ppl do. They don’t even bother to give a chance to small guy. How true is the store front(outside) image in pizza business? Do you get more business if you had a nicer building with easy access than an old smaller building with same demographics? suppose both buildings were a few meters away at the same street, but with significant outside image/access difference.
What do you really think? You’ve already answered your question by expressing your own preferences. The nicer looking place will get more customers initally. But, the food has to be good to keep them. They will try the nice place before they try the dump. But if the pizza stinks…why go back. Then they may try the dump and get hooked on the pizza. Image is important at attracting new customers…but you gotta keep them coming back.
I find there is a balance that must be met between facility, image and product/services. Personally, I like the less presumptuous places the don’t spend tons on the facility, because they will theoretically have more to invest in the food and service aspects. It goes both ways, good and bad. It’s gotta look clean and well kept, regardless, but overblown pizza places aren’t what I’m into . . . high end products with high end pricing.
The decor and image needs to match the target market. the farther imbalanced these are, the more confused and distrustful the customer base will be. White cloth napkins at McD hamburgers is poor . . . brassieres and dollars stapled to the walls of a ‘classy’ steakhouse is also a major disjointed message. I try to portray the image/concept that we are trying hard to get them to come, but not so much decor budget that it looks pretentious or hoity-toity. That would scare them away in my little blue-collar village.
Our ‘upscale dining’ side will be a couple steps nicer and more designed, but still not way out on a limb. We want people to talk about our place, sure; we want them to come back for the food and service.
thats a tuff call for me i know when im in a big city looking for a mexican resturaunt i gravitate towards small hole in the wall places maybe not the coolest hippest spot but good food and service my kids will not let my wife choose when were out of town :lol: i dont need hoity toity heck when im down in mexico i can really find em 
and i go to more mom n pop places that are really good and i know they appreciate it. when i openend my new store i wanted to make people feel welcome and comfortble i got stuff goin on all over the walls ceiling etc when people ask what my goal is i tell em goin for the garage sale / flea market threw up. :lol: people really dig it would it work in big city dont know .were just a bunch of good ol boys and gals up here. heck they think its cool cause we got a 50 inch flat screen and we actually watch dukes of hazzard,andy griffith , gunsmoke, and i love lucy. make em comfortable feed em good and charge fair prices. you will be fine
Years ago I was at a sales seminar where the Australian manager for Hilton hotels was the guest speaker.
His said Hilton’s philosophy on location came down to thre key words … LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
I think that speaks for itself.
I’m in a great location in a medium to high/medium income area with a good blend of blue collar and white collar incomes, low unemployment, lower age demographics, high home ownership. Our shop is on the outer of a medium size shopping centre with a leading national brand supermarket (number 4 in turnover in the state), 6 screen cinema, video rental, 2 restuarants, 4 food outlets (us, Subway, Fish & Chips, Noodle Box) and 20 other shops. We pay top rent ($1,400 per week for 1200 sq ft) but it is prime position with high traffic flow.
It works for us.
Dave
DAYUM! Tell me that is a typo for rent. These days, that actually means almost $1400 US per WEEK! I don’t make that much sales Saturday nights . . . yikes! No wonder your hair is falling out. I’m glad you have the sales to carry that kind of pain.
A man once told me of his restaurant empire ($ million in outstanding loans due) that it isn’t about how much you owe . . . it’s about how much you pay each month and getting sales in line. I would struggle sleeping with millions in loans . . . but he had a swagger to him and a darned successful restaurant in Baltimore Little Italy.
Nicko, I wish it was a typo. Actually it averages at $1500 per week which includes Gas and Electricity (about $300 per week). Still pretty high and it will increase more when my new lease comes into effect in April. I’m expecting about a 10% increase.
Just got to keep chasing those sales to pay the rent.
Dave