Today's conversation is about restaurants located outside the city limits. What do you think a country restaurant is, and what are its characteristics?
To begin, all suburban establishments should be divided into two types. The first are, properly speaking, suburban restaurants, aimed at residents of a specific city. These establishments are located no more than 30 kilometers from the city limits. A distance of over 30 kilometers is considered significant by consumers, and such a restaurant is no longer considered to be located in a specific city. However, there are exceptions—various unique concepts that entice people to travel a greater distance.
The second type are "highway" establishments, designed exclusively for travelers. They are mostly located at a considerable distance from major population centers. Their primary clientele in the summer is families, while in cold weather, it's often business travelers or business travelers. For example, train tickets have risen sharply this year, prompting many to drive their vacations. Ukrainian roads are teeming with auto tourists heading to Crimea or the Carpathians. And they all need a place to stop from time to time: to rest, relax, and get a bite to eat. At some point, they start looking around for a place to grab a bite to eat. These places are typically located near gas stations, roadside markets, or even just out in the open. The most basic type is a combination of a small market and kiosks selling salads and chebureki. Along with these, there are always more reputable establishments on major highways, such as "Batkivska Khata" on the Odessa highway. Since it is located quite far from the cities, the main clientele consists of passing motorists.
Countryside establishments are fundamentally different from highway ones. They're a much more promising format. Firstly, their clientele is local, often in the nearest town. This clientele is rarely random; they make informed decisions about which establishment to choose and are willing to spend significantly more than they would at highway eateries. Secondly, countryside restaurants have greater flexibility in selecting staff. Thirdly, procurement is simplified – the closer to the city, the easier it is to deliver essentials and provide amenities (such as electricity and water), which opens up the possibility of offering a wider range of services.
Countryside establishments are highly seasonal. While there's some income in the winter from hosting corporate banquets and personal celebrations, the bulk of the customer and customer revenue comes in the summer. The potential for generating the highest revenue is greater during the warmer months (May to October), and restaurateurs must maximize this opportunity to make up for the downtime of the cold season. Therefore, the primary goal of a country establishment is to retain customers for as long as possible. If a customer has already spent 30-40 minutes commuting, they expect to spend at least an hour and a half at the establishment. In this case, the restaurateur's goal is to encourage customers to spend several hours, or even two or three days, there to maximize their profits.
To this end, various service packages are developed: in addition to the core food service, there are also hotel and entertainment services. To ensure a longer stay at a country establishment, it's advisable to include hotel services. Other services also have the effect of absorbing clients' free time: sports and fitness (sauna, tennis courts, possibly a golf course, swimming pool, horseback riding), entertainment (for adults - a casino, billiards, and for children - a playground, zoo). For children, there are also children's days or a room with a nanny where parents can leave their children. Services are tailored to different genders and ages, to retain not just the client but their entire family for as long as possible.
In general, it can be noted that suburban establishments differ from urban ones in their complexity.
- What are the special features of the kitchen and interior for country establishments?
All features are based on an understanding of consumer psychology. Why do consumers travel out of town? After all, the city has plenty of restaurants, so there's no need to travel a relatively long distance to dine. Consumers travel out of town not for food, but to be in nature: to breathe fresh air, enjoy the scenery, and swim. Therefore, the establishment should maximally embody this illusion of oneness with nature. The interior, like the exterior, should be designed using natural materials. Wood and stone are equally suitable, but modern designs with glazed facades are definitely not recommended. A conservative design is preferable; a vintage feel works best. Considerable attention should be paid to landscaping, the design of summer areas, and the decoration of small houses. Since country complexes are typically large (sometimes several hectares), it is possible to create a summer area in the form of houses, covered verandas, landscaped areas, bridges, paths, rock gardens, and much more, which, due to the lack of space, a city establishment cannot afford.
The same trends can be observed in the cuisine: a predominance of meat and fish dishes served whole, so that the texture of the product is visible. The presentation may also be more simplified than in a city restaurant. Georgian cuisine is ideal for a country establishment, as well as traditional Ukrainian cuisine, or else an emphasis on one particular style (meat, game). Some establishments focus on grilling. Natural products such as fruits, vegetables, berries, and mushrooms are popular. Shashlik is an essential menu item, likely due to the good old Soviet tradition of going for a shashlik, a more civilized version of which is, in fact, a country restaurant. Shashlik is a must-have even in restaurants serving purely Ukrainian cuisine.
Countryside establishments don't have random customers. Everyone who visits them knows in advance where they're going. So, are there certain specific audience and advertising characteristics?
Indeed, 95% of patrons at country restaurants are not casual drop-ins (unlike at highway establishments, where the situation is completely reversed). This explains the specifics of their clientele. Firstly, they are exclusively made up of drivers. While theoretically anyone could take a taxi to such a place, the added hassle is perceived psychologically as highly unfavorable, so those without a car are more likely to go to the nearest city restaurant. Consequently, parking is more important than ever at such establishments, and guarded parking is ideal, so that customers can relax as much as possible without worrying about their car. Secondly, engaging with the clientele is crucial. A highway establishment can afford to never advertise, as its clientele consists solely of casual customers, and a bright façade with a neon sign, highly visible to passersby, is sufficient to attract them. A country establishment cannot afford such minimalism. If the establishment is visible from the road, a billboard 200 meters away on both sides of the road will suffice. This distance is sufficient for a person to process the information and make a turn. If the restaurant is not visible from the road, the route to the restaurant should be clearly marked with signs: turnoffs should be marked with road signs and two or three 3x6 m boards.
The advertising campaign should target the middle, upper-middle, and elite classes. Ads should be placed not in daily newspapers, but rather in glossy magazines and entertainment publications. The same principle should be followed when placing other types of advertising (such as choosing a TV channel or radio station).
It's clear that piste establishments are best located on main roads. But what should you consider when choosing a location for a suburban establishment?
Currently, a curious situation has developed regarding the location of country restaurants near Kyiv: some areas, such as the old and new Obukhiv highways, are clearly overcrowded with restaurant complexes, while, for example, on the Odesa and Zhitomir highways, ideal locations for country restaurants remain unoccupied. This may be due to the fact that the Obukhiv highways are located in the direction of popular holiday destinations, where restaurateurs can count on a solid (and profitable) clientele. It's also worth noting that the first popular country restaurants, "Krai Rai" and "Chumatsky Shlyakh," opened along the Obukhiv highways, and the owners of the new restaurants, hoping for similar success, followed the example of their predecessors and opened their establishments there. To some extent, this is correct, as pioneers of country restaurants have accustomed consumers to the idea that this area is the place to relax, and if someone wants to unwind at a country restaurant, they'll likely head there. However, currently, due to overcrowding in this area, venues located along other routes are more likely to be more successful.
