Entrepreneurs now come up with more innovations when it comes to promoting their businesses. They are becoming more creative in conceptualizing the theme of their store to attract more customers.
One of the creative ideas they come up with is using pop-up containers as an alternative to traditional locations.
Pop-up containers are shipping containers converted into food establishments such as cafes, restaurants, or bars. This can be a good option if you want something different for your food business.
If you’re an entrepreneur who’s planning to establish a new restaurant, here are some benefits of using pop-up containers for your food business:
1. Can Be Built Quickly
Unlike traditional restaurants, pop-up containers don’t require plenty of construction materials. In addition to this, most of the shipping containers in the market are already prefabricated. This means the parts are already sectioned, so you’ll only have to assemble them on-site.
Of course, if you’re building a restaurant, you should have a concept in mind. This will be your guide in customizing the pop-up container. For example, suppose you’re planning to have a pop-up shipping container café.
In that case, you can lean towards earth tones since these colors can be associated with coffee, pastries, and chocolates. It also gives off a cozy vibe so guests can relax.
However, you should be creative enough with your strategies so your restaurant will continue to stand out among your competitors. Also, maintain a high quality of products and customer service so customers will keep coming back.
Remember that pop-up containers won’t always serve as your edge.
2. Portable
The advantage of a pop-up restaurant is you can bring it anywhere. While brick and mortar establishments are restricted to one place, pop-up restaurants can serve people in various places. You just have to make sure the location is safe for cooking and has no imminent danger for the customers.
You can place it in an empty barn, in a warehouse, in a public park, and even in rooftop gardens. Another advantage of its portability is participating in events from different places like music festivals and food bazaars. Through this, you’ll get the chance to increase your brand’s popularity.
3. Affordable
As an entrepreneur, you should know how to maximize your money for your business operation. So as much as possible, you should look for all alternatives available in procuring your necessities. And as much as possible, you should always go for intelligent ways to cut your business costs.
If you’re a restaurateur planning to build a physical restaurant, you may opt to use pop-up containers. These pop-up containers are an excellent alternative to building traditional establishments because of their affordability.
You no longer have to spend too much on construction labor because pop-up containers are easy to modify.
For instance, the price of a 20-feet used shipping container ranges between USD$1,500 to USD$4,750. With these 20 feet, you can already have at least 160 square foot floor space.
On the other hand, the construction of a 160 square foot restaurant made with brick veneers or wood frames is at least USD$45,000.
Pop-up containers are also way cheaper than renting a building if you intend to have a mobile restaurant. Switching places from time to time can be extremely pricey, especially if the area has a high cost of living.
Pop-up containers are such a good deal to own a physical store at an affordable price. However, you should still take a good look at the container you’ll purchase by considering these things.
4. Increase Brand Awareness
The unique feature of pop-up containers can significantly increase the brand’s popularity. Since this is not a typical set-up for a restaurant, people can be easily persuaded to try. Through the use of shipping containers, you can give your customers a new dining experience.
And since people are fond of sharing things on the Internet, you might even earn a free advertisement from your customers. Thus, those people who’ve seen the post and haven’t tried eating in shipping containers can be easily influenced to come.
Furthermore, its mobility can help expand your brand’s reach since you’ll often go from one place to another. This can also be an advantage to your customers because they won’t need to travel far to visit your restaurant.
They can influence their friends in town to try your food, and in return, you’ll have more exposure. A win-win situation!
5. Easily Maintained
Pop-up containers aren’t only easy to build; they’re also easily maintained. Since they are made of steel, pests won’t have the chance to sneak in through the cracks that you won’t usually notice in a traditional restaurant.
You won’t have to exert too much effort in pest control because you can just seal the container shut after your operating hours.
As an owner, you should ensure the safety and cleanliness of the food you are serving. Just imagine how bad your image would be if your customer discovered a bug in their food or if they found out that your kitchen is infested with pests.
6. Eco-Friendly
Purchasing shipping containers can help save Mother Earth. You can reduce your carbon footprint by not using new construction materials for your physical store.
Moreover, there are at least 500,000 abandoned shipping containers each year. Just imagine the construction material wasted for these containers just to be left unused. If you maintain it well, it can reach a lifespan of 20 years.
So, this is another win-win situation for you because you’re not only helping the environment, but you’re also saving more money from recurring renovation.
Final Thoughts
As an entrepreneur, you should always search for alternative ways to cut down on business expenses. If you purchase shipping containers for your business, which is relatively cheaper than building a traditional store, then the budget allotted for construction can be used in other things.
Other than that, pop-up containers can also be placed anywhere, so you’ll have better customer reach and increased brand awareness. Lastly, pop-up containers are easy to build and can reduce your carbon footprint by not using new construction materials.
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