What Are the Biggest Challenges Restaurants Face? Research from 105 Bengaluru Restaurants
Published
At Chefgaa, we wanted to understand a fundamental question: What are the biggest problems restaurant operators actually face every day?
While researching restaurant operations, we came across a 2024 empirical study that examined the challenges faced by Darshini-style fast-food restaurants in Bengaluru. The researchers surveyed 105 restaurant owners or supervisors and examined both internal and external challenges affecting restaurant operations.
Important: This is an independent research study. Chefgaa did not conduct the 105-restaurant survey; we are using the published research as a source to understand restaurant problems and their operational implications.
What Did the Research Study?
The study examined ten challenges across two broad categories.
| Internal Challenges | External Challenges |
|---|---|
| Workforce management | Market competition |
| Quality management | Pricing strategy |
| Cost control | Seasonal demand |
| Customer experience | Legal requirements |
| Efficient operations | Staying current with industry trends |
1. Workforce Management Is a Major Restaurant Challenge
One of the strongest findings concerned workforce management. The study found that 41.9% strongly agreed and 47.6% agreed that workforce management was a challenge. The researchers noted that employee turnover can be high in this segment, making recruitment and workforce management difficult.
For restaurant owners, this can affect order taking, billing, kitchen coordination, customer service, peak-hour operations, training and consistency.
2. Restaurant Pricing Is More Complicated Than It Looks
Another major challenge identified by the research was pricing strategy. 35.2% strongly agreed and 57.1% agreed that pricing strategy was a challenge. Restaurants have to balance food costs, labour costs, overheads, competition, customer expectations and profit margins.
The study specifically discusses fluctuating raw-material prices and the difficulty of maintaining competitive pricing when competitors offer similar products.
3. Seasonal Demand Can Create Two Different Problems
The study found that 45.7% strongly agreed and 41.9% agreed that seasonal demand fluctuations were a challenge. Restaurants can face heavy demand during some periods and much lower demand during others.
Peak demand can create operational pressure, while low demand can leave resources underused and put pressure on revenue. This makes staffing, purchasing, and promotion more difficult.
4. Customer Experience Goes Beyond Good Food
The research identified customer experience as an internal challenge. Restaurants need to provide affordable pricing, fast service, convenient service, consistent food, and responsive customer service.
The researchers highlight the difficulty of satisfying these expectations simultaneously. A slow kitchen, incorrect order, billing issue, or long queue can affect the overall experience.
5. Efficient Operations Matter During Every Shift
The study also identified efficient operations management as an important challenge. Restaurants have to coordinate employees, suppliers, daily tasks, orders, kitchen operations, and customers.
This becomes particularly important during peak hours, when small delays in communication or workflow can quickly become larger operational problems.
6. Competition Is Not Just About Getting More Customers
Bengaluru has a large number of Darshini-style restaurants offering similar food and services. The study describes this as a competitive environment where restaurants need to identify their strengths and attract customers.
Competition can involve service speed, consistency, customer experience, ordering options, offers, loyalty and operational efficiency—not only advertising.
The Research Findings at a Glance
| Challenge | Strongly Agree | Agree |
|---|---|---|
| Workforce management | 41.9% | 47.6% |
| Pricing strategy | 35.2% | 57.1% |
| Seasonal demand | 45.7% | 41.9% |
| Customer experience | 39.0% | 40.0% |
| Market competition | 38.1% | 41.9% |
These figures come directly from the study's survey of 105 respondents.