Home restaurant: a world where the intimacy of your own home is transformed into a unique gastronomic experience and authentic flavours merge with the cosy atmosphere of your own kitchen, providing an unforgettable culinary journey.
Territorial marketing, combined with the desire to contribute to the revitalisation of our territory, is a perfect match for the ‘home restaurant‘ concept. This business idea, simple and without high initial costs, represents an interesting opportunity in the restaurant scene, offering a quality gastronomic experience and hosting customers directly in their own homes. Nationwide, it is becoming increasingly popular and is considered a first approach to gastronomy, albeit at a lower level than the renowned professionalism of today‘s restaurants.
The home restaurant is characterised by its homely and cosy ambience and the use of fresh, local products that reflect the culinary and cultural traditions of the area in which the business is located. This approach enhances the gastronomic identity of the area and helps promote local producers, supporting the local economy and reducing the environmental impact of transporting food from other regions. A crucial aspect to be considered for a successful project is promotion and marketing. It is essential to develop an effective marketing strategy to reach your target audience and attract customers. Collaboration with online booking platforms and food review websites should be considered. Being present on these platforms can increase the visibility of your home restaurant and facilitate bookings by potential customers. Finally, do not underestimate that positive reviews from satisfied customers can be a powerful marketing tool, helping to build trust and reputation.
Some of our readers, relying on our experience, have already started this type of enterprise, with increasing success, for which there are two types of formulae. The first is ‘social eating‘, where one eats not only to appreciate local delicacies, but also to make new acquaintances, with hosts acting as hosts. The second type is ‘tourist eating‘, where travellers can savour the authentic local taste by dining in the homes of local residents who are passionate about cooking.
The history of the home restaurant has its roots in the tradition of hospitality and sharing food between friends and relatives. Even in ancient times, convivial dinners were an important time for socialising and strengthening bonds between people, and this practice has been passed down through the centuries to the present day. With the advent of social media and online booking platforms, the home restaurant has experienced a new popularity, becoming an alternative and innovative form of dining that adapts to the needs of modern times.
This type of catering, which has spread to several European countries, is regulated by current national legislation. In Italy, the opening of a home restaurant requires minimum requirements, such as having experience in the food sector or having attended specific courses and complying with health and hygiene regulations, including the obligation to have a self-control plan based on the HACCP system. In addition, the regulations in force regulate that the activity cannot be carried out on a continuous basis and that no other commercial activities can be accommodated on the premises. The regulations, which are in the process of evolving, envisage limiting the number of guests allowed per year to 500 and imposing a maximum annual turnover of €5,000.00 so as not to fall within the scope of the business subject to tax obligations.
