Want to Get Filthy Rich? Start a Pancake Restaurant
Do you remember having to take one of those career aptitude tests in high school? People, we were totally ripped off; you really don’t want to know. The best job in the world wasn’t even on it: pancake maker. Because what turns out to be the case these days? If you want to get filthy rich, you should start a pancake restaurant.
If I’d known that earlier, I wouldn’t be hammering away at a keyboard now. I’d be standing behind the griddle, flipping my pancakes through the air.
Lots of bankruptcies, but not among pancake restaurants
It has been all over the news in recent years: one restaurant after another closed its doors. Staff shortages, sky-high energy prices, the aftermath of COVID… For many restaurants, those were enough reasons to shut down (unfortunately). But which type of hospitality business managed to stay proudly afloat all those years? That’s right, the pancake restaurant. In the past eight years, only five pancake restaurants filed for bankruptcy, according to data from the bankruptcy register. At the same time, pancake restaurants have continued popping up like mushrooms for almost fifteen years. There are currently no fewer than 12% more locations than in 2010.
Grandparents absolutely love pancakes
The main reason for the popularity of pancake restaurants? An ageing population. Who doesn’t think of their grandparents when a pancake appears in front of them? Older people love eating pancakes out, especially when they can do so with their grandchildren. First go for a walk and play in the woods—the setting where most pancake restaurants are located—and then eat a pancake together. Be honest: doesn’t that melt your heart?
So you’ll definitely attract plenty of customers if you open a pancake restaurant. On top of that, you’ll benefit from low purchasing costs (the ingredients for a pancake cost next to nothing) and a high turnover rate. That means you can bake lots of pancakes in a short time, allowing you to serve many guests. And baking pancakes is also incredibly easy. Anyone who has done it a few times quickly becomes a master baker. My former side job at the HEMA restaurant is proof of that.
Popular side job
Finally, you don’t have to worry about staff shortages. Working in a pancake restaurant is incredibly popular, after all. It’s easy to find staff, and the employees you hire won’t leave so easily. That’s because many pancake restaurants have a relaxed atmosphere, pleasant working hours and plenty of opportunities for advancement. Before you know it, you could have that coveted title of master pancake maker—even if you start your career as a dishwasher.
So there are plenty of reasons to make that career switch now. I’m already fantasising about what would be on the menu. The classics, of course, but also tasty lentil pancakes with spinach pesto, for example. After all, you need to have enough savoury pancakes to choose from. For the icing on the cake, I’d put an incredible pancake cake on the menu. Then all those lovely grandparents can share it with their grandchildren. Melt…
Also read:
- These are the best ready-made pancakes from the supermarket
- Tip! Baking pancakes in a rice cooker
- Why does the first pancake always fail?
Sources: Misset Horeca, NOS
