“How do I pick a good spot for my restaurant?”

Yeah, we’ve all asked that. But most answers are vague, outdated, or overly academic.

In this episode, we break it down into a real, street-level, 3-step framework:

🔹 Part 1: The Problem with Typical Advice

Foot traffic? Competitor count? Rent? Google and AI throw random checklists at you— But how do you actually decide? We introduce a practical system: CEFSR → FLI → Micro Site Analysis

🔹 Part 2: CEFSR Framework – Competitive Differentiation How hard is your concept to copy? CEFSR helps you evaluate:

• Competition Saturation

• Experience Differentiation

• Franchise Substitution Risk

• Signal Obscurity (emotional pricing)

• Relative neighborhood Advantage

Example: Why a Chicago-style pub might succeed where generic pasta shops fail.

🔹 Part 3: FLI – Food Limit Index

Income level is not enough. FLI shows how much people actually spend on a meal.

• Korea: FLI 0.021

• Vietnam: FLI 0.046
  Use national FLI × local income to reverse-engineer pricing.

Why crowded hipster areas full of 20-somethings can kill your margins.

🔹 Part 4: Micro Site Analysis

1F vs. 2F, stairs, foot traffic logic— This is the stuff no textbook will tell you.

• Why 2F is often better for niche pubs

• Why lunch service can ruin your dinner business

• Why a visible 2F beats a hidden 1F

• How to design stairs that actually convert foot traffic
  

🔥 Whether you’re opening your first spot or your fifth,

this episode gives you a clear framework to make logical, not emotional decisions.

👉 More tools + blog posts at: saltnfire.net