How to Run a Sims 4 Restaurant (and Make Simoleons)
Interested in learning how to run a Sims 4 restaurant? I’ve got all the details.
If you have the Dine Out Game Pack, or you’re thinking about getting it, I’ve got a quick guide on everything you need to know on buying, building and running a restaurant in the game.
Running a restaurant in the Sims 4 is a great way to enhance your gameplay. Not only do you get to head to work with your sims, but you can run the place!
Running a Sims 4 restaurant can be a fun way to play the game, here’s what you need to know:
How to Buy a Restaurant in the Sims 4
Buying a restaurant in the Sims 4 is a piece of cake. It’s almost as simple as becoming a freelancer, though you need to have a lot more money to get started.
On the right-hand side of the bar that displays your sims information you’ll find the business tab. From there you have three choices:
- Buy A Vet Clinic
- Buy A Retail Store
- Buy A Restaurant
You’ll want to choose Buy A Restaurant.
Pick Your Lot
This action will open up the world map so you can choose where you want to build (or buy) your restaurant.
You are only able to buy or build in unowned lots. While in some cases you might be able to find a restaurant that’s not currently owned, in my experience it’s just as easy to buy an empty lot and build your own.
Transfer Funds
You can’t build or run a restaurant without having money, so before you start building you’ll need to transfer money from your sim’s Household Funds to the current business’.
You can transfer any amount of money so long as you have it in your personal account.
Build or Buy Your Restaurant
Restaurants have the longest list of items that you need to have. For you to open shop, you need to have a kitchen, dining room and bathroom.
You essentially need to have need to have:
- Sink
- Toilet
- Chef Station
- Dining Spot
- Water Station
- Host Station
One of each with suffice, except for dinning spots where you’ll need four to open your doors. Note that there are communal tables to choose from (sims from different parties can be seated together) so you don’t necessarily need to have four tables.
If you don’t want to build your own restaurant from scratch, you can head to the Sims 4 Gallery where you’ll be able to buy and place one of the pre-made restaurants that another simmer has made.
I LOVE gallery restaurant lots because they help me get started faster. It’s honestly the easiest way to get started if you’re just testing the gameplay out (or simply don’t have your own building idea set yet!).
Set Your Menu
Before you open your doors, you need to choose your menu.
If you’re just starting out and you’re not sure what you want to serve, there is an option to select from predetermined menus based on what kind of restaurant you want to open (for example, a diner or Italian joint).
The good news is that you can adjust anything that’s included in the pre-selected menu. It’s worth noting that your chef probably won’t have any skills right out of the gate, so keep that in mind if you’re planning on serving more complex meals.
Setting your menu means picking ALL your food from drinks to desert, which can be time consuming if you’re a bit picky like yours truly!
Hire Staff
Your last task before opening your doors is going to be hiring staff.
Unlike with both a Vet Clinic and a Retail Store where you can run it by yourself until you’re ready to hire staff, at a restaurant you need to hire staff right off the bat.
You’ll need to hire at least one chef, host and waiter.
It’s worth noting although you can “wait around” for the right person, so far I’ve noticed that all the potential staff have limited skills. So, be prepared to train them up!
Running a Sims 4 Restaurant
Once you’ve met all the initial requirements, you can simply hit Open and your restaurant will essentially run itself. The catch is, if you’re not actively involved, it’s not going to be a great run.
As the owner of the restaurant, you can’t actually seat tables or cook meals, but there is a lot you can do while you’re there. Your restaurant has a star rating, reviews and perk points that can all help you grow your business and earn more money.
For the most successful restaurant, you’ll want to interact with guests, welcoming them to the restaurant and checking in to see how it’s going. If you find guests are particularly antsy, you can prioritize their meal with the cooks, you can also comp food and drinks to help them have a better experience.
Each sim visiting your restaurant will have a number inside a star on top of their head. The higher the better! Your goal as the owner is to interact with them to make sure their experience is special and they provide a stellar review.
You can hover over ANY sim and figure out what their latest opinion is. If it’s not great, its your job to help make sure that it changes between before they head out the door!
Restaurant workers only want to work so long, based on my estimation you have about 12 hours before they demand to go home.
At 8 hours, I recommend clicking on your host station and making sure you don’t accept any additional guests. This will give you time to clear out the tables you do have AND still get their money.
When you’re at your last table (and preferably before hour 12 hits), hit that close button and your end of day tally will show up. It’ll tell you how much you made, spent and what your overall net profit is. This gives you an opportunity to figure out what you need to adjust for the next day so you can earn more.
Tips for Running a Restaurant in the Sims 4
Use Your Restaurant Perks
If you want to earn more money, Restaurant Perks are your best friend. You gain per points via social interactions with guests at your restaurant. When you welcome them, check in on their table or comp their food, you get a little change added to your perks points.
Restaurant Perks give you the opportunity to save money, earn money and run your restaurant better. From hiring more staff to getting better tips from your guests, there are plenty of things you can do to kick your restaurant up a notch.
Watch Out For the Food Critic
There is a food critic that will visit your restaurant on occasion, and you want them to have a good time. In my experience, a five star experience for them means you get a five star review. You can do that through social interactions with the restaurants owner.
You can tell who the food critic is because they’re often making notes on a paid. I try to make sure I welcome them, check on their table and prioritize their food. Paying them special attention will help make sure you get a chance for that coveted raving review.
Aim For That High Star Rating
Your star rating affects how people experience your restaurant, it’s the same whether you’re running a diner or a fancy restaurant. One of the best restaurant tips I can give you is to pay attention to that star rating and make sure that you get a chance to get the best experience for anyone attending your restaurant.
Final Thoughts: Sims 4 Restaurant
How you play the Sims 4 depends on what type of gameplay you enjoy. I’m someone who genuinely appreciates active gameplay, including playable careers. I happen to LOVE the fact that sims can now own business, restaurants included.
While heading to work with your doctor or actor sim is a lot of fun, there is something to say about showing up to the business and running the place.
I’ve found the Sims 4 Restaurant gameplay to be a bit more challenging than some other experiences. But your sims need a lot of money, to buy and run a restaurant, so I find I have to use cheats to originally start something.
The overall difficulty settings for running a restaurant makes it a ton of fun to experience because it’s truly not the easiest to just glide by. There are a TON of ways to adjust your restaurant settings to make you more money, but you need to keep on top of it to make sure it continues to go up.
It’s worth noting that you can own more than one restaurant at a time. However, I gave it a shot and it was a real challenge. When you’re not on the property, it turns out things kind of start going to shit!
The best part about running a restaurant in the Sims 4 is there are a lot of ways you can adjust what you do. From choosing the dress code for your guests to how much price markup you have your food on, there’s plenty of ways to make the game more engaging.
Sims 4 Restaurant FAQs
How do you go to a restaurant in Sims 4?
To visit a restaurant as a guest in the Sims 4, you’ll simply need to head to a community lot that’s classified that’s as a restaurant. Then you’ll be able to meet, greet and eat with the best of them.
Can you make money on Sims 4 restaurant?
Yes, your sims can make money by owning a restaurant. However, I do find it to be one of the more challenging ways to make lots of cash. I’ve had more faster (and regular) cash by gardening or even running a vet clinic.
Which Sims 4 pack has restaurant?
Restaurants were introduced in the Sims 4: Dine Out. It allows your sims to both own and head to a restaurant as a guest. It’s a well worth it pack!
Can you have a restaurant in Sims 4 without Dine Out?
Yes, if you want to own or visit a restaurant in the Sims 4, you’ll need to own the Dine Out Game Pack.
Can a Sim live at a restaurant sims 4?
Technically, your sims can’t live at a restaurant, they need to have a residential lot as well. However, you can build a home at your restaurant and remain there. I recommend you use a cheat to turn off the bills at home so you don’t have to run back and forth!
Can my Sims own a restaurant?
Yes, your sim can own a restaurant! So long as you have the Dine Out Game Pack, your sim can both head to a restaurant as a social event, or you can own one and run it.
