Get All Access for $5/mo

Chef Gordon Ramsay Says There's a Simple Secret to Growing a Business. He'd Know—He Has 60 Restaurants. The famed chef's newest restaurant venture, Ramsay's Kitchen, opens Thursday in Oklahoma City.

By Emily Rella

Gordon Ramsay is always laser-focused on his next business venture. But when does he find the time?

The chef and restauranteur is involved in 60 restaurants around the world and has seven Michelin stars. He's also featured in a handful of popular Fox shows, including "Hell's Kitchen," which is currently airing, "MasterChef," "MasterChef Junior," and "Next Level Chef."

Season 8 of "Kitchen Nightmares" is also airing now, after an eight-year hiatus.

And on Thursday, Ramsay's newest restaurant venture, Ramsay's Kitchen, opens in Oklahoma City.

Chef/host Gordon Ramsay cooks during an episode of MasterChef (Getty Images)

But even though the U.K. native has become an international star, he says the key to success is actually about staying much closer to home. Opening a restaurant is a lot like opening any kind of business, he says. It takes a lot of work.

Here, Ramsay tells Entrepreneur his three tips for growing a business.

Related: How This 'MasterChef' Judge and Bakery Owner Maintains All of Her Relationships

1. Perfect your business locally

"Stay local," Ramsay told Entrepreneur when asked for his advice to aspiring entrepreneurs at an event for HexClad Cookware in New York City. "I spent the last four weeks here in New York, the local neighborhood restaurants were phenomenal. Tap into what's happening regionally, and then become the best locally."

Ramsay says to get it right at home first, and then growing will be easier.

"Stop worrying about overseas and global phenomena and become the best in your vicinity. Everything else will fall into place after that," he said.

2. Social media has disrupted soft openings

Holding a "soft opening" has become a thing of the past because of social media, he says. It can mess with customer expectations, creating a new set of challenges for business owners.

"I've always welcomed the intrusion that is social media. So the problem is, when we do open a restaurant, it's full from day one because we've got that amazing buildup," Ramsay said. "The hardest thing is the consistency because there are no gentle startups now. And because we have a reputation and sort of the band-aid off, we need to get it right. We're under scrutiny from day one."

Still, scrutiny can lead to feedback, which is important in making any business successful, he says.

Related: The Michelin Masterchef: Chef Garima Arora

3. Try a pop-up instead of a soft launch

By launching as a temporary "pop-up," entrepreneurs and business owners will be able to see potential problems and inefficiencies at a smaller scale before it's too late. It also gets around any reputational issues on social media by making it easier to quickly pivot to a new location, concept, or name.

"Set up a mini version of what you want your business to become, and do almost a pop-up of what you want to do," Ramsay said. "Whether it's a new location, an art gallery, whether it's a restaurant, run it for 48 hours only, and set up a small, limited time, limited version of what you'd like to become. It's a great way of testing."

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.

Business News

Amazon Has a Blank Book Problem: Buyers Report Receiving Fakes of Bestselling UFO Book

The book looked fine on the outside, but the inside was out-of-this-world.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Paramount Leadership Alludes to Layoffs If Merger Does Not Go Through

Paramount is awaiting approval on its merger with Skydance Media from majority shareholder Shari Redstone.

Marketing

6 SEO Tips to Help You Rank in the New Era of Quality Content

What is the best SEO strategy after Google's March 2024 core update? Here's what you need to know.