How to choose the right location for a wok to go restaurant
Location makes or breaks a wok to go. Not the concept, not the sauces, not the marketing — the location. Here are the 5 criteria that genuinely matter, and the mistakes almost everyone makes.
Why location outweighs everything else
A wok to go isn't a destination restaurant. People don't make a special journey the way they would for a fine dining experience. The purchase is impulsive: they walk past, catch the smell, see the queue, and decide to stop. If that moment never happens — because there's no one walking past — no marketing budget on earth will fix it.
Our best-performing locations are, without exception, on busy pedestrian routes — not in the cheapest units. That's not a coincidence.
The 5 criteria that determine whether a location works
Footfall
Wok to go sells to people who happen to walk past and feel hungry. You need at least 5,000 passers-by per day in your immediate area. Count them yourself: stand outside on a Tuesday and Friday afternoon for an hour each. Shopping streets, train stations and market squares score highest.
Nearby competition
Another wok concept within 200 metres is a deal-breaker. Fast food chains like McDonald's or Subway are actually a good sign — they pull hungry people to that stretch of street. Check online too: search Google Maps for 'takeaway food' in your postcode. If the map looks empty, ask yourself why.
Rent versus floor space
You only need 15–40 m². If you're paying more than €100 per m² per month, your turnover needs to be strong to make the numbers work. Prime high-street locations in major cities can ask €250/m² — that's too expensive for wok to go unless your daily takings consistently exceed €3,000.
Parking and accessibility
Wok to go is an impulse purchase. People don't make a special trip for it. But if there's nowhere to pull over or it's hard to reach on foot, they'll walk on. Proximity to a car park or a clear pedestrian flow from public transport is essential.
Street-level visibility
Locations in arcades or on upper floors consistently underperform, even when the rent is lower. What you save on rent, you lose in turnover. You want the passing trade — so the passing trade needs to see you.
How we assess locations
When a prospective franchisee has found a potential unit, we do a location review together. We look at pedestrian counts at three different times (lunch, mid-afternoon, Friday evening), check the rent per m² against expected daily turnover, and map out the competition within 500 metres.
Quite often we advise waiting for a better spot — even when the first option feels urgent. A poor location with a strong concept will always underperform a good location with the same concept.
Realistic costs: what does a good location actually cost?
* Indicative figures based on our locations and sector analysis 2025–2026.
5 mistakes beginners make when choosing a location
- ✕Choosing a location based on low rent rather than volume
- ✕Relying on weekend numbers — Tuesday is the real test
- ✕Forgetting to check whether the premises have food-use planning permission
- ✕Choosing a unit that's too large (more than 40 m² is rarely necessary)
- ✕Visiting the area during the day but not in the evening or on a rainy day
The takeaway
A good location is the best investment you can make in a wok franchise. Pay €400 more per month for a unit with 8,000 daily passers-by over €400 less for one with 2,000. The extra turnover more than covers it.
Have a location in mind? We'll take a look with you — no charge.
Request a location review
Send us the address of your potential location — we'll give you honest feedback within 48 hours.