business plan for a breakfast restaurant

Breakfast Restaurant Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

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Are you about starting a breakfast restaurant? If YES, here’s a complete sample breakfast restaurant business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE to get started .

Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a breakfast restaurant. We have analyzed and drafted a sample breakfast restaurant marketing plan backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for breakfast restaurant. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

Did you know that starting a breakfast related business is one sure way of getting good returns on your investment? This is because a lot of people who leave their houses very early in the morning may not have time to eat breakfast before venturing out; and this makes this business a profitable one no matter the country of the world it is situated.

Even though there is competition in the restaurant industry, but if you are determined to start a business in the industry, you can still win a fair share of the market within your area of specialization.

So if you have decided to start your own breakfast restaurant business, then you should ensure that you carry out thorough feasibility studies and also market survey. Business plan is yet another very important business document you should not take for granted when launching your breakfast restaurant business.

Below is a sample breakfast restaurant business plan template that can help you to successfully write your own with little or no difficulty.

A Sample Breakfast Restaurant Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Breakfast restaurant falls under the Chain Restaurant industry and the industry comprises chain and franchised restaurants that provide food services to patrons who order and are served while seated (i.e. waiter or waitress service), and pay after eating. These establishments may provide this type of food service to patrons in combination with selling alcoholic and other beverages.

A close observation of the industry shows that the industry experienced steady growth over the last half decade. During the stated period, as per capita income increased and unemployment declined, consumer confidence improved, giving rise to greater spending on sit-down meals.

Even though the average industry profit margin remains slim, profit margins at most chains have increased over the last five years, as revenue has grown and costs have been kept under control. The Chain Restaurants industry runs of steady growth is projected to moderate in the coming years. It is also projected that consumers will increase their spending at restaurants as the economy continues to improve and unemployment rate drops.

Statistics has it that in the united states of America alone, there are about 789 registered and licensed chains of restaurants scattered all across the United States responsible for employing about 1,861,015 people and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $108 billion annually.

The industry is projected to enjoy a 4.3 percent annual growth within 2011 and 2016. Darden Restaurants Inc. and Dine Equity are the leaders in the Chain Restaurants industry.

A recent report published by IBISWorld shows that the Chain Restaurants industry has a low level of market share concentration. The report stated that in 2016, the four largest industry players are estimated to account for about 21.2 percent of the available market share.

The industry is made up of a vast array of chain and franchised restaurant operators and food concepts, as well as the extensive number of sites they operate. A number of chains and franchised operators have establishments that are spread nationally and even internationally.

The report further stated that in the past five years, the industry’s concentration level has fallen slightly because a number of conglomerates have offloaded underperforming chains to private equity firms. In 2014, Darden Restaurants offloaded its 600-plus Red Lobster restaurants to Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion.

In summary, it is safe to state that the breakfast restaurant business is a profitable industry and it is open for any aspiring entrepreneur to come in and establish his or her business; you can choose to start on a small scale in a street corner like the average mom and pop business or you can choose to start on a large scale with several outlets in key cities all across the United States of America.

2. Executive Summary

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is a world-class restaurant business with a niche in breakfast style services that will be located in Nassau-Suffolk, New York. We have been able to secure a long term lease agreement for a standard restaurant facility in a perfect location in the heart of the city that is prone to human and vehicular traffic.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC will be involved in serving breakfast to our customers. We are aware that that there are other standard breakfast restaurants all around Nassau-Suffolk – New York which is why we spent time and resources to conduct our feasibility studies and market survey. We have a wide array of breakfast suitable food options for our customers, and our outlet has various payment options.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.

We are going to be a customer-centric breakfast restaurant business with a service culture that will be deeply rooted in the fabric of our organizational structure.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is a family owned and managed business that believes in the pursuit of excellence and financial success with uncompromising services and integrity. We are certain that our values will help us drive the business to enviable heights and also help us attract the clients that will make our business highly profitable.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is a family business that is owned by Dorothy Harrison and her immediate family members. Dorothy Harrison has a B.Sc. in Food Science and a Diploma in Business Administration from the University of New Jersey, with over 12 years’ experience in the restaurant industry. Although the business is launching out with just one outlet in Nassau-Suffolk – North Carolina, but there is a plan to open other outlets around North Carolina and in other key cities in the United States of America.

3. Our Products and Services

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is in the chain restaurant industry to make profits and we will ensure we make available well-prepared local and intercontinental breakfast suitable dishes and drinks to our clients. Our product and service offerings are listed below;

• Breakfast meals
• Fruits and salads

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to establish a breakfast restaurant that will become the number one choice for both residents and tourists in and around our restaurant location.
• Our mission is to establish a standard and world – class breakfast restaurant business that will sell franchises all across the United States of America and other countries of the world. We want to become a household name.

Our Business Structure

The success of any business is dependent on the business structure of the organization and the people who occupy the available roles. Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC will work with a business structure that will give room to employees to explore their creativity, and grow through the corporate ladder of the organization. We will ensure that we put the right structures in place that will support the kind of growth we have in mind while setting up the business.

We will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, honest, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all our stake holders. As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more.

In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Chef (Owner)
• Restaurant Manager
• Human Resources and Amin Manager

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Accountants/Cashiers

Waiters/Waitress

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Chef – CEO (Owner):

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results and developing incentives
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization

Admin and HR Manager

• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Restaurant Manager:

• Responsible for managing the daily activities in the breakfast restaurant
• Ensures that the restaurant facility is in tip top shape and conducive enough to welcome customers
• Interfaces with third – party providers (vendors)
• Attends to Customers complains and enquiries
• Any other duty as assigned by the CEO
• Responsible for preparing different meals as requested by customers
• Makes lists and budget for cooking supplies
• Oversees the entire coking process
• Responsible for training new cooks
• Makes sure that quality is maintained at all times
• Responsible for purchasing food ingredients for the organization
• Ensures that the kitchen is kept clean at all times
• Any other duty as assigned by the Chief Chef.
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps increase sales and growth for the business

Accountant/Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the organization
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization
• Interacts with customers, take orders for drinks, food and snacks.
• Presents bar menu
• Checks identification of the guest to make sure they meet age requirements for purchase of alcohol and tobacco products.
• Promptly attends to customers in a friendly and professional manner
• Ensures that customers order is properly taken and delivered
• Ensures that un-occupied tables are always set and ready for customers
• Pulls out chairs for customers as they arrive
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the Chief Chef / Restaurant manager
• Responsible for cleaning the restaurant facility at all times
• Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the restaurant manager.

6. SWOT Analysis

Breakfast restaurants can easily generate business deals with little stress as long as they have good delicacies and are well positioned to carry out their functions.

We are quite aware that there are several breakfast restaurants all over Nassau-Suffolk – New York and even in the same location where we intend locating ours, which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business.

We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, leverage on the opportunities that will be available to us, mitigate our risks and be equipped to confront our threats.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in the restaurant and fast food line of business to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives.

This is the summary of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC;

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is located in – between a densely populated residential estate and business district in the heart of Nassau-Suffolk – New York; our location is in fact one of our major strengths. We are also one of the very few breakfast restaurants in the whole of Nassau-Suffolk – New York that is equipped to prepare a wide range of both intercontinental and local breakfast meals. Another strength that counts for us is the power of our workforce and management.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is a new business which is owned by an individual (family), and we may not have the financial muscle to sustain the kind of publicity we want to give our business and also to attract some of the well – experienced chefs in the industry.

• Opportunities:

We are centrally located in one of the busiest area in Nassau-Suffolk – New York and we are open to all the available opportunities that the city has to offer. Our business concept also positioned us to be a one stop shop. The truth is that there are no standard breakfast restaurants within the area where ours is going to be located; the closest to our proposed location is about 6 miles away. In a nutshell, we do not have any direct competition within our target market area.

Some of the threats that are likely going to confront Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC are unfavorable government policies , seasonal fluctuations, demographic / social factors, downturn in the economy which is likely going to affect consumers spending and of course emergence of new competitors within the same location where ours is located.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

One common trend in the industry is that, the more the varieties of meals you can cook (that is local and intercontinental meals suitable for breakfast) the easier for you to welcome customers from different cultures and class.

For this singular reason, most aspiring chefs ensure that they learn how to make a wide variety of meals before launching their business. Aside from that, any chef that is worth his or her salt and would want to continue to remain a leader in the industry.

Another interesting trend in this industry is that, in keeping consumers’ appetites satisfied, breakfast restaurants have created new menu options that capitalize on the trend of increasing awareness of the health risks associated with a high – fat diets. The industry has also thrived by developing meals at price points attractive enough to weather the slow recovery, resulting in strong revenue growth.

8. Our Target Market

Breakfast restaurant is such a business that you can hardly find someone who don’t patronize them, because everybody eats breakfast except when they are fasting. As a matter of fact, most breakfast restaurants now have menu options for people on different diets.

We are in business to services the following groups of people;

• Event/Party planners
• The government (government guest)
• Busy corporate executives
• Busy businessmen and business women
• Foreign Diplomats and their families
• Sports Men and Women

Our competitive advantage

A close study of the restaurant industry reveals that the market has become much more intensely competitive over the last decade. As a matter of fact, you have to be highly creative, customer centric and proactive if you must survive in this industry. We are aware of the stiff competition and we are prepared to compete favorably with other breakfast restaurants and other restaurants in Nassau-Suffolk – New York.

Our competitive advantages are our access to multi – skilled and flexible workforce, our ability to quickly adopt new technology and proximity to key markets. Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is launching a standard breakfast restaurant that will indeed become the preferred choice of residents of Nassau-Suffolk – New York. Our breakfast restaurant is located in a corner piece property on a busy road directly opposite one of the largest residential estates in Nassau-Suffolk.

One of our business goals is to make Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant a one stop breakfast restaurant. Our excellent customer service culture, online store, various payment options and highly secured facility will serve as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry, meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

We are in the Breakfast restaurant industry to maximize profits and we are going to ensure that we achieve or business goals and objectives. In essence, our source of income will be the preparing and sale of;

• Beverage sales

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, when it comes to breakfast restaurants, if your restaurant is centrally positioned and you have tasty and well prepared delicacies suitable for breakfast, you will always attract customers cum sales and that will sure translate to increase in revenue generation for the business.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Nassau-Suffolk – New York and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from our first six months of operation. We have been able to critically examine the chains restaurant industry and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast.

Below are the sales projections for Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant. It is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to breakfast restaurant startups in the United States;

• First Fiscal Year: $220,000
• Second Fiscal Year: $450,000
• Third Fiscal Year: $700,000

N.B : This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor serving same delicacies as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

The marketing strategy for Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is going to be driven basically by tasty and sumptuous meals suitable for breakfast, excellent customers service and quality service delivery. We want to drive sales via the output of our jobs and via referral from our satisfied customers. We are quite aware of how satisfied customers drive business growth especially businesses like breakfast restaurants and related niche restaurants.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be equipped to meet their targets.

Our goal is to grow Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC to become the leading breakfast restaurant in Nassau-Suffolk – New York which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Open our breakfast restaurant in a grand style with a party for all.
• Introduce our breakfast restaurant business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations, schools, event planners, households and key stake holders in Nassau-Suffolk – New York
• Ensure that we make wide varieties of both intercontinental and local delicacies suitable for breakfast in our restaurant at all times.
• Make use of attractive hand bills to create awareness and also to give direction to our restaurant
• Position our signage/flexi banners at strategic places around Nassau-Suffolk – New York
• Position our greeters to welcome and direct potential customers
• Create a loyalty plan that will enable us reward our regular customers
• Engage in roadshows within our neighborhood to create awareness for our breakfast restaurant.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is set to create a standard for breakfast restaurant business in Nassau-Suffolk – New York, which is why we will adopt best practices to promote our business. Good enough there is no hard and fast rule on how to advertise or promote a breakfast restaurant.

The challenge is that most startups do not have the required money to pump into publicity and advertising. The cash they have is usually reserved to take care of overhead and operational cost. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC;

• Encourage our loyal customers to help us use Word of Mouth mode of advertisement (referrals)
• Advertise our business in relevant food and healthy lifestyle magazines, local newspaper, local TV and radio station
• Promote our business online via our official website
• List our business on local directories (yellow pages)
• Sponsor relevant community programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, et al to promote our brand
• Install our billboards in strategic locations in and around Nassau-Suffolk – New York
• Direct coupon mailing approach
• Engage in roadshow from time to time in target communities
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our customized clothes, and all our official cars and trucks are customized.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC, our pricing system is going to be based on what is obtainable in the industry especially as it relates to breakfast restaurants. Be that as it may, we have put plans in place to offer discount services once in a while and also to reward our loyal customers especially when they refer clients to us.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC will make available to her clients;

• Payment with cash
• Payment via credit cards
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via mobile money transfer

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for our food and drinks without any stress on their part.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

From the comprehensive market survey and feasibility studies conducted, we were able to place figures on the things needed to set up a standard breakfast restaurant business and here are the key areas where we will spend our startup capital;

• The total fee for registering the business in the United States of America – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $1,300.
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of – $3,580.
• The cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500.
• The cost for insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
• The cost for payment of rent for 12 months at $1.76 per square feet in the total amount of $105,600.
• The cost for construction of a standard breakfast restaurant and kitchen – $100,000.
• Other start-up expenses including stationery ( $500 ) and phone and utility deposits ( $2,500 ).
• Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $100,000
• The cost for start-up inventory (cooking ingredients, beverages, eggs, provisions and drinks et al) – $80,000
• Storage hardware (bins, rack, shelves, food case) – $3,720
• The cost for counter area equipment (counter top, sink, ice machine, etc.) – $9,500
• The cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
• The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al) – $4,000.
• The cost of launching a website – $600
• The cost for our opening party – $10,000
• Miscellaneous – $10,000

We would need an estimate of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ( $250,000 ) to successfully set up our breakfast restaurant in the United States of America.

Generating Startup Capital for Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is a private business that is solely owned by Dorothy Harrison. She does not intend to welcome any external business partners which is why she has decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital to 3 major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our startup capital;

• Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from the bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 ( Personal savings $80,000 and soft loan from family members $20,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $150,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.

One of our major goals of starting Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to retail our foods, coffees and soft drinks a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Early Bird® Breakfast Restaurant, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.

We know that if this is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Registration: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
• Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Leasing of facility and remodeling the facility to fit into a standard breakfast restaurant: In Progress
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating capital from family members: Completed
• Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Printing of Promotional Materials: In Progress
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the needed furniture, racks, shelves, computers, electronic appliances, office appliances and CCTV: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
• Opening party/launching party planning: In Progress
• Compilation of our list of products that will be available in our shop: Completed
• Establishing business relationship with vendors – suppliers of cooking ingredients: In Progress

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How it works

How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan in 2024 (Step by Step Guide with Templates)

A restaurant business plan is a framework that guides you to plan and forecast every element of restaurant management and operations.

This includes anything from your restaurant's menu design , location, financials, employee training , and a lot more.

Creating a solid business plan is important, as it helps:

• Transform your restaurant ideas into reality.
• Boosts entrepreneurial success by 16% (Harvard Business Study) .
• It equips you to navigate challenges before they arise.
• Attracts potential investors.

Planning is key to restaurant success. Without a plan, you're more likely to join the 26% of restaurants that fail within a year.

Create a business plan to set yourself up for success.

Here's how to get started. 

What is a restaurant business plan? 

Before writing a business plan, it is important to understand its fundamentals.

It serves as a roadmap for starting and running your restaurant , making it easy for outside parties, such as investors, to understand your objectives, vision, and plan of action for your restaurant.

The length and level of detail of business plans vary, ranging from brief synopses to large papers. Investors can benefit from clear insights and additional information provided by beginning with a concise plan and working their way up to a detailed one.

In short, a thorough description of the resources allocated to the success of your restaurant should be included in your business plan.

Steps to include in your business plan 

Your restaurant and mission statement needs to reflect your brand and goals, but you don't have to start from scratch.

The Eat App Restaurant Business Plan template , created by industry professionals and packed with insider information, is your go-to manual for creating a profitable business plan.

Your finalized business plan should have 11 essential elements, no matter how you write it. Continue reading below. 

1. Executive summary

A restaurant business plan should always begin with an executive summary. Why?

• 80% of venture capitalists say they read the executive summary first.
• 62% of investors say they would not continue reading a business plan if the executive summary did not capture their interest.
• A strong executive summary can increase the likelihood of securing funding by up to 40%.

An executive summary not only acts as the introduction to your restaurant business plan samples but also as a summary of the entire idea.

The main aim of an executive summary is to draw the reader (oftentimes an investor) into the rest of your business plan.

The executive summary also helps you envision the identity of your restaurant which essentially shapes the customer experience and sets you apart from competitors.

To establish a distinct identity, you need to focus on c ommon elements of an executive summary, including:

• A mission statement  
• Proposed concept development
• Cuisine selection
• The overall execution
• The potential costs
• Expected return on investments (ROI)

Let's take a more in-depth look at the concept development, cuisine selection, and mission statement.

Further reading

• How to write a restaurant executive summary

Concept Development

Selecting the type of restaurant, service style, and atmosphere is the first step towards creating a unique dining experience. Whether you envision a sample menu for a:

• cozy, intimate bistro
• bustling quick-service deli
• fast-casual restaurant
• fine dining establishment

Your concept should reflect your passion and expertise in the industry.

Cuisine Selection

The cuisine you select for your restaurant can significantly influence its success.

Choosing the appropriate cuisine is vital for distinguishing your establishment from competitors and attracting your target market.

To make an informed decision, consider factors such as:

• Market demand
• Expertise and passion
• Ingredient availability
• Competition
• Profitability
• Cultural fit
• Seasonality
• Dietary restrictions and trends

In the highly competitive restaurant industry, keeping track of current and emerging cuisine trends can be a significant advantage.

Creating a mission statement

A well-constructed mission statement communicates the purpose, values, and goals of your restaurant to potential investors and customers alike.

A mission statement serves as a guiding light for decision-makers and employees, fueling their efforts to achieve your restaurant’s objectives.

To create an impactful mission statement, consider the following steps:

• Identify the purpose of the restaurant.
• Contemplate the brand’s image.
• Account for the target audience.
• Incorporate company values.
• Ensure brevity and comprehensiveness.

Related content:  How to Write a Restaurant Mission Statement  

Remember, your mission statement should not only differentiate your restaurant from competitors but also resonate with your target market .

2. Company description

This is where you carefully introduce the company in the restaurant business plan. Include the name of the restaurant you are launching in this field along with its address, phone number, and other important information. Then, also include the owner's information as well as a synopsis or explanation of their background. The restaurant's legal position and its short- and long-term objectives should be outlined in the second section of the company description. To demonstrate your understanding of the changes in the local food business and the reasons why the most independent restaurant investors will be successful in this market, please submit a brief market research.

Here's an example of the page layout:  

Company Description

Restaurant Name: [Restaurant Name]

Location: [Restaurant Address]

Contact: [Restaurant Phone Number] | [Restaurant Email Address]

Owner: [Owner Name]

Experience: [Owner Name] has over [Number] years of experience in the restaurant industry. They have worked in various roles, including [List of Roles]. They are passionate about food and creating a memorable dining experience for their guests.

Legal Standing: [Restaurant Name] is a [Type of Legal Entity] registered in [State/Province].

3. Market analysis

The market analysis portion of the restaurant business plan is typically divided into three parts.

3.1 Industry analysis

What is your target market? What demographics will your restaurant cater to?

This section aims to explain your target market to investors and why you believe guests will choose your restaurant over others.

Comprehending your target market is key to customizing your restaurant offerings to their preferences and needs.

By diving into demographics, preferences, dining habits, and trends, you can fine-tune your concept and marketing strategy to reach and appeal to your target audience effectively.

An example of analyzing your target market

  Comprehending your target market is key to customizing your restaurant offerings to their preferences and needs.

Demographics and preferences

Identifying your primary target market involves considering factors such as:

For example, a neighborhood with a high concentration of families might prefer a family-friendly restaurant with a diverse menu catering to various age groups and dietary preferences.

Conversely, a trendy urban area with a predominantly young and affluent population may gravitate towards upscale dining experiences and innovative cuisine.

Cultural and ethnic backgrounds also have a significant impact on restaurant preferences, with people from different backgrounds having distinctive tastes and customs that influence their dining choices.

By thoroughly understanding the demographics and preferences of your target market, you’ll be better equipped to create a restaurant concept that resonates with them and ultimately drives success.

Dining habits and trends

As the restaurant industry continues to evolve, staying informed about dining habits and trends is crucial for adapting your offerings and attracting customers.

For example, the rise of online ordering and delivery services has significantly influenced dining habits, with many consumers seeking the convenience of having their meals delivered to their doorstep.

Health trends have also had an impact on dining habits, with an increasing number of individuals seeking healthier options when dining out.

• How to find your restaurant's target market

3.2 Competition analysis

It's easy to assume that everyone will visit your new restaurant first, so it is important to research your competition to make this a reality.

What restaurants have already established a customer base in the area?

Take note of everything from their prices, hours, and service style to menu design to the restaurant interior.

Then explain to your investors how your restaurant will be different.

3.3 Marketing analysis

Your investors are going to want to know how you plan to market your restaurant. How will your marketing campaigns differ from what is already being done by others in the restaurant industry?

How do you plan on securing your target market? What kind of offers will you provide your guests? Make sure to list everything.

The menu is the most important part of a restaurant's debut. Your restaurant wouldn't be able to operate without it.

You most likely don't have a final draft at this time, but you should aim to create a mock-up for your restaurant business plan. You can choose a design that you can envision yourself using and add your logo to the mock-up.

• Top Free Restaurant Menu Makers

There are several resources available online if you need assistance with menu design or don't want to hire a designer.

But the price should be the most important component of your sample menu. The cost research you've completed for investors ought to be reflected in your prices. They will have a clearer idea of your restaurant's intended price range as a result.  You'll quickly see how important menu engineering can be, even early on.

5. Employees

The company description section of the restaurant business plan briefly introduces the owners of the restaurant with some information about each. This section should fully flesh out the restaurant's business plan and management team.

The investors don’t expect you to have your entire team selected at this point, but you should at least have a couple of people on board. Use the talent you have chosen thus far to highlight the combined work experience everyone is bringing to the table.

6. Restaurant design

The design portion of your restaurant business plan is where you can really show off your thoughts and ideas to the investors. If you don’t have professional mock-ups of your restaurant rendered, that’s fine.

Instead, put together a mood board to get your vision across. Find pictures of a similar aesthetic to what you are looking for in your restaurant.

The restaurant design extends beyond aesthetics alone and should include everything from restaurant software to kitchen equipment. 

7. Location

The location you settle on for your restaurant should be well aligned with your target market (making it easier to cater to your ideal customer) and with your business plans.

At this stage in the process, it's not uncommon to not have a specific location in mind - but you should at the very least have a few options to narrow down.

Pro Tip: When you approach your investors about potential locations, make sure to include as much information as possible about each venue and why it would be ideal for your brand. 

Example for choosing an ideal location

Choosing the ideal location for your restaurant is a pivotal decision that can greatly influence your success. 

To make the best choice, consider factors such as foot traffic, accessibility, and neighborhood demographics.

By carefully evaluating these factors, you’ll be better equipped to maximize visibility and attract your target market.

Foot traffic and accessibility

Foot traffic and accessibility are important factors in selecting a location that will attract customers and ensure convenience.

A high-traffic area with ample parking and public transportation options can greatly increase the likelihood of drawing in potential customers.

Additionally, making your restaurant accessible to individuals with disabilities can further broaden your customer base and promote inclusivity.

Neighborhood demographics

Analyzing neighborhood demographics can help you determine if your restaurant’s concept and cuisine will appeal to the local population.

Factors such as income levels, family structures, and cultural diversity can all influence dining preferences and habits.

By understanding the unique characteristics of the neighborhood, you can tailor your offerings and marketing efforts to resonate with the local community.

Conducting a market analysis can be a valuable step in this process.

To gather demographic data for a particular neighborhood, you can utilize resources such as the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and reference maps.

Armed with this information, you can make informed decisions about your restaurant’s concept, menu, and pricing, ensuring that your establishment is well-positioned for success within the community.

Conducting market research will further strengthen your understanding of the local demographic.

8. Market overview

The market overview section is heavily related to the market research and analysis portion of the restaurant business plan. In this section, go into detail about both the micro and macro conditions in the area you want to set up your restaurant.

Discuss the current economic conditions that could make opening a restaurant difficult, and how you aim to counteract that. Mention all the other restaurants that could prove to be competition and what your strategy is to set yourself apart.

9. Marketing

With restaurants opening left and ride nowadays, investors are going to want to know how you will get word of your restaurant to the world.

The next marketing strategy and publicity section should go into detail on how you plan to market your restaurant before and after opening. As well as any plans you may have to bring a PR company on board to help spread the word.

Read more: How to write a restaurant marketing plan from scratch

10. External help

To make your restaurant a reality, you are going to need a lot of help. List any external companies or software you plan on hiring to get your restaurant up and running.

This includes everything from accountants and designers to suppliers that help your restaurant perform better, like POS systems and restaurant reservation systems .

Explain to your other potential investors about the importance of each and what they will be doing for your restaurant.

11. Financial analysis

The most important part of your restaurant business plan is the financial section . We would recommend hiring professional help for this given its importance.

Hiring a trained accountant will not only help you get your own financial projections and estimates in order but also give you a realistic insight into owning a restaurant.

You should have some information prepared to make this step easier for the accountant.

He/she will want to know how many seats your restaurant has, what the check average per table will be, and how many guests you plan on seating per day.

In addition to this, doing rough food cost calculations for various menu items can help estimate your profit margin per dish. This can be achieved easily with a free food cost calculator. 

• Important restaurant metrics to track

A well-crafted restaurant business plan serves as a roadmap to success, guiding every aspect of the venture from menu design to employee training.

By carefully considering each component of the plan, aspiring restaurateurs can increase their chances of securing funding, attracting customers, and achieving their long-term goals.

Remember, a restaurant business plan is not just a document to satisfy investors; it is a living tool that should be revisited and updated regularly as the business grows and evolves.

By staying committed to the plan and adapting it as needed, restaurateurs can ensure that their culinary dreams have a solid foundation for success.

Growth Marketing Manager at Eat App

Saif Alnasur used to work in his family restaurant, but now he is a food influencer and writes about the restaurant industry for Eat App.

Reviewed by

Nezar Kadhem

Co-founder and CEO of Eat App

He is a regular speaker and panelist at industry events, contributing on topics such as digital transformation in the hospitality industry, revenue channel optimization and dine-in experience.

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Restaurant Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Restaurant Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your restaurant business plan.

We have helped over 100,000 entrepreneurs and business owners with how to write a restaurant business plan to help them start or grow their restaurants.

Below is a restaurant business plan template to help you create each section of your business plan.

Restaurant Business Plan Example

Executive summary, business overview.

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is a new restaurant and steakhouse located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The menu of Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will include bistro-type dishes that are authentically created and crafted by acclaimed Chef Peter Logan. It will be located in the trendy part of town, known as the Plaza District. The restaurant will be surrounded by classy art galleries, live theater, high-end restaurants and bars, and expensive shopping.

Owned by emerging restaurant operators Chef Peter Logan and Anastasia Gillette, Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse’s mission is to become Oklahoma City’s best, new restaurant for patrons to celebrate their next big event, have a nice date night, or gather with friends or family for a fun evening while dining over finely crafted entrees, desserts, and cocktails.

Products Served

The following are the menu items to be offered by Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse:

• Soups & Salads
• Gourmet sides
• Wine, Beer & Spirits

Customer Focus

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will target adult men and women between the ages of 21 – 65 with disposable income in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Within this demographic are millennials, young professionals, newlyweds, young families, more established families, and retirees. Because of the pricing structure of the menu, the patrons will likely be upper middle class to the wealthy population of Oklahoma City.

Management Team

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is owned and operated by fellow Oklahoma City natives and culinary enthusiasts, Chef Peter Logan and Anastasia Gillette. Both come with a unique skill set and complement each other perfectly. They formerly worked together at another OKC fine dining establishment and made a great team for serving guests delectable food and wine while ensuring the highest level of customer service.

Chef Peter will manage the kitchen operations of Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse, while Anastasia will oversee front of the house operations, maintain and ensure customer service, and manage all reservations.

Financial Highlights

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is seeking $300,000 in debt financing to open its start-up restaurant. The funding will be dedicated for the build-out and design of the restaurant, kitchen, bar and lounge, as well as cooking supplies and equipment, working capital, three months worth of payroll expenses and opening inventory. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Restaurant Build-Out and Design – $100,000
• Kitchen supplies and equipment – $100,000
• Opening inventory – $25,000
• Working capital (to include 3 months of overhead expenses) – $25,000
• Marketing (advertising agency) – $25,000
• Accounting firm (3 months worth and establishment/permitting of business) – $25,000

Company Overview

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is a new restaurant and steakhouse located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will serve a wide variety of dishes and beverages and will cater to the upper middle class to wealthier population of Oklahoma City. The menu of Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will include bistro-type dishes that are authentically created and crafted by acclaimed Chef Peter Logan. It will be located in the trendy part of town, known as the Plaza District. The Plaza District is one of Oklahoma’s trendy neighborhoods and is considered the “it” area for newlyweds, millennials, professionals, and young singles. The restaurant will be surrounded by classy art galleries, live theater, high-end restaurants and bars, and expensive shopping.

Owned by emerging restaurant operators Chef Peter Logan and Anastasia Gillette, the restaurant’s mission statement is to become the best new steak restaurant in OKC. The following are the types of menu items Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will serve- shareables, steaks, soups, gourmet sides and salads.

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse History

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is owned by two Oklahoma City natives, Chef Peter Logan and Anastasia Gillette. They have both worked around the country in fine dining establishments and have a combined twenty years in the restaurant industry. Upon working alongside each other at another fine dining establishment in Oklahoma City, the two of them became good friends and decided to venture into owning their own restaurant.

Chef Peter is the kitchen guru and critically acclaimed chef, while Anastasia manages the front of the house and is a certified Sommelier. Together, with both of their expertise and knowledge, Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is destined to become Oklahoma City’s next big restaurant.

Industry Analysis

The Restaurant industry is expected to grow to over $220 billion in the next five years.

Consumer spending is projected to grow. The Consumer Confidence Index, a leading indicator of spending patterns, is expected to also grow strongly, which will boost restaurant industry growth over the next five years. The growth in consumer confidence also suggests that more consumers may opt to segment their disposable income to eating outside the home.

Additionally, an increase in the number of households earning more than $100,000 annually further contributes to the industry growth, supporting industry operators that offer more niche, higher-end products.  This group is expected to continue to grow in size over the next five years.

The urban population represents a large market for the industry. Specifically, time-strapped individuals living in urban areas will likely frequent industry establishments to save time on cooking. The urban population is expected to increase, representing a potential opportunity for the industry.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market, customer segmentation.

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will primarily target the following customer profile:

• Upper middle class to wealthier population
• Millennials
• Young professionals
• Households with an average income of at least $75k
• Foodies and culture enthusiasts

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will be competing with other restaurants in Oklahoma City. A profile of each competitor is below. The Press Located in the trendy area known as the Plaza District, The Press has reimagined our favorite foods of the surrounding regions through the lens of home.

The menu consists of appetizers, soups, burgers and sandwiches, bowls, main dishes, sides, desserts, and a large selection of alcoholic beverages. The Press serves craft beer, domestic beer, wine spritzers, house cocktails, wine, and mimosas. They also offer brunch. The menu of The Press is affordable with the most expensive dish being $16. The wine menu is also not pretentious as the wine is sold either by the glass or bottle, with the most expensive bottle being $52 for the Gruet Sparkling Brut Rose. Oak & Ore Oak & Ore is a craft beer and restaurant in OKC’s Plaza District. They have a 36-tap beer selection and offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free dining options. Oak & Ore offers a rotating, 36-tap selection of their favorite brews from Oklahoma and around the world. Each beer is thoughtfully paired with a craft beer-inspired dining experience.

The food menu of Oak & Ore offers starters, salads, wings, fried chicken, sandwiches, tacos, banh mi, and sides. They also have a selection of kids dishes so the whole family can enjoy comfort food while sampling one of their delectable beers.

The Mule OKC The Mule is a casual, hip restaurant offering a large beer and cocktail menu plus sandwiches and more. Located in the constantly growing and buzzing hub that is the Plaza District, The Mule takes the timeless favorite and contorts it into a whole menu of wild offerings.

There is also a fantastic assortment of soups offered and The Mule shakes up a seasonal list of cocktails designed by their bar staff. During the winter months, patrons can stave off the cold with their versions of hot toddies and buttered rum. For the beer drinkers, they always have a reliable line-up of fresh cold brews on draft, as well as a wide selection of can.

Competitive Advantage

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse offers several advantages over its competition. Those advantages are:

• Gourmet dishes elegantly prepared to the finest standard.
• Selection of steaks sourced from local Oklahoma farms.
• An exclusive and unique wine menu that includes a wine selection of all price points.
• Highly sought after location: Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will be located in the trendy and attractive neighborhood known as The Plaza District.
• Trendy, welcoming, and energetic ambiance that will be perfect for a night out or a celebration.

Marketing Plan

Promotions strategy.

The marketing strategy for Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is as follows: Location Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse’s location is a promotions strategy in itself. The Plaza District is a destination spot for locals, tourists, and anyone looking for the trendiest food fare in Oklahoma City. The Plaza District is home to OKC’s most popular bars and restaurants, art galleries, theaters, and boutique shopping. The millennials, young professionals, and foodies will frequent Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse for the location itself.

Social Media Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will use social media to cater to the millennials and Oklahoma City residents. Chef Peter and Anastasia plan to hire an advertising agency to take professional photographs of the menu items and location to create appealing posts to reach a greater audience. The posts will include pictures of the menu items, as well as upcoming featured options. SEO Website Marketing Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse plans to invest funds into maintaining a strong SEO presence on search engines like Google and Bing. When a person types in “local fine dining restaurant” or “Oklahoma City restaurant”, Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will appear in the top three choices. The website will include the full menu, location, hours, and lots of pictures of the food, drinks, and steaks. Third Party Delivery Sites Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will maintain a presence on sites like GrubHub, Uber Eats, Doordash, and Postmates so that people looking for local food to be delivered will see Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse listed near the top.

Operations Plan

Operation functions:.

The company will hire the following:

• 4 sous chefs
• 2 bartenders
• 2 hostesses
• The company will hire an advertising agency and an accounting firm

Milestones:

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse aims to open in the next 6 months. The following are the milestones needed in order to obtain this goal.

7/1/202X – Execute lease for prime location in the Plaza District.

7/2/202X – Begin construction of restaurant build-out.

7/10/202X – Finalize menu.

7/17/202X – Hire advertising company to begin developing marketing efforts.

8/15/202X – Start of marketing campaign

8/22/202X – Final walk-thru of completed restaurant build-out.

8/25/202X – Hire team of sous chefs, servers, and bussers.

9/1/202X – Decoration and set up of restaurant.

9/15/202X – Grand Opening of Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will be owned and operated by Chef Peter Logan and Anastasia Gillette. Each will have a 50% ownership stake in the restaurant.

Chef Peter Logan, Co-Owner

Chef Peter Logan is an Oklahoma City native and has been in the restaurant industry for over ten years. He was trained in a prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy in San Francisco and has worked in some of the nation’s most prestigious fine dining restaurants. His tenure has took him from the west coast to the east coast, and now he’s back doing what he loves in his hometown of Oklahoma City.

Chef Peter will manage the kitchen operations of Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse. He will train and oversee the sous chefs, manage inventory, place food inventory orders, deal with the local food vendors, and ensure the highest customer satisfaction with the food.

Anastasia Gillette, Co-Owner

Anastasia Gillette was born and raised in Oklahoma City and has garnered over ten years in the restaurant industry as well. While in college, Anastasia worked as a hostess at one of the area’s most prestigious restaurant establishments. While there, she was eventually promoted to Front of the House Manager where she oversaw the hostesses, servers, bussers, bartenders, and reservations. Her passion always led to the beverage portion of the restaurant so she obtained her Sommelier certificate in 2019. With her wine education, Anastasia is able to cultivate an interesting and elegant wine selection for the restaurant.

Anastasia will oversee front of the house operations, maintain and ensure customer service, and manage all reservations. She will also be in charge of the bar and wine ordering, training of front of the house staff, and will manage the restaurant’s social media accounts once they are set up.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will come from the food and drink menu items being offered daily.

The cost drivers will be the ingredients and products needed to make the menu items as well as the cooking materials. A significant cost driver is the fine dining equipment, serving dishes, and beer and wine glasses. Other cost drivers will be the overhead expenses of payroll for the employees, accounting firm, and cost of the advertising agency.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is seeking $300,000 in debt financing to open its start-up restaurant. The breakout of the funding is below:

Financial Projections

Income Statement

  Balance Sheet

  Cash Flow Statement

Restaurant Business Plan FAQs

What is a restaurant business plan.

A restaurant business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your restaurant business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your restaurant business plan using our Restaurant Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Restaurants?

There are many types of restaurant businesses. Restaurants can range in type from fast food, fast casual, moderate casual, fine dining, and bar and restaurant types. Restaurants also come in a variety of different ethnic or themed categories, such as Mexican restaurants, Asian restaurants, American, etc.  Some restaurants also go mobile and have food trucks.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Restaurant Business Plan?

Restaurant businesses are most likely to receive funding from banks. Typically you will find a local bank and present your business plan to them. Another option for a restaurant business is to obtain a small business loan. SBA loans are a popular option as they offer longer loan terms with lower interest rates.

What are the Steps To Start a Restaurant Business?

1. Develop A Restaurant Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed restaurant business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your restaurant business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your restaurant business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Restaurant Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your restaurant business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your restaurant business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Restaurant Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your restaurant business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your restaurant business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful restaurant business:

• How to Start a Restaurant Business

Where Can I Get a Restaurant Business Plan PDF?

You can download our free restaurant business plan template PDF here . This is a sample restaurant business plan template you can use in PDF format.

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How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan

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When starting a business—no matter what type of business that may be—a business plan is essential to map out your intentions and direction. That’s the same for a restaurant business plan, which will help you figure out where you fit in the landscape, how you’re going to differ from other establishments around you, how you’ll market your business, and even what you’re going to serve. A business plan for your restaurant can also help you later if you choose to apply for a business loan .

While opening a restaurant isn’t as risky as you’ve likely heard, you still want to ensure that you’re putting thought and research into your business venture to set it up for success. And that’s where a restaurant business plan comes in.

We’ll go through how to create a business plan for a restaurant and a few reasons why it’s so important. After you review the categories and the restaurant business plan examples, you can use the categories to make a restaurant business plan template and start your journey.

Why you shouldn’t skip a restaurant business plan

First-time restaurateurs and industry veterans alike all need to create a business plan when opening a new restaurant . That’s because, even if you deeply understand your business and its nuances (say, seasonal menu planning or how to order correct quantities), a restaurant is more than its operations. There’s marketing, financing, the competitive landscape, and more—and each of these things is unique to each door you open.

That’s why it’s so crucial to understand how to create a business plan for a restaurant. All of these things and more will be addressed in the document—which should run about 20 or 30 pages—so you’ll not only have a go-to-market strategy, but you’ll also likely figure out some things about your business that you haven’t even thought of yet.

Additionally, if you’re planning to apply for business funding down the line, some loans—including the highly desirable SBA loan —actually require you to submit your business plan to gain approval. In other words: Don’t skip this step!

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

How to write a restaurant business plan: Step by step

There’s no absolute format for a restaurant business plan that you can’t stray from—some of these sections might be more important than others, for example, or you might find that there’s a logical order that makes more sense than the one in the restaurant business plan example below. However, this business plan outline will serve as a good foundation, and you can use it as a restaurant business plan template for when you write your own.

Executive summary

Your executive summary is one to two pages that kick off your business plan and explain your vision. Even though this might seem like an introduction that no one will read, that isn’t the case. In fact, some investors only ask for the executive summary. So, you’ll want to spend a lot of time perfecting it.

Your restaurant business plan executive summary should include information on:

Mission statement: Your goals and objectives

General company information: Include your founding date, team roles (i.e. executive chef, sous chefs, sommeliers), and locations

Category and offerings: What category your restaurant fits into, what you’re planning to serve (i.e. farm-to-table or Korean), and why

Context for success: Any past success you’ve had, or any current financial data that’ll support that you are on the path to success

Financial requests: If you’re searching for investment or financing, include your plans and goals here and any financing you’ve raised or borrowed thus far

Future plans: Your vision for where you’re going in the next year, three years, and five years

When you’re done with your executive summary, you should feel like you’ve provided a bird’s eye view of your entire business plan. In fact, even though this section is first, you will likely write it last so you can take the highlights from each of the subsequent sections.

And once you’re done, read it on its own: Does it give a comprehensive, high-level overview of your restaurant, its current state, and your vision for the future? Remember, this may be the only part of your business plan potential investors or partners will read, so it should be able to stand on its own and be interesting enough to make them want to read the rest of your plan.

Company overview

This is where you’ll dive into the specifics of your company, detailing the kind of restaurant you’re looking to create, who’s helping you do it, and how you’re prepared to accomplish it.

Your restaurant business plan company overview should include:

Purpose: The type of restaurant you’re opening (fine dining, fast-casual, pop-up, etc.), type of food you’re serving, goals you have, and the niche you hope to fill in the market

Area: Information on the area in which you’re opening

Customers: Whom you’re hoping to target, their demographic information

Legal structure: Your business entity (i.e. LLC, LLP, etc.) and how many owners you have

Similar to your executive summary, you won’t be going into major detail here as the sections below will get into the nitty-gritty. You’ll want to look at this as an extended tear sheet that gives someone a good grip on your restaurant or concept, where it fits into the market, and why you’re starting it.

Team and management

Barely anything is as important for a restaurant as the team that runs it. You’ll want to create a section dedicated to the members of your staff—even the ones that aren’t yet hired. This will provide a sense of who is taking care of what, and how you need to structure and build out the team to get your restaurant operating at full steam.

Your restaurant business plan team and management section should have:

Management overview: Who is running the restaurant, what their experience and qualifications are, and what duties they’ll be responsible for

Staff: Other employees you’ve brought on and their bios, as well as other spots you anticipate needing to hire for

Ownership percentage: Which individuals own what percentage of the restaurant, or if you are an employee-owned establishment

Be sure to update this section with more information as your business changes and you continue to share this business plan—especially because who is on your team will change both your business and the way people look at it.

Sample menu

You’ll also want to include a sample menu in your restaurant business plan so readers have a sense of what they can expect from your operations, as well as what your diners can expect from you when they sit down. This will also force you to consider exactly what you want to serve your diners and how your menu will stand out from similar restaurants in the area. Although a sample menu is in some ways self-explanatory, consider the following:

Service : If your brunch is as important as your dinner, provide both menus; you also might want to consider including both a-la-carte and prix fixe menus if you plan to offer them.

Beverage/wine service: If you’ll have an emphasis on specialty beverages or wine, a separate drinks list could be important.

Seasonality: If you’re a highly seasonal restaurant, you might want to consider providing menus for multiple seasons to demonstrate how your dishes (and subsequent purchasing) will change.

Market analysis

This is where you’ll begin to dive deeper. Although you’ve likely mentioned your market and the whitespace you hope to address, the market analysis section will enable you to prove your hypotheses.

Your restaurant business plan market analysis should include:

Industry information: Include a description of the restaurant industry, its size, growth trends, and other trends regarding things such as tastes, trends, demographics, structures, etc.

Target market: Zoom in on the area and neighborhood in which you’re opening your restaurant as well as the type of cuisine you’re serving.

Target market characteristics: Describe your customers and their needs, how/if their needs are currently being served, other important pieces about your specific location and customers.

Target market size and growth: Include a data-driven section on the size of your market, trends in its growth, how your target market fits into the industry as a whole, projected growth of your market, etc.

Market share potential: Share how much potential there is in the market, how much your presence will change the market, and how much your specific restaurant or restaurant locations can own of the open market; also touch on any barriers to growth or entry you might see.

Market pricing: Explain how you’ll be pricing your menu and where you’ll fall relative to your competitors or other restaurants in the market.

Competitive research: Include research on your closest competitors, how they are both succeeding and failing, how customers view them, etc.

If this section seems like it might be long, it should—it’s going to outline one of the most important parts of your strategy, and should feel comprehensive. Lack of demand is the number one reason why new businesses fail, so the goal of this section should be to prove that there is demand for your restaurant and show how you’ll capitalize on it.

Additionally, if market research isn’t your forte, don’t be shy to reach out to market research experts to help you compile the data, or at least read deeply on how to conduct effective research.

Marketing and sales

Your marketing and sales section should feel like a logical extension of your market analysis section, since all of the decisions you’ll make in this section should follow the data of the prior section.

The marketing and sales sections of your restaurant business plan should include:

Positioning: How you’ll describe your restaurant to potential customers, the brand identity and visuals you’ll use to do it, and how you’ll stand out in the market based on the brand you’re building

Promotion: The tools, tactics, and platforms you’ll use to market your business

Sales: How you’ll convert on certain items, and who/how you will facilitate any additional revenue streams (i.e. catering)

It’s likely that you’ll only have concepts for some of these elements, especially if you’re not yet open. Still, get to paper all of the ideas you have, and you can (and should) always update them later as your restaurant business becomes more fully formed.

Business operations

The business operations section should get to the heart of how you plan to run your business. It will highlight both internal factors as well as external forces that will dictate how you run the ship.

The business operations section should include:

Management team: Your management structure and hierarchy, and who is responsible for what

Hours: Your hours and days of operation

Location: What’s special about your location that will get people through the door

Relationships: Any advantageous relationships you have with fellow restaurateurs, places for sourcing and buying, business organizations, or consultants on your team

Add here anything you think could be helpful for illustrating how you’re going to do business and what will affect it.

Here, you’ll detail the current state of your business finances and project where you hope to be in a year, three years, and five years. You’ll want to detail what you’ve spent, what you will spend, where you’ll get the money, costs you might incur, and returns you’ll hope to see—including when you can expect to break even and turn a profit.

Financial statements: If you’ve been in business for any amount of time, include existing financial statements (i.e. profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, etc.)

Budget: Your current budget or a general startup budget

Projections: Include revenue, cash flow, projected profit and loss, and other costs

Debt: Include liabilities if the business has any outstanding debt or loans

Funding request: If you’re requesting a loan or an investment, lay out how much capital you’re looking for, your company’s valuation (if applicable), and the purpose of the funding

Above all, as you’re putting your financials together, be realistic—even conservative. You want to give any potential investors a realistic picture of your business.

Feel like there are other important components but they don't quite fit in any of the other categories (or make them run too long)? That’s what the restaurant business plan appendix section is for. And although in, say, a book, an appendix can feel like an afterthought, don’t ignore it—this is another opportunity for you to include crucial information that can give anyone reading your plan some context. You may include additional data, graphs, marketing collateral (like logo mockups), and more.

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The bottom line

Whether you’re writing a restaurant business plan for investors, lenders, or simply for yourself and your team, the most important thing to do is make sure your document is comprehensive. A good business plan for a restaurant will take time—and maybe a little sweat—to complete fully and correctly.

One other crucial thing to remember: a business plan is not a document set in stone. You should often look to it to make sure you’re keeping your vision and mission on track, but you should also feel prepared to update its components as you learn more about your business and individual restaurant.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

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Restaurant Business Plan: What To Include, Plus 8 Examples

• Business Growth & Management , Templates & Guides

Do you want to ensure the success of your new foodservice endeavor? Write a restaurant business plan.

In this article, the experts at Sling tell you why a business plan is vital for both new and existing businesses and give you tips on what to include.

Table Of Contents

What Is A Restaurant Business Plan?

Why is a restaurant business plan important, questions to ask first, what to include in an effective restaurant business plan, how to format a restaurant business plan, efficient workforce management is essential for success.

At its most basic, a restaurant business plan is a written document that describes your restaurant’s goals and the steps you will take to make those goals a reality.

This business plan also describes the nature of the business itself, financial projections, background information, and organizational strategies  that govern the day-to-day activity of your restaurant.

A restaurant business plan is vital for the success of your endeavor because, without one, it is very difficult — sometimes even impossible — to obtain funding from an investor or a bank.

Without that all-important starting or operational capital, you may not be able to keep your doors open for long, if at all.

Even if funding isn’t a primary concern, a business plan provides you — the business owner or manager — with clear direction on how to translate general strategies into actionable plans  for reaching your goals.

The plan can help solidify everything from the boots-on-the-ground functional strategy  to the mid-level business strategy  all the way up to the driving-force corporate strategy .

Think of this plan as a roadmap that guides your way when things are going smoothly and, more importantly, when they aren’t.

If you want to give your restaurant the best chance for success, start by writing a business plan.

Sitting down to write a restaurant business plan can be a daunting task.

As you’ll see in the What To Include In An Effective Restaurant Business Plan section below, you’ll need a lot of information and detail to ensure that the final document is both complete and effective.

Instead of starting with word one, it is hugely beneficial to answer a number of general questions first.

These questions will help you narrow down the information to include in your plan so the composition process feels less difficult.

The questions are:

• What problem does the business’s product or service solve?
• What niche will the business fill?
• What is the business’s solution to the problem?
• Who are the business’s customers?
• How will the business market and sell its products to them?
• What is the size of the market for this solution?
• What is the business model for the business?
• How will the business make money?
• Who are the competitors?
• How will the business maintain a competitive advantage?
• How does the business plan to manage growth?
• Who will run the business?
• What makes those individuals qualified to do so?
• What are the risks and threats confronting the business?
• What can you do to mitigate those risks and threats?
• What are the business’s capital and resource requirements?
• What are the business’s historical and projected financial statements?

Depending on your business, some of these questions may not apply or you may not have applicable answers.

Nevertheless, it helps to think about, and try to provide details for, the whole list so your finished restaurant business plan is as complete as possible.

Once you’ve answered the questions for your business, you can transfer a large portion of that information to the business plan itself.

We’ll discuss exactly what to include in the next section.

In this section, we’ll show you what to include in an effective restaurant business plan and provide a brief example of each component.

1) Executive Summary

You should always start any business plan with an executive summary. This gives the reader a brief introduction into common elements, such as:

• Mission statement
• Overhead costs
• Labor costs
• Return on investment (ROI)

This portion of your plan should pique the reader’s interest and make them want to read more.

Fanty & Mingo’s is a 50-seat fine-dining restaurant that will focus on Sweruvian (Swedish/Peruvian) fusion fare.

We will keep overhead and labor costs low thanks to simple but elegant decor , highly skilled food-prep staff, and well-trained servers.

Because of the location and surrounding booming economy, we estimate ROI at 20 percent per annum.

2) Mission Statement

A mission statement is a short description of what your business does for its customers, employees, and owners.

This is in contrast to your business’s vision statement which is a declaration of objectives that guide internal decision-making.

While the two are closely related and can be hard to distinguish, it often helps to think in terms of who, what, why, and where.

The vision statement is the where of your business — where you want your business to be and where you want your customers and community to be as a result.

The mission statement is the who , what , and why of your business — it’s an action plan that makes the vision statement a reality

Here’s an example of a mission statement for our fictional company:

Fanty and Mingo’s takes pride in making the best Sweruvian food, providing fast, friendly, and accurate service. It is our goal to be the employer of choice and offer team members opportunities for growth, advancement, and a rewarding career in a fun and safe working environment.

3) Company Description

In this section of your restaurant business plan, you fully introduce your company to the reader. Every business’s company description will be different and include its own pertinent information.

Useful details to include are:

• Owner’s details
• Brief description of their experience
• Legal standing
• Short-term goals
• Long-term goals
• Brief market study
• An understanding of the trends in your niche
• Why your business will succeed in these market conditions

Again, you don’t have to include all of this information in your company description. Choose the ones that are most relevant to your business and make the most sense to communicate to your readers.

Fanty & Mingo’s will start out as an LLC, owned and operated by founders Malcolm Reynolds and Zoe Washburne. Mr. Reynolds will serve as managing partner and Ms. Washburne as general manager.

We will combine atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and menu variety to create a unique experience for our diners and to reach our goal of high value in the fusion food niche.

Our gross margin is higher than industry average, but we plan to spend more on payroll to attract the best team.

We estimate moderate growth for the first two years while word-of-mouth about our restaurant spreads through the area.

4) Market Analysis

A market analysis is a combination of three different views of the niche you want to enter:

• The industry  as a whole
• The competition your restaurant will face
• The marketing  you’ll execute to bring in customers

This section should be a brief introduction to these concepts. You can expand on them in other sections of your restaurant business plan.

The restaurant industry in our chosen location is wide open thanks in large part to the revitalization of the city’s center.

A few restaurants have already staked their claim there, but most are bars and non-family-friendly offerings.

Fanty & Mingo’s will focus on both tourist and local restaurant clientele. We want to bring in people that have a desire for delicious food and an exotic atmosphere.

We break down our market into five distinct categories:

• High-end singles
• Businessmen and businesswomen

We will target those markets to grow our restaurant  by up to 17 percent per year.

Every restaurant needs a good menu, and this is the section within your restaurant business plan that you describe the food you’ll serve in as much detail as possible.

You may not have your menu design complete, but you’ll likely have at least a handful of dishes that serve as the foundation of your offerings.

It’s also essential to discuss pricing and how it reflects your overall goals and operating model. This will give potential investors and partners a better understanding of your business’s target price point and profit strategy.

We don’t have room to describe a sample menu in this article, but for more information on menu engineering, menu pricing, and even a menu template, check out these helpful articles from the Sling blog:

• Menu Engineering: What It Is And How It Can Increase Profits
• Restaurant Menu Pricing: 7 Tips To Maximize Profitability
• How To Design Your Menu | Free Restaurant Menu Template

6) Location

In this section, describe your potential location (or locations) so that you and your investors have a clear image of what the restaurant will look like.

Include plenty of information about the location — square footage, floor plan , design , demographics of the area, parking, etc. — to make it feel as real as possible.

We will locate Fanty & Mingo’s in the booming and rapidly expanding downtown sector of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Ideally, we will secure at least 2,000 square feet of space with a large, open-plan dining room and rich color scheme near the newly built baseball stadium to capitalize on the pre- and post-game traffic and to appeal to the young urban professionals that live in the area.

Parking will be available along side streets and in the 1,000-vehicle parking garage two blocks away.

7) Marketing

The marketing section of your restaurant business plan is where you should elaborate on the information you introduced in the Market Analysis section.

Go into detail about the plans you have to introduce your restaurant to the public and keep it at the top of their mind.

Fanty & Mingo’s will employ three distinct marketing tactics to increase and maintain customer awareness:

• Word-of-mouth/in-restaurant marketing
• Partnering with other local businesses
• Media exposure

We will direct each tactic at a different segment of our potential clientele in order to maximize coverage.

In the process of marketing to our target audience, we will endeavor to harness the reach of direct mail and broadcast media, the exclusivity of the VIP party, and the elegance of a highly trained sommelier and wait staff.

8) Financials

Even though the Financials section is further down in your restaurant business plan, it is one of the most important components for securing investors and bank funding.

We recommend hiring a trained accountant  to help you prepare this section so that it will be as accurate and informative as possible.

Fanty & Mingo’s needs $250,000 of capital investment over the next year and a half for the following:

• Renovations to leased space
• Dining room furniture
• Kitchen and food-prep equipment
• Liquor license

Projected profit and loss won’t jump drastically in the first year, but, over time, Fanty & Mingo’s will develop its reputation and client base. This will lead to more rapid growth toward the third and fourth years of business.

Most entrepreneurs starting a new business find it valuable to have multiple formats of their business plan.

The information, data, and details remain the same, but the length and how you present them will change to fit a specific set of circumstances.

Below we discuss the four most common business plan formats to cover a multitude of potential situations.

Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short summary of your restaurant business plan’s executive summary.

Rather than being packed full of details, the elevator pitch is a quick teaser of sorts that you use on a short elevator ride (hence the name) to stimulate interest in potential customers, partners, and investors

As such, an effective elevator pitch is between 30 and 60 seconds and hits the high points of your restaurant business plan.

A pitch deck is a slide show and oral presentation that is designed to stimulate discussion and motivate interested parties to investigate deeper into your stakeholder plan (more on that below).

Most pitch decks are designed to cover the executive summary and include key graphs that illustrate market trends and benchmarks you used (and will use) to make decisions about your business.

Some entrepreneurs even include time and space in their pitch deck to demonstrate new products coming down the pipeline.

This won’t necessarily apply to a restaurant business plan, but, if logistics permit, you could distribute small samples of your current fare or tasting portions of new dishes you’re developing.

Stakeholder Plan (External)

A stakeholder plan is the standard written presentation that business owners use to describe the details of their business model to customers, partners, and potential investors.

The stakeholder plan can be as long as is necessary to communicate the current and future state of your business, but it must be well-written, well-formatted, and targeted at those looking at your business from the outside in.

Think of your stakeholder plan as a tool to convince others that they should get involved in making your business a reality. Write it in such a way that readers will want to partner with you to help your business grow.

Management Plan (Internal)

A management plan is a form of your restaurant business plan that describes the details that the owners and managers need to make the business run smoothly.

While the stakeholder plan is an external document, the management plan is an internal document.

Most of the details in the management plan will be of little or no interest to external stakeholders so you can write it with a higher degree of candor and informality.

After you’ve created your restaurant business plan, it’s time to take steps to make it a reality.

One of the biggest challenges in ensuring that your business runs smoothly and successfully is managing  and optimizing  your team. The Sling  app can help.

Sling not only includes powerful and intuitive artificial-intelligence-based scheduling tools but also many other features to help make your workforce management more efficient, including:

• Time and attendance tracking
• Built-in time clock
• Labor cost  optimization
• Data analysis and reporting
• Messaging and communication
• And much more…

With Sling, you can schedule faster, communicate better, and organize and manage your work from a single, integrated platform. And when you use Sling for all of your scheduling  needs, you’ll have more time to focus on bringing your restaurant business plan to life.

For more free resources to help you manage your business better, organize and schedule your team, and track and calculate labor costs, visit GetSling.com  today.

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This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for specific advice.

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How To Write a Business Plan for Breakfast Restaurant in 9 Steps: Checklist

By alex ryzhkov, resources on breakfast restaurant.

• Financial Model
• Business Plan
• Value Proposition
• One-Page Business Plan
• SWOT Analysis
• Business Model
• Marketing Plan

Welcome to the world of breakfast restaurants. Did you know breakfast is the most important meal of the day? In the US alone, the breakfast restaurant industry generates over $55 billion in revenue annually, as of 2021. Clearly, there is a growing demand for breakfast-focused eateries — especially those that offer healthy, organic, locally-sourced options .

But, starting a breakfast restaurant isn't just about cooking some eggs and bacon. It requires planning, research, and a whole lot of preparation. That's why we've put together a 9-step checklist to help you write a business plan for your very own breakfast restaurant that highlights quality food and a relaxed atmosphere.

From conducting market research to acquiring the necessary permits and licenses, our checklist will guide you in the right direction to create a welcoming and inviting space that serves up some delicious and healthy breakfast options. So, are you ready to start planning?

Conduct Market Research

Before launching your breakfast restaurant, it is crucial to conduct thorough market research to ensure that there is a demand for your business idea in the area. Market research can help you identify potential customers, understand their needs, and gain insight into the current market trends and competition .

Here are some steps you can take to conduct market research:

• Surveying potential customers: Conduct surveys to collect data on what type of breakfast foods potential customers would be interested in, how much they would be willing to pay and what they expect from a breakfast restaurant.
• Analyzing demographics: Understand the demographics of the area, such as age, income, education level, and lifestyle, to determine the target audience for your breakfast restaurant.
• Examining competition: Pay a visit to your local competitors and observe their menu, pricing, and ambiance. This can help you identify any gaps or opportunities in the market that you can leverage to stand out.
• Identifying trends: Keep up to date with current trends in the food industry, such as the demand for organic and locally-sourced ingredients, healthy breakfast options, and sustainable practices.

Tips for conducting market research:

• Collecting as much data as possible: The more data you can collect from your market research, the better. This information will help you make informed decisions about your business.
• Staying unbiased: It is essential to remain neutral while conducting market research, as personal beliefs and biases can skew your findings.
• Utilizing different research methods: Use a combination of research methods, such as online surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews, to gather a diverse range of insights.

By conducting market research, you can gain valuable insights into the market and your target audience, enabling you to make informed decisions about your business plan.

Identify Your Target Audience

One of the most important steps in creating a successful breakfast restaurant business plan is identifying the target audience. Who are the people your restaurant is aimed at? Understanding your potential customers is essential for selecting the right location, defining the menu, marketing your brand, and ultimately, staying competitive in the market.

To identify your target audience, consider factors such as age, occupation, income level, and lifestyle. For example, if your breakfast restaurant is located in the heart of a business district, your target audience may be working professionals looking for a healthy breakfast before starting their day. Conversely, if your restaurant is situated near a park or a university campus, your target audience may be students and young families who prefer an organic and vegetarian breakfast experience.

Tips for Identifying Your Target Audience

• Conduct surveys or focus groups to understand the preferences and needs of your potential customers
• Analyze data on the demographics of the area where you plan to open your restaurant
• Observe the behavior of the customers in nearby restaurants and cafes
• Use social media and online analytics to understand the interests and habits of your target audience

Knowing your target audience will help you tailor the menu, pricing, marketing, and overall ambiance of your restaurant to their preferences. Consider what dishes and ingredients would appeal to your target audience, and design a menu that reflects those preferences.

For instance, if your target audience is health-conscious individuals, emphasis on organic and locally-sourced high-quality food items, and offer a variety of vegetarian and vegan options. On the other hand, if you are serving young families, consider creating a menu that includes kid-friendly options such as pancakes and waffles with fresh fruit toppings.

Once you have identified your target audience and have designed your menu accordingly, the next step is finding the right location that will attract them. Conduct thorough research and consider factors such as accessibility, parking, and the proximity to other businesses that could complement yours.

By defining your target audience, you can not only create a compelling vision for your breakfast restaurant but also increase the chances of running a profitable business.

Analyze Your Competitors

One of the most important steps in opening a breakfast restaurant is analyzing your competitors. Your competition plays a huge role in determining the success of your business. Before you start developing your business plan, it is essential to gather information about other breakfast restaurants in your area and assess their strengths and weaknesses to help you position your business in the market.

The following are some important factors to consider when analyzing your competitors:

• Location: Consider the location of your competitors to determine how close they are to your planned location. If there are several restaurants nearby, you may need to adjust your menu, pricing strategy, or location to compete effectively.
• Menu: Take a look at the menus of your competitors. What types of breakfast options do they serve? Are their menu items similar to yours? You will want to differentiate your menu from your competitors to create a unique selling point, attract potential customers and distinguish your business from the competition.
• Branding: Analyze your competitors' branding. Study their logos, colors, fonts, and style. Are they unique and engaging? How do they communicate their brand message? You'll need to create a brand that stands out from your competitors.
• Pricing Strategy: See how your competitors price their breakfast options. What is their pricing strategy? You should be aware of your competitors' pricing so that you can develop a strategy to stay within an appropriate price range.
• Online presence: Check if your competitors have an online presence. Do they have a website or social media platforms? What kind of reviews do they have? Leverage social media to promote your business and stay on top of your competitors' activities.

Tips for Analyzing Your Competitors

• Visit the restaurants as a secret shopper to get a sense of the customer experience and identify potential areas of improvement.
• Use a competitor analysis template to make the process easier and organized.
• Attend industry events and business conferences to learn about your competition and discover new ideas.

Examining your competition in the early stages of planning your breakfast restaurant launch will help you identify areas where you can improve and differentiate your business from others in the market. Use this information to prepare a unique business strategy that stands out and attracts potential customers.

Determine Your Unique Value Proposition

Once you have identified your target audience and analyzed your competitors, it’s time to determine your unique value proposition (UVP) . Your UVP sets you apart from other breakfast restaurants and communicates what makes your business unique, exciting, and valuable to your customers.

Your UVP should answer the question: “What makes your breakfast restaurant different from others and why should customers choose you over your competitors?”

• Focus on quality ingredients: If your restaurant uses organic and locally-sourced products, emphasize this in your UVP. You can also highlight any partnerships you may have with local farmers and businesses.
• Offer healthy options: If your restaurant focuses on healthy breakfast options, this can be a key component of your UVP. You can emphasize that customers can enjoy a nutritious breakfast without sacrificing taste.
• Highlight signature dishes: If your restaurant features unique menu items that can’t be found at other breakfast restaurants, this can be a major selling point. Consider highlighting these dishes in your UVP and marketing efforts.
• Atmosphere and customer experience: If your restaurant has a relaxed and inviting atmosphere that encourages customers to enjoy their breakfast experience, this can be part of your UVP. You can also emphasize exceptional customer service, or any other unique aspects of your customer experience.
• Consider asking customers for feedback on their experience at your breakfast restaurant and use this feedback to improve and develop your UVP.
• Brainstorm with your team about what makes your breakfast restaurant stand out and how to incorporate those ideas into your UVP.
• Keep your UVP concise and to the point. Ideally, it should be one sentence that clearly communicates your value proposition.

Determining your unique value proposition is crucial for the success of your breakfast restaurant. It’s what sets you apart from competitors and communicates your value to potential customers.

Define Your Menu And Pricing Strategy

Once you know your target audience, competitors and unique value proposition, it's time to define your menu and pricing strategy. Here are some important steps to follow.

• Create a menu that reflects your idea: Your menu should be in line with the restaurant's concept and target audience. As your restaurant focuses on serving organic and locally-sourced, high-quality breakfast items with healthy options, your menu should highlight the fresh and healthy items you offer. Consider featuring signature breakfast dishes made with local ingredients, vegetarian and vegan options, freshly-made smoothies, coffee, and tea.
• Determine your pricing strategy: Pricing your menu items accurately is crucial as you want to make sure you are profitable but also competitive. The best way to determine pricing is by calculating food costs, overhead expenses and desired profit margins. You want to price your menu items in a way that is fair and consistent with the market while also fitting your target customer's budget.
• Consider ongoing menu development: The menu will not be set in stone. Consider regularly reviewing and updating the menu to reflect customer preferences and seasonal changes. You can also introduce new or local ingredients and dishes to keep the menu fresh and experimental.
• Keep the menu simple but diverse. Offering too many items can put a strain on the kitchen and result in food waste.
• Consider using visuals to highlight the dishes and make them look more appealing. High-quality photographs of your dishes can attract customers.
• Include pricing that ends in odd numbers, such as $5.95, as it can seem more attractive and affordable to customers than rounded numbers.

Create A Detailed Financial Plan

Creating a detailed financial plan is critical to the success of your breakfast restaurant. It involves determining how much money you will need to start the business and how much revenue you need to generate to cover your expenses, including the cost of making and serving breakfast items, rent, utilities, marketing, and salaries. Here are some important steps to consider when creating your financial plan.

• Start-up costs: Estimate the cost of starting your breakfast restaurant, including rent, furnishings, equipment, supplies, ingredients, legal fees, and licenses. Consider all potential expenses and create a detailed budget.
• Revenue projections: Forecast your revenue by analyzing your competitors, target audience, location, menu, and pricing strategy. Make assumptions based on market research and create a reasonable estimate of how much revenue you can generate in the first year or two.
• Break-even analysis: Calculate how many breakfast items you need to sell each day to cover your expenses and break even. This will help you determine your target audience, menu, and pricing strategy.
• Cash flow projection: Estimate how much cash you will have in the bank each month, based on your revenue and expenses. This will help you identify potential cash flow issues and plan accordingly.
• Profit and loss statement: Create a detailed profit and loss statement that outlines all your revenue and expenses, including fixed and variable costs. This will help you identify areas where you can reduce costs and increase revenue.
• Be as detailed as possible when creating your financial plan, and update it regularly to reflect any changes.
• Consider hiring a financial consultant or accountant to help you create your financial plan and provide ongoing support.
• Don't forget to factor in unexpected expenses, such as repairs, emergencies, or changes in the market.
• Be realistic about your revenue projections and expenses, and don't assume that you will be profitable from day one.

Creating a detailed financial plan for your breakfast restaurant is an essential step in the business planning process. It will help you determine the feasibility of your business idea, identify potential cash flow issues, and make informed decisions about pricing, menu, and location. By creating a solid financial plan, you will increase your chances of success and ensure that you are well-prepared for the challenges ahead.

Select A Location

Selecting a location for your breakfast restaurant is crucial as it can significantly affect your business's success. The right location can attract more customers, while the wrong one can have the opposite effect. When choosing a location for your restaurant, there are several factors to consider:

• Accessibility: Choose a location that is easily accessible to your target audience. If your restaurant will attract health enthusiasts, locate it near a fitness center, park, or trail. If you are targeting office workers, choose a location near business districts or office buildings.
• Visibility: Make sure your restaurant is visible to passing traffic, pedestrians, and potential customers. A highly visible location can attract more customers and generate more foot traffic.
• Demographics: Analyze the demographics of the area to ensure a good fit with your target audience. If you are targeting a high-income demographic, make sure to choose a location that caters to that audience.
• Competition: Determine the level of competition in the area. Choose a location where there are fewer competitors or where you can offer unique value that sets you apart from competitors.
• Consider leasing a property as it may be more affordable than purchasing a property.
• Make sure to assess the parking situation in the area as it can affect your restaurant's accessibility.
• Contact a local real estate agent to assist you in finding the perfect location.
• Always read and understand the lease agreement before signing.

Once you have identified several potential locations, conduct a feasibility study . This study should include a detailed analysis of the costs associated with the location and the expected return on investment. It should also include the analysis of the area's economic conditions and its potential for growth.

After conducting a feasibility study and selecting the location, it is time to start negotiations with the property owner or leasing agent. Negotiations should cover the lease agreement, rent, and any additional costs associated with the location, such as utilities.

Selecting the right location requires careful analysis and consideration of several factors. Ensure that your chosen location meets the needs of your target audience and provides a sustainable return on investment.

Develop A Staffing Plan

Now that you have identified your target audience, analyzed your competitors, defined your menu and pricing strategy, and created a detailed financial plan, it's time to think about staffing. The success of your breakfast restaurant depends on having a team of skilled and motivated employees who share your vision and can deliver consistent quality service to your customers. Here are some important steps to take when developing a staffing plan:

• Determine your staffing needs: Consider how many staff members you will need to hire based on the size of your restaurant, the menu items you will be offering, and the number of customers you anticipate. You'll need to hire chefs, cooks, servers, and baristas to ensure that every aspect of your breakfast experience runs smoothly.
• Identify the required skills and experience for each position: Make a list of the skills and experience you will need from your employees for each position. For example, your servers should have excellent communication skills and experience working in a fast-paced environment, while your chefs and cooks should have experience working with locally-sourced and organic food ingredients.
• Create job descriptions and post job listings: Once you have identified your staffing needs and the required skills and experience for each position, create job descriptions and post job listings on relevant job sites, social media, and local classifieds.
• Interview and hire the right people: Carefully review applications, conduct interviews, and check references to choose the right candidates for each position. Look for candidates who share your passion for healthy eating and locally-sourced ingredients, have a positive attitude, and are willing to go the extra mile to provide exceptional customer service.
• Train your staff: Once you have hired your staff, it's important to provide them with proper training and guidance so that they can deliver consistently high-quality service to your customers. This includes training on the menu items, cooking techniques, customer service, and hygiene and safety measures.
• Consider hiring seasonal staff, especially during peak times, to help manage the workload and ensure consistent quality service.
• Develop a clear employee handbook that outlines your expectations, work policies, and procedures, and communicate them to your staff from the beginning.
• Offer competitive pay and benefits to attract and retain top talent in the restaurant industry.

Acquire Necessary Permits And Licenses

The final step in opening your breakfast restaurant is to acquire all necessary permits and licenses required to operate your business legally. This is a crucial step that you cannot overlook if you want to avoid legal trouble that can cripple your restaurant's operations.

The permits and licenses you need to obtain will vary depending on your location, the type of food you serve, and your restaurant's size. Some of the common permits and licenses include:

• Food service permit or certification
• Liquor license
• Business license
• Fire department permit
• Health department permit
• Contact your local government to find out what permits and licenses you need to operate a breakfast restaurant.
• Make sure your restaurant meets all health and safety standards laid out by your local health department before applying for a permit.
• Apply for your permits and licenses early to avoid delays in opening your restaurant.

Obtaining permits and licenses can be a time-consuming and complicated process, but it is necessary to ensure your restaurant is operating legally. It is important to allocate enough time and resources to this step to ensure that you have acquired all required permits and licenses before opening your doors to the public.

Once you have acquired all necessary permits and licenses, you can then focus on hiring your staff, stock up on inventory, and prepare to welcome your guests into your brand-new breakfast restaurant.

Writing a business plan is a crucial step for starting a breakfast restaurant. With these nine steps, you can create a plan that will help you build a successful business. By conducting market research, identifying your target audience, analyzing competitors, determining your unique value proposition, defining your menu and pricing strategy, creating a detailed financial plan, selecting a location, developing a staffing plan, and acquiring necessary permits and licenses, you can ensure that your restaurant is ready to open its doors to guests.

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How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan + Free Template

You have cracked the recipe for good food & great ambiance and are planning to start a restaurant, fantastic!

Whether starting a cozy corner cafe, a theme-based fine dining restaurant, or growing an existing one, you will need a restaurant business plan as a roadmap for your business success.

But writing a business plan is complex, isn’t it? That is why we are here with our comprehensive restaurant business plan template to help you in writing yours.

Key Takeaways

• Highlight the concept of the restaurant along with the ambiance, types of cuisines, customer base, and USPs of the restaurant in the plan.
• Utilize tools for SWOT analysis to assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for making informed decisions.
• Craft an impactful executive summary that outlines your restaurant’s concept, marketing approach, financial outlook, and team expertise to attract potential investors and partners.
• Conduct thorough market research to understand market trends, consumer preferences, and the needs of your target market.
• Analyze the competitive landscape, and identify direct & indirect competitors, to develop strategies that maintain your restaurant’s competitive advantage.
• To ensure efficient daily operations, provide in-depth operational plans that incorporate staffing, additional services, inventory control, and customer service.
• Create realistic financial projections for sales revenue, expenses, and profit forecasts while considering contingencies & emergencies.

Why is a restaurant business plan important?

Crafting a restaurant business plan is daunting but its significance cannot be underestimated. It is essential to drive your business toward success.

In the competitive atmosphere where there are 700,000+ restaurants in the USA, having a proper plan will help you get funding and better adaptability in a constantly changing business environment.

Even if funding isn’t a primary concern, a plan provides the restaurant owner or manager with clear direction on how to create actionable strategies for reaching business goals.

Your business plan will also help solidify the viability of the restaurant’s idea and concept.

In short, think of it as a guide for running all the aspects of the business smoothly.

How to write a restaurant business plan: Step-by-Step Guide

Since we are talking about a restaurant business plan; let us walk you through this restaurant business plan outline step-by-step without any delay:

1. Executive summary

An executive summary is the first section and the most significant section of any business plan. It captures the essence of your whole plan summarizing it for a quick understanding of your business.

Think of it as a sneak peek for the readers that draws their attention to the entire restaurant business plan.

You should start your summary with a compelling introduction with the name of your restaurant. It should also focus on the essence of your restaurant concept.

Give a brief overview of your unique selling points, emphasizing what makes your restaurant special. It might be the signature dishes, innovative ambiance, prime location, or some new cuisine experience.

Apart from the above essential points, your executive summary should include:

• Mission statement
• Vision statement
• Execution structure
• Potential costs
• Expected return on investment

Many readers will read the executive summary before making a judgment, so if this is all they read, make every word count.

Also, SBA advises to include financial projections in your executive summary if you’re using your business plan to request funding.

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2. Company Overview

Company overview is a part where you fully introduce your restaurant business including legal business structure, location, and your restaurant’s proposed concept.

Here you have the liberty to be a little more creative in describing your restaurant in the whole business plan.

Here are some points to incorporate in the company overview:

• Detailed vision and mission statement
• Type of restaurant (fine dining, small restaurant, bistro, cafe, etc.)
• Legal business structure
• Service style
• History and background of the restaurant (if existing)
• Owners’ names and qualifications
• Cusinies & menu highlights
• Restaurant size and seating capacity
• Operating hours & meal plans
• Related service availability (delivery, catering, etc)

Mainly emphasize the chosen location because easily accessible locations with high foot traffic will attract more walk-in customers. And if you haven’t decided on a specific location yet, then mention the type of place you are looking for to give an idea about it to your readers.

Besides, mention the short-term and long-term goals of your restaurant business in the later part of the company description. Along with that mention regional industry trends and your USPs.

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3. Market analysis

The market analysis section provides you with a clearer picture of your target market, competitors, and industry trends.

Based on the above details, one can make informed decisions while creating strategies. Therefore, make this section precise and concise to understand.

Here are some steps to follow to write an engaging market analysis section of the restaurant business plan:

• Define your customer base: Identify and describe whom you are going to serve. Make a consumer base after considering the demographics, location, and concept of your restaurant.
• Competitive analysis: List out the names of other restaurants in your location and do the SWOT analysis. You can get the competitive advantage of your restaurant this way.
• Market trends: Discuss any shift in consumer behavior like healthy choices, an increase in vegan food consumption, or technological breakthroughs that might affect your restaurant.

Consider conducting market research, TAM-SAM-SOM analysis , and SWOT analysis to get insights for this section.

Remember, this section helps your readers and potential investors understand your target market, restaurant market overview, market size, and growth potential, so make sure you play your cards right.

4. Sample Menu

The most vital step in launching your restaurant business is the menu. A well-curated menu design will sell itself for your restaurant. Even if you are a new restaurant, then present the sample menu with the name and logo of your restaurant on it.

The menu will showcase all the unique offerings your direct competitors might not provide. Not just the list of cuisines but the pricing is also crucial. This way potential investors and readers can understand your restaurant’s target price point.

Plus your menu should be in sync with target customers; for example, a restaurant near the university should contain more beverages and delicious food options for brunch as students prefer those things more.

Consider your menu as a part of branding, choose the same theme for the menu as for the restaurant.

5. Restaurant Design

Restaurant design is the part where you can show your restaurant concept to potential investors and readers practically. Moreover, create a mood board to explain things smoothly.

Utilize this section to show the uniqueness of your restaurant, and how it is different from competitors.

Explain how your design represents your restaurant’s branding and visual identity. Furthermore, mention how your target market will enjoy and appreciate the ambiance you plan to provide.

Note that restaurant design is one of the key elements to running a successful restaurant, so match the theme and cuisines accordingly.

In this section, you also have to provide a detailed description of how many seats are going to be there along with the floor plan of your restaurant.

6. Management Team

As the name suggests, the management team section of your restaurant’s business plan introduces restaurant owners, key executives, and the management team. It also incorporates the experience, qualification, and restaurant industry knowledge of every individual who is on the team.

A strong management team section can be essential to weigh authority and help potential investors be confident about your restaurant’s idea and vision.

You might consider including the following information in the management team section:

• Business owner or founder’s information
• Executive chef and culinary team
• Front-of-house manager
• Operations and back-of-house team
• Advisors/consultants
• The organizational structure of the team

Showcase how each member fits and what roles & responsibilities they will play.  You should include a resume-styled summary for each person in the restaurant’s management section.

7. Operations Plan

The operations plan section outlines the daily business processes and activities centered on achieving the restaurant dream and objectives described in the rest of the plan.

A detailed operations plan helps you and your team define your responsibilities, daily tasks, and short-term goals you need to achieve, keeping track of your long-term objective.

Here are a few key elements to include in your operations plan section:

• Staffing and training
• Operating hours
• Operational process
• Tools and equipment
• Inventory control
• Technology and software
• Quality control measures
• Customer service policies

Remember it should incorporate all important daily tasks. Also, an operations plan is a living document, you can change it often according to the change in the dynamics of the work.

Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Restaurant Operations Planning

8. Marketing Plan

Even with great food, prices, and ambiance, you won’t attract enough diners without marketing.

Thus, a well-crafted restaurant marketing plan is necessary to spread awareness and build a strong brand presence.

The marketing plan can help you streamline your marketing efforts and create impactful and effective marketing campaigns while keeping track of the projected budget and maximizing return on investment.

Hence, this is the section in which you give an idea to your potential investors about how you will acquire new customers and retain existing ones. This section should include:

• Target market and their dining habits
• Branding and positioning
• Marketing strategies (website, social media accounts, etc.)
• Marketing Calendar
• USPs of your restaurant (unique ambiance, amiable staff, new cuisines in the local area)
• Your marketing goals
• Customer retention strategies (loyalty program, giving coupons or discounts on bulk orders or events)

Even if you are going to hire a PR agency for marketing, then mention it and the reason why you chose them.

After taking care of marketing, let us move further to finances.

Read More: Step-by-Step Guide to Restaurant Marketing Plan

9. Financial Plan

The financial plan is the most crucial and demanding section of any business plan. It is one of the deciding factors for potential investors, banks, or any financial institute to invest in your restaurant business.

This section of your plan details your restaurant’s financial information and how it will reach its financial goals or how much revenue potential it has.

Here are key components and statements that you should include in your financial plan section:

• Pro forma profit and loss statement
• Break-even analysis
• Balance sheet
• Sales forecast
• Detailed cost analysis
• Cash flow projections
• Business ratios
• Funding request
• Tax considerations
• Exit strategy

Before you create financial projections, know how many seats the restaurant will have and what services you plan to provide. This will help you in making realistic financial projections if you are going to start a new business.

Also, if you are asking for funding, then mention where you will utilize your funds.

We hope that this sample restaurant business plan will provide you with an idea for writing a successful plan.

Restaurant Industry Highlights 2024

• Growth forecast : National Restaurant Association predicted US restaurant sales to reach $898 billion in 2022 which would further grow by 4% yearly to reach $1.2 trillion by 2030.
• Technology is everywhere : Automation is helping staff maximize their efficiency by handling orders, deliveries, and communication effectively.
• Sustainability & ethical sourcing : Eco-friendly practices such as minimizing food waste, avoiding single-use plastics, and ethical plus local sourcing are encouraged by customers.
• Delivery is the new deal : People prefer deliveries over dining out as they are time-saving. So, there is an incline in the number of delivery apps and delivery services providing restaurants.
• Kiosks are the preference : The number of people who prefer ordering and paying through kiosks is increasing due to the convenience.

How to Refine & Present a Restaurant Business Plan

Once you have written your entire business plan, it is time to read and re-read it and make it error-free. You have to be confident about every aspect of the plan before you present it in front of your audience.

Moreover, alter your plan to suit different audiences to enhance your communication. For instance, keep your plan professional and include all the growth potential, profitability, and ROI data when you present your restaurant business plan for seeking funding.

Also, when you present your restaurant business plan to potential partners or vendors, emphasize collaboration benefits and how it can help in their individual growth.

Apart from the above points, make sure your plan has various engaging visuals, interactive elements, and enhanced storytelling to present all the data interestingly. Thus, make a digital presentation of your plan to incorporate all the above things clutter-free.

Once you are confident, it is time to email your plan to the people already on your mind. And give a pat to yourself for finally taking that step.

Download a sample business plan for a restaurant

Ready to kick-start your business plan writing process? And not sure where to start? Here you go, download our free restaurant business plan pdf , and start writing.

This intuitive, modern, and investment-ready template is designed specifically for restaurants. It includes step-by-step instructions & examples to help in creating your own restaurant business plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

Related Restaurant Resources

• Restaurant Marketing Plan
• Restaurant Financial Plan
• Restaurant Operations Plan
• Restaurant Industry Trends

Discover how Upmetrics can help you write a business plan

With Upmetrics, you will receive step-by-step guidance, customizable templates, 400+ sample business plans , and AI assistance to streamline your business planning process.

In fact, if you are not adept with finances, the financial forecasting tool Upmetrics provides will help you create realistic financial forecasts for 3 or more years.

Whether you’re starting a new venture or looking to grow one, Upmetrics offers the resources and insights you need to develop a successful & professional business plan that aligns with your goals.

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a restaurant business plan.

A solid business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful restaurant business. It helps to get clarity in your business, raise money, and identify potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

How to get funding for your restaurant business?

There are several ways to get funding for your restaurant business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

What is the easiest way to write your restaurant business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of restaurant business plan samples and edit it as per your needs. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

Can a good restaurant business plan help me secure funding?

Indeed. A well-crafted restaurant business plan will help your investors better understand your business domain, market trends, strategies, business financials, and growth potential—helping them make better financial decisions.

What's the importance of a marketing strategy in a restaurant business plan?

Marketing strategy is a key component of your restaurant business plan. Whether it is about achieving goals or helping your investors understand the return on investment—an impactful marketing strategy is the way to do it!

Here are a few pointers to help you understand the importance of having a marketing strategy:

• It provides your business an edge over your competitors.
• It helps investors better understand your business and growth potential.
• It helps you develop products with the best profit potential.
• It helps you set accurate pricing for your products or services.

About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

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Restaurant Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + examples

Dreaming of opening a 🍴 restaurant? Passion, creativity, and delicious food are key. But for long-term success, a business plan is essential too.

Maja Jankowska

Are you dreaming of owning your own restaurant? Picture the sizzle of a hot skillet, the laughter of satisfied guests, and the fulfillment of sharing your culinary creations with the world. But before you dive into this flavorful adventure, there’s a crucial ingredient you can’t overlook: a winning restaurant business plan.

What is a business plan for?

A business plan is a vital document for every restaurant owner. It provides a roadmap for success, helps secure funding, guides financial and operational decisions, mitigates risks, and facilitates effective communication. 

Just like any other business, a restaurant needs a well-crafted business plan to ensure its success and sustainability. Without a business plan, you risk operating in the dark, making decisions on a whim, and facing unexpected challenges that could have been avoided. 

Investing time and effort into creating a solid business plan sets your restaurant on the path to achieving your culinary dreams and exceeding customer expectations.

Create Restaurant’s Business Plan in these 9 steps:

✔️ 1. Start with an executive summary ✔️ 2. Describe your concept ✔️ 3. Conduct Market analysis ✔️ 4. Define your management and organization ✔️ 5. Give a sample “yummy”  Menu ✔️ 6. Create design and branding ✔️ 7. Provide a Location ✔️ 8. Establish Marketing plan ✔️ 9. Define Financial plan

1. Executive summary

The executive summary is like the appetizer of your restaurant business plan – it’s the first bite that leaves a lasting impression. Its purpose is to capture the essence of your entire plan and entice time-crunched reviewers, such as potential investors and lenders, to delve deeper into your vision. It’s worth noting that the executive summary should be the final section you write.

To craft a concise and captivating summary, it’s crucial to highlight key points, including your unique concept, target market, and financial projections. Additionally, bear in mind that the executive summary sets the tone for the rest of your plan, so it’s essential to make it irresistible and leave readers yearning for more.

When it comes to the executive summary of your restaurant business plan, brevity is key . You have only one page to capture the attention of readers, but don’t worry, it’s definitely doable. Here’s what your executive summary should include:

• Restaurant concept : What does your business do?
• Goals and vision : What does your business want to achieve?
• Restaurant differentiation : What makes your menu/concept different, and what sets you apart?
• Projected financial state : What revenue do you anticipate?
• The team : Who is involved in the business?

2. Describe your concept

In the world of restaurant business plans, there’s a section that holds immense importance. It’s the one that answers two fundamental questions: Who are you, and what do you plan to do?

This is the section where you fully introduce your company, and it deserves special attention. Share all the important details that paint a vivid picture of your unique business. Include the restaurant’s name, location, and contact information. Additionally, provide relevant details such as the chef’s background and what makes your restaurant stand out in the market.

Curious about concept creation? Watch our short video featuring a summary of an example restaurant concept below! 👇

Now is your opportunity to showcase your vision and establish a unique identity for your restaurant. Utilize this section to highlight what sets you apart and capture the reader’s imagination.

3. Market analysis

Market analysis helps you understand your potential customers, competition, and overall restaurant market trends. It’s like having a crystal ball to shape your restaurant’s success.

Target audience 

When it comes to your potential market, you want to know how many people are hungry for what you’re serving. Sounds exciting, right? To estimate this, you’ll gather data on your target customers, like their age group or preferences, and combine it with industry trends. It’s like finding the perfect recipe to satisfy their cravings.

Competition

Now, let’s tackle the competition. Every restaurant has rivals, even if they’re serving a unique dish. It’s crucial to identify direct or indirect competitors and understand what makes you stand out. Are you offering affordable prices, a one-of-a-kind experience, or catering to a specific niche? Highlight your “secret sauce” that sets you apart from the rest.

Market analysis for restaurant’s business plan

Market analysis also involves a SWOT analysis. Don’t let the jargon scare you. It simply means evaluating your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Think of it as a superhero assessment for your restaurant. Identify what you excel at, areas for improvement, potential market opportunities, and external factors that could impact your success.

Example of SWOT analysis for a restaurant

Remember, market analysis is like a compass guiding your restaurant’s journey. It helps you make informed decisions, attract investors, and stay ahead of the game. So, embrace the power of market analysis, and let it shape the destiny of your delicious dining destination.

4. Management and organization

Effective management and organization are critical for success in the restaurant sector. This section of your business plan introduces the talented individuals who will lead your restaurant to new heights.

Outline your legal structure, whether it’s an S corporation, limited partnership, or sole proprietorship, providing key information for stakeholders.

Showcase your management team using an organizational chart to highlight their roles, responsibilities, and contributions. Their expertise and guidance are crucial for seamless operations and exceptional customer experiences.

With a strong management team in place, your restaurant is poised for success. They are the driving force behind your journey to greatness. Let’s meet the key players who will make it happen!

Streamline your operations and optimize your financial performance With resOs , you can efficiently manage reservations, track inventory, analyze sales data, and streamline your overall workflow. Get your FREE plan

5. Sample “yummy” Menu 

In the restaurant industry, your menu plays a main role as the core product. Include a section in your business plan that highlights key details about your menu offerings to engage readers.

If you offer a diverse range of dishes, provide a brief overview of each category. Alternatively, if your menu focuses on specific specialties or signature dishes, provide more detailed descriptions for each item.

You can also mention any upcoming menu additions or unique culinary creations that will enhance profitability and attract customers.

6. Design and branding 

When it comes to starting a restaurant, don’t underestimate the power of design and branding. They’re the secret ingredients that can make your establishment truly stand out. Think about it – when customers walk through your front door, what do they see? The right design and branding can instantly captivate their attention and make them feel right at home.

So, take some time to envision the overall aesthetic and mood you want to create.

Do you imagine a cozy and rustic setting or a sleek and modern vibe?

Let your creativity shine through! Include captivating photos of similar restaurants that inspire you and give potential investors a glimpse of your vision.

And don’t forget about your logo! If you’ve already designed one, proudly showcase it in your business plan. It’s the visual representation of your restaurant’s personality and will help establish brand recognition.

resOS’ customizable interface for your booking system

Stand out in the competitive restaurant industry with resOS’ customizable booking management system . Personalize every aspect of the interface to reflect your restaurant’s unique brand identity. Seamlessly integrate your logo, colors, and visual elements, creating a cohesive and immersive experience for your guests. With resOS, you have the power to revolutionize your restaurant’s image and leave a lasting impression.

Details matter too! Share your plans for specific design elements , from the choice of furniture to the color palette that will adorn your space. The more you paint a vivid picture, the more investors and customers will be enticed by your unique ambiance.

7. Location

For a restaurant, location can make or break the business. Occasionally, a restaurant concept is so good that people go out of their way to find it. But, more realistically, your location needs to be convenient for your target market. If it’s hard for your customers to get to you, hard for them to park, and not something they notice as they drive by, they’re unlikely to check your restaurant out.

In your business plan, make sure to discuss the potential locations that you hope to occupy, assuming you haven’t already secured the location. Explain why the location is ideal for your target market and how the location will help attract customers.

Unlock the potential of your restaurant’s location and streamline reservations with resOS. Our platform offers seamless integration with Reserve With Google , allowing customers to easily discover and book tables directly from Google search results and maps. By enabling this feature, you’ll maximize your restaurant’s visibility and attract more diners with just a few clicks. Experience the power of location-based reservations with resOS .

Be sure to explain the complete costs of your location and what kinds of renovations will be necessary to open your restaurant.

8. Marketing plan

In today’s competitive restaurant industry, it’s important to showcase your marketing strategy to investors. They want to know how you’ll create buzz and keep it going before and after your grand opening.

Create a winning business plan with a strong marketing focus. Our Restaurant Business Plan Steps Graphic (👆 see above) is your visual guide, including key marketing strategies. Download or save for later and plan your path to success.

Whether you’ve enlisted a top-notch Marketing company or have a solid ready-to-go marketing plan, highlight your chosen path. Discuss the unique strengths of your selected agency and why they stand out, including their notable clients. Alternatively, showcase your in-house plan, leveraging social media, your website, and valuable media connections.

A well-crafted marketing plan holds the key to differentiating your restaurant and attracting customers. Prepare to tantalize taste buds and offer an exceptional dining experience. Stay in tune with the latest restaurant industry trends, leverage effective marketing tools, and optimize your online presence. 

Lastly, integrate a robust restaurant booking system to streamline reservations and enhance the overall customer experience. With these strategic elements in place, success is within your reach.

9. Financial Plan

Financial analysis is a crucial part of your restaurant’s business plan. It helps investors assess the profitability of your concept and whether it’s a worthwhile investment. In this section, you’ll outline how you plan to allocate your funds in the first year and provide projections for costs and revenues.

Here are the 🔑 key components to include:

Investment Plan: Explain the initial investment costs, such as kitchen equipment, furniture, employee wages, legal fees, marketing expenses, and working capital. This shows how you’ll use your funds effectively.

Profit and Loss Projection: Estimate your restaurant’s costs and sales figures in the profit and loss statement. Consider factors like the size of your establishment, your target market, and the existing competition in your chosen location.

Break-Even Analysis: Show investors the monthly revenue you need to achieve to cover all your expenses and reach profitability. This analysis considers overhead costs, operational expenses, and factors that may affect revenue fluctuations throughout the year.

Claim your FREE plan on resOS today! Ready to revolutionize your business management? Join resos.com for FREE and take control of your operations. ✅ Seamless calendar integration ✅ Customizable booking forms ✅ Automated reminders ✅ Real-time availability updates Don’t miss out! Sign up now at resos.com and experience stress-free scheduling. Your time is valuable, so claim your FREE plan today!

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How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan (+ Examples)

Learn how to create a restaurant business plan with the best format that outlines your concept, and financials. Get examples and templates to get started.

10 minute read

helped business professionals at:

Short answer

What is a business plan for a restaurant?

A business plan for a restaurant is a document that outlines the restaurant's concept, strategies, and financial forecasts. It serves as a roadmap for launching and growing the establishment successfully.

Don't just focus on profit margins, ensure your business plan is well-presented

In the competitive world of the restaurant industry, where low-profit margins are a well-known hurdle, there emerges a critical, yet often overlooked, factor pivotal to success: the design of the business plan.

As we enter 2024, it's becoming increasingly clear that the traditional overlook of business plan design can no longer be afforded.

This isn't just about financial projections or market analysis; it's about crafting a blueprint that encapsulates the essence of your restaurant, compellingly communicates its value, and sets a solid foundation for growth.

By focusing on the design of your business plan, you stand to gain not just the attention of potential investors but also a clearer roadmap to navigate the challenges ahead.

What makes an effective business plan?

Embarking on the restaurant business journey requires more than just a passion for food-it demands a comprehensive plan that lays out every aspect of your venture with precision and foresight.

Let's delve into what constitutes an effective restaurant business plan, ensuring it's not just another document, but a roadmap to success.

6 key components of a winning restaurant business plan:

1. Vision and concept clarity

Start with a crystal-clear articulation of your restaurant's concept. Whether it's a cozy vegan cafe or a high-end steakhouse, the essence of your establishment should leap off the page.

This clarity helps potential investors and partners instantly grasp what you're aiming to create.

Beyond the concept, delineate your restaurant's values, mission, and the unique selling points that set you apart in a crowded market.

2. Comprehensive market analysis

A deep dive into market analysis cannot be overstated. Here, you're not just identifying who your customers are but also understanding the competitive landscape.

What are the prevailing trends in the dining sector? Who are your direct and indirect competitors, and how do you plan to differentiate yourself? This section should reflect a meticulous research process, showcasing insights that guide your strategy.

3. Robust financial planning

In any successful business plan, sound financial management is key.

Essential elements include:

Realistic financial projections: Your forecasts should be realistic, and built on data-backed assumptions.

Detailed profit and loss forecasts

Cash flow predictions

Break-even analysis

Contingency planning: Preparing for unforeseen challenges is crucial.

Develop a well-thought-out contingency plan to navigate the industry's unpredictable nature.

Identify potential risks and solutions, including supplier issues, staffing shortages, and changes in consumer behavior, to ensure business resilience.

4. Operational strategies

Operational excellence underpins a restaurant's success. Detail your plans for day-to-day operations, from sourcing ingredients to managing inventory and staffing.

Highlight your commitment to quality and efficiency in every aspect of the operation, from the kitchen to customer service.

Also, outline the technology and systems you'll implement to streamline processes and enhance the dining experience.

5. Marketing and branding

In today's digital age, a savvy marketing and branding strategy is crucial.

Describe how you'll create a strong brand identity and the channels you'll use to reach your target audience.

From social media campaigns to community engagement initiatives, your plan should reflect a keen understanding of how to connect with potential customers and build a loyal following.

Discover how to create a marketing deck to align your strategy with your business objectives, target audience needs, and market trends.

6. Customer experience focus

Exceptional customer service is the lifeblood of any successful restaurant. Detail the steps you'll take to ensure every guest feels valued and satisfied.

From the ambiance and menu design to staff training programs, every element should contribute to a memorable dining experience.

Feedback mechanisms and how you'll adapt to customer preferences are also vital components of this section.

What should be included in a restaurant business plan?

Creating a restaurant business plan is a foundational step toward launching a successful dining establishment.

It outlines your vision, strategy, and the specific actions you plan to take to make your restaurant a success.

Below, we break down the essential components that should be included in your restaurant business plan, ensuring clarity, comprehensiveness, and appeal to potential investors.

8 essential sections of a restaurant business plan:

1. Executive summary

A compelling overview of the restaurant, showcasing its unique concept, mission, and strategic objectives that guide its operations.

Overview: Present a succinct snapshot of your restaurant, including its concept, mission, key goals, and ownership structure.

Purpose: Highlight what you aim to achieve with the restaurant and the appeal it has to potential investors or lenders.

2. Business description

An in-depth look at the restaurant's theme, location, and how these elements combine to create a distinctive dining experience.

Concept and theme: Describe the unique aspects of your restaurant's concept, from the cuisine and menu items to the design and ambiance.

Location analysis: Analyze the chosen location, discussing demographics, foot traffic, and how these factors make it an ideal spot for your target market.

3. Market analysis

An insightful examination of dining trends, target demographics, and customer needs to inform strategic positioning.

Trends: Examine current trends in the dining industry and how they influence your restaurant's positioning.

Target demographic: Identify your target customers, detailing their preferences, dining habits, and how your restaurant will meet their needs.

Needs and preferences: Focus on understanding and catering to what your target market seeks in a dining experience.

4. Competitive analysis

A detailed evaluation of competitors, focusing on differentiation and strategies for establishing a market edge.

Competitors: List direct and indirect competitors, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, and how you'll differentiate your restaurant.

Differentiation: Explain the unique selling points that will set your restaurant apart in the competitive landscape.

5. Menu and product offering

Overview of menu design, ingredient sourcing, and special services that enhance the restaurant's appeal.

Menu design: Discuss the inspiration behind your menu, including how it reflects the theme and caters to your target demographic. Outline your pricing strategy and item selection.

Sourcing and suppliers: Detail your approach to sourcing high-quality ingredients, including partnerships with local suppliers and commitments to sustainability.

Special offerings: Highlight any additional services your restaurant offers, such as catering, special events, or exclusive seasonal menus, to draw in a wider audience and generate extra revenue.

6. Marketing and sales strategy

A summary of branding efforts, promotional tactics, and sales projections designed to attract and retain customers.

Branding: Detail your restaurant's brand identity, including name, logo, and how it communicates your restaurant's values and mission.

Marketing tactics: Outline the strategies you will employ to attract and retain customers, such as social media marketing, local advertising, partnerships, and loyalty programs.

Sales forecasts: Provide realistic sales forecasts, explaining the rationale behind these projections and how you plan to achieve them.

7. Operating plan

Description of daily operations, facility management, and health safety protocols to ensure smooth and compliant restaurant functionality.

Daily operations: Describe the operational flow of the restaurant, including hours of operation, staffing requirements, and customer service policies.

Facility management: Discuss the layout and design of your restaurant, kitchen equipment needs, and any other facility-related details that will ensure efficient operation.

Health and safety: Outline the health and safety measures you will implement to comply with local regulations and ensure the well-being of both employees and guests.

8. Management and organization

An outline of the restaurant's organizational structure, key personnel, and staffing strategies for operational excellence.

Ownership structure: Specify the ownership structure of the restaurant, including key stakeholders and their roles.

Team composition: Introduce the management team, chefs, and other critical staff, highlighting their experience and how it contributes to the restaurant's success.

Staffing plans: Discuss your plans for hiring staff, including numbers, positions, and the qualities you seek in employees to maintain high standards of service.

How to create a business plan for a restaurant?

Creating a standout business plan for your restaurant involves focusing on key components that blend your vision with practical strategies.

6 actionable steps to distill your restaurant business plan:

Define your concept clearly: Begin by articulating your restaurant's concept, ambiance, and what sets it apart. This clarity lays the groundwork for the entire business plan.

Conduct thorough market analysis: Dive deep into your target market and competitors. This research will guide your menu design, pricing strategy, and marketing efforts, ensuring you carve out a unique space in the marketplace.

Craft a compelling menu: Ensure your menu reflects your brand identity and appeals to your target audience, all while considering cost-effectiveness and supply chain realities. Aim for a balance between innovation and simplicity.

Develop realistic financial projections: Detail initial costs, revenue expectations, and a break-even point. Importantly, predict potential hurdles with ready contingency plans.

Outline operational strategies: Describe your daily management approach, including sourcing, staffing, and customer service. Efficient operations are crucial for a seamless experience and streamlined processes.

Implement strategic marketing: Choose the most effective ways to connect with your audience. Building a strong brand narrative and engaging actively with customers can help turn first-time visitors into regulars.

7 restaurant business plan examples for winning partners and investors

When it comes to crafting a business plan for a restaurant, the type of establishment you're planning significantly influences the structure and content of the document.

Each kind of restaurant from fast-casual and fine dining to food trucks and bistros-caters to different market segments and operational models.

Here's a look at how these differences manifest in their respective business plans:

1) Fine dining restaurant business plan

Market focus: Targets higher-income clientele seeking a premium dining experience. The plan should highlight exceptional service, high-quality ingredients, and unique culinary offerings.

Operational model: Detailed attention to the ambiance, chef expertise, and a higher staff-to-guest ratio. Wine lists and bar offerings also play a significant role.

Financial projections: Emphasizes higher check averages with a focus on profitability per guest rather than volume. The cost structure will detail higher initial investment in decor, kitchen equipment, and inventory.

Here’s an example of a fine-dining restaurant business plan:

2) Bar restaurant business plan

Market focus: Targets a diverse clientele, from young professionals to social groups, seeking a blend of dining and socializing.

Operational model: Balances innovative cuisine with an extensive beverage selection in a space designed for both eating and lounging, including live entertainment options.

Financial projections: Outlines dual revenue streams from food and drinks, emphasizing beverage sales' higher profit margins and detailing licensing, entertainment, and insurance costs.

Here’s an example of a bar restaurant pitch deck:

3) Bistro restaurant business plan

Market focus: Caters to locals and tourists seeking a casual yet refined dining experience, positioning itself as a cozy neighborhood spot.

Operational model: Highlights a selective menu that adapts seasonally, emphasizing a warm ambiance and personal service.

Financial projections: Projects moderate earnings with a strong local following, noting initial investments in location and ambiance to create a distinctive setting.

Here’s an example of a bistro restaurant pitch deck:

4) Food truck business plan

Market focus: Appeals to urban professionals, millennials, and foodies looking for unique, high-quality food options on the go.

Operational model: Mobility is key. The plan must address location strategy, permits and regulations, and adaptability to different events and seasons.

Financial projections: Lower startup costs compared to brick-and-mortar establishments but include considerations for vehicle maintenance, fuel, and parking permits.

5) Coffee restaurant business plan

Market focus: Appeals to a varied audience with a unique theme or specialty cuisine, standing out from conventional coffee shops.

Operational model: Details the influence of theme or cuisine on menu design, decor, and guest experience, aiming to make the restaurant a destination.

Financial projections: Anticipates varied financial outcomes based on concept uniqueness, with thorough market research guiding pricing and marketing strategies.

6) Italian, Mexican, Asian, etc., cuisine restaurant business plan

Market focus: Focuses on providing authentic dining experiences to both expatriates and locals interested in specific cuisines.

Operational model: Requires sourcing authentic ingredients and skilled chefs familiar with the cuisine. The business plan should address menu authenticity, culinary training, and potential partnerships for ingredient import.

Financial projections: Depending on the positioning (casual vs. fine dining), financials would reflect the cost of unique ingredients and the expected dining experience level.

Here’s an example of an Italian restaurant business plan proposal:

7) Fast food restaurant business plan

Market focus: These plans emphasize speed, efficiency, and affordability. The target market typically includes busy professionals, families looking for convenient meal options, and younger demographics.

Operational model: The business plan must detail quick service operations, including streamlined kitchen layouts, supply chain logistics for fast-moving inventory, and technology for order taking (e.g., apps, and kiosks).

Financial projections: Focus on volume sales, low to moderate check averages, and strategies for high turnover rates.

How to design a restaurant business plan?

Designing a restaurant business plan is much like crafting a compelling game pitch deck, it's all about presenting your concept in a way that's as irresistible as the dining experience you're proposing.

8 restaurant business plan design tips:

1. Embrace scrollytelling

Use narrative scrolling to take your audience through the journey of your restaurant's concept, from the inspiration behind your dishes to the ambiance you plan to create.

This dynamic presentation style keeps readers engaged, turning your business plan into an immersive experience.

Here's an example of scroll-based design:

2. Incorporate interactivity and multimedia

Go beyond static pages by embedding interactive elements like sample menu walkthroughs, virtual tours of the restaurant layout, or clips from cooking demos.

These elements not only highlight your restaurant's unique offerings but also keep potential investors or partners engaged throughout your presentation.

And here's what a static presentation looks like compared to an interactive one:

Static PowerPoint

Interactive Storydoc

3. Use data visualization

Present market research, target demographics, and financial projections through clear, compelling visuals.

Transform complex data into easy-to-understand graphs, charts, and infographics, making your business strategy both visually appealing and straightforward to grasp.

Here's an example of a presentation with dataviz elements:

4. Personalize your deck

Leverage software that allows for customization, such as incorporating the viewer's name or tailoring content to specific investor interests.

A personalized approach demonstrates meticulous attention to detail and can forge a stronger connection with your audience.

5. Use cohesive branding

Ensure your business plan reflects your restaurant's identity through consistent use of colors, fonts, and imagery that align with your branding.

This not only enhances the visual appeal of your plan but also immerses your audience in the atmosphere you aim to create.

6. Ensure mobile-responsive

Given the variety of devices stakeholders might use to view your plan, ensuring a mobile-responsive design is essential.

This ensures that your business plan is accessible and engaging, whether it's being viewed on a smartphone or a desktop computer.

7. Highlight key information

Design your business plan to draw attention to critical information.

Techniques such as strategic content placement and highlighting can guide the reader's focus, ensuring that essential points stand out without overwhelming the viewer with too much information at once.

8. Segment content in tabs

Organize your business plan into sections or tabs that cater to different aspects of your restaurant concept and business strategy.

This not only makes your plan more navigable but also allows readers to easily find the information most relevant to their interests or concerns.

Here's an example of a tabs slide:

Restaurant business plan templates

Kicking off your restaurant business plan is a daunting task, especially when you aim to capture the essence of your dining concept in a document.

Interactive restaurant business plan templates are designed to simplify this process. They provide a structured framework that incorporates interactive and multimedia elements, essential for presenting your restaurant in a vibrant and dynamic manner.

These templates not only save you precious time but also guarantee that your business plan conveys a polished and compelling story.

Snag one today!

I am a Marketing Specialist at Storydoc, I research, analyze and write on our core topics of business presentations, sales, and fundraising. I love talking to clients about their successes and failures so I can get a rounded understanding of their world.

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How to Write a Small Restaurant Business Plan + Free Sample Plan PDF

Makenna Crocker

10 min. read

Updated March 18, 2024

Free Download:  Sample Restaurant Business Plan Template

From greasy spoon diners to Michelin Star restaurants, food service has captured the hearts and imaginations of countless culinary entrepreneurs.

In the United States, 90% of restaurant owners operate small restaurants with fewer than 50 employees . And 70% operate in just one location.

If you’re passionate about food and dream of opening a restaurant, you have plenty of company. But cooking skills alone won’t cut it. You need a plan.

In this article, we’ll walk you through writing a small restaurant business plan, from conducting market research to developing promotional strategies and creating a financial forecast. 

Need more guidance? Download our free small restaurant business plan template .

Why write a small restaurant business plan?

Starting a restaurant from scratch isn’t cheap.  Startup costs range from $175,000 to $750,000 and include hefty upfront expenses like:

• Building lease
• Kitchen equipment
• Ingredient sourcing

The financials section of a business plan gives you space to compile these costs into an expense budget and compare them to your revenue projections . These will be invaluable in helping you determine if your restaurant concept is financially viable.

And if you need a bank loan or investor to help fund your restaurant , they’ll want to see a plan that includes financial projections (more on that later).

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• How to write a small restaurant business plan

The business plan is not only where you lay out your plan, vision, and goals for the restaurant – it pushes you to thoroughly research and understand your market , competitors , and customers to make informed decisions. It guides you through the intricacies of opening and running a small restaurant and helps you keep your finances in order.

Here are some tips for writing a small restaurant business plan that sets you up for success.

• Start with a company overview

A good place to start is to think about the big picture. What do you want your restaurant to be? Are you envisioning upscale dining in a candlelit, intimate setting? Or maybe you’re going for comfort food in a family-friendly atmosphere?

Capture the essence of your restaurant with a brief, attention-grabbing overview. Think of the start of your overview section as an elevator pitch. You’re introducing your concept and vision to highlight what will make your business unique .

Just keep it succinct. 

You’ll need to include other important information about your business here, such as the legal structure of your business and the qualifications of you and your management team.

If you’re writing a business for an existing restaurant, you should also cover its history – when the restaurant was founded, who was involved, and milestones it has reached.

• Understand your target market

Conducting a thorough market analysis is key to the success of your small restaurant. In an industry as competitive as the restaurant business, you’ll need to have your finger on the pulse of your dining market if you hope to create a unique offering.

Defining your target market is essential when starting your restaurant, helping answer questions like:

• Is there demand in the local market for your food?
• Who are your primary competitors? 
• Is there building space for lease near where your target customers live or work?
• What types of partnerships with food distributors (wholesalers, farmers, butchers, etc.) will be needed to ensure a steady flow of fresh ingredients?

The first step is to identify who your diners will be. 

It’s unrealistic to try to appeal to every single customer. So, ask yourself who you envision walking through your doors. Are they:

• Adults aged 40 and over, with lots of disposable income and exotic culinary tastes.
• Children, young adults, and families looking for quick, convenient food that doesn’t stretch their budgets.

Of course, these aren’t the only two customer demographics for a restaurant. But you should get the sense that these customer segments have very different preferences.

Read more: Target market example

Understanding your target market involves more than just demographics. Consider their:

• Spending habits
• Daily routines

If you plan to operate in a busy city center, your target market might include working professionals seeking quick lunch options or upscale dining options after work. But if you’re opening in a less visible area near residential neighborhoods, you may be more likely to target families.

• Size up your competition

With a target customer in mind, you need to understand who you’ll be competing with for their dining budget.

Analyzing your competitors is about understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and strategies. 

Start by identifying direct competitors (other small restaurants) and indirect competitors (like fast-food chains or food trucks). Observe how they attract customers, the ambiance they create, and the variety and pricing of their menus.

Get a feel for their operational strategies:

• How much staffing do they have?
• How fast (or slow) is their service?
• What kinds of supplier relationships do they seem to have?

And their marketing tactics :

• How do they engage with customers?
• What deals or promotions do they offer?
• What kind of reviews are they getting online?

Finally, think about their long-term position: 

• Have they expanded or downsized recently?
• Have they changed their operating hours?
• Have they changed their menu?

As you observe these competitors and their customers, ask yourself what they are doing right and where they are coming up short. 

This knowledge will help you identify gaps in the market and opportunities to offer a unique experience.

• Create a detailed operations plan

With so many moving pieces to manage as a restaurant owner, writing an operations plan is just as important as creating a market analysis.

The operations section of your business plan details how your restaurant will function daily. 

It should briefly touch on every aspect of running the business–from staffing needs to how often you will need to buy new ingredients, kitchen equipment, or dining utensils.

Your operations plan will reflect the unique needs of your business, but a typical restaurant operations plan might include:

• Staffing and training: Lay out a staffing plan, with the roles and responsibilities of each team member. Include strategies for hiring, training, and employee retention.
• Equipment and technology: Outline your dining, kitchen, and technology needs, from tables and chairs to ovens and point-of-sale systems.
• Supply chain management: Explain your ingredient sourcing and inventory management strategies and your plan to build relationships with suppliers.
• Customer service policies: Describe how you manage customer service needs and feedback to ensure a positive dining experience.
• Health and safety protocols: Detail procedures for maintaining kitchen hygiene practices and food handling standards to ensure food safety and compliance with health regulations.

Without an operations plan, you’ll lack a documented strategy for managing your kitchen workflow, maintaining customer satisfaction, or even basic tasks like inventory or staffing.

And if you’re writing a business plan to get a bank loan or investment , they’ll want to see that you have a plan for successfully managing the restaurant. 

• Actively market your restaurant

Your small restaurant may serve the most mouthwatering dishes in town, but no one will discover it without effective promotional strategies. 

You need to develop a comprehensive marketing plan to showcase your culinary delights and entice customers through your doors.

Consider both traditional and digital marketing channels to reach your target audience. Traditional methods may include:

• Hosting special events
• Participating in local food festivals
• Partnering with complementary businesses in your community

Digital strategies may include:

• Creating an engaging website
• Building a strong presence on social media platforms
• Utilizing online review platforms to build credibility and foster positive word-of-mouth.

When developing your promotional strategies, consider the following tips:

Be smart about your online presence

Build a visually appealing and user-friendly website that showcases your restaurant’s ambiance, menu, and story. 

Leverage social media platforms to engage with your audience, share enticing food photos, and run targeted advertising campaigns.

Consider promotions

Encourage repeat business by implementing a loyalty program that rewards customers for their patronage. Offer incentives such as discounts to certain customer segments, like seniors, veterans, or students.

Engage with the local community

Participate in community events, sponsor local sports teams or charity initiatives, and establish partnerships with neighboring businesses. 

Becoming an active community member will build brand awareness and loyalty.

Don’t ignore your pricing and financial strategy

According to data from the National Restaurant Association , about 60% of restaurants fail in their first year, and 80% close within five years.

You need to understand your startup and ongoing operating expenses to run a successful small restaurant.

Start by estimating your startup costs , including:

• Site acquisition (down payment if owning the space, initial payment if leasing)
• Building improvements
• Equipment purchases
• Licenses and permits
• Initial inventory
• Menu creation

Then, account for ongoing operating expenses, such as:

• Employee wages
• Mortgage or rent payments
• Ingredient costs

Pricing your menu items strategically is essential to ensuring profitability. Analyze ingredient costs, consider portion sizes, and compare prices in your local market to determine competitive yet profitable pricing.

Conduct a break-even analysis to determine the number of customers you need to serve to cover costs and start generating profits. Regularly review your financials and adjust your pricing as needed to maintain a healthy bottom line.

Consider these financial aspects when developing your small restaurant business plan:

Budget Allocation

Determine how you will allocate your budget across different areas of your restaurant, such as kitchen equipment, interior design, marketing, and staff training.

Prioritize investments that will have a direct impact on customer experience and operational efficiency.

Revenue Streams

Identify multiple revenue streams for your restaurant. This may include revenue from food sales, catering services, private events, or partnerships with local businesses.

Diversifying your revenue sources can help stabilize your cash flow.

Cost Control

Develop strategies to control costs without compromising quality. Efficient inventory management, negotiation with suppliers, and staff training on waste reduction can contribute to cost savings.

Sales Forecasting

Create a sales forecast based on your market research, pricing strategy, and seating capacity. Consider seasonal fluctuations and special events that may impact your restaurant’s performance.

Other information to include in your small restaurant business plan

As a restaurant owner, a few components of your business plan are unique to your industry. 

None of these fit neatly into any one section of a business plan. We suggest addressing them in additional sections or within the appendix .

Restaurant location and layout

Include information about your restaurant’s location . 

Some of this information will be included in your market analysis, but once you’ve secured a location, you should go deeper and analyze factors like:

• Rent and utilities
• Foot traffic
• Parking availability
• Nearby businesses

Explaining the layout of your restaurant – especially your kitchen – is also important. Consider adding photos or diagrams of each room to your plan. 

Diagrams can be especially helpful. You can add in-depth details for seating arrangements in the dining room or how staff should move efficiently throughout the kitchen.

What do many people do before deciding whether to eat at a restaurant? 

They look at the menu.

You can gain or lose customers on the strength of your menu. It affects numerous business areas, from marketing to pricing and operations.

For instance, if you’re running a family-friendly restaurant but your prices are too high, people will see that on your menu and may decide to eat somewhere cheaper. 

On the other hand, if you’re running a fine dining restaurant , but your menu fails to describe your dishes in an appealing way, diners may go somewhere they perceive as having higher quality meals.

That makes the business plan a great place to create menu concepts. 

You can experiment with different offerings, price points, and menu designs until you’re confident about sharing them with customers. 

And since business plans are continuously updated as your business changes—you can see how your menu has changed over time and what’s been most successful.

Download your free small restaurant business plan template

If you’re ready to start a restaurant, you can download our free small restaurant business plan template from our library of over 550 sample business plans . 

Get started today, and discover why businesses that plan grow 30% faster than those that don’t .

More restaurant business plan examples:

• Food truck business plan
• Coffee shop business plan
• Bakery business plan
• Brewery business plan

Makenna Crocker is the Marketing Specialist at Richardson Sports. Her work focuses on market and social trends, crafting gripping and authentic content, and enhancing marketing strategy to foster stronger B2B and B2C relationships. With a master’s degree in Advertising and Brand Responsibility from the University of Oregon, she specializes in generating a strong and responsible brand presence through content that positively influences and inspires others.

Table of Contents

• Why you need a plan
• Don’t ignore your pricing and financial strategy
• Additional info to include
• Free business plan template

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How to write a restaurant business plan

A small restaurant business plan is the roadmap you use to open a successful spot. As a first step to creating yours, ask your friends and colleagues to share restaurant business plan examples. Their restaurant business plan samples can inspire yours.

Once you’ve studied those examples, it’s time to start writing your own. No matter how much thought you’ve put into your concept or how many trusted colleagues have assured you of its greatness, you must write a restaurant business plan. It will prove the viability of your concept to potential investors and provide them with a clear and engaging answer to the question: “Why does the world need this restaurant?”

“The point of a business plan is to show that you’ve done your homework,” says Charles Bililies, owner of Souvla , a fine casual Greek restaurant in San Francisco that has received national acclaim since opening in the spring of 2014.

“You have to show any potential investor that you have an actual plan, you know what you’re talking about, it looks professional, and you’re not just screwing around.”

Quick links Branded cover Table of contents Concept Sample menu Service Management team Design Target market Location Market overview Marketing and publicity Specialists and consultants Business structure Financials

1. Branded cover

Include your logo (even if it’s not finalized), the date, and your name.

2. Table of contents

A table of contents in a restaurant business plan provides an organized overview of the document’s structure and content. It typically appears at the beginning of the plan and lists the major sections and subsections with their corresponding page numbers.

The table of contents is important for several reasons. Firstly, it allows readers to quickly navigate through the plan, enabling easy access to specific sections of interest. Secondly, it helps in presenting a professional and well-structured document, showing that you have carefully organized your thoughts and ideas. It also improves readability and comprehension, as readers can easily locate and refer back to relevant information

3. Restaurant concept

Describe your restaurant concept and get the reader excited about your idea. Specify whether the restaurant will be fine dining or more casual. Include an executive summary and go into detail about the food you’ll be serving, inspiration behind your concept, and an overview of service style.

Define clearly what will be unique about your restaurant and include your mission statement. This section should include a market analysis that shows how your restaurant will be similar and different from competing restaurants.

4. Sample menu

The menu is the most important touchpoint of any restaurant’s brand, so this should be more than just a simple list of items. Incorporate your logo and mock up a formatted menu design (tap a designer for help if needed).

Your sample menu should also include prices that are based on a detailed cost analysis. This will:

• Give investors a clear understanding of your targeted price point
• Provide the info needed to estimate check averages
• Show the numbers used create financial projections for starting costs
• Show investors that you’ve done the homework
• Prove you can stay within a budget

This section is most relevant for:

• Fine-dining concepts
• Concepts that have a unique service style
• Owners who have particularly strong feelings about what role service will play in their restaurant.

It can be a powerful way of conveying your approach to hospitality to investors by explaining the details of the guest’s service experience.

Will your restaurant have counter service and restaurant hostess software designed to get guests on their way as quickly as possible, or will it look more like a theater, with captains putting plates in front of guests simultaneously?

If an extensive wine program is an integral part of what you’re doing, will you have a sommelier? If you don’t feel that service is a noteworthy component of your operation, address it briefly in the concept section.

6. Management team

Write a brief overview of yourself and the team you have established so far. You want to show that your experience has provided you with the necessary skills to run a successful restaurant and act as a restaurant business owner.

Ideally, once you have described the strong suit of every member of your team, you’ll be presenting a full pitch deck. Most independent restaurant investors are in this for more than just money, so giving some indication of what you value and who you are outside of work may also be helpful.

Incorporate some visuals. Create a mood board that shows images related to the design and feeling of your restaurant.

Whether you’re planning to cook in a wood-burning oven or are designing an eclectic front-of-house, be sure to include those ideas. Photos of materials and snippets of other restaurants that you love that are similar to the brand you’re building are also helpful.

8. Target market

Who is going to eat at your restaurant? What do they do for a living, how old are they, and what’s their average income? Once you’ve described them in detail, reiterate why your specific concept will appeal to them.

9. Location

There should be a natural and very clear connection between the information you present in the “Target Market” section and this one. You probably won’t have a specific site identified at this point in the process, but you should talk about viable neighborhoods.

Don’t assume that potential investors will be familiar with the areas you’re discussing and who works or lives there—make the connections clear. You want readers to be confident that your restaurant’s “ideal” diner intersects with the neighborhood(s) you’re proposing as often as possible.

If you don’t have a site , this is a good place to discuss what you’re looking for in terms of square footage, foot traffic, parking, freeway accessibility, outdoor seating , and other important details.

10. Market overview

Address the micro and macro market conditions in your area and how they relate to licenses and permits. At a macro level, what are the local and regional economic conditions?

If restaurants are doing poorly, explain why yours won’t; if restaurants are doing well, explain how you’ll be able to compete in an already booming restaurant climate. At a micro level, discuss who your direct competitors are. Talk about what types of restaurants share your target market and how you’ll differentiate yourself.

11. Marketing and publicity

The restaurant landscape is only getting more competitive. Discuss your pre- and post-opening marketing plans to show investors how you plan to gain traction leading up to opening day, as well as how you’ll keep the momentum going.

If you’re going to retain a PR/marketing company, introduce them and explain why you’ve chosen them over other companies (including some of their best-known clients helps). If not, convey that you have a solid plan in place to generate attention on your own through social media, your website , and media connections.

12. Specialists and consultants

List any outside contractors you plan to retain, such as:

• General contractor
• PR and marketing

Briefly explain the services they’ll be providing for you, why you chose them, and any notable accomplishments.

13. Business structure

This section should be short and sweet. What type of business structure have you set up and why did you make that specific decision? You will need to work with an attorney to help you determine what business structure is best for you.

“Step one: write a business plan. Step two: hire a good attorney. In addition to helping me build a smart, sustainable business structure, my attorney was also a great resource for reviewing my business plan because she’s read thousands of them. She was a very helpful, experienced outside perspective for more than just legal matters,” says Charles Bililies.

14. Financial projections

Let your accountant guide you through this portion of your business plan. It is crucial that whoever you hire to help you with your finances has a wealth of restaurant experience (not just one or two places). They should be familiar with the financial specifics of starting a restaurant and know what questions to ask you.

Before creating realistic financial projections, your accountant will want to know:

• How many seats the restaurant will have
• What your average check will be
• How many covers per day you plan to do

Being conservative in these estimations is key. These three data points will be used as the basis for figuring out whether your concept is financially feasible.

Lou Guerrero, Principal at Kross, Baumgarten, Kniss & Guerrero, emphasizes, “You’ll get a lot of accountants that tell you that they’ve done a couple of restaurants, but you have to choose someone that has a deep expertise in what you’re doing. There’s nothing to gain from going with someone that doesn’t have a very restaurant-centric practice.”

A well-vetted accountant with restaurant experience will know exactly what you’ll need to have prepared to show investors.

The key projections you can expect to work on are:

• Pro forma profit and loss statement for the first three to five years of operation
• Break even analysis
• Capital requirements budget

Writing a comprehensive restaurant business plan is a crucial step towards opening a successful establishment. By seeking inspiration from examples, demonstrating your expertise, and addressing all the essential components, you can prove the viability of your concept to potential investors.

Remember, a well-prepared business plan demonstrates professionalism and a clear understanding of your goals, increasing your chances of achieving long-term success in the competitive restaurant industry.

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Your Guide to Starting a Breakfast Restaurant

Main Sections In This Post Steps To Starting A Breakfast Restaurant Points to Consider Knowledge Is Power Featured Video

Starting a Breakfast Restaurant Guide

Venture on a breakfast restaurant venture with our step-by-step outline.

Access valuable examples and samples for a strong start.

Explore our “Knowledge Is Power” section for updated insights. Benefit from resources during startup and beyond. Bookmark for future reference and share this guide for success!

Let’s get started with the steps.

Steps to Starting a Breakfast Restaurant

Below are the steps to starting a breakfast restaurant.

Each step is linked to a specific section, allowing you to jump to your desired section or scroll to follow the steps in order.

• An Overview of What You’re Getting Into
• Breakfast Restaurant Overview
• Researching Your Breakfast Restaurant
• Looking at Financials
• Choosing A Business Location
• Creating Your Mission Statement
• Creating A Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
• Choose a Breakfast Restaurant Name
• Register Your Company
• Create Your Corporate Identity
• Writing a Business Plan
• Banking Considerations
• Getting the Funds for Your Operation
• Software Setup
• Business Insurance Considerations
• Supplier and Service Provider Considerations
• Physical Setup
• Creating a Website
• Create an External Support Team
• Hiring Employees

1.  An Overview of What You’re Getting Into

Is Your Path Breakfast Business Passion?

Passion Fuels Success

Your feelings about owning and running a breakfast restaurant are pivotal.

Passion is the powerhouse propelling success – your driving force and problem-solving tool. Without it, challenges lead you astray.

Measure Your Passion

Imagine life post-lottery win – dream home, abundance shared. If $10 million lingers, here’s the crux:

Would you still launch the breakfast venture? A “yes” reveals true passion and alignment.

Passion Matters Most

But a “no” beckons a deeper query: What’s your preferred path? Opt for that passion.

In summary, choose a business endeavor born from your heart’s desire. Beyond monetary pursuit, find lasting success.

For More, See How Passion Affects Your Business . Also, see, Considerations Before You Start Your Business to identify key points for a new business owner.

2. Gaining an Overview of Owning a Breakfast Restaurant

Next, let’s spend some time on key issues to give you an overview of what to expect from owning and running your business.

a.) A Quick Overview of Owning a Breakfast Restaurant

A breakfast restaurant thrives on delivering delightful morning experiences.

It is a place where people gather to relish the day’s first meal, setting a positive tone for the hours ahead.

This establishment isn’t just about food; it’s about crafting a unique atmosphere that warms both the stomach and the heart.

Creating a Welcoming Ambiance

The ambiance plays a pivotal role in a breakfast restaurant.

Mornings are moments of tranquility and anticipation, and the space should reflect that.

Soft lighting, cozy seating arrangements, and soothing decor provide a comforting environment, inviting patrons to savor their meals leisurely.

Crafting a Diverse Menu

Variety is key in the breakfast realm. From classic favorites like pancakes and omelets to innovative dishes inspired by global cuisines, a diverse menu caters to different tastes and dietary preferences.

Healthy options and indulgent treats strike a balance, ensuring something for everyone.

Prioritizing Service Quality

Impeccable service enhances the breakfast experience.

Friendly and attentive staff who understand the nuances of morning dining contribute to a positive impression.

Efficient order-taking, prompt service, and personalized interactions foster a sense of care and appreciation.

A breakfast restaurant encapsulates more than food; it encapsulates the essence of a new day – comfort, anticipation, and a delectable start to life’s journey.

Daily Tasks in Running a Breakfast Restaurant

• Menu Planning: Crafting flavorful breakfast options catering to diverse tastes and dietary needs.
• Ingredient Procurement: Sourcing fresh ingredients to maintain the quality and flavor of dishes.
• Preparation: Skillful cooking, ensuring every plate reflects the restaurant’s standards.
• Staff Management: Hiring, training, and scheduling staff to deliver excellent service.
• Customer Interaction: Engaging with patrons, taking orders, and ensuring a pleasant dining experience.
• Inventory Management: Keeping track of stock, reducing wastage, and ensuring supplies are readily available.
• Marketing and Promotion: Creating strategies to attract customers and build a loyal clientele.
• Financial Management: Handling budgets and expenses and maintaining profitability.

Running a breakfast restaurant entails a mix of culinary finesse, customer engagement, and efficient management for a satisfying morning feast.

b.) Breakfast Restaurant Models

Exploring Breakfast Restaurant Setups and Models

Café Charm: A cozy corner serving quick bites and coffee, attracting the on-the-go crowd.

Family Diner: Welcoming families with diverse breakfast options in a comfortable setting.

Health Hub: Focusing on nutritious, organic choices for health-conscious diners.

Brunch Spot: Offering extended morning hours with a mix of breakfast and lunch items.

Food Truck Delights: Mobility meets taste, catering to busy commuters and event-goers.

Choosing Your Model Wisely

Selecting your business model upfront is pivotal. Changing it later poses challenges. Find a profitable, sought-after niche for lasting success.

Understanding your market and audience is key, whether it’s a café , health haven, or food truck .

Your breakfast restaurant’s model shapes its identity – make it count.

c.) Pros and Cons of Owning a Breakfast Restaurant

Entrepreneurial Independence: Experience the autonomy to guide your business’s direction and operations.

Creative Expression: Harness your creativity to design enticing menus and cultivate a unique dining atmosphere.

Revenue Potential: Unlock substantial profits through a thriving breakfast concept.

Flexible Time Management: Find work-life balance once your establishment stabilizes and capable staff are onboard.

Customized Ambiance: Shape your restaurant’s environment to align with your vision and brand.

Community Connection: Foster local ties and engagement.

Culinary Passion: Fuel your love for cooking and presentation.

Comprehensive Responsibility: Shoulder all challenges, from customer concerns to personnel issues.

Income Variation: Face financial unpredictability, especially during the initial stages.

Initial Struggles: Tackle the demanding start-up phase encompassing financial and operational obstacles.

Customer Acquisition: Sustaining a steady clientele requires continuous effort and innovation.

Time Investment: Be prepared for extended hours, particularly during peak periods.

Success Pressure: Navigate the weight of achieving your business goals.

Financial Outlay: Secure significant capital for the business launch.

Adapting to Change: Thrive within an ever-evolving industry landscape.

Balancing Rewards and Challenges

Strategically assess the pros and cons as you embark on your breakfast restaurant venture.

Your choices will steer your journey’s trajectory, embracing triumphs and addressing hurdles.

For more, see Pros and Cons of Starting a Small Business.

d.) Questions You Need to Consider for Your Breakfast Restaurant

Anticipating Challenges

Prepare for potential hurdles in your breakfast restaurant venture by addressing the following questions:

Defining Your Business Model:

What approach – café, diner, health-oriented, or unique concept – will you adopt?

Work Allocation:

Will you manage all operations or delegate tasks to employees?

Management Approach:

Do you plan to oversee day-to-day activities or hire a manager?

Customer Attraction:

How will you entice patrons to your breakfast establishment?

Ensuring Customer Loyalty:

What strategies will retain a steady flow of repeat customers?

Collaboration Potential:

Is partnering or seeking investors part of your agenda?

Physical vs. Online Presence:

Will you establish a brick-and-mortar location or venture online?

Long-Term Vision:

Have you mapped out growth plans and future objectives?

By thoughtfully addressing these questions, you’ll equip yourself to navigate the complexities of launching and sustaining a prosperous breakfast restaurant.

3. Research

Breakfast restaurant research.

Informed Decisions: The Power of Thorough Research

Setting the Foundation

Before embarking on any business endeavor, comprehensive research is paramount.

Quality information serves as your compass in uncharted territories, preventing unexpected pitfalls.

Learning from Experts

Seasoned breakfast restaurant owners are a treasure trove of insights.

They offer firsthand knowledge, shedding light on the intricacies of the industry.

Invaluable Exchange

Interactions with experienced restaurateurs are invaluable.

Leverage their years of wisdom to avoid common mistakes and gain a competitive edge.

Unlocking Expertise

Refer to the article below for a detailed guide on connecting with industry experts and approaching them effectively.

The article delves deeper, offering invaluable advice beyond this post’s scope.

Equip yourself with knowledge, lean on the experiences of those who’ve walked the path, and pave the way to a successful breakfast restaurant venture.

See An Inside Look Into the Business You Want To Start for all the details.

Target Audience

Connecting with Your Target Audience: A Recipe for Success

Understanding for Success

Knowing your target market is pivotal. Tailoring offerings to a breakfast restaurant’s potential customers ensures a resonating impact.

Identifying the Right Crowd

Consider these potential interest groups for your breakfast restaurant:

• Early Morning Commuters
• Families Seeking Weekend Brunch
• Health Enthusiasts
• Students and Academics
• Tourists Exploring Local Cuisine
• Professionals in Search of Meeting Spots
• Foodies Seeking Unique Breakfast Experiences

By catering to the preferences and needs of these diverse groups, you establish a strong foundation for a thriving breakfast restaurant.

For more, see How To Understand Your Target Market.

4. Looking at Financials:

Navigating Financial Aspects: Startup Costs, Revenues, and Profits

Startup Cost Estimation:

A successful launch hinges on accurate startup cost estimation. From planning to opening, this figure guides a smooth process.

Underestimating leads to funding shortages, hindering progress.

Overestimating paints your venture as risky.

Variables like operation size, location, staff, equipment, and lease influence costs. Begin by listing necessities, researching prices, and adapting your estimate.

For more detailed information, refer to my article on Estimating Startup Costs.

Sales and Profit Dynamics:

Your sales rely on the following:

• Product/Service Popularity
• Effective Marketing

Profits encompass more than direct sales revenue. Inclusive financial analysis covers rent, payroll, and overheads.

Successful operation mandates sales surpassing monthly costs, ensuring sustainability and personal compensation.

For More, See Estimating Profitability and Revenue.

Understanding these financial facets is pivotal for your breakfast restaurant’s prosperous journey. Financial Mastery Ensures Progress.

Simple Sample: Financial Lists to Consider As a Starting Point

Note: Focus on the issues more than the numbers. The numbers are samples. Your estimates will differ due to how you set up your business, location, expenses, and revenues. 

Sample Estimated Costs to Start a New Breakfast Restaurant in the USA

(These are rough estimates for small to medium-sized restaurants, and the actual costs can vary significantly based on location, scale, and other factors.)

• Lease (first and last month): $4,000 – $8,000
• Construction/Renovation Costs: $20,000 – $50,000
• Kitchen Equipment: $30,000 – $60,000
• Furniture and Decor: $10,000 – $25,000
• Licensing and Permits: $1,000 – $3,000
• Initial Inventory (Food and Drink): $3,000 – $8,000
• Marketing and Advertising for Opening: $2,000 – $5,000
• Insurance: $2,000 – $4,000
• Miscellaneous Costs: $5,000 – $10,000 TOTAL: $77,000 – $173,000

Sample List of Estimated Monthly Expenses for a Breakfast Restaurant in the USA

(Including loan payments if you have taken a business loan.)

• Rent: $2,000 – $4,000
• Utilities: $500 – $1,000
• Salaries and Wages: $8,000 – $16,000
• Loan Payments: $1,000 – $3,000
• Food and Beverage Inventory: $3,000 – $7,000
• Insurance: $200 – $400
• Marketing and Advertising: $1,000 – $2,000
• Miscellaneous Costs: $1,000 – $2,000 TOTAL: $16,700 – $37,400

Sample Profit per Sale for a Breakfast Restaurant

• Basic Breakfast Plate (eggs, toast, bacon): Profit $3 – $5
• Pancake Breakfast: Profit $4 – $7
• Coffee and Beverage Sales: Profit $1 – $3
• Specialty Breakfast Items: Profit $5 – $10

Your overall profit will depend on the monthly sales you can generate and your actual profit per sale.

These are samples so you can understand the issues to consider when planning to start your breakfast restaurant. Focus on the list and not the numbers.

Adjusting costs makes a significant difference in whether the business will be successful.

A slight shift in profit per sale on high-volume sales will make a difference in your overall profits.

Also, note many new businesses take time to become profitable because it takes building a customer base, building a reputation, and fine-tuning operations.

Your figures will be different. Every situation is different, and many factors come into play.

Research and consider getting professional advice when calculating your business’s startup costs, expenses, and potential revenues and profits.

5. Choosing The Right Business Location

Strategic Location Selection for Business Success

Location’s Significance:

The fate of your local brick-and-mortar business pivots on your chosen site.

Demand-Driven Viability:

Operating in a low-demand zone spells pre-launch failure.

Balancing Act:

Establishing amidst fierce competition hampers market entry.

Optimal Location Criteria:

Ideal locale strikes demand-competition equilibrium.

Financial Realities:

High-population benefits need cost analysis to ensure profit.

Balancing Budget:

Affordable sites necessitate adequate customer potential.

Decisive Role:

Location dictates triumph or setback for your venture.

Informed Decision:

Thorough research unveils location’s impact on your business.

Choose cautiously; the right location is one key to your business’s success.

For more about business locations, see Choosing The Best Location for Your Business.

6. Create Your Mission Statement

The Guiding Light: Your Breakfast Restaurant’s Mission Statement

Clarity and Focus:

A mission statement is your business’s compass, revealing its core purpose.

Staying Aligned:

It ensures you stay on track and recalls your primary customer and community benefit.

Crafting Your Identity:

Your mission statement is a beacon, illuminating your business’s unique value.

Examples of Mission Statements for a Breakfast Restaurant:

• “To provide a welcoming haven where families and friends gather over wholesome breakfasts, fostering memorable mornings and a sense of togetherness.”
• “Our mission is to offer nourishing breakfast options that energize and invigorate our patrons, while fostering a community of health-conscious individuals.”
• “We are dedicated to delighting early risers with an array of culinary delights, forging a haven for indulgence and connection that brightens their day.”
• “Committed to elevating breakfast experiences, our mission is to serve up innovative dishes that ignite the senses and spark conversations.”

Crafting a mission statement aligns with your vision, reminding you of your breakfast restaurant’s essence and purpose.

For more, see, How To Create a Mission Statement.

7. Creating A Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Setting Yourself Apart: The Power of Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Unveiling Distinctiveness:

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) helps you craft a distinctive feature for your business.

Defining Uniqueness:

It establishes what sets you apart, creating a memorable identity.

Luring Audiences:

A compelling USP draws customers in, enhancing your competitive edge.

Examples of USPs for a Breakfast Restaurant:

• “Sunrise Flavors Beyond Borders:” Featuring global breakfast cuisine for a multicultural dining experience.
• “Farm-to-Table Morning Magic:” Sourcing ingredients locally for the freshest, wholesome breakfast delights.
• “Energize with Nature’s Bounty:” Showcasing an organic breakfast menu for wellness enthusiasts.
• “Diverse Tastes, One Destination:” Offering a fusion of classic and unconventional breakfast dishes.

Leveraging a USP ensures your breakfast restaurant stands out, captivating audiences with its unique charm.

8. Choose a Business Name

Picking the Perfect Name: Crafting Your Breakfast Restaurant’s Identity

The Name’s Essence:

Your business name encapsulates its essence – make it catchy and fitting.

Enduring Identity:

Business names seldom change, so your choice is a long-term commitment.

Online Unison:

A matching domain name bolsters your online presence.

Avoiding Name Clash:

Ensure your desired name isn’t claimed by another entity.

30 Breakfast Restaurant Name Ideas:

• MorningSavor Haven
• Rise & Dine Delights
• Sunlit Spoonfuls
• FlavorFusion Breakfasts
• CrispEats Café
• Sunrise Bites Bistro
• WholesomeDawn Eateries
• BrunchWhisk Nook
• ToastedTreat Tavern
• AromaticRise Meals
• GriddleJoy Hub
• NourishDay Deli
• FirstBite Oasis
• MapleGrove Morning
• SavorySunrise Spot
• DawnChow Creations
• WarmWaffle Hideaway
• EarlyGourmet Gatherings
• FreshFlavors Inn
• RiseAbove Feasts
• SunnySide Café
• MorningHarbor Diner
• PlentifulPalate Noshery
• RiseElixir Eatery
• HarvestMornings
• SweetStart Nibble
• NewDawn Nosh
• SunnySpoon Café
• FlavorsomeRise Spot
• BountifulBreak Bistro

Foster creativity by exploring these names. Your breakfast restaurant’s moniker shall be an enduring embodiment of its identity.

For more, see the following articles:

• How To Register a Business Name
• Registering a Domain Name For Your Business

9. Register Your Company

Legal Foundations: Navigating Compliance for Your Breakfast Restaurant

Crucial Compliance:

Ensure your breakfast restaurant operates within legal bounds.

Professional Guidance:

Consult experts for optimal tax, liability, and legal structure.

Common Registrations for a Breakfast Restaurant:

• Business Name Registration
• Business Structure Registration (LLC, Corporation, etc.)
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Sales Tax Permit

Permits and Licenses to Consider:

• Food Service License
• Health Department Permit
• Signage Permit
• Fire Department Safety Inspection
• Alcohol Beverage License (if applicable)
• Music and Entertainment License
• Building and Occupancy Permit

Adhering to legal requirements establishes a foundation of trust and credibility for your breakfast restaurant. Partnering with professionals ensures your setup aligns with laws and optimizes benefits.

Registration:

• How to Register Your Business
• How To Register a DBA
• How to Register a Trademark
• How to Get a Business License

Business Structures:

• How to Choose a Business Structure
• Pros & Cons of a Sole Proprietorship
• How To Form an LLC
• How To Register a Business Partnership
• How To Form a Corporation
• How To Choose a Business Registration Service

10. Create Your Corporate Identity

Creating an Impeccable Corporate Identity for Your Breakfast Restaurant

A Visual Emblem:

A Corporate ID visually embodies your business’s essence.

Components of Corporate ID:

It may contain your logo, business cards, website, signage, stationery, and promotional materials.

Consistent Excellence:

A uniform, professional design leaves an indelible impression on clientele.

Crafting a compelling Corporate ID for your breakfast restaurant ensures a consistent, memorable representation that resonates with new and loyal customers.

You can see our page for an overview of your logo , business cards , website , and business sign , or see A Complete Introduction to Corporate Identity Packages.

11. Writing a Business Plan

Charting Success: The Vital Role of a Comprehensive Business Plan

A Blueprint for Success:

A business plan holds immense significance, serving as a tool for funding acquisition and investor attraction. It’s your operational guide from startup to full operation.

Crafting a Vision:

Writing a business plan is a meticulous endeavor. It envisions your business’s future state and demands thoughtful expression.

Strategic Roadmap:

Your plan clarifies startup logistics and operational strategies, aiding you in staying on course.

Options in Development:

You can create your plan: from scratch via professionals, templates, or software.

Your Active Involvement:

Active participation, especially if using professional services, ensures your unique business identity and effective communication.

Dynamic Evolution:

As your experience grows, your business plan evolves. Periodic reviews and updates optimize your strategy’s effectiveness.

Embrace the power of a well-structured business plan as your navigator on the journey to breakfast restaurant success.

Business Plan Template for a Breakfast Restaurant

A Business Plan Template for a Breakfast Restaurant, with suggestions on what each part should contain:

1. Executive Summary

• Mission Statement: Define the core purpose of your restaurant.
• Objectives: Briefly outline what you want to achieve in the short and long term.
• Keys to Success: Identify the main factors that will determine your success.

2. Company Description

• Business Name and Location: Specify the name and location of your restaurant.
• Ownership Structure: Detail the legal structure (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC).
• Background: Provide a brief history of the business idea and why you believe it will be successful.
• Target Market: Identify your main customer segments.

3. Market Analysis

• Industry Background: Overview of the breakfast restaurant industry.
• Competitor Analysis: Identify and analyze key competitors.
• Market Needs and Trends: Describe the needs and preferences of your target market.

4. Organization and Management

• Management Team: Detail the experience and responsibilities of key team members.
• Advisory Board (if applicable): Outline any advisors or mentors.
• Organizational Structure: Illustrate how your business will be organized.

5. Services and Menu

• Menu Items: Detail the breakfast menu, including pricing.
• Suppliers: Mention key suppliers for food and beverage products.
• Unique Selling Points: What sets your restaurant apart?

6. Sales and Marketing

• Marketing Strategy: Outline how you will attract and retain customers.
• Sales Tactics: Detail your approach to selling and upselling menu items.
• Promotions: Describe any promotional activities or special offers.

7. Financial Plan

• Start-up Costs: Detail the initial costs to start the business.
• Funding Requirements: Specify any funding you are seeking and how you plan to use it.
• Sales Forecast: Provide a sales forecast for the first 1-3 years.
• Expense Budget: Outline expected monthly expenses.
• Profit and Loss Projection: A statement that projects income, expenses, and profitability.
• Break-even Analysis: Explain when the business is expected to become profitable.

8. Appendices and Supporting Documents

• Include any additional documents that support your business plan, such as resumes of key team members, market research data, or sample menus.

Note: The above template is a general guideline for creating a business plan for a breakfast restaurant.

Specific situations and regions may require additional sections or information.

It is highly recommended to consult with business professionals or mentors who understand your specific market and can provide tailored advice.

For information on creating your business plan, see, How to Write a Business Plan.

12. Banking Considerations

Strategic Financial Partnerships: Banking and Merchant Services

Banking Support:

Opt for a local bank with a small business focus, nurturing collaborative growth.

Segregate Finances:

A separate business account isolates expenses, which is crucial for sole proprietors. It simplifies bookkeeping and serves as tax audit evidence.

Professional Banking Bond:

Forge a rapport with your banker. Gain insights, streamline services, and access financial advice.

Enabling Card Transactions:

Secure a merchant account or online service to facilitate card payments. Enhance sales and customer convenience.

Fostering solid financial affiliations with banks and merchant services elevates your breakfast restaurant’s operational efficiency and customer experience.

For more, see, How to Open a Business Bank Account. You may also want to look at, What Is a Merchant Account and How to Get One.

13. Getting the Funds for Your Operation

Securing Financial Backing: Navigating Business Loans

Initial Steps:

Apply these insights if seeking a startup loan.

Funding Avenues:

Explore diverse sources: traditional lenders, private loans, investor partnerships, collateral utilization, etc.

Meeting a Loan Officer:

• Understand Your Needs: Clearly define how much you need and for what purpose.
• Financial Readiness: Organize your financial records and projections.
• Business Plan Clarity: Have a well-structured business plan showcasing your strategy.

Documents Required for a Business Loan Application (NEW Breakfast Restaurant):

• Business Plan
• Financial Projections
• Personal and Business Credit History
• Collateral Details (if applicable)
• Business Legal Documents
• Tax Returns
• Bank Statements
• Lease or Property Ownership Proof (for collateral)
• Personal Background Information

Employ these insights to secure the funding necessary for launching your breakfast restaurant.

See, Getting a Small Business Loan for more.

14. Software Setup

Streamlining Operations: Choosing the Right Accounting Software

Strategic Software Selection:

Thorough research precedes software implementation.

Avoid Future Hurdles:

Switching post-data entry is cumbersome. Opt for long-standing, supportive software.

Research and Review:

• Investigate demos.
• Examine reviews and forum discussions for user experiences.

Financial Tracking and Tax Prep:

Explore software for expense tracking and tax documentation. Consult your bookkeeper or accountant for tailored advice.

Select accounting software wisely, ensuring seamless data management and simplified financial reporting for your breakfast restaurant’s success.

Check out Google’s latest search results for software packages for a breakfast restaurant.

15. Get The Right Business Insurance

Guarding Your Business: Essential Insurance Considerations

Preventive Measures:

Secure insurance before commencing any business operations.

Comprehensive Protection:

Coverage for customers, employees, property, and more is vital.

Professional Liability Shield:

Consider safeguarding against potential lawsuits with professional liability insurance.

Ensuring Continuity:

Interruption Insurance aids during involuntary shutdowns.

Expert Guidance:

Leverage an adept insurance broker to ensure ample coverage.

Prioritize insurance coverage to shield your breakfast restaurant from unforeseen incidents and potential risks.

For more, see What to Know About Business Insurance . You can also browse the latest Google search results for breakfast restaurant insurance .

16. Suppliers, Service Providers and Inventory

Nurturing Supplier Relationships: Sourcing, Inventory, and Expiry Considerations

Supplier Synergy:

Collaborate with suppliers for seamless business operations.

Key Supplies and Services:

List necessary items and services for your breakfast restaurant.

Supplier Bonds:

Forge trust and reliability with suppliers for competitive pricing and smooth operations.

Inventory Mastery:

Balance customer preferences and variety and control stock levels.

Expiration Prudence:

Maintain optimal stock and supply levels, mindful of expiry dates.

Sustainable supplier relationships, prudent inventory management, and thoughtful consideration of expiry dates bolster the efficiency and success of your breakfast restaurant.

For More See, How To Choose a Supplier.

17. Physical Setup

Strategic Space Arrangement: Breakfast Restaurant Layout

Functional Floorplan:

Design a layout maximizing operational efficiency.

Seating Strategy:

Organize seating for optimal guest comfort and capacity.

Service Stations:

Position service areas for swift customer assistance.

Creating Signage: Enhancing Accessibility

Strategic Placement:

Position signs at entrances, parking lots, exits, and crucial zones.

Navigational Aid:

Well-designed signage guides patrons and boosts professionalism.

Efficient Office Infrastructure: Business Command Center

Central Hub:

An organized office centralizes business management tasks.

Equipped Efficiency:

Furnish your office with tools essential for streamlined operations.

Enhanced Productivity:

An efficient office setup empowers effective business administration, optimizing your breakfast restaurant’s success.

See, Here are Considerations for The Setup of Your Office, for tips and ideas to make your office work for you. Also, have a look at our article About Company Signs.

18. Creating a Website

Online Presence: Business Website Essentials

Virtual Business Hub:

A website serves as a primary touchpoint for clients, providing essential information.

Ownership and Control:

Contrary to social media platforms, your website’s ownership and rules are under your command.

Website’s Marketing Potential:

Expert Positioning:

Leverage blogging to showcase industry expertise and offer tailored insights.

Trust Building:

Offer valuable tips and insights to foster customer trust and drive sales.

Creating a business website empowers you with a professional platform for information sharing, customer engagement, and strategic marketing endeavors ensuring your breakfast restaurant’s digital success.

For more, see How to Build a Website for Your Business .

19. Create an External Support Team

Assembling a Support Dream Team: External Professionals

Dependable Advisory Network:

An external team offers non-payroll assistance and guidance.

Strategic Utilization:

Engage professionals for projects, contract work, or retainer-based services.

Growing Significance:

Recognize the significance of your support team’s roles and expand their contributions.

Steady Nurturing:

Establishing relationships takes time; progressively build a dependable network.

Essential Team Members:

Enlist experts like accountants, lawyers, financial advisors, marketers, and technical consultants.

Crafting a robust support team of external professionals empowers your breakfast restaurant with expert insights and services to drive growth and navigate challenges effectively.

For more, see, Building a Team of Professional Advisors for Your Business.

20. Hiring Employees

Strategic Staffing: Building Your Team

Initial Solo Efforts:

In the early stages, managing tasks alone can save costs.

Scaling with Growth:

As your business expands, hiring becomes vital for efficient operations.

Qualification and Fit:

Hire qualified individuals with strong work ethics for each role.

Optimal Productivity:

Appropriate hires enhance productivity and overall business functioning.

Key Positions for Consideration:

Management:

Supervise day-to-day operations and team coordination.

Culinary Staff:

Chefs and cooks for meal preparation and quality maintenance.

Service Staff:

Waitstaff and hosts to ensure excellent customer experiences.

Create and execute marketing strategies.

Accounting:

Financial management and bookkeeping.

Cleaning and Maintenance:

Maintain hygiene and upkeep.

Outsourced Services:

Consider outsourcing for specialized tasks like website management or legal consultations.

For more, see, How and When to Hire a New Employee.

Points To Consider

Hours of operation:.

Optimal Hours of Operation:

• Weekday Breakfast: Serve early morning to cater to commuters and local workers.
• Weekend Brunch: Extend hours for a leisurely brunch experience.
• Lunch Transition: Consider an extended breakfast-lunch menu overlap.
• Morning-to-Afternoon Focus: Generally, 7 AM – 3 PM can cover most customers.
• Seasonal Adjustments: Adapt hours based on tourist seasons and local trends.

Setting flexible hours aligned with customer preferences ensures a steady flow of patrons throughout the day.

A List of Equipment and Supplies to Consider for a Breakfast Restaurant:

Front of House Equipment:

• Host Stand: Podium, reservation system
• Tables and Chairs
• Booth Seating (if applicable)
• Table Setting: Plates, bowls, utensils, glasses, napkins
• Condiment Holders
• POS terminals
• Receipt Printers
• Credit Card Machines
• Coffee Makers
• Coffee Grinders
• Espresso Machine
• Juice Dispensers
• Ice Machines

Kitchen Equipment:

• Griddles and Grills
• Ovens (convection and standard)
• Ranges and Stovetops
• Microwave Ovens
• Work Tables
• Cutting Boards
• Mixing Bowls
• Food Processors
• Utensils (knives, spatulas, whisks, etc.)
• Reach-in Refrigerators
• Walk-in Cooler (if applicable)
• Dishwashers
• Sinks (multiple compartments for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing)
• Cleaning Supplies and Tools
• Shelving Units
• Storage Bins and Containers
• Ingredient Bins
• Hoods and Vents
• Air Conditioning and Heating Units (if applicable)
• Handwashing Sinks
• Toilets and Urinals
• Soap and Towel Dispensers

Additional Considerations:

• Safety Equipment: Fire extinguishers, first aid kits, etc.
• Decor and Ambiance: Artwork, lighting fixtures, music system, etc.
• Outdoor Seating: Patio furniture, umbrellas, outdoor heaters (if applicable)

This list is intended as a comprehensive guide to the typical equipment you may need for a breakfast restaurant.

Still, tailoring it to your specific concept, size, and location is essential.

Consulting with restaurant professionals or industry experts is often a good idea to ensure you have everything required for your unique business needs.

Key Points To Succeeding in a Breakfast Restaurant

Essential Keys to Breakfast Restaurant Success

• Build a Strong Customer Base: Establishing loyal patrons is crucial, especially during the initial phase.
• Nurture Relationships: Cultivate connections with customers, suppliers, and employees to create a thriving ecosystem.
• Provide Desired Offerings: Tailor products and services to meet customer preferences.
• Act on Customer Feedback: Respond to credible concerns, enhancing your offering and customer satisfaction.
• Customer-Centric Approach: Prioritize exceptional customer service and value provision.
• Assemble a Competent Team: Hire skilled individuals for every role, ensuring effective operations.
• Effective Staff Management: Treat employees well, fostering a collaborative environment for higher retention.
• Optimize Cash Flow: Monitor finances diligently for stability.
• Cost Efficiency: Maintain quality without inflating costs.
• Adapt to Change: Embrace industry shifts, technology, and evolving trends.
• Manage Fluctuations: Address revenue ups and downs proactively.
• Navigate Competition: Stay ahead in a competitive market.
• Strategic Marketing: Employ effective marketing methods for awareness and growth.

Making Your Breakfast Restaurant stand out

Standing Out in the Breakfast Restaurant

In a competitive landscape, differentiating your breakfast restaurant is essential for success.

• Unique Ambiance: Craft a cozy and inviting atmosphere, setting your restaurant apart.
• Creative Menu: Introduce innovative dishes and unexpected twists on breakfast classics.
• Health Focus: Offer nutritious options catering to health-conscious customers.
• Specialty Beverages: Craft signature coffee blends, fresh juices, or unique breakfast cocktails.
• Theme Days: Implement themed days or events, like “Pancake Fridays” or “Sunday Brunch Jazz.”
• Local Sourcing: Emphasize locally sourced ingredients, supporting community businesses.
• Customization: Customers can build their breakfast options, catering to individual preferences.
• Family-Friendly: Create a family-oriented space with kid-friendly menus and activities.
• Tech Integration: Utilize apps for seamless reservations, orders, and loyalty programs .
• Community Involvement: Celebrate your commitment with local events, charities, or collaborations.

Add on Ideas for a Breakfast Restaurant

Enhancing your breakfast offerings with thoughtful add-ons can boost customer satisfaction and revenue.

• Fresh Baked Goods: Provide pastries, muffins, or artisan bread for takeout or dine-in.
• Gourmet Condiments: Offer homemade jams, spreads, and sauces for an elevated experience.
• Brunch-To-Go Packages: Curate takeaway kits for a delicious at-home brunch experience.
• Seasonal Specials: Introduce limited-time seasonal dishes to entice customers.
• Cooking Workshops: Organize cooking classes or workshops showcasing your culinary expertise.
• Themed Merchandise: Sell branded mugs , aprons, or cookbooks for a memorable takeaway.
• Breakfast Delivery: Extend your services with a breakfast delivery option.
• Chef’s Table Experience: Offer exclusive chef’s table events for a personalized dining journey.
• Guest Chef Collaborations: Partner with local chefs for collaborative menus or events.
• Outdoor Dining: Provide outdoor seating for customers to enjoy breakfast al fresco.

Adding unique touches and innovative offerings to your breakfast restaurant can attract a loyal following and elevate your business.

Marketing Considerations

Spreading the Word About Your Breakfast Restaurant

Attracting customers to your breakfast restaurant is vital for its success. Initially, it can be challenging due to being new, but as you establish a reputation, it gets easier.

Word-of-Mouth: Encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences with friends and family.

Social Media: Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X to showcase dishes and specials and interact with customers.

Local Partnerships: Collaborate with nearby businesses for cross-promotions or special events.

Online Listings: Ensure your restaurant is listed on Google My Business, Yelp, and other relevant platforms.

Special Offers: Launch limited-time promotions to incentivize new customers to try your restaurant.

Community Involvement: Participate in local events, sponsorships, or charity drives to showcase your commitment.

Loyalty Programs: Implement a loyalty system rewarding frequent diners.

Online Reviews: Encourage customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Eye-Catching Signage: Invest in appealing signage visible to passersby.

Networking: Attend industry events or join local business associations to connect with potential customers.

Consistent and creative marketing efforts will boost your restaurant’s visibility and customer base.

We have an article on How To Get Customers Through the Door and a marketing section that will provide ideas to help you bring awareness to your business.

Sample Ad Ideas:

“Wake Up to Deliciousness!”

Indulge in our mouthwatering breakfast offerings. Visit us today for a breakfast experience that will leave you craving for more.

“Start Your Day Right!”

Savor a hearty breakfast at our restaurant – your ultimate morning destination for delectable dishes and friendly service.

“Breakfast Bliss Awaits!”

Treat yourself to the best morning meals in town. Join us for a delightful breakfast that’ll make your day shine brighter.

“Morning Magic on Your Plate!”

Explore a menu filled with breakfast delights that will energize your day. Visit us for an unforgettable morning treat!

“Rise and Dine with Us!”

Discover the perfect breakfast spot where every dish is made with passion and flavor. Make your mornings extraordinary.

“Delight in Breakfast Delicacies!”

Elevate your mornings with our scrumptious breakfast options. Your taste buds will thank you for choosing us!

“Sunrise Never Tasted So Good!”

Join us for a breakfast that’s worth waking up for. Indulge in the flavors of the morning at our restaurant.

Partnering for Success: Building Business Relationships

Collaborating with other businesses can be a mutually beneficial strategy. By forming partnerships, you tap into each other’s customer base and enhance your offerings.

Here are potential businesses to approach for partnerships:

• Local Hotels: Guests often seek breakfast options. Partner with hotels to offer exclusive breakfast deals.
• Coffee Shops: Cross-promote by offering discounts to each other’s customers. Pair your breakfast with their coffee!
• Fitness Centers: Target health-conscious individuals. Provide post-workout breakfast options.
• Office Buildings: Cater to busy professionals. Offer breakfast packages to offices or co-working spaces.
• Event Planners: Collaborate on catering for events. Showcase your breakfast offerings to a larger audience.
• Tourist Information Centers: Attract tourists with special offers for exploring local flavors.
• Bakeries: Create combo deals that include baked goods from local bakeries.
• Food Delivery Services: Partner for a seamless dine-in and delivery experience.
• Local Farms: Embrace farm-to-table concepts. Use fresh, local ingredients.

Remember, successful partnerships are built on shared values and benefits—approach potential partners with creativity and a win-win mindset.

Mastering Essential Skills: Key to Breakfast Restaurant Success

Focusing on your skill set is paramount. Running a breakfast restaurant demands a diverse range of skills. Evaluating your strengths and identifying areas that need improvement is crucial.

Importance of Skill Set:

Your skills shape daily operations, customer interactions, and overall success. From culinary expertise to financial acumen and customer service finesse, your capabilities drive your business.

Filling Skill Gaps:

If you lack a critical skill, consider acquiring it through learning or hiring someone skilled.

Essential Skills for a Breakfast Restaurant Owner:

• Culinary Excellence: Crafting delectable breakfast options is core.
• Customer Service: Building positive relationships and ensuring satisfaction.
• Financial Management: Budgeting, cost control, and financial planning.
• Marketing: Attracting and retaining customers through effective strategies.
• Leadership: Guiding your team and fostering a productive environment.
• Time Management: Juggling various tasks efficiently.
• Adaptability: Navigating changing trends and situations.
• Problem-Solving: Swiftly addressing issues that arise.
• Communication: Clear interactions with staff, customers, and partners.
• Creativity: Innovating dishes, promotions, and experiences.

Assessing and refining your skill set can significantly impact your breakfast restaurant’s triumph.

Knowledge Is Power if You Use It!

Harnessing Knowledge for Success

Knowledge empowers action. Online resources offer abundant industry insights.

Navigate through the links below to glean valuable information for research, startup, and ongoing operations.

Trends and Statistics

Gaining Insights Through Industry Trends

Industry trends and statistics provide invaluable insights for a breakfast restaurant.

Stay informed about market shifts, consumer preferences, and emerging opportunities to make informed decisions.

See the latest search results for trends and statistics related to the breakfast restaurant industry.

Breakfast Restaurant Associations

Leveraging Trade Associations

Trade associations offer vital industry insights and networking opportunities.

Their events and resources keep you updated on news and trends, fostering valuable connections within the breakfast restaurant landscape.

See the search results related to breakfast restaurant associations.

Top Breakfast Restaurants

Learning From Established Businesses

Studying successful breakfast restaurants reveals insights, inspiring innovations and addressing overlooked aspects.

This industry analysis aids in identifying unique selling points and areas for improvement.

See the latest search results for the top breakfast restaurants.

The Future of the Breakfast Restaurant Industry

Industry Future Insights

Exploring the breakfast restaurant industry’s future equips aspiring entrepreneurs with foresight, enabling strategic decisions that align with evolving trends and customer preferences.

See the search results for the future of the breakfast restaurant industry.

Industry Price Analysis

Examining industry prices before launching a breakfast restaurant venture provides insights into cost structures, pricing strategies, and potential profitability, aiding informed decision-making for aspiring business owners.

See the latest breakfast prices.

Breakfast Restaurants for Sale

Buying an Established Breakfast Restaurant Business

Purchasing an existing breakfast restaurant business presents both advantages and drawbacks.

Advantages:

• Immediate Revenue: You start earning from day one.
• Skip Startup Phase: Bypass the challenges of starting from scratch.
• Proven Success: The business model is validated.
• Financial Insights: You understand revenue, profits, and expenses.
• Existing Customer Base: Enjoy an established clientele.
• Reputation: Benefit from the business’s goodwill.

Disadvantages:

• Higher Cost: Buying goodwill increases the price.
• Operational Changes: Alterations may risk customer loyalty.
• Inherited Reputation: Good and bad aspects come with the purchase.

While there might not be an exact match, exploring available options in the same industry can offer valuable insights.

See the latest search results for a breakfast restaurant for sale and others closely related.

Franchise Opportunities Related to a Breakfast Restaurant

Owning a Breakfast Restaurant Franchise

Consider the advantages and drawbacks of owning a breakfast restaurant franchise, a worthwhile exploration before starting your venture.

Such opportunities might reveal unexplored avenues.

• Proven Model: Implement a corporate-approved plan.
• Established Reputation: Leverage existing franchise recognition.
• Comprehensive Knowledge: Obtain insights before ownership.
• Corporate Support: Benefit from headquarters’ assistance.
• Costly Investment: Initial expenses can be high.
• Limited Autonomy: Major changes require corporate approval.
• Product Restrictions: Limited to approved offerings.
• Operational Constraints: Bound by the franchise agreement.
• Ongoing Fees: Continuous franchise-related expenses.

Even if an exact match isn’t available, exploring related franchises in the same industry can offer valuable insights.

See the latest search results for franchise opportunities related to this industry.

Customer Expectations

Understanding Customer Expectations

Examining search results related to customer expectations for breakfast dining provides valuable insights from the customer’s standpoint.

This offers an avenue to meet and even surpass these expectations.

This process can uncover potential blind spots and allows for comprehensive preparation, ensuring your business covers all aspects and excels in customer satisfaction.

See the search results related to customer expectations for eating breakfast at a restaurant.

Expert Tips

Learning from Expert Tips

Delving into expert advice enhances your skill set, regardless of your proficiency level.

Experts may reveal efficient methods or unique angles to tasks.

Novices gain an array of insights that foster skill development and knowledge enhancement.

See the latest search results for professional breakfast preparation  to gain tips and insights.

Breakfast Restaurant Insights

Unlocking Ideas and Avoiding Pitfalls

Scrutinizing tips and insights can spark innovative ideas, highlight pitfalls to evade, and amplify your industry expertise.

See the latest search results about insights into running a breakfast restaurant.

Breakfast Restaurant Publications

Staying Informed through Publications

Publications are an excellent means to remain updated with the latest insights and trends in the breakfast restaurant industry.

See the search results for breakfast restaurant publications.

Breakfast Restaurant Forums

Engaging in Breakfast Restaurant Forums

Participating in breakfast restaurant forums fosters discussions, networking with industry peers, and gaining insights into customer perspectives, enhancing your understanding of the business landscape.

See the latest search results related to breakfast restaurant forums.

Enriching Through Courses

Online or local educational courses are invaluable for skill enhancement, knowledge expansion, and professional growth in the breakfast restaurant industry.

See the latest courses related to restaurant management  and our management articles to provide insights and tips on managing Your business.

Breakfast Restaurant Blogs

Blogging for Insight

Subscribing to breakfast restaurant blogs keeps you informed and inspired. Subscribe widely, then curate the best for an ongoing, informative collection.

Look at the latest search results for breakfast restaurant blogs to follow.

Breakfast Restaurant News

Staying Current with News

Keep an eye on news relevant to the breakfast restaurant industry. Regularly check trusted news sources for insights and updates that could impact your business.

See the latest results for breakfast restaurant news.

YouTube for Insights

Explore YouTube for informative videos about the breakfast restaurant industry. Browse relevant channels and videos to gain insights, tips, and trends to help your business grow.

See the link to YouTube Videos Below.

Videos related to starting a breakfast restaurant can be found here.

Privacy Overview

Restaurant Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

If you want to start a restaurant or expand your current one, you need a business plan.

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their restaurants. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a restaurant business plan step-by-step so you can create your restaurant’s business plan today.

Download our Ultimate Restaurant Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Restaurant Business Plan?

A restaurant business plan provides a snapshot of your restaurant business as it stands today, and lays out your projected growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research, information about your target market, and a sample menu to support your winning restaurant business plan.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Restaurant

If you’re looking to start a restaurant or grow the existing restaurant you need a business plan. A restaurant business plan will help you secure funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your restaurant in order to improve your chances of success. Your restaurant business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Restaurants

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a restaurant are bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your restaurant business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest.

To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional restaurant business plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

The second most common form of funding for a restaurant is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding or, like a bank, they will give you a loan. Private equity groups are also a good source of funding for restaurant chains looking to expand further.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a restaurant business plan.

Use the following restaurant business plan template which includes the 10 key elements for how to write a restaurant business plan that will help you start, grow, and/or secure funding for your business.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your restaurant business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your business plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of restaurant business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a restaurant that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of restaurants?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your business plan. For example, give a brief overview of the restaurant industry. Discuss the type of restaurant you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer a financial analysis of your business.

Company Overview

In your company analysis, you will provide a brief description of the type of restaurant you are operating.

For example, are you writing a small restaurant business plan or a business plan for a restaurant franchise. Further, you might operate one of the following types:

• Fine Dining : characterized by the fancy decor, a dress code, and high prices
• Casual Dining : offers waiter/waitress service in a nice (but not overly fancy) atmosphere with moderate prices
• Fast Casual : characterized by quality food (close to the quality of casual dining) but no waiter/waitress service in an accessible atmosphere
• Fast Food : quick service style provided at the counter or via a drive-through. Lowest quality food and lowest prices
• Steak Restaurant : focuses on steak entrees and is usually a higher priced and fancier restaurant
• Buffet Restaurant : may or may not offer waiter/waitress service. Patrons serve themselves from buffet food selection
• Ethnic Restaurant : focuses on a specific ethnic cuisine such as Indian food, Mexican food, or Moroccan cuisine.

Within these types of restaurants, there are also ethnic food specialties such as American, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, etc.

In addition to explaining the type of restaurant you operate, the Company Analysis section of your restaurant business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• Your mission statement and how it connects to your restaurant’s brand.
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include sales goals you’ve reached, new restaurant openings, etc.
• Your legal business structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, also called a Market Analysis, you need to provide a market overview and an overview of the industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the restaurant industry educates you. It helps you understand the target market in which you are operating.

Secondly, research can improve your strategy particularly if your research identifies market trends. For example, if there was a trend towards speedy restaurant services, it would be helpful to ensure your business plan calls for take-out or other quick-service options.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your business plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your restaurant business plan:

• How big is the restaurant business (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your restaurant? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your restaurant business plan must detail the customer base or target market you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: business executives, college students, sports enthusiasts, soccer moms, techies, teens, baby boomers, etc.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of restaurant you operate. Clearly, baby boomers would want a different atmosphere, pricing and sample menu options, and would respond to different marketing promotions than teens.

Try to break out your customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to diner demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and average income levels of the new customers you seek to serve. Because most restaurants primarily serve customers living in the same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. This should also include how your customers choose where they should eat, their dining habits, and how much they are willing to spend on a meal.

The answers to the following questions should be included in your customer analysis:

• Who is your target market?
• What are their needs and wants?
• How do they make dining decisions?
• What motivates them to choose one restaurant over another?

The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and building customer loyalty.

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Competitive Analysis

This competitive research should help you identify the direct and indirect competitors that your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other restaurants.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from you that aren’t directly competing. This includes restaurants, supermarkets, and customers preparing dishes for themselves at home. You need to mention such competition to show you understand that not everyone frequents a restaurant each day.

With regards to direct competition, you want to detail the other restaurants with which you compete. Your greatest competitors will be restaurants located very close to your specific location, who are of the same type (e.g., fine dining, casual dining, etc.) and who offer the same cuisine (Japanese, Italian, etc.).

For each such competitor, provide an overview of the other businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of repeat customers do they serve?
• What menu items do they offer?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the existing customers’ perspective. And don’t hesitate to find out this information from customers by reviewing your competitors’ Yelp listings and other review pages.

The final part of this section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide superior food items?
• Will you provide menu items that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will you make it easier or faster for customers to acquire your meals?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about your unique selling points that will help you outperform your competition and document them in this section of your business plan.

    Finish Your Business Plan Today!

Marketing plan.

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a restaurant business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : in the product section you should reiterate the type of restaurant that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific menu items you offer/will offer.

Price : Document the prices. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the menu items you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your restaurant. Perform a location analysis and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your restaurant located next to a heavily populated office building, or gym? Discuss how your location might provide a steady stream of customers. Also, if you operate or plan to operate food trucks, detail the locations where the trucks will operate.

Promotions : the final part of your restaurant marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Making your restaurant’s front store extra appealing to attract passing customers
• Search engine marketing and optimization
• Social media posting/advertising
• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local bloggers and websites
• Local radio advertising
• Banner ads at local venues

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your restaurant business plan explained your goals, your operational plan describes how you will meet them.

This section of your restaurant business plan should have two key elements as follows:

• Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your restaurant such as serving customers, procuring supplies, keeping the restaurant clean, etc.
• Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your 1,000th customer, or when you hope to reach $X in sales. It could also be when you expect to hire your Xth employee or launch a new location.

Management Team

To demonstrate your restaurant’s ability to succeed as a business, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in the restaurant business. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience operating restaurants and/or successfully running small businesses.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Pro-Forma Profit & Loss Statement / Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows how much revenue you expect to earn or have earned, and then subtracts your costs to show your actual or projected profit.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you serve 100 customers per day or 200? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Pro-Forma Balance Sheets

While balance sheets include much information, to simplify them to the key items you need to know about, balance sheets show your assets and liabilities.

For instance, if you spend $250,000 on building out your restaurant, that will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $100.000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Pro-Forma Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

For example, let’s say a company approached you with a massive $100,000 catering contract, that would cost you $50,000 to fulfill. Well, in most cases, you would have to pay that $50,000 now for ingredients, supplies, equipment rentals, employee salaries, etc. But let’s say the company didn’t pay you for 180 days. During that 180-day period, you could run out of money.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a restaurant:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of equipment like stoves, refrigerators, blenders
• Cost of ingredients and maintaining an adequate amount of supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections, detailed cost analysis and/or break-even analysis in the appendix of your business plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your store design blueprint, location lease, or initial menu design.

Taking the time to write your own restaurant business plan for your business is a worthwhile endeavor. It will help you communicate your ideas and provide potential investors with the information they need to make an informed decision about investing in your restaurant.

A well-crafted business plan will also give you a road map for growing your business and achieving your long-term goals. So, while it may take some time to put together, it will be well worth the effort in the end.

If you follow the restaurant business plan template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the restaurant business, your competition, and your existing customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful restaurant concept.

Want more tips? Check out our related articles:

• How to Start a Restaurant
• Restaurant Startup Costs: How Much Does It Cost To Start a Restaurant?
• How To Write a Restaurant Marketing Plan + Template & Examples
• How To Get Funding To Start and/or Grow Your Restaurant

Restaurant Business Plan Template FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my restaurant business plan.

Growthink’s Ultimate Restaurant Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your restaurant business plan.

Where Can I Download a Free Restaurant Business Plan PDF?

You can download our restaurant business plan PDF template here . This is a restaurant business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Where Can I Find a Small Restaurant Business Plan PDF?

Our small restaurant business plan PDF is a free resource to to help you get started on your own small restaurant business plan.

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Restaurant Business Plan PDF Example

• February 28, 2024
• Business Plan

Creating a comprehensive business plan is crucial for launching and running a successful restaurant. This plan serves as your roadmap, detailing your vision, operational strategies, and financial plan. It helps establish your restaurant’s identity, navigate the competitive market, and secure funding for growth.

This article not only breaks down the critical components of a restaurant business plan, but also provides an example of a business plan to help you craft your own.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or new to the food and beverage industry, this guide, complete with a business plan example, lays the groundwork for turning your restaurant concept into reality. Let’s dive in!

Our restaurant business plan is structured to cover all essential aspects needed for a comprehensive strategy. It outlines the restaurant’s operations, marketing strategy , market environment, competitors, management team, and financial forecasts.

• Executive Summary : Offers an overview of the restaurant’s business concept, market analysis , management, and financial strategy.
• Restaurant & Location: Describes the restaurant’s prime location, size, seating capacity, and distinctive design, emphasizing its appeal to the target demographic.
• Supply & Operations: Outlines the supply chain management, focusing on local sourcing and quality ingredients, and details the operational aspects, including kitchen layout, equipment, and front-of-house operations.
• Key Stats: Shares industry size , growth trends, and relevant statistics for the full-service restaurant market.
• Key Trends: Highlights recent trends affecting the restaurant sector, such as health-conscious dining, sustainability, and technology integration.
• Key Competitors : Analyzes the main competitors in the vicinity, showcasing the restaurant’s unique selling proposition in comparison.
• SWOT: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis.
• Marketing Plan : Strategies for promoting the restaurant to maximize visibility and customer engagement.
• Timeline : Key milestones and objectives from the initial setup through the launch and operational optimization.
• Management: Information on who manages the restaurant and their roles.
• Financial Plan: Projects the restaurant’s financial performance, including revenue, profits, and expected expenses, aiming for profitability and sustainable growth.

Restaurant Business Plan

Fully editable 30+ slides Powerpoint presentation business plan template.

Download an expert-built 30+ slides Powerpoint business plan template

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary introduces your restaurant’s business plan, offering a concise overview of your establishment and its offerings. It should detail your market positioning, the variety of cuisines and dining experiences you offer, its location, size, and an outline of day-to-day operations. 

This section should also explore how your restaurant will integrate into the local market, including the number of direct competitors within the area, identifying who they are, along with your restaurant’s unique selling points that differentiate it from these competitors. 

Furthermore, you should include information about the management and co-founding team, detailing their roles and contributions to the restaurant’s success. Additionally, a summary of your financial projections, including revenue and profits over the next five years, should be presented here to provide a clear picture of your restaurant’s financial plan.

Make sure to cover here _ Business Overview _ Market Overview _ Management Team _ Financial Plan

Dive deeper into Executive Summary

Business Overview

For a Restaurant, the Business Overview section can be concisely divided into 2 main slides:

Restaurant & Location

Briefly describe the restaurant’s physical environment, emphasizing its design, ambiance, and the overall dining experience it offers to guests. Mention the restaurant’s location, highlighting its accessibility and the convenience it offers to diners, such as proximity to entertainment venues or ease of parking. Explain why this location is advantageous in attracting your target clientele.

Supply & Operations

Detail the range of cuisines and dishes offered, from appetizers and main courses to desserts and specialty beverages. Outline your sourcing strategy, ensuring it reflects a commitment to quality and sustainability, and matches the market you’re targeting.

Highlight any unique culinary techniques, exclusive ingredients, or innovative kitchen technologies that set your restaurant apart. Discuss your operational strategies, including inventory management, supplier relationships, and kitchen workflow, to ensure efficiency and consistency in delivering exceptional dining experiences.

Make sure to cover here _ Restaurant & Location _ Supply & Operations

Market Overview

Industry size & growth.

In the Market Overview of your restaurant business plan, start by examining the size of the restaurant industry and its growth potential. This analysis is crucial for understanding the market’s scope and identifying expansion opportunities.

Key market trends

Proceed to discuss recent market trends , such as the increasing consumer interest in farm-to-table dining, ethnic cuisines, and experiential dining experiences.

For example, highlight the demand for restaurants that offer unique cultural dishes, the growing popularity of health-conscious and dietary-specific menus, and the integration of technology in enhancing the dining experience.

Key competitors

Then, consider the competitive landscape, which includes a range of dining establishments from gourmet fine dining to fast-casual eateries, as well as the rise of food delivery services and meal kits.

For example, emphasize what makes your restaurant distinctive, whether it’s through a unique culinary approach, a niche market focus, or a strong commitment to sustainability and local sourcing.

Make sure to cover here _ Industry size & growth _ Key market trends _ Key competitors

Dive deeper into Key competitors

First, conduct a SWOT analysis for the restaurant , highlighting Strengths (such as a unique menu and exceptional customer service), Weaknesses (including potential high operational costs or strong competition in the area), Opportunities (for example, a growing interest in diverse cuisines and healthy eating), and Threats (such as economic downturns that may decrease consumer spending on dining out).

Marketing Plan

Next, develop a marketing strategy that outlines how to attract and retain customers through targeted advertising, promotional discounts, an engaging social media presence, food blogger outreach, and community involvement, such as local events or charity sponsorships.

Finally, create a detailed timeline that outlines critical milestones for the restaurant’s opening, marketing campaigns, customer base growth, and expansion objectives, ensuring the business moves forward with clear direction and purpose.

Make sure to cover here _ SWOT _ Marketing Plan _ Timeline

Dive deeper into SWOT

Dive deeper into Marketing Plan

The management section focuses on the restaurant’s management and their direct roles in daily operations and strategic direction. This part is crucial for understanding who is responsible for making key decisions and driving the restaurant towards its financial and operational goals.

For your restaurant business plan, list the core team members, their specific responsibilities, and how their expertise supports the business.

Financial Plan

The Financial Plan section is a comprehensive analysis of your financial projections for revenue, expenses, and profitability. It lays out your restaurant’s approach to securing funding, managing cash flow, and achieving breakeven.

This section typically includes detailed forecasts for the first 5 years of operation, highlighting expected revenue, operating costs and capital expenditures.

For your restaurant business plan, provide a snapshot of your financial statement (profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement), as well as your key assumptions (e.g. number of customers and prices, expenses, etc.).

Make sure to cover here _ Profit and Loss _ Cash Flow Statement _ Balance Sheet _ Use of Funds

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