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How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan in 2024 (Free Template)

So you want to open a restaurant? Then you need a business plan.

A restaurant business plan is your roadmap to success. It outlines and forecasts every aspect of your restaurant’s operation and management —from menu design and location to financial planning and staff training. A comprehensive restaurant business plan demonstrates professionalism and a clear understanding of goals, increasing your chances of achieving long-term success in the competitive restaurant industry.

Why is a strong business plan important? Because it turns your restaurant idea into reality. According to the National Restaurant Association , having a business plan increases your chances of success by preparing you for problems before they arise and attracting investors and partners.

Planning is the key to restaurant success. Without a plan, you risk being part of the 30% of restaurants that fail in the first year​. To make sure your restaurant succeeds, you can start by creating a business plan. Financial projections are a crucial component, helping to secure funding and plan for the future. Here’s how to get started.

The importance of a restaurant business plan 

Think of your business plan as your ultimate guide, showing business owners, stakeholders, and investors how you’re going to turn your vision into reality. It ensures nothing is overlooked as you grow your restaurant . When you’re deep in the chaos of construction, licensing, staffing, and other challenges, your business plan will keep you on track and focused. Without one, navigating the complex world of opening a restaurant becomes much tougher.

A solid business plan is also key to attracting investors. Most new restaurants need some outside capital from hospitality investors or silent partners. Before they invest in your dream, they need to see that you’ve got a solid, thought-out plan for success. Your business plan shows investors that you’ve considered every expense and every possible scenario. It provides a complete description of your strategy, highlights the experience and skills of your management team, and explains why and how it will succeed.

Every business should have a business plan, whether new or existing. Business plans help you focus on your goals and can help get back on track if you stray from them.

• How to write a restaurant business plan

Whether this is your first business plan or your 10th, using a template specifically designed for the restaurant industry can be incredibly helpful. Our restaurant business plan template includes all the necessary sections you need. You can download a customizable copy of the business plan template here.

Conducting a thorough market analysis to understand customer demographics and competition is crucial for the success of your restaurant. Keep reading to learn about the key elements that make a restaurant business plan successful.

Further reading

• How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan Executive Summary
• Your Complete Guide to Restaurant Financing and Loans
• How To Conduct a Restaurant Market Analysis
• Essential elements of a restaurant business plan

Design a branded cover page

Start with a branded cover page that showcases your logo, brand fonts, and all relevant contact information. This sets a professional tone and makes your business plan easily identifiable.

Write the executive summary

Begin your restaurant business plan with an executive summary . This section introduces and sums up your entire vision, making sure to grab the reader’s attention. It should make investors feel invested in your idea and eager to read more.

Key elements to include are your restaurant’s mission statement , proposed concept, how you’ll execute the plan, an overview of potential costs, anticipated return on investment, as well as a business succession plan. Describe your restaurant concept, detailing the type of food being served, service style, design elements, and unique features. This is also a great spot to highlight your business’s core values. A strong executive summary sets the tone for your business plan and helps attract investor interest.

Additionally, include a management team write-up to highlight the credentials and past experiences of your management team, demonstrating their ability to run a successful establishment.

A well-conceived mission statement can provide a guiding light to keep your restaurant moving in the right direction. It helps ensure that every decision you make and every interaction you have is in line with your core values and goals.

Create the company overview

In this section, you’ll lay out the foundational details of your restaurant. Start by introducing the basic information: the restaurant’s name, address, and contact details. Include information about the owner and their background, showcasing their experience and passion for the industry. This sets the stage for your business’s credibility.

Next, describe the restaurant’s legal standing and its short- and long-term objectives. This helps potential investors understand the structure and vision of your business.

Highlight your understanding of the local food industry with a brief market research summary. Explain why your restaurant will succeed in this market by demonstrating awareness of local dining trends and consumer preferences. Crafting your own restaurant business plan is crucial to showcase your dedication and strategic planning, learning from others' mistakes to ensure success.

Here’s a sample layout for this section:

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].

• How to Write a Great Restaurant Description

Include an industry analysis

First describe the current state of the market sector your restaurant will be in and the specific area you will be in. This should include local economic growth, existing restaurants, infrastructure projects, nearby businesses, residential areas and foot and car traffic counts.

To create an effective and professional business plan, it is important to study restaurant business plan samples.

1. Review your target market

The restaurant industry is competitive so you need to find your niche. What will make your restaurant different? Who will your restaurant attract and who will be your repeat customers? Describe your target market and compare it to the overall restaurant industry in terms of diner demographics, characteristics and behaviour.

2. Location analysis

Even if you don’t have a specific location yet, focus on the general area or city where you will be opening your restaurant and explain why. Include local economic growth, major events and nearby infrastructure projects. Compare the current market conditions to your target market to show the proposed location fits your ideal customer profile. Investors will be looking closely at this section to make sure the location is right for your concept.

3. Competitive analysis

Get into the competitive landscape around your proposed location. Detail the number of other restaurants in the area, especially those with similar concepts. Investors want to know what will make customers choose your restaurant over the competition. What will make your food and service stand out and what other advantages do you have, like longer hours? Use a competitive matrix to show you understand your niche in the market.

Put together a restaurant marketing plan 

The marketing section outlines how you’ll promote your restaurant before and after opening. Not sure where to start? Check out our guide here. A well-thought-out marketing plan is crucial to grow a successful restaurant and distinguish it from competitors.

Start by listing out specific tactics you’ll use pre and post-launch. Will you work with a PR manager? Launch a social media account to document the build-out and generate buzz. Share those details. If you already have a large social media following , make sure to mention it.

Once the restaurant is open , which channels will you use to keep the momentum going? Email marketing? Regular social media posts? Charity partnerships? Local TV and radio ads? Will you invest in customer relationship management software to keep in touch with regulars or implement a loyalty program?

This section should give a clear picture of your promotional strategy and how you plan to engage with potential customers from the start.

Outline your operation plan

Here’s how to outline your restaurant’s day-to-day operations once the doors open. Cover these key areas:

Clearly defining the service style of your restaurant, whether it is fine dining , quick-service, self-service, or another type, is important to ensure a consistent customer experience.

1. Staffing

Think about the positions you'll need and how many people you'll need for each role. What will make your place a fantastic workplace? Outline the pay for each position, how you'll recruit the right people, and what the hiring criteria will be.

2. Customer service policies and procedures

How will you ensure an exceptional and consistent guest experience every time? Detail your service values, policies, and procedures, and explain how you'll enforce or encourage them.

3. Restaurant point of sale and other systems

How will you keep track of sales and inventory, manage takeout and delivery, control labor, handle cash, process payroll, and accept various payment types? Cover the systems you'll use for all these tasks.

4. Suppliers

Where will you get your ingredients? Think about both one-time equipment purchases and items that need regular replenishment. Detail your plans for sourcing these essentials.

Nail down your financial game plan with first-year projections

The financial analysis usually wraps up your business plan, and it’s where investors really focus in. They want to see exactly how you’ll spend their money in the first year and how you expect costs and revenue to stack up. Make sure to hit these key points in this section.

1. Your investment plan

Here’s where you put in the initial investment and how you’ll use it in the first year. Think kitchen equipment, furniture, decor, payroll, legal fees, marketing, and a bit of working capital.

2. The projected profit and loss (P&L) statement

Since the business plan is done way before you open your restaurant you’ll need to make some educated guesses for your P&L statement. Estimate costs and sales based on your restaurant’s size, target market and the local competition. Use this P&L template and guide to dive deeper into P&L statements and create one for your future restaurant.

3. The break-even strategy

This is where you show investors how much monthly revenue you’ll need to cover all your overhead and operational costs. Remember there are always variable costs so highlight what you think those will be. How will you hit that revenue target during slow months?

4. Cash flow prediction

Your cash flow expectations hinge on your inventory purchases, staff size, payroll, and payment schedule. Some months will be better than others once your restaurant is up and running. This cash flow analysis will show investors that, based on your forecasts, your restaurant can sustain itself during leaner months without needing extra investments.

How to sell a restaurant idea and master your business plan presentation

Once your business plan is polished and ready, it's time to become its number one expert. Investors want to see that you know every nook and cranny of your business and are confident you can make it happen.

When you're ready, email your business plan to anyone in your network who might be interested in investing. With any luck, you'll get some interest, and investors will want to meet to discuss your restaurant.

Some investors might want a pitch presentation alongside the printed business plan. Use a professional template from Google Sheets or PowerPoint, and practice until you can nail the presentation without notes.

Be prepared for any questions—both the expected ones and those that come out of left field. If you don’t know an answer on the spot, it’s fine to say you’ll find out and get back to them quickly.

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. Including a sample menu in the business plan is necessary to showcase planned dishes and prices, which helps in selling the restaurant concept to potential investors and customers.

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.

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How much profit does the restaurant make.

When it comes to restaurant profitability, the numbers can widely vary. On average, restaurants report profit margins between 3% and 5% annually.

Fast-food establishments often have lower margins but benefit from a high volume of customers and quick turnover rates. In contrast, fine dining venues, although charging higher prices, see fewer customers and slower turnover, which influences their profit margins differently.

Our research indicates that, regardless of the type of restaurant, the average monthly profit usually falls between $15,000 and $25,000.

How to open a restaurant without money?

Starting a restaurant can be a daunting task, especially when funds are tight. However, with some creativity and determination, you can turn your dream into a reality. Here’s how:

Innovate Your Restaurant Concept

Consider a unique, low-cost restaurant concept. Instead of a full-scale establishment, perhaps a pop-up restaurant or a delivery-only kitchen could better fit your budget. Flexibility in your concept can significantly reduce initial costs.

Seek Funding Alternatives

Traditional bank loans aren't the only option. Look for investors who believe in your vision or explore crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter or GoFundMe . Sometimes, you can even find grants aimed at smal l business startups.

Leverage Online Platforms

Start by building a strong online presence. Create a website and utilize social media to attract and engage customers. Online marketing can be a cost-effective way to generate buzz and gather a customer base before you even open your doors.

Collaborate with Other Businesses

Partnerships can pave the way for mutual growth. Collaborate with food suppliers, local farms, or even other small businesses to share costs and resources. This strategy can also expand your network and increase visibility within your community.

Start Small: Food Trucks or Catering

Consider launching your concept through a food truck, catering service, or pop-up stand. These options require significantly less capital than a traditional sit-down restaurant and can help you build your brand and customer base.

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 a successful 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.

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 market, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.  

What are the Main Types of Restaurants?

There are many types of restaurant businesses which vary based on their service style. 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 or independent restaurant investors. Typically you will find a local bank and present your restaurant business plan to them. Most independent restaurant investors are in the restaurant business already and can be a valuable resource for advice and help with your business plan.

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.  

Sample Business Plan for a Restaurant Owner

Below is a business plan example to help you create each section of a comprehensive restaurant business plan.

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 business 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

A sample menu can be found in the Appendix of this business plan.

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 restaurant design, 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 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.

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.

Customer Segmentation

The target audience for Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will primarily include 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 of our direct competitors is below.

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 restaurant 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:

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 the entire 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 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

  You can download our free restaurant business plan template PDF . This restaurant business plan template can be used to create a finalized business plan for your restaurant concept.

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, such as restaurant POS 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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• Sample Business Plans
• Food, Beverage & Restaurant

Restaurant Business Plan

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.

Need Assistance Writing a Restaurant Business Plan?

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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 2023

• 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.

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 need. 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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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 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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Restaurant Business Proposal Template

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4.2 Rating ( 34 reviews)

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Restaurant Business Proposal for [Client.Company] ​

Prepared by:

​ [Sender.FirstName] [Sender.LastName]

​ [Sender.Title] [Sender.Company] ​

​ [Sender.Email]

​ [Sender.Phone]

​ [Sender.StreetAddress]

​ [Sender.City] , [Sender.State]

​ [Sender.PostalCode]

​ [Sender.Country] ​

Prepared for:

​ [Client.FirstName] [Client.LastName] ​

​ [Client.Title]

​ [Client.Company] ​

​ [Document.CreatedDate] ​

Executive Summary

​ [Sender.Company] is a (describe the business – a restaurant chain, a growing business, an upcoming restaurant) . We currently have (number) locations in (city / cities / countries) . Our current annual revenue is $ (amount) . We are proposing an investment of $ (amount) , which we will use to (describe why you are seeking this investment – to renovate, expand, open new locations). In return, we offer (describe what they will get, the amount or percentage they will earn, and from what).

(Team member name #1), (title)

(Team member name #2), (title)

(Name) has (amount) years of experience in (name the different roles) . At [Sender.Company] , (name) 's role is to (Write a sentence or two about their role on the team and describe their specific tasks and projects) . Some of (his/her) notable contributions to the team include (give some examples of what they have done to help the business).

Our Story, Mission, and Vision

​ [Sender.Company] was founded in (year) by (who) . (Then tell the story of why it was founded).

Our mission is to (insert your mission statement) .

In the future, we imagine (list some of your main goals, for example: being known for providing the best quality BBQ in the USA, or a world where everyone can access healthy meals at every corner).

(Insert a photo of the restaurant).

​ [Sender.Company] 's Concept

​ [Sender.Company] provides (describe the food) (describe benefits, for example, all-you-can-eat, or at a more affordable price than its competitors) , while allowing its customers to experience a (describe the environment).

Below is our menu / are our menus.

(Insert menu(s)).

(Insert menumenu position).

​ [Sender.Company] was founded because (Describe the problem that the restaurant aims to solve. Are there no other restaurants like yours? Is there a demand for more affordable restaurants of a certain type due to a younger population?)

Our Solution

To address this problem, we aim to (describe how you will address the problem, for example, open more locations, open a branch in a more convenient location to meet the demands).

Market Analysis

The following sections demonstrate our understanding of our target customers and their behaviors as well as the marketing strategies of our competitors. It also demonstrates which mediums and social media channels we use to successfully market our business.

Target Market

Our restaurant targets (age group) in the (city, area) . Most of our clients have the following demographics:

Gender:

Income:

Education:

Marital status:

Work status and occupation:

Nationality and ethnicity:

Psychographics (Why do they come to your restaurant?)

Hobbies:

Lifestyle:

Social class:

Entertainment:

News Source: (Where do they get their news?)

Personality:

Behavioristics (Buying behaviors)

Frequency: (How frequently do they come to your restaurant?)

Loyalty: (How loyal are they to your brand?)

Opinion: (How do they feel about your restaurant?)

(Insert your USP)

Competitors & Advantages

​ [Competitor1.Company] : (reason, e.g., also sells burgers and is in the same neighborhood).

Our advantage over (above competitor) : (Describe why you are better than them, e.g., Our burgers are more affordable than (competitor)'s, and our restaurant is more chic than (competitor)'s).

​ [Competitor1.Company] : (reason).

Our advantage over (above competitor):

Marketing and Sales Strategy

Social/Digital Media Channels:

Facebook page: (URL) (number of followers)

​ [Competitor1.Company] Facebook page: (URL) (number of followers)

Instagram: (URL) (number of followers)

​ [Competitor1.Company] Instagram: (URL) (number of followers)

Twitter: (URL) (number of followers)

​ [Competitor1.Company] Twitter: ( URL) (number of followers)

Tik-Tok: (URL) (number of followers)

​ [Competitor1.Company] Tik-Tok: (URL) (number of followers)

YouTube: (URL) (number of followers)

​ [Competitor1.Company] YouTube: (URL) (number of followers)

Snapchat: (URL) (number of followers)

​ [Competitor1.Company] Snapchat: (URL) (number of followers)

Website: (URL)

​ [Competitor1.Company] Website: (URL)

Blog: (URL)

​ [Competitor1.Company] blog: (URL)

We also advertise via:

Social media ads: (Facebook ads, Instagram ads)

Print media ads: (list publications)

TV/radio ads: (list channels)

Analysis: (Describe why your mediums are better than your competitors. Do you have more followers? Is your content more fun?)

Our followers vs. [Competitor1.Company] followers:

Our content vs. [Competitor1.Company] content:

Location Analysis

​ [Sender.Company] is located in [Sender.City] .

We chose this location because (describe how the location helps with exposure, accessibility, and marketing).

Financial Analysis

Financial overview and funding.

(Give an overview of where you are at financially and how much funding you have.)

(Describe how you attained this – where did you get your funding?)

Financial Projections

Startup costs:

Personal investments:

Projected monthly income:

Expected monthly sales growth rate:

Projected prices over time:

(Screenshot of balance sheet)

(Screenshot of P&L statement)

(Screenshot of cash flow spreadsheet)

Investor benefits

(Clearly define what the investors will gain).

Funding Needs

Rent / Land

(Description, e.g., We are renting a 1000 square feet space in Brooklyn, New York.)

$(cost)

Furniture (30 tables): $(cost)

(Furniture): $(cost)

(Furniture): $(cost)

Materials and tools

Construction

(Material/tool): $(Cost)

(Material/tool): $(Cost)

Office

Marketing and advertising

Website: $(Cost)

Software: $(Cost)

Marketing: $(Cost)

Ads: $(Cost)

Staff

(Name), (role): $(Salary)

Total amount of funding required: $(Amount)

Testimonials

(Include quotes from people saying good things about your restaurant.)

​ [Sender.FirstName] [Sender.LastName] ​

​ [Sender.Company] ​

Care to rate this template?

Your rating will help others.

Thanks for your rate!

Useful resources

• Featured Templates
• Sales Proposals
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• Sales Documents
• Marketing Proposals
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• Quote Templates
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• Purchase Agreements
• Contract Templates

Contoh Proposal Restoran (Download DOC / PDF)

Proposal Usaha Restoran – Bisnis restoran saat ini telah mengalami banyak kemajuan baik dari segi kualitas maupun kuantitasnya. Hal ini dibuktikan dengan berdirinya restoran-restoran baru dengan konsep yang khas dan berbeda dengan restoran lainnya.

Berbicara mengenai bisnis restoran ada berbagai hal yang perlu dipersiapkan dalam membuka bisnis di bidang F&B ini mulai dari konsep yang matang hingga kebutuhan finansial yang bisa dibilang cukup tinggi untuk awal produksi.

Salah satu cara untuk mendapatkan modal usaha adalah dengan mengajukan proposal usaha kepada para investor sehingga biaya finansial bisa lebih ringan dan para pengusaha bisa fokus terhadap operasional dan pengembangan restoran.

Download Proposal Restoran

( Download PDF ) ( Download DOC )

Proposal Usaha De Java Restaurant

Bab 1: pendahuluan.

Latar Belakang

Jawa Timur merupakan salah satu provinsi yang kaya akan keragaman makanan tradisionalnya mulai dari jajanan hingga beragam pilihan menu makanan berat yang citarasanya otentik. 

Dengan keragaman menu inilah kami ingin mendirikan De Java untuk memperkenalkan menu khas Jawa Timur kepada orang asing yang berkunjung ke Bali tentunya dengan rasa yang telah disesuaikan dengan lidah orang asing. 

Kami menyadari peluang yang cukup besar dari De Java mengingat saat ini belum ada restoran khas Jawa Timur yang berdiri di Seminyak. Dengan konsep restoran yang modern, luas, dan nyaman kami berupaya agar De Java menjadi salah satu lokasi favorit turis yang datang disini.

Konsep Usaha

Konsep yang kami kembangkan pada De Java Restaurant ini adalah restoran luas dengan suasana yang modern dan nyaman. Adapun menu yang kami sajikan adalah menu-menu makanan dan minuman khas Jawa Timur dengan rasa yang otentik.

Visi: Memperkenalkan makanan khas Jawa Timur di dunia Internasional

Misi: 

• Menyajikan menu-menu makanan khas Jawa Timur dengan kualitas terbaik kepada turis asing yang berkunjung
• Memberikan pelayanan dan fasilitas terbaik kepada turis yang datang berkunjung ke De Java Restaurant
• Menyediakan tempat yang luas dan nyaman kepada turis yang berkunjung agar betah untuk berlama-lama di De Java Restaurant
• Memperhatikan kesejahteraan karyawan yang bekerja di De Java agar senantiasa memberikan pelayanan terbaik kepada turis yang datang

BAB 2: Analisa SWOT

Strength:  

De Java Restaurant menjadi satu-satunya restoran khas Jawa Timur yang berdiri di Seminyak Bali dengan konsep yang modern namun sajian keseluruhan makanan dan minumannya adalah menu makanan tradisional khas Jawa Timur.

Weakness:  

Seluruh menu yang disajikan oleh De Java Restaurant adalah menu tradisional Jawa Timur sehingga kami kesulitan untuk melakukan inovasi menu makanannya.

Opportunity:  

Respon yang baik dari konsumen membuat De Java Restaurant berpeluang untuk melakukan pengembangan restoran dengan lebih cepat.

Threat: 

Bahan-bahan premium yang kami gunakan membuat biaya operasional harian yang dibutuhkan oleh De Java cukup tinggi. Selain itu respon yang baik dari konsumen memunculkan para pesaing baru yang mendirikan restoran dengan konsep serupa. 

BAB 3: Rencana Usaha

Nama usaha: De Java Restaurant yang berarti restoran yang menyajikan masakan khas Jawa Timur.

Produk yang dihasilkan: Seluruh makanan tradisonal Jawa Timur yang dikemas lebih modern dengan citarasa yang telah disesuaikan dengan lidah orang asing.

Rincian harga:

1 . Rawon : Rp. 85.000

2. Nasi Rames : Rp. 65.000

3. Rujak Cingur : Rp. 60.000

4. Sate Ayam Madura Komplit : Rp. 65.000 

5. Soto Lamongan : Rp. 75.000

6. Tahu Campur : Rp. 55.000

7. Bebek Madura : Rp. 75.000

8. Pisang Goreng : Rp. 35.000

9. Klepon : Rp. 25.000

10. Gethuk : Rp. 25.000

11. Es Dawet : Rp. 30.000

12. Es Pleret : Rp. 30.000

12. Es Pokak : Rp. 30.000

13. Es Teh : Rp. 25.000

14. Wedang Angsle : Rp. 40.000

15. Wedang Jaselang : Rp. 40.000

Target market: 

Target market dari De Java Restaurant ini adalah seluruh turis asing yang berkunjung ke Seminyak Bali.

Strategi pemasaran:

Ada beberapa strategi pemasaran yang kami jalankan diantaranya adalah bekerjasama dengan tour agency untuk memperkenalkan restoran kami serta melakukan pemasaran melalui media sosial dengan bantuan Google Ads dan Instagram Ads.

Sistem usaha:

De Java Restaurant dijalankan dengan sistem secara langsung serta melayani pembelian secara online melalui aplikasi.

Sistem pembagian hasil:

Kami membuka kesempatan bagi investor yang ingin menanamkan modal di De Java Restaurant dengan investasi mulai dari Rp. 200.000.000 dan keuntungan sebesar 30% dari hasil penjualan.

BAB 4: Analisa Keuangan

1 . Modal  

Kebutuhan Perlengkapan

Sewa Tempat

Gaji Karyawan

Biaya Operasional

Biaya Promosi

2. Harga Pokok Produksi

3. Perkiraan Keuntungan

4. Estimasi Balik Modal

BAB 5: Penutup

De Java Restaurant menjadi salah satu peluang bisnis di bidang Food and Beverage yang sangat menjanjikan karena mampu melihat peluang pasar dengan benar dan memiliki ciri khas yang tidak dimiliki oleh restoran lainnya.

Demikianlah proposal usaha ini, semoga dapat memberikan gambaran yang jelas tentang De Java Restaurant. Kami berharap agar kerjasama ini bisa berlangsung dalam kurun waktu yang lama dan dapat memberikan keuntungan bagi kedua belah pihak.

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How to write a business plan for your restaurant.

Starting a restaurant can be a great way to make a living while also providing a valuable service to the community.

It can also be a great way to express creativity, as a restaurant provides an opportunity to create unique dishes and experiences for customers.

Nevertheless, the first step is to develop a business plan.

A business plan is essential before starting a new project such as a restaurant. It should include a detailed description of the business, a marketing plan, and a financial plan. A business plan helps ensure that the project is well-planned and organized, and will help set the project up for success.

In short, a thorough business plan will help make sure your restaurant is profitable .

What should be covered when creating a business plan for a restaurant? How can it be presented clearly? What financial metrics should be included? How can I develop an efficient business plan in less time?

Exciting news! The forthcoming article holds all the answers to these questions!

Also, please note that starting your business plan from scratch is not mandatory.

Instead, you can download our professional business plan for a restaurant and tailor it to suit your requirements.

How to develop a business plan for a restaurant

Is a business plan recommended for your restaurant.

Yes, you should create a business plan for your restaurant.

Formulating a comprehensive business plan will allow to:

• get familiar with the restaurant market
• keep up with the industry's changing trends
• establish what makes a restaurant competitive
• understand what your consumers want to eat
• come up with a great value proposition for your dining establishment
• identify competitive advantages and disadvantages
• find distinctive competitive edges for your restaurant
• find a business model that ensures a sustainable profit margin
• formulate an effective strategy to drive business growth
• evaluate potential risks associated with operating a restaurant, such as foodborne illnesses, customer satisfaction, and staff turnover

Our team has drafted a business plan for a restaurant that is designed to make it easier for you to achieve all the elements listed.

How to organize a business plan for a restaurant?

A meticulously written business plan provides all the necessary information, numbers, and financial details. It must be presented in a structured format, to make easy to read and digest.

When we built our business plan for a restaurant , we made sure to set it up correctly.

We've divided it into 5 sections (Opportunity, Project, Market Research, Strategy and Finances).

1. Market Opportunity

The section number one is designated as "Market Opportunity."

This section presents a comprehensive report on the restaurant industry, including key data and metrics to guide your decision-making process in the food service sector.

We renew this section twice a year for up-to-date data.

2. Project Presentation

The "Project" section allows you to present your pottery studio project, including the available pottery techniques, studio layout, classes offered, and highlight the unique value proposition for pottery enthusiasts.

At the end of this section, provide a brief introduction about yourself and your culinary journey.

Explain your culinary style, your commitment to using quality ingredients, and how you plan to create a memorable dining experience for guests at your restaurant. Highlight your menu offerings, your skilled kitchen and waitstaff, and your dedication to providing exceptional customer service that ensures guests have a delightful and satisfying culinary experience at your restaurant.

In our business plan, you'll find that we've given you pre-existing content. Modify it to match your idea exactly.

3. Market Research

After that, comes the "Market Research" section.

The purpose of this section is to introduce the market segments for your restaurant.

It includes a competition study, outlining similar restaurants in the area. Your restaurant's competitive advantages are also highlighted. A customized SWOT analysis is included.

4. Strategy

Within the "Strategy" section, a 3-year development plan is outlined, specifying the necessary initiatives to make your restaurant highly profitable.

Moreover, you will find a marketing strategy, a risk management approach, and a Business Model Canvas specifically designed for a restaurant in this section.

5. Finances

Lastly, the "Finances" section is dedicated to illustrating the financial plan and data for your project.

How to make an Executive Summary for a restaurant?

The Executive Summary can be seen as a condensed overview of the business plan for your restaurant.

Keep it brief and focused, with a maximum of 2 pages. Include only the key elements.

It's the first thing an investor will read when you share your business plan with them. It should catch their interest and make them want to read the rest of the plan.

In the Executive Summary of your restaurant, provide answers to these questions: what type of cuisine does your restaurant offer? who is your target audience? are there other restaurants in the area? what makes your restaurant special? how much funding do you require?

How to do the market analysis for a restaurant?

Analyzing the market for your restaurant allows you to gain insights into factors such as customer preferences for dining experiences, competition within the food service industry, and emerging trends in culinary innovation.

By conducting a comprehensive market analysis, a restaurant can understand customer preferences, offer a diverse and delicious menu, optimize pricing strategies, and execute targeted marketing campaigns, ultimately leading to a loyal customer base, increased reservations, and a prominent position in the local dining scene.

Here's what we've included in the "Market Research" section of our business plan for a restaurant :

• recent data and statistics about the restaurant industry, including customer dining preferences, revenue trends, and popular cuisine choices
• a list of potential market segments for a restaurant
• the competitor study
• the potential competitive advantages for a restaurant

The key points of the business plan for a restaurant

What's the business model of a restaurant, business model of a restaurant.

A restaurant's business model centers around offering a menu of food and beverages for dine-in, takeout, or delivery services. Revenue is generated through food sales, potentially offering additional services such as catering or private events.

The business model focuses on creating a diverse and appealing menu, delivering excellent food quality and taste, providing exceptional customer service, effective marketing to target food lovers, and building strong customer relationships based on taste and dining experience.

Success depends on recipe innovation, maintaining consistent food quality, delivering efficient service, fostering positive customer reviews and recommendations, and creating a welcoming and comfortable restaurant ambiance that attracts a loyal customer base.

Business model vs Business plan

Don't get "business plan" and "business model" mixed up.

A business model outlines the way a company creates value, generates revenue, and operates.

In a business plan, you demonstrate your business model using a structure called the Business Model Canvas.

And, of course, there is a Business Model Canvas (already completed) in our business plan for a restaurant .

How do you identify the market segments of a restaurant?

Market segmentation for your recruitment agency business involves dividing your potential clients into different groups based on their hiring needs, industries, and preferences.

These categories may include factors such as IT recruitment, healthcare recruitment, executive search, or clients seeking specific recruitment services (e.g., temporary staffing, talent acquisition, niche specialization).

By segmenting your market, you can offer specialized recruitment services and solutions that cater to each segment's specific requirements. For example, you might focus on IT recruitment and provide sourcing and placement services for tech companies or startups, offer comprehensive healthcare recruitment services and assist hospitals, clinics, or healthcare organizations in finding qualified medical professionals, specialize in executive search and help businesses identify top-tier executive talent, or focus on specific recruitment services such as temporary staffing for companies in need of short-term staffing solutions or niche specialization to serve a specific industry or job market.

Market segmentation allows you to effectively target your marketing efforts, communicate your expertise in specific industries or recruitment services, and provide reliable and efficient recruitment solutions that meet the unique needs and preferences of each client segment.

In the business plan for a restaurant , you will find a comprehensive market segmentation that will help you identify your potential customers.

How to conduct a competitor analysis for a restaurant?

It's clear that you won't be the only restaurant in your city. There are other dining establishments offering diverse cuisines and culinary experiences to patrons.

Make sure to thoroughly analyze your competitors as part of your business plan by listing their attributes, strengths, and weaknesses.

Address their weaknesses (such as inconsistent food quality, slow service, or poor cleanliness).

Why is it important to address these concerns? Because these weaknesses can impact the dining experience at restaurants.

By focusing on these areas, you can provide a diverse and delicious menu, offer excellent customer service, and create an inviting and memorable ambiance, establishing your restaurant as a go-to choice for dining out and enjoying great food.

It's what we call competitive advantages—invest in them to make your business unique.

Here are some examples of competitive advantages for a restaurant: delectable and diverse menu offerings, exceptional culinary skills, inviting and stylish ambiance, efficient service, outstanding customer reviews and reputation, excellent hygiene and cleanliness, accommodating for special dietary needs or preferences.

How to draft a SWOT analysis for an eatery?

A SWOT analysis can help identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with starting a restaurant, allowing for informed decision-making.

As you can guess, there is indeed a completed and editable SWOT matrix in our business plan for a restaurant

The strengths for a restaurant

When we use the "S" in SWOT, we're talking about Strengths, which are the project's strong points.

For a restaurant, possible strengths could include friendly staff, great food, a good atmosphere, and competitive prices.

The weaknesses for a restaurant

The "W" represents Weaknesses, indicating the areas or aspects of the project that need enhancement.

For a restaurant, potential weaknesses could include a lack of online presence, insufficient staffing, limited menu options, and inadequate customer service.

The opportunities for a restaurant

When we use the "O" in SWOT, we're talking about Opportunities, which are the external possibilities or favorable situations for the project.

In the case of a restaurant, potential opportunities include expanding the catering business, introducing new menu items, developing a loyalty program, and offering delivery services.

The threats for a restaurant

T represents Threats, which are the external factors or circumstances that can pose risks or hindrances to the project's progress.

How to elaborate a marketing strategy for an eatery?

A marketing strategy is a key factor in acquiring customers and increasing revenue, so include it in your business plan.

Developing an effective marketing approach will help your restaurant connect with food enthusiasts seeking a unique and delectable dining experience.

Diners won't choose your restaurant without effective promotion; emphasizing the culinary experience, ambiance, and unique offerings is necessary.

Have you explored marketing approaches to attract customers to your restaurant? Consider creating mouthwatering food photography for social media, hosting themed events or special menus, and collaborating with food bloggers or influencers for reviews.

Don't panic if you lack knowledge about marketing and communication – there are resources to help you learn.

How to build a solid financial plan for an eatery?

A successful business plan requires comprehensive financial data in order to accurately forecast future performance.

In your business plan, you will have to make revenue projections for your restaurant.

We must ensure that this revenue forecast is reasonable and easily comprehensible.

Our financial plan for a restaurant is user-friendly, providing automated validations that allow you to rectify any assumptions swiftly. This guarantees the creation of credible projections with ease and assurance.

Naturally, you'll have to prepare an initial budget for your restaurant. Don't forget any expense (we have listed them all in our financial plan !).

The break-even analysis is a crucial tool in your financial plan, providing insight into whether your restaurant will be profitable or not.

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• View all industry insights
• Industry expertise Get advice and tactics from top industry authorities.
• Hospitality Find out how the most successful restaurants make every guest feel like a VIP.
• Marketing Learn how to bring new guests to the table with the latest tech, tools, and ideas for every marketing budget.
• Operations How to iron out operations for shifts smooth as butter.
• Industry trends
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• Advisory board
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• Get started

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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Everything You Need to Write a Restaurant Business Plan

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Before your car was built, it was a series of lines on an engineer’s laptop screen. Before your favorite album was recorded, a musician scribbled out some rhymes in a notebook. And before your restaurant is going to launch, you likewise have to begin with the intense work of creating a blueprint of your idea — your restaurant’s themes, its physical spaces, its food, its drink, its staff, its marketing, its tech, and its expenses. The title for this package of art, chemistry, design, and accounting goes by the extraordinarily humble title of your business plan.

With a business plan, you show the world — or, more precisely, potential investors and partners — exactly what you intend to create, if you can secure the money and the help. You don’t need to know everything about the future in order to make a convincing plan. You should do your best to figure out what it costs to hire a sous chef in Seattle and the price of bread flour in Honolulu and what A/C costs for a barbecue joint in July in Tulsa. Don’t get blindsided by the obvious costs of your unique project, because not-so-obvious ones will be all around you.

To get you started, we got the download from two people who know the score: Sean F Hennessy and Richie Karaburun, both clinical associate professors at New York University’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. They underlined how difficult this process is in any environment, and how it’s only becoming tougher as investors steady themselves from the whipsaw of the past few years. “The strength of the market research being applied will support the comfort level of investors in your business,” Hennessey said. “The industry is a bigger leap of faith for investors. Your business is only as good as how many customers you’ve had during the last meal, period.”

But don’t let the world economy discourage your very personal idea. If you know you have the goods, charge ahead and get that bag. Here’s how to build a restaurant business plan that will lead you into a future of your making.

Begin with your executive summary

Your executive summary should present the tl;dr of your business plan. Think of it like the back cover of a novel. This is where you boil down the tightest possible description and pitch for your establishment, drawing from all the other facets of your business plan. As you continue developing your business plan, your executive summary will evolve to reflect your learnings and structure. You may write this first, but be prepared to revise it constantly. Ideally by the time you're finished, a reader will think, Oh, yeah, that should totally be a business — this will work .

Next, bang out a business description

Start by describing what kind of restaurant you want to create. Think through such questions as: What kind of food will you serve? Are you going for fine dining, casual, or quick-serve? What kind of ambiance or vibe will you create? And what sorts of customers do you expect to attract? Paint a picture for your reader. 

Explain your value proposition

Your value proposition is what you bring to the table (heh) that no one else does, or what you bring better than anyone else. Identify your competitive advantage. This could be a combination of things: an amazing location, a winning concept for décor, a brilliant chef, your grandmother’s secret recipes. What sets you apart? Lean into whatever this is as you plan and create your concept. The world is full of restaurants already. Your value proposition is what you have figured out that makes you original (and, ideally, profitable).

Describe your background and credentials

If you have history as a restaurateur, describe your successes. If you are or have a notable chef on your team, say so. If you have deep ties to a specific community or neighborhood, or another network to draw from (professional, academic, spiritual, whatever it might be) bring it to the fore. Sell yourself. Ask: Why would you fund you?

Build and develop your menu

You probably wouldn’t even be considering opening a restaurant if you didn’t have the beginnings of a menu in mind. Still, go further than that. The menu determines not just what customers eat, but your food costs, your build-out needs, your competition, and in many cases the very location you’ll choose. Your menu should be price-competitive, yet creative enough to set you apart. You want to be reliable, yet flexible. Your menu also must work in concert with your overall brand identity and with your business model. Some foods are amazing at delivery — pizza and wings are the champs there, and drive many ghost kitchen concepts . Other foods simply aren’t going to drive as much revenue through food delivery or pickup. 

So don’t simply wave your hand and say “we’re a roti joint” or “we’re going to be a New American concept.” Get down into the weeds. Is your ideal menu seasonal or perennial? Will you be serving family style? Small plates? Can you source your ingredients from vendors you can afford? And will you have back-up vendors, just in case? What does your drinks program look like ? Are you doing NA cocktails , on-tap cocktails, or to-go cocktails ?

Good news is, a menu by no means needs to be long to be profitable. The price of your food, your prep, and your labor all will come to bear on your bottom line. For everything you intend to execute, consider cost, consider feasibility, and consider its possible appeal. Also — consider your own personal enjoyment. Don’t build a menu around foods or kitchen tasks that you can't find a way to enjoy. Your menu should make people happy, and you are the most important person in this entire equation.

Sketch out an organizational chart

You’re as successful as the people around you, and you can’t do this by yourself. Write out your org chart: who does what tasks, and who reports to whom.

Maybe you won’t need to hire immediately because your first phase is a food truck or a very small mom-and-pop. You should nonetheless consider staff planning. Figure out how many and what kinds of staffers you’ll need, what shift schedules will look like, and how much your labor will cost. Those projections are essential to building out a budget and any other financial planning (such as your expected restaurant prime cost ).

Outline your technology plan 

Take a deep breath, clear your mind, and consider your tech needs. They’re going to be several. For some restaurants the sum of your technology tools, or the so-called tech stack , is surprisingly straightforward: Pizza joints , tap rooms , and coffee shops , for example, use a handful of go-to tools. Most everyone else has to improvise a bit.

First thing, you’ll need a point-of-sale system — a huge choice, and one that will determine many other downstream tech choices. A good POS can simplify financial reports and analysis, stock turnover, and more. Your POS will be your best business management tool for day to day operations. Many businesses have transitioned to a cashless model by accepting sources like Apple Pay, Venmo, and credit card systems . Do some shopping, and don’t be shy about haggling over the price with your eventual provider.

You might need delivery and marketing services like DoorDash and GrubHub (or you might decide to launch your own delivery service ). Digital menus and ordering, virtual check-in, mobile payment systems , and a solid website all belong in this section. You might also push the boundaries further with e-commerce , reservation software , inventory management, payroll and staffing and hiring, food waste monitoring, your kitchen display systems , and online ordering platforms. So many aspects of a restaurant’s operation are propelled or assisted by different tech tools, you’re going to want to get nerdy with it, and check those price tags.

Show off some elements of your restaurant design 

Plan and consider the experience when you first walk into your restaurant following through every step of your space. What do you want your customers to experience? What environment do you want to create to represent your brand identity and how should it influence the dining experience? What about your workers — will they have their own bathroom? Lockers?

This vision will vary depending upon your type of restaurant, the space you’re working with, and your budget. Get creative. Depending upon how you expect to use the space at different times of the year and day, you may want a space that can transition to present different energies for different settings. The general design aesthetic may be something to test run at a soft opening or in feedback surveys.

Lay out your market analysis

Failing to do enough unbiased, thorough research is perhaps the greatest mistake restaurateurs make in business planning. With so many factors to consider, a guess or your gut aren’t the most reliable guides. Do your research, gather data, and make the best-educated decisions possible for your location, your budget, your concept, and your model.

Here are some broad areas to consider, with some questions to get you probing.

Location. This includes both your specific address and the rest of the neighborhood. What is foot traffic or driving traffic like? And will you have high traffic and good visibility? Who lives nearby, what do they spend, and what are their dining habits?

Have a look around, within a short drive or walking distance. Are there other restaurants with similar offerings to yours? This might not be a bad thing — opening a gelato shop on a block with an Italian restaurant might benefit you both. But if they are similar, how does their menu stack up to yours? Is their location more visible? If so, how can you set your establishment apart?

Competitive analysis. This is somewhat related to location. How well you do will depend on who else exists in your area that is both a direct and indirect competitor.

Do a SWOT analysis — strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. What demand will there be for your restaurant? Who are your top competitors, and what advantages do you have that they don’t?

Competitive analysis information for restaurants can be tricky. Business intelligence in this industry commonly travels as mostly word of mouth, which doesn’t always paint a full picture. If you have the budget, consider hiring a consultant or data firm to help you figure out the landscape. While it may be difficult to get some competitive market data, you have to be thorough.

Performance KPIs. Know how to calculate top restaurant key performance indicators, and know the most appropriate metrics of your type of restaurant. You want to set realistic financial goals.

Target marketing. Without limiting yourself, ask who is your ideal customer? Age, income, background, tastes, family size, you name it. You’re going to want to build your brand to appeal to them, without needlessly alienating other possible customers. Restaurant owners commonly overestimate how much their target demographic will spend — for instance young, hip diners are great for bringing energy and attention, but they’re often cash-poor. Know what people in your area have to spend so that you can set realistic expectations for sales.

Theme. Branding, branding, branding. This again draws from your value proposition and your overall design. Know your theme and maintain consistency to build your brand .

Financial analysis. This might be the most important analysis. If you’re spending faster than you’re earning, you’ll be sunk, and for a variety or reasons it’s easy to overestimate your profitability. Do the math — pitting all your costs against your projected revenue. Then run those calculations back while considering how you would withstand a shock to the system such as another pandemic , supply chain woes, or a bird flu that sends the price of eggs soaring. Economics is known as the dismal science for a reason. Confront the hard questions about whether you can turn a profit. 

Soft openings. Have you attempted a trial run, or a pop-up ? Do you have some other solid form of proof that your ideas — your menu, your marketing plans, your vibes — can draw an audience? If not, figure out a way to present a proof-of-concept menu of items to 50 or 100 people to get their customer feedback on quality, experience, and price point. Incorporate their testimony (and suggestions) into your overall plan, and use the test run to let investors know you’ve prototyped your concept. It gives them confidence.

Sketch out your marketing plan 

Second perhaps only to your market analysis, your marketing plan may be the most important aspect of your business plan. Your marketing plan should at the very least include: a website, a plan to use social media, a plan to use Google, a plan to use incorporate loyalty programs, any relevant traditional media (such as print or radio ads), and any other direct-to-consumer outreach — coupons, flyers, mailers, email, and so forth. Figure out what it all costs and include that estimate into your expenses.

As you imagine your marketing, picture how the other aspects of your business plan connect to it. Does your restaurant design lend itself to creating the sort of vibe you want to showcase on Instagram, for instance? Does your menu include items that perform especially well on TikTok? Is the lighting suitable for content creators to make posts of their favorite menu items? Make a note of it. Part of the business plan’s essential function is itself to market your idea to people who might back your restaurant and encourage them to bring more people next time they visit. The marketing plan thus has a dual function. It lays out your strategies and ideas; it also serves to market the business plan itself. So think of it as a place where the other components of your overall plan converge.

If you’re stumped for ideas, scope out this quick rundown of top restaurant marketing tools and digital marketing tips . Then check out ways to build a great restaurant website , strategies to win on SEO and on local SEO in particular , a primer on setting up a Google Business Profile , basic social media best practices , specific best practices for Instagram , strategies for marketing your restaurant on TikTok (plus some TikTok accounts to follow ), pointers on how to shoot great food video , how to use email as your secret weapon, and how, after all of this, to get the best returns from your restaurant marketing budget .

Finally, put the business plan to use by presenting to investors

Now, to the point of the plan: Showing people who might want to invest in your restaurant that you’ve got a chance to turn a buck. Restaurants fail all the time. Top of your investors' minds will be the question you've been considering all along now, namely: How will this venture survive to make a profit?

Ideally you’re presenting to investors around your soft launch. If the soft launch and the pitch are successful, you may get some capital lined up and get to move ahead to the hard launch.

Whether you win over private investors or secure a business loan, this business plan will allow you to present a strong, metrics-based pitch that shows a path to success grounded in realistic expectations and thorough market research. By the time you’ve honed your business plan, tweaking and adjusting as you interrogate your ideas, you should feel ready for anything.

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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!

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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.

LLC Formation

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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Starting a restaurant business is not always an easy thought to entertain. Imagine the fear you have before you start a project, only add the concerns of funding, employing others, and appeasing investors. However, just because the fear is present, it doesn’t mean that you should allow it to stop you from doing what you want to do. For soon-to-be restaurant owners, among the best ways of doing so is to write your own restaurant business proposal.

By having a detailed plan, you can ease not only your own fears, but also that of others. Investors will be less keen in your ideas if they don’t see you doing your homework about them first. Without investors, your options to raise funding will be lessened and the road to success will be tougher to travel on. So if you want to make things easier for yourself and everyone else involved, take a look at what we have to say about writing your own restaurant business proposal.

Mention Your Concepts, The Menu, & The Design

When coming up with a restaurant proposal , you need to think of three specific parts of your business. First, there is your concept. After that comes your restaurant’s menu. Lastly, there are your designs for the physical aspect of the restaurant. Take the time to develop each of these three as you go about creating your business proposal. Below is a much deeper look at each of them:

When it comes to having your own restaurant, the first thing you need to accomplish would be the act of choosing a restaurant concept . This will be the foundation upon which you will build everything else. When exploring your ideas, feel free to be as specific and creative as you can. As long as it is something you can realistically achieve, you have as much free reign to do as you wish.

With your concept established and spelt out for investors to see, the natural progression would be to proceed to your restaurant’s menu. A key reminder to keep in mind is to ensure that it fits well with your chosen concept. Do your research before preparing a restaurant menu so that you can properly compete with your competition, set reasonable prices, and give yourself new ideas for dishes.

An interior design proposal is important because it provides people with an idea of what the physical aspect of your restaurant will look like. Remember that your environment can substantially raise the ambience of your restaurant if you do it right. When designing the restaurant, keep your budget in mind and take note of any potential or underlying problems that you may have. Include the solutions in your proposal so that you can ease concerns swiftly and to show how capable you are in pulling this off.

You may think that your business plan is the most important part, but your mission statement would beg to differ. After all, this is the essence of everything that your business stands for, expertly summed up in just a few sentences to say the least. Through this, you get to express what you’re all about to your employees, your customers, and everybody else. When crafting out your mission statement , be sure to include the following:

• What type of products or services you have to offer and their respective prices
• The technological aspect of the restaurant
• Your relationship with your customers, or the type of relationship you want to cultivate
• What you are looking to bring to the table within the community

Keep all of this in mind and you’ll be on your way towards creating a mission statement you can be proud of. During times of need, especially when inspiration and motivation are sorely lacking, a mission statement can be an excellent source of both. Make sure that your own is something that not only inspires and motivates you, but also those working for you as everybody continues to strive towards the same goal of excellence.

Expenses of Restaurant

They say you need to spend money in order to make money. This is true for all businesses and as a restaurant owner, you need to be fully aware of which aspects of the endeavor are going to cost you. Due to the extensive number of expenses involved, it would take far too long to list them all. So instead, here’s a look at some of the more important ones to watch out for.

If you don’t own the lot or space in which you are operating, then chances are you’ll be forking over cash to your landlord so that you can keep renting out the area. This is a necessary evil, one that you need to handle on a regular basis. As your business gradually improves, you may start to distance yourself from renting and move on towards operating in a space that you actually own.

Location Improvement Cost

Not every area you rent out will look impressive from the get-go. As a matter of fact, many of them will need some improvements in the form of renovations or repairs. This is not only time-consuming, but also quite expensive, depending on how much work is needed. Make sure to take this into account when scouting for potential locations.

Loyal and competent employees aren’t the easiest to come by and keep. When you come across them, it is only fitting to make sure that they are getting paid well for their hard work. You wouldn’t want to create disgruntled employees by being stingy or reckless with their hard-earned money, so labor costs must be handled with absolute care.

Repairs & Maintenance Cost

In time, all things will start to show some wear and tear. When you notice this happening to your equipment, you’ll be forking over more money to repair them and ensure they’re in tip, top shape. If you want to lessen the costs of repairs, it pays to maintain your equipment better and to take note of when they start to break down. By taking care of them better and learning what to expect, you’ll be less likely to face any surprises.

Administrative Cost

All in all, a lot goes into administrative costs. Insurance will come into play, office supplies will too, along with legal counsel, the salaries of staff, and more. Considering how big and diverse of an umbrella this can be, it pays to be aware of your own operations as much as possible.

Operating Cost

When you say operations, a lot can also come into mind. Food costs are definitely among them. Basically, expenses involved in the day-to-day aspect of running the restaurant will fall under this category. Prepare yourself by taking note of your inventory, what’s missing and what needs to be restocked. Pay close attention to the smallest details because even those, when piled up, can lead to significant numbers.

Lastly, there’s the expenses needed where it concerns the marketing of your business. This includes cost analysis of market research methods and various others. Unlike repairs and operations, how much you spend on this is entirely up to you. Establish a budget beforehand and try not to go overboard as you go along.

Concerning the funding, the preparation of an investment proposal is crucial if you want to attract potential investors. The development of a good proposal needs advanced planning, strong knowledge of your business, writing ability, and some know-how in accounting. When writing, it is also best to keep certain questions for your investors in mind:

• Will your restaurant keep their investment safe?
• When will they see their ROI?
• How much money is the restaurant projected to make?

You’ll need to include a history of your restaurant in the proposal, along with details regarding the funding. This involves specifying the investment level needed and how it’s going to be used. Be sure to also add information about your facilities, your products, the competition, staff, mission and objectives, your projection for your finances, and more.

Marketing Plan

Writing a marketing plan is all about what the company needs presently. Tailor your research and strategies based on realistic, measurable, and executable goals. Once you have done just that, it is just a matter of monitoring the results of your efforts. By doing so, you get an idea of what works for your business and what has failed thus far. Concerning more specific examples, here’s what you can do:

Consider the current situation of your restaurant so that you can analyze every necessary aspect. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses; the opportunities available to you and any threats to the business. Define your ideal customers and what your goals are. Once there, focus on coming up with tactics and general strategies that are achievable with your budget in mind. Be sure to focus on the present and don’t look too far ahead in this stage.

The successful implementation of your marketing plans has a lot to do with delegation and time allocation. Set tasks for yourself or employees to do. With clearly defined expected results and an established timeframe, the implementation should ideally go smoothly enough to begin being evaluated properly.

When it comes to the evaluation, there are a few ways to get started. One is by looking at the ROI. Measure how much you spent on each marketing campaign and compare it to the amount that’s been specifically brought in. Another way is to look at how your customers have responded so far. You may resort to online surveys or just doing it in person.

Business Plan

Writing a business plan is all about coming up with strategies and finding ways to execute them in the most effective manner. As a restaurant owner, you’ve likely had experience in this department, but there are always opportunities to improve. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts that you are bound to find useful.

• Research Extensively: Look into every aspect of the business as needed: define your goals, clarify your concepts, and plan out your budget, and structure everything in between. Take a look at your competitors and establish what your ideal customer is like. Actively researching will give you a greater edge in the market, especially if you do so in ways that are as specific as possible.
• Cite your Sources: Regardless if you conducted surveys, read studies, or scouted the competition, it will make your plans more credible to have sources.
• Appeal to Emotions: As important as logic is to your business plan, there has to be an appeal to emotions as well. This is done through the use of examples, anecdotes, and the like.
• Show your Understanding of Market Demand: It is vital to show how much of an understanding you have when it comes to your economic environment. Potential investors would be happy to know how carefully you’ve considered influences in the market, which are responsible for the rise and fall of demand.
• Address Risks: The riskier aspects of your restaurant are what investors are likely to steer clear off the most, so it is best to address them. Don’t stop there, be sure to have ready solutions for said risks so you can put people at ease.

Use Too Much Text: A useful tip when coming up with your business plan is to keep things simple. People are less enthusiastic about business plans when it is sprawling with text. Instead of overdoing it, make use of pictures, diagrams, numbers, and other things.

• Underestimate your Competitors: Your investors are well aware that despite how good your ideas are, customers will always have alternatives. Never take your competition for granted and examine their strengths and weaknesses. Proper preparation and analysis are key to anticipating and countering their moves.
• Overlook your Resources: Always keep an eye out for your resources. Look into how much you will possibly need for your restaurant and whether or not you will need partnerships or funding.
• Overlook your Execution: Think about how much time and effort it is going to take to shape your restaurant into an ideal establishment. Consider how the plan will better attract customers in the most reliable and cost-effective way. Never neglect the execution of your idea over the idea by itself.
• Put All your Focus on the Product: Don’t spend too much time worrying about your dishes. Focus on your restaurant business as a whole. Know that at some point, you’ll have to change things so focusing too much on specific products won’t get you anywhere.

Restaurant Management

There will be a myriad of things that constitutes the running of your restaurant. From meeting with directors to creating your own management policy , the ins and outs of management will depend solely on all your previous choices. With that said, here are things that will be of use to you as you go about your day-to-day duties:

Always Consider the Customer

You’re surely aware of the saying, ‘the customer is always right.’ Regardless of whether you agree with it or not, how you handle complaints and issues with consumers is a large part of your relationship with them. It can determine whether or not they’ll be repeat customers or one-offs.

Articulate your Job Expectations to your Staff Clearly

Communication is key in any relationship and your dealings with your staff is no exception. It is up to you to be clear about what you expect out of their roles. This not only promotes transparency within your establishment, but it can also help your staff become more competent.

Delegate Properly

You may find yourself tackling multiple roles behind the scenes, but you won’t be able to do everything on your own. Being able to delegate roles properly and to the best suited people for each one is practically an art in itself. Do this and you’ll see your restaurant grow and evolve in the best ways.

Keep an Eye on your Cash Flow

Never neglect your operations and management spreadsheets . Monitor them as much as needed, be it on a daily, or weekly, or perhaps even on a monthly basis.

The lack of innovation can lead to major problems in a restaurant. You can do this by changing up the menu every now and again, providing limited promotions and services, among other things.

By going over your business plan, restaurant templates and documents , you can see just what type of establishment you’ve got. All of its strengths and weaknesses will be laid bare, enough for you to determine which part needs more attention or improvement. Going over these things is important in order to create the best business proposal possible. Once investors see how keen you are and how much attention you give to your restaurant, there should be no problem in acquiring the funding or partnership that you need.

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Restaurant Proposal

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Restaurants and other food places are not only business establishments. They are a venue of special occasions and joy. This is where people share meals, meet up for first meetings, and hang out for fun. It’s more than a venue for eating because it has become a location of great memories. This is why budding entrepreneurs are eager to set up their own, but because it’s a huge industry with thousands of competitors, it’s going to be a real challenge. Use a great restaurant proposal to get the support that you need. This will serve as your business plan and persuasive material at the same time to win over partners and investors to your side.

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What Is a Restaurant Proposal?

A restaurant proposal is a comprehensive document that contains your restaurant business idea’s plan from its description down to its management, intending to present it to an audience that can support the said entrepreneurial venture. This is a crucial presentation staple when vying for an investor’s funding or a partner’s approval in starting the said food business.

If there is something people “consume” daily, there could not be any literal translation other than food. Anything that’s associated with delicacies, desserts, main course, and other meal options have always possessed that captivating factor to any individual around the world. Aside from it being a survival need, it’s also a leisure anyone can enjoy. This is the food industry, specifically restaurant establishments, which are among the biggest in the market. According to Forbes,  the restaurant industry’s sales could hit $1.3 trillion in 2030 . Huge would be an understatement, but this also means that numerous competitors in the market make it a challenging field to thrive in.

Essential Elements of a Business Proposal

In general, a business proposal’s purpose is to be a persuasive pitch. It should help its presenter send across his message efficiently and gain the nods of the audience. Because it’s commonly used in making sales or introducing a business idea awaiting a proposal, it’s a crucial business material.

If you hope to make an effective business proposal whether to gather support or raise your sales report’s figures, here are some elements that your proposal should have:

1. Credibility – it’s imperative that your proposal should present credible details to gain trust. Your clients won’t’ make any action to transact with you unless your proposal shows that you’re someone they can rely on.

2. Solutions – your clients will look for details on what makes your proposal significant. This is why it’s essential to show that you have the solution to what they need because only then will they feel the urgency of your proposal’s value.

3. Benefits – aside from the solutions, your proposal should include a comprehensive list of benefits that it can offer. How will you help them improve? Are you quick to respond to tasks and deliverables? The positive response to these questions will make them trust you more.

4. Samples – your business offer shouldn’t be all for show. For example, if you’re presenting a high-quality cleaning agent, how will they know that it’s effective without a sample of your product? This will assure them of what you’re offering. 

5. Targeted Language – this refers to how you’ll make your presentation relatable to your audience. This is why it’s necessary to customize your document according to your audience so they’ll be able to get your point without struggling with unfamiliar methods and jargon.

How to Make a Restaurant Proposal

With the size of the restaurant industry’s market, it’s hard to find a unique selling point that would make your restaurant concept an idea worthy of support and attention. However, with the right restaurant proposal, you would be able to make a business presentation that will do well. Follow the steps below for some helpful tips:

1. Create a Rough Outline

Stary by identifying the different parts that your restaurant proposal should have. Your proposal should include a comprehensive account of your plan’s details and why it should happen. Your proposal should also have a marketing plan , and a sales plan to exhibit how it will appeal to its audience and the various ways on how to make it work in a competitive market. Commence the process by filling in the different sections with rough content. This way, it will be easy for you to encode them on its final layout with lesser errors later on.

2. Provide a Comprehensive Business Description

A restaurant business plan’s core concept lies in what kind of business idea it’s going to present. This is why you must do extensive planning of what your grand restaurant idea is going to be. Do you want to own a fancy dining establishment? Is it going to be a hip and modern eating place? Are you making a fast food proposal? Lay down your business description and discuss how it will appeal to its audience. If you’re presenting your proposal to your business partners or investors, this part alone can significantly contribute to helping your gain their approval.

3. Have a Reliable Competitor and Market Review

A business proposal’s strengths and weaknesses can never be established without a competitor and market review’s input. As a budding entrepreneur, this helps you identify what factors will help you develop your business performance in the market by analyzing your target audience’s demographics and preferences through market analysis . Your competitor analysis also helps you understand who you’re competing with. This enables you to know what advantages and disadvantages they have and how you can manipulate them in your favor.

4. Prepare Your Financial Plan

If you’re presenting this to a prospective business sponsor who’s going to fund your business idea, you’ll fail to get their affirmation unless they’re certain that they will earn something though it. This is why a solid financial plan and financial projection are a useful component of your restaurant proposal. This shows the research-based results of your sales increase in a given timeline and how your investors will be able to gain their Return of Investment (ROI) after a certain period.

5. Write an Effective Executive Summary

Your executive summary contains all of your proposal’s important details in brief, so your audience will be able to go through the entire plan initially without reviewing every page. This is the first part of any restaurant business plan or proposal, which will serve as your hook to capture their attention. To ensure that you’ll be able to put in everything that’s necessary for your summary, compose this after you’re done with everything so you won’t miss out on anything.

What are the two main types of business proposal?

The two main types of business proposals are solicited and unsolicited. A solicited business proposal is presented in response to a demand, invitation, or a Request for Proposal (RFP). On the other hand, an unsolicited business proposal is voluntary and presented, even without a request to get attention.

What are the essential components of a restaurant business plan?

A restaurant business plan should include the following:

• Business idea or description
• Restaurant menu
• Organizational structure
• Branding design and restaurant interior
• Target Market
• Marketing and sales strategy

What is the ideal length for a business proposal?

There is no definite answer to this because this largely depends on what you’re presenting. But usually, typical business plan length ranges from 30 to 50 pages.

Making it in the restaurant industry is a tough challenge to take on. This doesn’t stop right after you open your celebratory champagne after your restaurant’s grand opening. This goes on constantly as you struggle with new competitors and new trends in the market. But first, you must overcome the challenge of getting your business idea approved for support. Accomplish that without a sweat through our restaurant proposal templates . Don’t bother starting from scratch and take your pick from our selection. Download now!

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'Bar Rescue's' Jon Taffer shreds Kamala Harris' price control proposal: 'It's a nightmare'

Taffer also said harris' proposed 28% corporate tax rate would make america less competitive in the global marketplace.

Jon Taffer rips Kamala Harris' 'absurd' economic proposals: 'Catastrophe'

'Bar Rescue' host Jon Taffer sounds off on Vice President Kamala Harris' proposed economic policies, including a 28% corporate tax rate and a price control plan.

Vice President Kamala Harris' proposed 28% corporate tax rate and plan to control prices on goods could lead the U.S. to "catastrophe," "Bar Rescue" host Jon Taffer warned FOX Business viewers on Tuesday.

"It's a nightmare," he told Stuart Varney. 

"Think of the hamburgers… there's thousands of different hamburgers a restaurant can buy… Every blend, every type you can think about. So, she has to send an analyst in to price every type of hamburger. Then the ranchers' costs can't go up. His price for feed [and] electronics must remain the same, so he can sell it to the processing plant. Then the processing plant's cost can't go up. They have to stay exactly the same — fuel, equipment, transportation, labor."

KEVIN O'LEARY TEARS INTO HARRIS' ‘INFLATIONARY’ ECONOMIC AGENDA: ‘WE’RE GETTING BIDENOMICS 2.0'

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a stop on her campaign bus tour in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.  (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"Then when it goes to the distributor, his costs can't go up. Fuel distribution, unions, all the other costs associated with his business. Then the restaurant gets the hamburger in a price-controlled way," he added.

Harris on Aug. 14 announced her plan to institute a "federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries" as president in an attempt to stop "big corporations" from taking advantage of consumers. 

The idea has raised eyebrows across different industries in the days since, with investors like Kevin O'Leary, financial gurus like Dave Ramsey and even left-wing mainstream media outlets questioning the outcome of such policies if implemented.

Taffer, who has helped a number of struggling businesses regain footing, is focusing on how such policies might impact the restaurant industry.

"What about the bun? What about the tomato? What about the lettuce? What about the ketchup? What happens then? I mean, it becomes absurd," he said.

CRACKS IN THE WALL OF MEDIA PRAISE FOR HARRIS? MULTIPLE OUTLETS EVISCERATE VP OVER PRICE CONTROL PLAN

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she walks to board Air Force Two at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Morrisville, North Carolina, on Friday. (Allison Joyce/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"You cannot accomplish this, and when we look at past countries that have done this, shortages happen. If the bun guy can't make money, he stops making buns. So the supply side impact is massive. It's an absurd premise. The fact that it's being presented as a policy is as absurd as the premise itself."

Harris also proposed a 28% corporate tax rate, a reversal on Trump-era cuts.

She touted the plan as a "fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people," but Taffer is none too thrilled about the idea.

"That's taking 7% of the profits that we make out of our pockets. Those dollars are used for upgrades, for remodeling, for employee raises, for systems, for marketing, research and development, all of these things," he said.

DAVE RAMSEY EXPLAINS WHY KAMALA HARRIS' PRICE CONTROL PLAN WILL NOT CURB INFLATION: ‘IT’S NOT SUSTAINABLE'

Kevin O'Leary says investors 'shocked' by Harris' economic proposals: 'Bidenomics 2.0'

O'Leary Ventures Chairman Kevin O'Leary on Vice President Kamala Harris' plan to implement price controls if elected and warnings against former President Trump's push for tariffs.

"A communist country, China, is 3% lower than us. So, from the business standpoint, it's a disaster. We're going to see reductions in payroll, reductions in other ways, price increases, things to offset that impact. From an American standpoint, how do we compete in a global marketplace when our companies are paying a higher tax rate than our largest competitor that is a communist government?…

"It destroys business on a local basis, and it weakens America's economy on a global basis. These are policies that make no sense. When you start to put these things together, words like ‘catastrophe’ appear, and that's the most horrifying of all," he said.

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Economist says Kamala Harris' price controls proposal is 'incredibly chilling'

Former Council of Economic Advisers chair Kevin Hassett reacts to Vice President Kamala Harris' economic plan and price controls proposal on 'The Evening Edit.' 

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

Harris and Trump’s pitch to businesses: Give workers a raise without increasing your payroll

Business owners could hardly believe their ears. In the span of a few days both presidential candidates endorsed a policy that would solve one of their biggest headaches and cost them nothing. 

When former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris proposed to eliminate taxes on tips they saw an easy way to give their employees a much-deserved raise. Fortune spoke to several business owners whose staff earn part of their wages in tips all of whom welcomed the initiative on the grounds it would benefit their employees. 

“I may be a unicorn here, but I am all about my employees making as much money as they can and bettering their livelihood and their families’ situation,” said Carl Sobocinski, founder and president of Table 301 Restaurant Group which owns five restaurants in Greenville, S.C.   

Chris Stephens, who handles PR for his wife Maria’s Boston-based tour guide company, Boston Hidden Gems, said they were thrilled for what it could mean for their tour guides, who he estimated make between 20% and 30% of their compensation in tips. “We would love it for our employees, as it would mean more money in their pocket,” he said. 

In Sobocinski’s restaurants, most of servers’ income comes from tips. Sobocinski and his CFO Richard Vogt crunched the numbers and estimated servers could save on average 16% to 19% in taxes if the policy were to become law. At his restaurants, the average server who makes about $48,000 a year, $41,000 of which was in tips, would save $6,600 in taxes, he told Fortune . Meanwhile, the highest paid servers, who make $81,000 a year, with $69,000 in tips, would take home an additional $13,000 a year, according to Vogt’s calculations.  

While the policy proposal was meant to benefit workers it would also benefit the businesses themselves, according to Keith Hall, a labor economist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. “Anything that affects taxing workers is shared by both the worker and the employer,” Hall said

Business owners would be able to offer higher real wages without incurring additional costs—a proposition that is especially appealing in the restaurant business, where margins are razor-thin. 

“To me, as a business owner, it’s a win-win,” said David Viana, coowner and executive chef of Heirloom Kitchen, a restaurant in Old Bridge, N.J. 

As a result, business owners could be incentivized to push more of their employees’ pay into tips, according to Hall. Both because it’s what the employees would want; and because by doing so, they would reduce their own payroll, and the payroll tax businesses have to pay. 

Viana, Sobocinski, and Stephens all said they didn’t plan to change how they compensated their employees, but they did acknowledge that tips would become much more appealing. Still they emphasized the importance of increasing take-home pay for their workers amid rising cost of living crisis. 

Restaurants “are the last bastion for people to have a middle-income kind of opportunity in this country,” Viana said. “The living wage job is kind of going the way of the dodo, in my opinion.”

Doing away with taxes on tips would help make an industry that’s known for being greuling more attractive, Viana added. “It’s another way for an industry that has had a bad reputation in a lot of ways—with how we treated our staff and not being able to give them health care and things like that—to put more money in the pockets of individual people.”

Stephens, the tour guide operator, saw one scenario in which the policy could backfire: people saw it as an excuse to tip less. “The point of tips, from a customer’s viewpoint, is generally to support the specific person or group you’re tipping; if you, as a customer, can spend less but still support them the same amount, why wouldn’t you do exactly that?,” he said.

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Burton restaurant owner and servers back Trump’s proposal to ax taxes on tips

Restaurant owner Jason Hester discusses former President Donald Trump's proposal to end taxes on tips. | Kyle Davidson

Outside the Starlite Burger and Coney Shop in Burton on Friday, Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra and Republican U.S. House nominee Paul Junge joined owner Jason Hester and members of his staff to talk about former President Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate taxes on tips. 

Trump first floated the idea while rallying in Nevada earlier in the summer, with some viewing the proposal as a move to win votes in the swing state, which boasts a high number of workers in the service industry. He later elaborated that the proposal would eliminate both payroll and income taxes on tipped wages, a move that would require approval from Congress. 

Earlier this summer, the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association released the results of its State of the Industry Operations Survey detailing the impacts of inflation and COVID-19 on Michigan’s hospitality industry. 

Michigan Supreme Court hears arguments about changing minimum wage

According to the survey, sales are down with only one-in-four restaurants experiencing sales growth over the last year. 60% of restaurants reported having less customer traffic than a year ago, while 45% percent of restaurants have experienced decreased topline sales over the last year, with inflation resulting in increases to their menu costs. 

Additionally, hospitality industry and small business representatives have sounded the alarm over a recent Michigan Supreme Court decision on two ballot initiatives, which when implemented will raise Michigan’s minimum wage to more than $12 an hour from the current minimum of $10.33, and raise tipped wages over the coming years until subminimum wages have been phased out. 

With the policy set to take effect on Feb. 21, the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association has warned one in five businesses would close due to the increased minimum wage and elimination of the tip credit. 

While the decision has drawn mixed response from Democrats , Hoekstra blasted the effort, calling it disruptive and arguing Democrats had supported efforts to increase staffing at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with the agency using $80 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding to hire 87,000 new employees in 2022 after announcing its plan to hire more workers the year prior.

Politifact reported that these new hires were not solely for auditors or enforcement with the funding also going toward operations support, taxpayer services and modernizing the agency’s business system.

“The Democrats hire 87,000 more IRS agents to make sure that they find every tip that is given out there and make sure that these people are paying more in taxes, more money for government,” Hoekstra said.

“[The] Republican approach is very, very different. Donald Trump realizes that, you know what? I think government’s big enough and spends enough. We don’t need to find more ways to raise money for government. Let’s just cut down the appetite of government. Let’s not be disruptive to the industry,” he said.

Hoekstra and Junge both slammed Vice President Kamala Harris for introducing her own plan to eliminate taxes on tips, saying she would not deliver on her promise. Junge is running in the open 8th District against state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City).

Unlike Trump’s plan, which would eliminate both the payroll and federal income tax on tips, Harris’s proposal would retain the payroll tax, which is used to fund Social Security and Medicare. At the same rally where she announced the proposal Harris also pledged to raise the national minimum wage. 

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has projected Trump’s proposal to exempt tips from federal income and payroll taxes would reduce federal revenues by $150 to $250 billion over 10 years, while Harris’s plan would lead to deficits of increase deficits by $100 to $200 billion over 10 years.

Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra and Republican U.S. House Candidate Paul Junge joined restaurant owner Jason Hester and members of his staff to talk former President Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate taxes on tips on Aug. 23, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

Danielle Shock, a server in Burton, Michigan said former President Donald Trump's proposal to end taxes on tips would allow her to take home an additional $300 to $400 a week. | Kyle Davidson

Danielle Shock, a server in Burton, Michigan discusses how former President Donald Trump's proposal to end taxes on tips would impact her pay. | Kyle Davidson

Republican U.S. House Candidate Paul Junge discusses former President Donald Trump's promise to end taxes on tips at a press conference in Burton, Michigan on Aug. 23, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

While Michigan’s tipped wage is currently below $4, Hester said his servers can make upwards of $20 an hour with their tips included, arguing that instituting a higher minimum wage would discourage customers from tipping. 

“With President Trump, for the first time in the past four years, you know, the service industry, the people that depend on their tips the most, are going to have a capture rate that’s significantly better than what it is now,” Hester said.

“They’ll be able to take care of their families … they’re going to take home what they make and what they rightly deserve,” Hester said. 

Danielle Shock, a longtime Starlite server, said she would take home an additional $300 to $400 a week under Trump’s proposal. 

“If I’m paid a minimum wage, no one’s going to care how I treat them. They’re not going to care to tip. It’s just going to be a simple interaction,” Shock said. 

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What We Know About Kamala Harris’s $5 Trillion Tax Plan So Far

The vice president supports the tax increases proposed by the Biden White House, according to her campaign.

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By Andrew Duehren

Reporting from Washington

In a campaign otherwise light on policy specifics, Vice President Kamala Harris this week quietly rolled out her most detailed, far-ranging proposal yet: nearly $5 trillion in tax increases over a decade.

That’s how much more revenue the federal government would raise if it adopted a number of tax increases that President Biden proposed in the spring . Ms. Harris’s campaign said this week that she supported those tax hikes, which were thoroughly laid out in the most recent federal budget plan prepared by the Biden administration.

No one making less than $400,000 a year would see their taxes go up under the plan. Instead, Ms. Harris is seeking to significantly raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and large corporations. Congress has previously rejected many of these tax ideas, even when Democrats controlled both chambers.

While tax policy is right now a subplot in a turbulent presidential campaign, it will be a primary policy issue in Washington next year. The next president will have to work with Congress to address the tax cuts Donald J. Trump signed into law in 2017. Many of those tax cuts expire after 2025, meaning millions of Americans will see their taxes go up if lawmakers don’t reach a deal next year.

Here’s an overview of what we now know — and still don’t know — about the Democratic nominee’s views on taxes.

Higher taxes on corporations

The most recent White House budget includes several proposals that would raise taxes on large corporations . Chief among them is raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 21 percent, a step that the Treasury Department estimated could bring in $1.3 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years.

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Economists push back on Harris’ price gouging plan

WASHINGTON - Ms Kamala Harris’ price gouging policy has been criticised by economists and analysts, who say it is an uncompetitive proposal that could end up hurting, and not helping, US consumers.

Ms Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, announced the policy last week as part of a raft of populist proposals that included a US$6,000-a-year (S$7,800) tax credit for families with newborn children and a US$10,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers.

If elected president, Ms Harris would work with Congress to advance “the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries”, her campaign said in a statement.

The proposals would look to set “clear rules of the road” to stop big corporations from running up “excessive” profits on food and groceries, and beef up state and federal regulatory powers to penalise rule-breakers.

While popular with the Democratic base, the price gouging plans elicited a fierce reaction from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who is running against Ms Harris in November’s elections.

“Kamala will implement SOVIET Style Price Controls,” he wrote in a social media post a day after the proposals were published.

Supporters of the policy say it has been mischaracterised and misunderstood.

“When there is more concentration in an industry, we have seen much greater increases in the profit margins,” US Senator Elizabeth Warren said in an interview with CNBC on Aug 23.

The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment. But several US media organisations, including The Washington Post, reported that the Harris campaign sees the policy as an attempt to elevate existing state-level rules on price gouging to the federal level.

What price gouging?

A global inflationary surge at the tail-end of the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to a sharp rise in the cost of everyday items across the United States.

Consumer inflation has eased dramatically since peaking at more than nine per cent in 2022. But Americans are still contending with an overall price increase of just over 20 per cent since President Joe Biden took office, according to data from the US Labour Department.

However, “very little” of that increase is down to price gouging, Oxford Economics chief US economist Ryan Sweet told AFP.

Instead, Mr Sweet points to a pandemic-fuelled supply shock, and an increase in demand for goods and services spurred – in part – by generous federal support for households during the pandemic.

“What this gouging does is pivot the blame from the Biden administration, which Harris was part of, to corporations,” said Mr Gary Hufbauer, a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

“It’s a pretty successful political argument,” he told AFP. “It has no economic basis.”

‘Penny business’

The retail business is notoriously tough, with profit margins often in the low single digits – in stark contrast to higher-margin sectors like tech.

“Is there a more competitive space than retail?” Target chief executive Brian Cornell said in an interview with CNBC on Aug 21 that touched on Ms Harris’ price gouging plans.

“It is a penny business, and it’s a very competitive space, and we provide the value consumers are looking for,” he added.

But for people struggling with the cost of living, it is a difficult argument to make.

“People see that gasoline prices are higher than they were a few years ago, food prices are going to be higher than they were a few years ago,” said Mr Sweet, from Oxford Economics.

“But we’re not going back down to the prices that we saw pre-pandemic,” he added.

That’s because easing inflation does not translate into lower sticker prices at the grocery store.

Instead, when wages increase faster than inflation – as they have been for well over a year now – the cost of those items relative to wages declines over time.

But it is a slow process.

The US Federal Reserve appears increasingly confident that it is winning its battle to bring inflation back down to its long-term target of 2 per cent.

On Aug 23, Fed chairman Jerome Powell said “the time has come” to start lowering interest rates, lifting expectations of a rate cut in September.

Said Mr Sweet: “There’s clear evidence that businesses’ pricing power has started to diminish.”

“I think over time, as inflation gets back down to the Fed’s target, this discussion of price gouging is going to start to fade to the background,” he added. AFP

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• US presidential election 2024
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How tony roma’s is trying to make a comeback in the u.s..

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Tony Roma’s bbq and steak eateries have thinned out in the states but picked up internationally. ... [+] Pictured is its Anaheim, Calif. location.

At its heyday in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Tony Roma’s, which specializes in baby back ribs, steaks and burgers, grew to 193 outlets. In many cities, there was always a Tony Roma, such as the one in the heart of Greenwich Village on 6 th Avenue near 8 th Street. Then it fell on hard times, and by 2024, it had dwindled to 86 locations, fewer than half of its former stable of eateries.

And it has moved, for the most part, overseas. Of its 86 locations, only10 are located in the U.S., which includes 2 in Los Angeles and 1 in Las Vegas. But most are in international locations including Berlin, Madrid, Tokyo, and Dubai. Every single outlet is franchised, and there are no company-owned eateries.

It was acquired by one of its international franchises, which purchased the whole company in 2021 during the pandemic. In June 2023, it named Mohaimina “Mina” Haque as CEO, a seasoned attorney with a particular emphasis in franchise law. She had previously served as outside general counsel at Tony Roma’s for three years. Her LinkedIn description says she is known for “driving growth and innovation.”

Haque attributes Tony Roma’s slowdown to a variety of factors including that “build-up costs were more than $3 million a location” and the pandemic led to numerous franchisees closing their eateries.

A ribs and steak specialist, Tony Roma’s, fell in hard times during the pandemic, especially domestically, and has a new CEO who is trying to revamp its menu and lower its costs for franchisees.

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Why Tony Roma’s Is Prospering Overseas

It’s held its own much better overseas, where it faces less competition with ribs than it has domestically, Haque indicates. Moreover, it has had loyal franchisees, as in Japan, who have been with the company since the late 1970’s. Hence, there’s been considerable franchisee interest in South America, Asia and Europe. “In the U.S.,” she says, “a lot of restaurants are innovating and keeping up with the trends.”

Haque says she has spent the last year studying the challenges Tony Roma’s faces in a changing restaurant industry and “implementing targeted solutions.” She points out two of them: 1) Examining every aspect of its operations to identify inefficiencies, reduce costs and enhance productivity, 2) Adapting to changing consumer preferences.

One Key: Lower Costs

To lower costs, it redesigned it model, modernized it, hired new suppliers at lower fees and created more options for franchisees to limit expenditures. Now it’s new franchise cost is about $1.7 million, down from $3 million.

It’s former, lengthy menu “would look cool back then but it’s not cool anymore,” she admits. Consumers, she points out, are “more health-conscious and dining out isn’t about having a huge portion of food, but it’s more about the experience.”

Nonetheless, its menu of onion loaf, baby back ribs, Memphis burgers and steak remains at the core of the menu. But she hints that the menu is in the midst of undergoing revamping and is exploring adding cauliflower ribs as an alternative, and it already offers several salads for those who are more health-conscious

Why Moderate Growth Works

Haque also thinks that moderate growth, not fast expansion, is one of the methods to ensure Tony Roma’s path to bouncing back. She expects only two more openings in 2024, which she acknowledges, is modest but part of its stable growth plan.

Its growth will depend on franchising. In fact, it’s opening two new Tony Roma’s in Kimball, Tn, and in Great Falls, Montana. Kimball is a small mountainous town with few fine casual dine-in options, she explains. And its Montana location will be situated inside of a hotel and casino, mirroring its Las Vegas location.

Haque explains that “we still have customer loyalty in these smaller towns, where they view Tony Roma’s as the place to have a celebration for a prom, proposal, special occasion or share a significant milestone.”

At the same time, she says that it’s starting to explore opening a location in Times Square as an opportunity to get its name out there again, in strong media circles, as Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers has done by opening in the middle of the Broadway theatre district.

If Tony Roma’s is going to expand in the U.S., it needs to connect better with millennials and Gen Zers, Haque suggests. “We need to get them excited, and marketing and PR play a major role, in that effort, especially social media,” she indicates.

A QSR Option

It also launched Bones and Burgers in Tampa, Fl., which functions as its only QSR/fast casual concept with a menu that favor burgers, ribs, chicken fingers and bowls. It’s looking to expand that footprint in 2024.

Bones and Burgers can operate in “food courts, movie theatres, college campuses, airports, sports venues or as free-standing locations,” she explains. It serves ribs and burgers, and most fast-casuals, don’t offer both.

This QSR option enables franchisees to get involved with Tony Roma’s with a smaller footprint, lower start-up costs, and allowing it to reach a wider net of potential franchisees, she says.

Haque was the attorney who served as general counsel for Tony Roma’s and many attorneys move into the CEO role. She says that attorneys are “very meticulous with data, and like to get into nitty-gritty details.”

About its future, Haque says “We need to make sure we revamp our menu and brand. We still have a lot of work to be done.”

Asked the keys for Tony Roma’s to bounce back from its doldrums, Haque says: 1) Increasing awareness among Gen Zers and millennials; 2) Opening a store in a major metropolis like New York City to build brand awareness; 3) Solidifying its gains to accelerate expansion.

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