fast food business plan sample

Fast Food Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Business Plan Outline

• Fast Food Business Plan Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan

Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan & Template

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

We have helped over 100,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their fast food businesses.

Fast Food Business Plan Example

Below are links to each section of a fast food restaurant business plan sample:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Fast Food Business Plan FAQs

What is a fast food business plan.

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

You can  easily complete your fast food business plan using our Fast Food Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Fast Food Businesses?

There are many types of fast food businesses. The most common fast food restaurants serve hamburgers, fries, and soft drinks. Other common fast food establishments serve chicken, Chinese food, Mexican food, and pizza. There is a recent trend in fast food restaurants serving healthier options such as smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, and salads. A fast food restaurant can be centered around any food genre that is able to be prepared fast and in large quantities to serve multiple customers daily.

What Are the Main Sources of Revenue and Expenses for a Fast Food Restaurant?

The primary source of revenue for a fast food restaurant are the food and drink items sold at the establishment.

The key expenses are the costs to source the ingredients for the menu items, kitchen equipment and supplies, overhead expenses for the staff and rent, and any marketing costs the restaurant chooses to partake in.

What is the Difference Between a Franchise and Non-Franchise Fast Food Restaurant?

A franchise fast food restaurant is a business that is owned and operated by someone who has a contract with a larger company. That company provides the products, training, and marketing for the smaller business. A non-franchise fast food restaurant is a business that is independently owned and operated.

Franchise fast-food restaurants have a set of guidelines and standards to which they must adhere in order to use the franchise name. Non-franchise fast food restaurants do not have these guidelines and can vary greatly in terms of quality, cleanliness, and customer service.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Fast Food Business?

Fast food businesses are most likely to receive funding from banks. Typically you will find a local bank and present your business plan to them. Another option for a fast food business is to obtain a small business loan. SBA loans are a popular option as they offer longer loan terms with lower interest rates. Outside investors, crowdfunding, and/or friends or family are other typical funding options. This is true for a fast casual restaurant business plan or a takeout restaurant business plan.

What are the Steps To Start a Fast Food Business?

Starting a fast food restaurant can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a successful fast food business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Write A Fast Food Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed fast food business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include market research on the fast food industry and potential target market size, information on your fast food menu, marketing strategy, pricing strategy and a detailed financial forecast.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Can I Get a Fast Food Business Plan PDF?

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

• Sample Business Plans
• Food, Beverage & Restaurant

Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan

Planning on starting a fast food restaurant? It can be an excellent way to create a niche business, serve a diverse customer base, and make a great career in the food service industry, but you need detailed planning for it.

That’s where you need a business plan; it will not only help you secure funding but will also provide a roadmap for seamless business operations.

Need help writing a business plan for your fast food restaurant business? You’re at the right place. Our fast food restaurant business plan template will help you get started.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free fast food restaurant business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

• Fill in the blanks – Outline
• Financial Tables

How To Write A Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan?

Writing a fast food restaurant business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the whole business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

• Market Opportunity: Summarize your market research, including market size, growth potential, and marketing trends. Highlight the opportunities in the market and how your business will fit in to fill the gap.
• Products and Services: Highlight your food menu and the services you will offer to your customers. Describe any special dishes you serve.
• For instance, your products and services may include menu items, combo meals, takeout and delivery services, combo meals, and catering services.
• Marketing & Sales Strategies: Outline your sales and marketing strategies—what marketing platforms you use, how you plan on acquiring customers, etc.
• Financial Highlights: Briefly summarize your financial projections for the initial years of business operations. Include any capital or investment requirements, associated startup costs, projected revenues, and profit forecasts.
• Call to Action: Summarize your executive summary section with a clear CTA, for example, inviting angel investors to discuss the potential business investment.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your restaurant. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

• Business Description: Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:
• Vegetarian fast food restaurants
• Pizza chains
• Mexican fast food restaurants
• Asian fast food restaurants
• Sandwich shops
• Fried seafood restaurants

Describe the legal structure of your fast food restaurant, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.

• Owners: List the founders or owners of your fast food restaurant. Describe what shares they own and their responsibilities for efficiently managing the business.
• Mission Statement: Summarize your business’ objective, core principles, and values in your mission statement. This statement needs to be memorable, clear, and brief.
• Business History: If you’re an established fast food restaurant business, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.
• Additionally, If you have received any awards or recognition for excellent work, describe them.
• Future Goals: It’s crucial to convey your aspirations and vision. Mention your short-term and long-term goals; they can be specific targets for revenue, market share, or expanding your services.

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

• Target market: Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.
• For instance, young adults, millennials, and busy professionals can be an ideal target market for a fast food restaurant.
• Market size and growth potential: Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.
• Competitive Analysis: Identify and analyze your direct and indirect competitors. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, and describe what differentiates your fast food restaurant from them. Point out how you have a competitive edge in the market.
• Market Trends: Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.
• For instance, there is an increasing demand for healthier food options; explain how you plan to cater to this growing market.
• Regulatory Environment: List regulations and licensing requirements affecting fast food restaurants, such as business registration, insurance, food service license, employment, and environmental regulations.

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your fast food business plan:

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

• Fast Food Menu: Start this section by offering an overview of your fast food menu. Include the details about the types of cuisine, dietary options you provide, and any signature dishes.
• Beverages and Desserts: Besides the fast food items, mention if your restaurant serves any other beverages such as tea, coffee, soft drinks, juices, and desserts or treats. For instance, dramatic style involves using longer & thicker lashes for a glamorous look.
• Food Preparation and Safety Measures: This section should explain your food preparation process, cooking methods, and how your business aligns with food safety regulations.Your safety measures may include maintaining cleanliness, regular sanitization, and conducting regular staff training programs.
• Special Services: Mention if your fast food restaurant offers any additional services. You may include services like online ordering, drive-thru, and valet parking.

In short, this section of your fast food restaurant plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.
• For example, fresh and quality ingredients, unique menu items, sustainability, and ethical practices could be some of the great USPs for a fast-food restaurant.
• Pricing Strategy: Describe your pricing strategy—how you plan to price your products and services and stay competitive in the local market. You can mention any discounts you plan on offering to attract new customers.
• Marketing Strategies: Discuss your marketing strategies to market your services. You may include some of these marketing strategies in your business plan—social media marketing, Google ads, brochures, email marketing, content marketing, and print marketing.
• Sales Strategies: Outline the strategies you’ll implement to maximize your sales. Your sales strategies may include offering loyalty programs, online food delivery services, and creating corporate accounts.
• Customer Retention: Describe your customer retention strategies and how you plan to execute them. For instance, introducing loyalty programs, focusing on personalized service, offering promotions, etc

Overall, this section of your fast food restaurant business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your fast food restaurant, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

• Staffing & Training: Mention your restaurant’s staffing requirements, including the number of employees or kitchen staff needed. Include their qualifications, the training required, and the duties they will perform.
• Operational Process: Outline the processes and procedures you will use to run your fast food restaurant. Your operational processes may include restaurant opening, staff assignments, food preparation and cooking, order fulfillment, cleanliness and sanitization, and closing procedures.
• Equipment & Machinery: Include the list of equipment and machinery required for fast food restaurants, such as refrigerators, coffee machines, ice machines, POS systems, Utensils and kitchen tools, and food preparation equipment.
• Explain how these technologies help you maintain quality standards and improve the efficiency of your business operations.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your fast food restaurant’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

• Founders/CEO: Mention the founders and CEO of your fast food restaurant, and describe their roles and responsibilities in successfully running the business.
• Key managers: Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.
• It should include key executives, master chefs, senior management, and other department managers (e.g. operations manager.) involved in the fast food restaurant operations, including their education, professional background, and any relevant experience in the food industry.
• Organizational structure: Explain the organizational structure of your management team. Include the reporting line and decision-making hierarchy.
• Compensation Plan: Describe your compensation plan for the management and staff. Include their salaries, incentives, and other benefits.

This section should describe the key personnel for your fast food restaurant, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

• Profit & loss statement: Describe details such as projected revenue, operational costs, and service costs in your projected profit and loss statement . Make sure to include your business’s expected net profit or loss.
• Cash flow statement: The cash flow for the first few years of your operation should be estimated and described in this section. This may include billing invoices, payment receipts, loan payments, and any other cash flow statements.
• Balance Sheet: Create a projected balance sheet documenting your business’s assets, liabilities, and equity.
• Break-even point: Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.
• This exercise will help you understand how much revenue you need to generate to sustain or be profitable.
• Financing Needs: Calculate costs associated with starting a fast food restaurant, and estimate your financing needs and how much capital you need to raise to operate your business. Be specific about your short-term and long-term financing requirements, such as investment capital or loans.

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the restaurant industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your fast food restaurant business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

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

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

This sample fast food restaurant business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful fast food restaurant plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our fast food restaurant business plan pdf .

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

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful fast food restaurant business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your fast food restaurant.

How to get funding for your fast food restaurant business?

There are several ways to get funding for your fast food 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.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your fast food restaurant business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your fast food restaurant business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your fast food 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 any fast food restaurant business plan example 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 .

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How to write a Fast Food Business Plan: Complete Guide

• January 3, 2023
• Food & Beverage

50 million Americans (37% of the US population) consume fast food daily: the US is undeniable the biggest market for fast food worldwide. Yet, before you can open your own fast food restaurant, you will first need to prepare a solid business plan.

Indeed, a business plan is mandatory for any business that seeks funding from private investors or to get a loan from a bank (like a SBA loan ).

In this article we go through, step-by-step, all the different sections you need in the business plan for a fast food restaurant . Use this template to create a complete, clear and solid business plan that get you funded.

1. Fast Food Executive Summary

The executive summary of a business plan gives a sneak peek of the information about your business plan to lenders and/or investors.

If the information you provide here is not concise, informative, and scannable, potential lenders and investors will lose interest.

Though the executive summary is the first and the most important section, it should normally be the last section you write because it will have the summary of different sections included in the entire plan.

Why do you need a business plan for a fast food?

The purpose of a business plan is to secure funding through one of the following channels:

• Obtain bank financing or secure a loan from other lenders
• Obtain private investments from investment funds, angel investors, etc.
• Obtain a public or a private grant

How to write your fast food’s executive summary?

Provide a precise and high-level summary of every section that you have included in the business plan of your fast food restaurant. The information and the data you include in this section should grab the attention of potential investors and lenders immediately.

Also make sure that the executive summary doesn’t exceed 2 pages in total: it’s supposed to be a summary for investors and lenders who don’t have time to scroll through 40-50 pages, so keep it short and brief.

The executive summary usually consists of 5 major sub-sections:

• Business overview : start by introducing your fast food restaurant, where it is located, how big it is (space, seating arrangement, counters, etc.) and give a brief of the fast food items (a sample menu) that you want to sell as well as their average prices. Also, mention whether you plan to open an independent fast food restaurant or a franchise restaurant instead.
• Market overview : should contain an overview of the expected market size , target audience , and demography. Also provide here a quick overview of your competitors
• People : first, introduce your fast food’s management. Provide a brief (no more than a couple of sentences each) of the experience and track record of the team. Also, speak about your hiring plans: in other words, how you intend to run the business (what are the different teams and how many employees will you hire?)
• Financial plan : how much profit and revenue do you expect in the next 5 years? When will you reach the break-even point and start making profits ? You can also include here a chart with your key financials (revenue, gross profit, net profit )
• Funding ask : what loan/investment/grant are you seeking? How much do you need? How long will this last?

Fast Food Financial Model

Download an expert-built 5-year Excel financial model for your business plan

2. Fast Food Restaurant Business Overview

In this section of the business plan, you will provide details about your fast food restaurant.

You must answer here some important questions that potential investors and lenders often ask about your business and operations. Here are some examples of questions you must answer:

• What is the rationale behind your opening a fast food restaurant today?
• What’s the fast food restaurant’s location and why did you select that location?
• Why did you select the type of fast food restaurant you want to open?
• What will be the food items you will offer?
• What will be your pricing strategy and why?
• What is your expected customer footfall?
• What will be the legal structure of your company?

a) History of the Project

Any business overview must start with explaining the history of the project. There are 2 components here:

• Passion & experience of the business owner
• Rationale behind starting a fast food restaurant today

Passion & experience

You may or may not have prior experience. If you have experience, speak about it and how it will help you to run your business. For instance, you may have been a regional manager of a leading fast food brand for 5 years, and now you want to start your own fast food restaurant and use your knowledge to run it more efficiently.

Is there a certain problem (or perhaps, a set of problems) that your fast food restaurant will try to solve when it comes into existence? For example, there may not be any fast food restaurant offering tacos and burritos while there are enough restaurants offering burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, pizzas, etc.

But that’s not all! The market must be suitable for a business to exist and thrive. For instance, if you are trying to open your fast food restaurant offering tacos and burritos in an area where there isn’t enough demand for those food items, you may run into losses.

Similarly, if the major chuck of the target audience is between the age group of 15 to 25 with limited income, offering high-priced food will not provide the price/value relationship they seek. Offering pricey food will only stretch their budget.

The rationale behind your project must be backed up by a thorough analysis of the industry in the area where you plan to open your fast food restaurant. This is what we will cover under Market Overview further below.

b) Business Model

This section of the Business Overview should explain what type of business model and fast food restaurant you want to open. For example:

• Will you open a franchise or an independent restaurant instead?
• Will you buy an existing fast food restaurant and do some remodeling, or will you start a new fast food restaurant and design it from scratch?
• Will you go for a traditional brick-and-mortar store or will you settle for a mobile vending model to reduce overhead?

What are the different types of fast food restaurants?

There are multiple types of fast food restaurants. Some of them that you may consider include, but are not limited to:

• Burgers & Fries : In this type of fast food restaurant, you will specialise in burgers and fries, but you can also sell shakes, smoothies, etc.
• Tacos & Burritos : you may go for variations like Mexican-American fusion or original Mexican soft corn tortillas for example here
• Chicken : Your specialty may be chicken based. For instance, you can sell fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, etc.

Apart from food-based selection, you can also choose whether you want to open a sit-in restaurant, drive-through or food truck instead.

c) Products & Services

It is needless to say that the products that you will sell through your fast food restaurant will depend on the type of restaurant you are opening. So give here an overview of the menu you will offer your customers. Yet, if there are too many products, highlight the main ones and save the rest for the appendix instead.

Another important thing that you must mention is how you are going to source the products. For example, if you are opening a burger and fries restaurant, will you be baking the buns yourself or buying mass-produced buns?

Finally, a fast food restaurant is all about delivery speed. People visiting these restaurants are busy and usually don’t have the luxury of sitting for long durations. You can still add a few services like mobile and laptop charging areas (those who visit your restaurant), home or office delivery for super-busy folks who can’t step in, etc.

d) Pricing Strategy

This is where you will provide an overview of your pricing strategy. For instance, you may sell the products at a lower price point than your competitors because you enjoy a bulk purchase discount from the product supplier.

Again, product quality matters. For example, if you are using organically farmed products, you may charge higher than your competitors. Similarly, if you are creating something super unique, you may charge extra. The size and quantity also factor in. Think of the Quadruple Bypass Burger or the Octuple Bypass Burger of the Heart Attack Grill which cost $20.25 and $29.80 per burger.

Your pricing strategy will also significantly depend on the spending capability of the target audience in your area of operation. 

For example, if you are trying to sell super high-quality fast food products in a neighborhood where the target audience is major students, teens, and day laborers with no, limited, or fixed income, highly-priced products may not sell well. Thus, you must always factor in the spending power of your target audience while developing your pricing strategy.

Pricing table

It’s always good practice to create a pricing table to provide price ranges for your products. Yet, you don’t need to provide exact pricing for each product.

For example, if you are selling different variants of beef burgers, you don’t need to list each burger. Instead, just mention something like: Beef burgers – $7.50 to $15.50.

Offering a pricing chart is important as it will allow investors to tie your pricing strategy with your financial projections later on.

e) Legal Structure

Finally, your business overview section should specify what type of business structure you want. Is this a corporation or a partnership (LLC)? Who are the investors? How much equity percentage do they own? Is there a Board of Directors? If so, whom? Do they have experience in the industry?

3. Fast Food Market Overview

A complete understanding of the market where you want to operate is important for the success of your business. That’s also something you must showcase in your business plan.

For example, if you are trying to sell high-calorie burgers to a health-conscious target audience, you will probably fail. Similarly, if you are trying to sell high-priced food items to day laborers with very limited income, they will most likely not buy from you.

Therefore, you must cover here 3 important areas:

• Industry Size & Growth : how big is the fast food industry in your area? What is its growth rate (or decline rate) and what are the factors contributing to its growth or decline?
• Competition Overview : how many competitors are there? How do they compare vs. your business? How can you differentiate yourself from them?
• Customer Analysis : who is your target audience? What type of fast food products do they prefer? How regularly do they eat fast food? How much do they spend on fast food per month?

a) Fast Food Industry Size & Growth

How big is the fast food industry in the us.

According to Zippia , the US fast food industry market size in 2021 was worth $297 billion, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% over 2020-2027.

When it comes to the number of fast food restaurants, there were 197,653 in 2021: that’s an average annual turnover of $1,500,000 per restaurant..!

How big is the fast food industry in your area?

After getting a clear picture of the fast food industry in the US as a whole, narrow down to your location. Yet, you may not find this information anywhere (at least not for free). In that case, you can use our guide to estimate the TAM, SAM, and SOM for your business. Here is an example of how to do it:

We know the average annual turnover per fast food restaurant is around $1.5 million. Therefore, if the area where you want to open your fast food restaurant has 30 competitors (say, in a 10-mile radius), you can assume the fast food industry in your area is worth approximately $45 million .

How fast is the fast food industry growing in your area?

Looking at public information online, we know that the US fast food market grew from $209 billion in 2011 to $295 billion in 2019: that’s an average of 5.14% per year..!

What about where you live? US national averages can be a great addition to your business plan, yet they don’t necessarily help to assess the fast food industry where you want to open your store.

For example, the industry might be growing in the US, but declining in your region for a number of reasons (decreasing population or disposable income, etc.).

As you likely won’t find this information online, you can instead rely on the number of fast food restaurants to calculate the average growth rate of the industry in your area.

For example, if the region had only 21 fast food restaurants in 2011 and 30 in 2019, you can assume that the average annual growth rate of the fast food industry in the area is 5.4%, in line with the US average.

b) Fast Food Competition Overview

Studying your competitors’ business models is vital. You need to understand what makes them successful or why they fail. A clear understanding of their fast food offerings, marketing strategies, etc., will allow you to provide a better service.

If your competitors are offering nearly the same products & services, then what is their market share and how do they market their products & services to attract new customers?

It is always a good idea to do some research (if necessary, physically visit your competitors without revealing your business intentions) and create a comparative table summarizing their product & service offerings, marketing strategies, target audience, etc.

Here is a sample table that you can use:

Fast Food Restaurant SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. This analysis will help lenders and investors better understand how you compare vs. competitors as well as the overall risk and reward profile of your business.

Here is a sample that you can use as a reference:

• Strengths : Worked as a regional manager at a leading taco & burrito chain for 5 years; master’s degree in business administration from a reputed institute
• Weaknesses : Startup cost, no initial brand reputation
• Opportunities : Industrial and office area with a high concentration of day laborers, contract workers, and immigrants with low income looking for low-priced yet filling food
• Threats : Well-established brands are introducing a specialized line of low-cost food offerings to capture the target market

c) Customer Analysis

This is the sub-section where you will provide a detailed analysis of your target audience.

Some important points that you must include in your customer analysis include:

• Age and gender distribution (you can get local demographic data from census.gov )
• Average monthly income and disposable income
• Average spend on fast food (per month or per year)
• Types of fast foods they prefer
• The expected price range for fast food
• Inclination towards loyalty programs & free perks
• Things they dislike about existing fast food restaurants and what they expect to be improved

You can add as many data points as required to validate your business decision. The idea here is to display your deep understanding of the target audience and their needs, preferences, and expectations. This knowledge can help you to tailor your products & services to attract new customers.

4. Sales & Marketing Strategy

This is the segment where you outline your customer acquisition strategy. Try to answer the following questions:

What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

• What are the different marketing strategies you will use?
• How do you intend to track the success of your marketing strategy?
• What is your CAC or customer acquisition cost?
• What is your marketing budget?
• What introductory promos and offers do you intend to provide for attracting new customers?

What marketing channels do fast food restaurants use?

A few marketing channels that fast food restaurants typically use are:

• PPC ads, Instagram / Facebook ads, etc.
• Social media content
• Billboards & signages
• Loyalty programs
• Pamphlets & flyers

It is not necessary to use all channels. Instead, you can start by focusing on a few of them, and include other marketing strategies later.

Also, you must have a fair and nearly accurate estimate of your marketing budget. Failure to display a well-planned and adequate budget for advertising and marketing may lead to investors losing confidence.

In other words, how do you differentiate yourself vs. competitors? This is very important as you might need to win customers from competitors.

A few examples of USPs are:

• Product quality : you may be offering higher quality products vs. your competitors, for example, burger buns made from fertilizer-free organically grown wheat
• Location : your restaurant may be located closer to your target audience and/or closer to a busy street where new potential customers can see your signage
• Price : your products may be cheaper vs. competitors
• Uniqueness : you may be the only taco restaurant (in an area with high population of Mexican migrants) that uses authentic Mexican-style soft corn tortillas

Your USP will depend on your business model, competitor analysis , and target audience. Whatever your USP be, it should be clear and appeal to your target audience.

5. Management & People

You must address 2 things here:

• The management team and their experience
• The organizational structure : different team members and who reports to whom

Small businesses often fail because of managerial weaknesses. Thus, having a strong management team is vital. Highlight the experience and education of senior managers that you intend to hire to oversee your fast food business.

First, describe their duties, responsibilities, and roles. Also, highlight their previous experience and explain how they succeeded in their previous roles.

If they have specialized training and experience (such as a professional degree in business management, managerial experience in a leading fast food chain, a proven track record of designing & executing successful marketing campaigns for famous restaurants leading to a measurable increase in ROI, etc.), add that information.

Organization Structure

Even if you haven’t already hired a general manager, administrative staff, busboy, cashier, chef, kitchen helpers, and other relevant staff members, you must provide a chart of the organizational structure defining hierarchy and reporting lines.

6. Financial Plan

The financial plan is perhaps, with the executive summary, the most important section of any business plan for a fast food .

Indeed, a solid financial plan tells lenders that your business is viable and can repay the loan you need from them. If you’re looking to raise equity from private investors, a solid financial plan will prove them your fast food is an attractive investment.

There should be 2 sections to your financial plan section:

• The startup costs of your project (if you plan to start a new fast food, renovate your restaurant, etc.)
• The 5-year financial projections

a) Startup Costs

Before we expand on 5-year financial projections in the following section, it’s always best practice to start with listing the startup costs of your project. For a fast food, startup costs are all the expenses you incur before you open your fast food and start making sales . These expenses typically are:

• The leasing deposit for the space (if you rent) or to buy the real estate (if you buy)
• Renovations and improvements
• Equipment & appliances
• Furniture & tableware

Of course, the startup costs depend on a number of factors, like the size of your restaurant, its location, the facilities, the menu, etc.

On average, it costs $89,000 to $266,000 to open a casual pizzeria (1,500 sq. ft.) in the US. In comparison, a 150-seats restaurant will cost more: $484,000 to $685,000.

Note that these costs are for illustrative purposes and may not be fully relevant for your business. For more information on how much it costs to open and run a restaurant, read our article here .

b) Financial Projections

In addition to startup costs, you will now need to build a solid 5-year financial model for your fast food restaurant.

Your financial projections should be built using a spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) and presented in the form of tables and charts in the business plan of your fast food.

As usual, keep it concise here and save details (for example detailed financial statements, financial metrics, key assumptions used for the projections) for the appendix instead.

Your financial projections should answer at least the following questions:

• How much revenue do you expect to generate over the next 5 years?
• When do you expect to break even?
• How much cash will you burn until you get there?
• What’s the impact of a change in pricing (say 15%) on your margins?
• What is your average customer acquisition cost?

You should include here your 3 financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement). This means you must forecast:

• The number of covers (customers or orders) over time ;
• Your expected revenue ;
• Operating costs to run the business ;
• Any other cash flow items (e.g. capex, debt repayment, etc.).

When projecting your revenue, make sure to sensitize pricing, cost of raw materials (food supplies) and your sales volume. Indeed, a small change in these assumptions may have a significant impact on your revenues and profits.

7. Use of Funds

This is the last section of the business plan of your fast food restaurant. Now that we have explained what your fast food’s business model and concept are, what is your menu, your marketing strategy, etc., this section must now answer the following questions:

• How much funding do you need?
• What financial instrument(s) do you need: is this equity or debt, or even a free-money public grant?
• How long will this funding last?
• Where else does the money come from? If you apply for a SBA loan for example, where does the other part of the investment come from (your own capital, private investors?)

If you raise debt:

• What percentage of the total funding the loan represents?
• What is the corresponding Debt Service Coverage Ratio ?

If you raise equity

• What percentage ownership are you selling as part of this funding round?
• What is the corresponding valuation of your business?

Use of Funds

Any business plan for a fast food restaurant should include a clear use of funds section. This is where you explain how the money will be spent.

Will you spend most of the loan / investment in paying your employees’ salaries and the inventory? Or will it cover mostly the cost for the lease deposit and the renovation?

For the use of funds, we also recommend using a pie chart like the one we have in our financial model template where we outline the main expenses categories as shown below.

Related Posts

How Profitable is a Fast Food? Profits & Breakeven Analysis

How To Build a Financial Model for a Pizzeria?

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How to write a business plan for your fast food restaurant.

Starting a fast food restaurant is a great idea because it offers customers quick and convenient meal options, and it can be a profitable business with the right marketing and operational strategies.

But, before that, you need a business plan.

A business plan is essential for any new project, especially when starting a fast food restaurant. It should include a detailed overview of your business goals and objectives, a financial plan, and a marketing strategy. A business plan is the best way to ensure your venture is successful and profitable.

In short, a good business plan will help ensure the profitability of your fast food restaurant .

What should be outlined in the business plan for a fast food restaurant? What's the ideal arrangement for the structure? What are the recommended financial benchmarks to incorporate? How can I write a business plan quickly and effectively without sacrificing quality?

Stay with us: we will answer all these questions!

Additionally, it's worth noting that you have the option to avoid starting your business plan from scratch.

You can download our business plan for a fast food restaurant and customize it to fit your needs.

Elaborating a business plan for a fast food restaurant

Should you consider writing a business plan for your fast food restaurant.

Yes, you should consider writing a business plan for your fast food restaurant.

Creating an effective business plan will help you to:

• learn about the fast food restaurant market
• stay in the know about current trends and infuse them into your project
• highlight what makes a fast food restaurant competitive
• understand customers' fast food preferences and convenience expectations to serve quick and satisfying meals
• find a great unique value proposition for your quick-service eatery
• identify competitive advantages and disadvantages
• find relevant competitive advantages for your fast food restaurant
• find a business model that will lead you to profitability
• develop and execute a winning strategy that spans short and long-term objectives
• assess potential risks involved in operating a fast food restaurant, such as foodborne illnesses, high employee turnover, and customer satisfaction

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

How to structure a business plan for a fast food restaurant?

Inside a business plan, you'll find a treasure trove of important information and details. It must be presented in a structured format, to make easy to read and digest.

When we made our business plan for a fast food restaurant , we made sure to outline it properly.

We have 5 sections (Opportunity, Project, Market Research, Strategy and Finances) in total.

1. Market Opportunity

The introductory section has been named "Market Opportunity".

Access relevant data and metrics for the fast food restaurant, assisting you in analyzing the opportunities and challenges within this industry.

We make it a priority to keep this section constantly updated with fresh data.

2. Project Presentation

In the "Project" section, you can present your fast food restaurant, outlining the menu options you offer, quick service model, affordable pricing, convenient location, drive-thru or delivery options, and the unique value proposition that delivers tasty and satisfying fast food meals with speed and efficiency.

Also include a short description about yourself at the end of this section.

Explain your passion for providing quick and delicious meals, your understanding of fast-food concepts, and how you plan to create a convenient and satisfying fast-food dining experience for customers. Highlight your menu offerings, your commitment to using quality ingredients, and your dedication to delivering speedy service and exceptional customer satisfaction that caters to the fast-paced lifestyle of your customers at your fast food restaurant.

In our business plan, you'll see written content. Adjust it to fit your concept precisely.

3. Market Research

Then, there is the "Market Research" section.

This section describes the target audience for your fast food restaurant.

It includes a comprehensive analysis of competitors in the fast food industry and emphasizes your restaurant's unique menu and competitive advantages.

A tailored SWOT analysis is provided as well.

4. Strategy

In the "Strategy" section, you'll find a comprehensive 3-year development plan, outlining all the necessary initiatives to make your fast food restaurant highly profitable.

Additionally, there is a marketing strategy for a fast food restaurant, a way to manage risks, and a completed Business Model Canvas included in this section.

5. Finances

Lastly, you'll find the "Finances" section, which is dedicated to displaying the financial aspects of your project.

How to elaborate the Executive Summary for a fast food restaurant?

The Executive Summary presents a compact overview of the business plan of your fast food restaurant.

Don't exceed 2 pages, including only the critical information.

This document is meant to get the reader interested in your business plan.

In the Executive Summary of your fast food restaurant, provide answers to these questions: what are your project's strengths? who are your customers? have you researched the competition? do you have any competitive advantages? who are you? what will you do with the cash you're asking?

How to do the market analysis for a fast food restaurant?

The market study of your fast food restaurant helps you grasp the external factors impacting your establishment. These include understanding customer demands in terms of cuisine, the level of competition you face in the neighbourhood and potential competitive advantages to implement.

By conducting a thorough market analysis, a fast food restaurant can beat the other F&B businesses. This allows them to improve their menu options, pricing strategies, and marketing campaigns, which leads to better food quality, happier customers, and a bigger market share in the fast food industry.

Here's what we've incorporated into the "Market Research" section of our business plan for a fast food restaurant :

• recent data and statistics about the fast food restaurant industry, including fast food consumption habits, menu preferences, and market growth
• a list of potential customer segments for a fast food restaurant
• the competitive analysis
• the potential competitive advantages for a fast food restaurant

The key points of the business plan for a fast food restaurant

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

A fast food restaurant's business model centers around providing quick service and convenient food options to customers. The restaurant typically offers a limited menu of affordable, ready-to-eat meals. Revenue is generated primarily

Business model vs Business plan

Be clear on the distinction between "business plan" and "business model."

A business model describes how a company generates income and operates successfully.

In a business plan, you outline your business model employing a framework referred to as the Business Model Canvas.

Rest assured, there is a Business Model Canvas (already completed) in our business plan for a fast food restaurant .

How do you identify the market segments of a fast food restaurant?

Market segmentation for your fast food restaurant involves dividing your potential customers into different groups based on their dining preferences, demographics, and dining occasions.

These categories may include factors such as burger lovers, health-conscious consumers, families, or customers seeking quick and convenient meals.

By segmenting your market, you can offer a menu and dining experience that caters to each segment's specific preferences. For example, you might provide a variety of burger options and meal combos for burger lovers, offer a range of healthy and low-calorie choices for health-conscious consumers, create family-friendly meal deals and play areas for families, or focus on fast and efficient service for customers seeking quick and convenient meals.

Market segmentation allows you to effectively target your marketing efforts, deliver a consistent and satisfying dining experience, and build customer loyalty within each customer segment by providing a tailored fast food experience.

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

How to conduct a competitor analysis for a fast food restaurant?

It's clear that you won't be the only fast food restaurant in your market. There are other establishments offering quick and convenient dining options to customers.

When crafting your business plan, it's important to thoroughly study your competitors' attributes, strengths, and weaknesses.

Pay attention to their weaknesses (such as inconsistent food quality, slow service, or lack of menu variety).

Why should you focus on these factors? Because these weaknesses can impact the customer experience at fast food restaurants. By addressing these points, you can provide quick and friendly service, offer a delicious and varied menu, and maintain high standards of cleanliness, positioning your fast food restaurant as a popular choice for convenient and satisfying meals.

It's what we call competitive advantages—enhancing them is crucial for a standout business.

Here are some examples of competitive advantages for a fast food restaurant: quick service and short wait times, diverse menu options, affordable pricing, consistent food quality, efficient drive-thru or online ordering system, convenient locations.

How to draft a SWOT analysis for a fast-casual restaurant?

A SWOT analysis can help identify potential opportunities and threats to the success of a fast food restaurant.

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

The strengths for a fast food restaurant

When we use the "S" in SWOT, we're talking about Strengths, which are the project's internal assets or key strengths.

For a fast food restaurant, possible strengths could include convenience, affordability, variety, and speed of service.

The weaknesses for a fast food restaurant

When we use the "W," we're talking about Weaknesses, which are the areas or aspects of the project that could use some improvement.

In the case of a fast food restaurant, potential weaknesses could include inconsistent food quality, slow service times, and lack of healthy menu options.

The opportunities for a fast food restaurant

The letter "O" denotes Opportunities in SWOT, signifying the potential advantages or favorable external conditions for the project.

In the case of a fast food restaurant, potential opportunities could include offering delivery services, introducing healthier menu options, expanding into other markets, and creating customer loyalty programs.

The threats for a fast food restaurant

The "T" in SWOT symbolizes Threats, indicating the potential risks or unfavorable conditions that the project needs to mitigate.

How to elaborate a marketing strategy for a fast-casual restaurant?

A marketing strategy is a fundamental aspect of a business plan as it lays out how a business will entice customers and generate income.

Developing an effective marketing approach will help your fast food restaurant connect with customers who crave quick and delicious meals on the go.

Hungry customers won't flock to your fast food restaurant without effective marketing and appealing menu offerings.

Have you considered implementing creative marketing initiatives for your fast food restaurant? Organize theme nights or special promotions, collaborate with food delivery platforms to expand your reach, and leverage social media influencers or food bloggers to showcase your mouthwatering menu items and attract hungry customers.

Don't stress if you're feeling stuck on ideas for your project's marketing strategy.

How to make financial projections for a fast-casual restaurant?

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

As you prepare your business plan, it is important to include revenue forecasts for your fast food restaurant.

The revenue forecast must be clear and make sense to anyone reviewing it.

Our financial plan for a fast food restaurant is straightforward and equipped with automated checks, enabling you to validate and adjust your assumptions easily. This way, we make sure you're building solid financial projections.

Without a doubt, you'll need to come up with a basic budget for starting your fast food restaurant. Make sure to include every expense (by the way, they are all listed in the financial plan we've made).

The break-even analysis is a crucial tool in your financial plan, providing insight into whether your fast food restaurant will generate profits or not.

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Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template

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Fast Food Business Plan Template

The world’s #1 fast food business plan template — it’s the quickest and easiest way to create a winning fast food business plan, period.

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It Took Us 17 Years to Create the Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template for You

Hi, I’m Dave Lavinsky, the co-founder and President of Growthink.

I’m honored and flattered to have been recognized as the world’s foremost business planning expert by BusinessWeek, Forbes and others.

Seventeen years ago we started writing business plans for entrepreneurs, executives and business owners like you.

During this time, we’ve helped over 100,000 entrepreneurs and businesses achieve great success.

Using this vast experience, we have created and constantly refined Growthink’s Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template to be the hands-down quickest and easiest way to create a professional Fast Food business plan that allows you to raise capital and build a strategically sound business.

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Simply Fill in the Blanks

We’ve created simple, fill-in-the-blank exercises that guide you through all the key questions your Fast Food business plan must answer.

And we give you samples for every section of your plan.

Just type your answers directly into our template and you’re done!

Automatic Financials

Simply type in some numbers, like your salary and expected growth, and our template automatically calculates your complete 5-year financial projections.

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It guides you through key questions about your company, marketing and operations strategies, and gives you tons of ideas for improvement.

For example, in the Marketing Plan section, you’ll see several of the best marketing tactics to get new customers.

Expert Answers

Our Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template “Members Area” gives answers to all your questions, plus access to our amazing customer support team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to your most frequently asked questions:.

Immediately upon purchasing Growthink’s Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template, you will be taken to our Member’s Area where you can instantly download our template and begin working on your business plan.

If for any reason you are not delighted with our product, simply contact our friendly support desk and you’ll be issued a full refund. You have an entire year to request a refund if desired.

Unlike other software that charges you a fee month after month after month, you only pay once for Growthink’s Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template and you own it.

You can create an unlimited number of business plans with Growthink’s Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template. Once you purchase it, you have lifetime access to use it for any business in which you’re involved, now or in the future.

Yes, Growthink’s Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template works flawlessly on both PCs and Macs.

Growthink’s Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template is designed for both established Fast Food restaurants and startups.

Yes , you can! Anyone can easily follow our basic instructions and create a great business plan quickly and easily. Plus, my expert team is available to help you if you have any questions.

More Feedback

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Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan Sample

Published May.22, 2015

Updated Apr.22, 2024

By: Brandi Marcene

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Table of Content

Fast food flow chart – guick Service with a Smile

The fast food industry is booming, generating over 191 billion dollars in annual revenue and employing more than 10 percent of the U.S. workforce. The fast dining operations a fast food restaurant make up a segment of the dining industry called Quick Service Restaurants (QSR). Despite the fact the industry has already grown quite large, it business continuity plan checklist to expand as enterprising entrepreneurs develop new concepts and menus that are presented in the fast food restaurant business plan sample.

Quick Service with a Smile

Say “fast food” and most people think of hamburger eating establishments with drive-through windows. Yet, the QSR industry is much broader today, offering a variety of concepts and styles, and methods for the ordering and delivery of menu items. The legacy dining companies like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s continue to thrive, but new eateries are appearing that expand the quick meal concept.

Recipe for success opening fast food restaurant

Originally, quick service places were walk-in establishments where customers went to the counter and ordered mostly pre-prepared items off a menu posted on the wall or at the drive-through. This basic style has bloomed into a variety of arrangements that include:

• Drive through window ordering only
• Order by phone or online and have the order ready for pick-up or request delivery
• Walk along a buffet style ingredient bar and request specific items
• Street vendors
• Food trucks and carts
• Fast casual (aka limited service or quick casual)
• Mall locations and kiosks

In every case, it is convenience and speed of service that places a dining establishment into the quick service eatery category. Price used to be one of the factors, but that is not necessarily true anymore. There are upscale QSRs today where the price of meals compete with regular dining places.

The QSR will have certain other characteristics:

• Limited menu with quick-fix selection
• No or minimal table service
• Counter service
• Fast service
• Almost identical menus within a chain

Fast casual adds a bit of a twist to the quick meal concept. The limited service dining places are included in the QSR industry, but they are really positioned in between the traditional sit-down and true fast food eateries. Quick causal has a menu that is more customized with a greater item selection of non-processed items, and they offer minimal table service. For example, patrons may order a grilled chicken salad at the counter, and it is delivered to the table. If customers want something else, they must go to the counter and ask for it.

Entrepreneurs interested in starting a new operating concern will need to consider all of the current styles and determine which will work best for the type of menu that will be offered at startup. On the other hand, there may be a brand new concept just waiting for development in the marketing plan for fast food restaurant.

Technology is having an impact on the QSR industry. For example, there are already dining places where customers can walk into the faster service eatery, order items on a digital screen at a kiosk, and then pick up the completed order at the counter. As technology advances, the QSR industry is eagerly adopting new technologies, and that could lead to new concepts.

The first step to an ideal business plan restaurant – come up with a concept

Creative entrepreneurs seem to have no limit to their imagination. Subway serves a sandwich selection and provides a small dining section. McDonald’s is family-friendly with many of the locations offering a playground. California Pizza Kitchen serves a lot more than pizza. The Cheesecake Factory offers over 250 menu items every day that are made fresh daily. Chipotle offers a trendy version of Mexican-inspired menu items.

There seems to be an endless variety of concepts – Indian themed foods, protein smoothies, chicken or chicken salad only, hot dogs, multi-course meals to go, Chinese food, ice cream, fish only, roast beef only, tacos, sandwiches only, salads, yogurt, trendy coffee concoction, and on and on it goes. Some eateries specialize based on their preparation methods, like The Cheesecake Factory.

The concept and the menu are naturally closely tied together. A gourmet hot dog diner would probably not choose a Chinese décor, for example. Everything must blend together which is one reason it is so important to complete one of the fast food restaurants business plans . This is a document that takes the entrepreneur step-by-step through the process from concept to financials. If certain elements do not mesh well, it will become apparent during the development process.

Before opening fast food restaurant consider trends

One of the challenges of being a restaurant owner is staying ahead of market trends. Consumer tastes and preferences change, and the eatery that does not stay on top of those trends could find itself losing customers to the next new concept. Trends come and go, but the following offers an idea of the kind of features modern and informed consumers are looking for on the menu or in food preparation.

• Only Fair Trade drinks served
• Only locally produced ingredients purchased
• Healthy salad options
• Organic food
• Low calorie options for favorite foods or low calorie options added to the higher calorie menu
• Only grilled and never fried menu items
• No processed foods
• Changing menus to reflect current health research
• Special diet menu items like gluten free foods, ingredients safe for diabetics, or heart healthy foods

Dining establishments must be much more transparent today as to what they serve, how it is prepared, the calorie count, the food content, and how ingredients are sourced. Price counts too, but not as much as it used to, depending on the type of dining establishment started. A dollar menu is popular at some establishments, but would not be popular at others because the concept does not support such inexpensive foods. The dollar menu is also quite impractical for most eateries because such a low-priced menu would not cover expenses.

Another trend is enabling customers to order via their smartphones and tablet computers, or via a website. Will the new enterprise be technology enabled? It is one way to differentiate the startup and especially appeal to the digital natives – the Millennials and Gen Z – who expect to use their technology for almost everything.

Elements of Success fast food business plan

Every successful operation has to consider certain critical factors directly related to success. Some are more important than others. One such factor is the location. Putting a hot dog stand next door to the country club that has a dining room may not generate enough revenue. Put that same hot dog stand on a downtown corner, near buildings where thousands of busy people are working in offices, or in a local mall, and lunch and/or dinner sales are going to be high.

On the other hand, a place with a drive-through window that serves biscuits for breakfast and hamburgers for lunch and dinner will want a location that has high traffic flow, especially at mealtimes. The location is also influenced by available lease space, required building modifications, and the monthly lease rate. Of course, the entrepreneur can also build a place from the ground up with the understanding that it will take a lot more startup capital.

Setting the Menu and Prices

Another important and related element is hours of operation which influences the meals that will be served. Will the fast service menu cover breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, or all three meals?

The menu must be more varied the more meals that are served. The hours of operation also impacts the required staffing level which in turn impacts operational expenses.

Franchise for start fast food?

Some entrepreneurs choose to buy a franchise. They do so because of the advantages a franchise offers, but never make the mistake of thinking a franchise guarantees success. That is not true. Establishing and growing a franchise takes a significant financial investment and real effort. Advantages include:

• The right to use the brand name which already has market familiarity
• Startup that is turnkey ready
• Access to in-depth training
• Availability of a well-developed operational model
• Access to tested marketing strategies
• Ability to access the knowledge of the corporate personnel
• Sometimes, easier access to capital through the franchising company

Instant brand recognition is a real asset to a fledgling enterprise. Consumers are already familiar with the menu, services, quality, and even the physical layout. People who search out chains appreciate the level of familiarity they have with the operation.

However, the chain operation is also subject to getting its reputation damaged when other franchisees perform poorly. There are millions of people who have had one bad dining experience and refuse to ever try any other restaurant in the same chain. Some go online and post comments like, “Don’t ever try any XYZ restaurant.” It is guilt by association.

All the advantages come with a price in the form of franchise fees which can be quite hefty. The ongoing support is the ROI for paying the fees in a timely manner. The franchise restaurant is not a good choice for an entrepreneur that wants to be in total control of things like hours of operation, menu, vendors, service level, marketing, and so on. Franchisors have a lot of restrictions, and the owner must be willing to play by corporate rules.

Operational and Strategic Planning

Getting ready for startup fast food business.

One of the best ways to understand how to write a high quality roadmap for success is to look at a fast food restaurant business plan sample. Most examples are written to an audience that includes investors and the owner, but always the owner. This is a document that addresses every critical element of the concern, creating a steady path of sustainability. Thousands of people start successful fast food operations every month, but it is not successful by accident.

When the final fast food restaurant marketing plan pdf is published, it contains all the elements of success. It proves the entrepreneur has carefully worked through the details, thought through what is needed to run a smooth enterprise, and identified what it will take to achieve sustainability. A successful startup is no small feat and never happens by accident. All the reasons a food operation is likely to fail are considered and addressed. The reasons include:

• Lack of adequate information about the competition
• Selecting a poor location
• Poorly designed fast food restaurant marketing strategies
• Lack of skilled staff or inadequate staffing
• Inadequate cash flow
• Difficulties obtaining the correct ingredients
• Poorly prepared food

With so many reasons contributing to potential failure, it is easy to start thinking this type of fast service enterprise is too risky. Yet, new operating enterprises are opened all the time, and many become the new fast service chains using the popular franchise model.

This is why it is important to write a document that does not skip steps. For example, the fast food restaurants marketing strategies can play a big role in driving customers to the restaurant. However, the marketing section of the planning document is just one section of several. A high quality document is thorough and attractive to readers, including potential investors.

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Writing fast food restaurant business plan

Ready to write a planning document? The standard sections include the following information:

• Executive Summary – The short summary gets right to the point as to what the fast service company will involve and what makes it unique. This is like a snapshot that captures the essence of the new company, providing a profile and stating the goals. It may also name the amount sought from investors or the amount of the bank loan requested.
• Company Description – This section summarizes the basics about the company. What is the concept? What can customers expect to find when they walk in the door? What is the décor or theme? What type of food will be served and during what hours? Who will own the startup? Are their partners? Where will the operation be located and in what kind of facilities?
• Management – This section offers a profile of the management. Small food establishments are often initially managed and operated by the owner. Larger ones with extended hours will need more than one manager to oversee staff. Who will manage the ongoing concern, and what are their qualifications, including education and experience? What is the management structure? How much will managers be paid?

This section also discusses the personnel plan. One of the many challenges the owner faces is keeping the operation adequately staffed. High turnover can quickly cause customer service problems. How will the management ensure it can keep positions filled and employees trained? Is there a need for a cook, cashier, counter staff, and maintenance or cleaning staff? How many shifts must be covered?

• Products and Services – This is the section where all the research effort into the menu and the sources of ingredients comes together. Provide a description of the products, giving details about the menu, ingredients, customer services, strategies for keeping the menu relevant and updated, and other information as necessary. Services can include things like delivery services or catering packages. Also, how will the ingredients be sourced, and what are the strategies for ensuring an uninterrupted flow? Are there reliable vendors lined up with contracts ready to be put in place?
• Industry, Competitor, and Market Analysis – Remember that one of the reasons for operational failure is due to lack of information about the competition. Every entrepreneur should do in-depth research on the local industry and competition. If unfamiliar with how to do this kind of research, have an experienced consultant conduct the research.

This section describes the industry, narrows the market, names the targeted market, presents the market characteristics, and defines a competitive pricing structure. Specifically, what is the target market, and what are the market needs? The competitive analysis is quite detailed. It addresses market share, barriers to market entry, market needs, and the potential for future competitors to enter the scene. One way to present the information is to do a table layout comparing various characteristics between competitors, on elements like theme, pricing, food quality, hours of operation, etc.

This is also a good place to describe the trends that impact the fast service industry and the market. That description is followed by a description of the specific trends the startup will encompass in its growth strategies.

• Marketing Strategies – The fast food restaurant marketing strategies sample demonstrates the overall path forward to get brand recognition and to grow the startup. The fast food operation needs a steady flow of customers – new and returning. In this section the owner discusses the strategy for penetrating the market and communicating with the market. What kind of promotions and advertising will be conducted? Is there a website that can be turned into a marketing tool? If the operation will sell catering packages or deliver lunches, for example, there is a need for a sales strategy to reach potential customers.

Marketing encompasses price, product, place, and promotion – the 4 Ps. Address each of the Ps, and the startup will be on its way to success.

• Financial Projections – Many entrepreneurs need help preparing this section. It is based on the market analysis and the operational setup. Developing prospective financial data is challenging because there is no historical data to rely on. The statements to include are the profit/loss statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure plans. The SBA recommends doing monthly or quarterly financial projections for the first year as a minimum. Another four years of projections are usually included also, but the numbers can be on a quarterly or annual basis.

Also included in this section of the business plan sample for fast food restaurant is any other useful financial information, like ratios, breakeven analysis, and trend analysis. Graphs are beneficial to readers. Also, what startup funding is needed, and what are the targeted sources? Is the owner investing personal funds?

Quality really does count when preparing the document. It counts for the startup owner and for potential investors. This is a living, breathing document too. Once the fast food restaurant business plan pdf is completed, it should not be banished to a drawer or left to linger in old work processing files. The document needs regular updating to keep the business on track.

If unfamiliar with how to prepare such a beneficial document, the most important step you can take is getting professional consulting help. There is too much at risk to take any chances with potential success.

Download Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan Sample in PDF

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Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Hospitality, Travel & Tourism » Restaurant

Are you about starting a fast food restaurant ? If YES, here’s a complete sample fast food restaurant business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE to raise money .

Since the advent of fast food restaurants, loads of entrepreneurs have becomes millionaires. If you are interested in the food industry, one of the coolest ways of making money is to open a fast food restaurant . Although this type is profitable, but at the same time you can run at a loss if your fast food restaurant is not well positioned and managed.

It is important to state that loads of fast food restaurants close shops simple because they failed to conduct detailed market survey and feasibility studies before opening shop. Your ability to re – strategized and always up your service deliveries will help you stay competitive.

A Sample Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

The Fast Food Restaurant industry consists of restaurants where clients pay for quick-service food products before eating. The food purchased may be consumed in the restaurant, taken out or delivered as requested. Gross revenue generated in the industry is derived from both franchised and company- owned fast food outlets.

Franchise fees ( up-front costs associated with opening a franchise ) are also accounted for in the revenue generated in the industry. Although this industry does not include coffee and snack shops but most fast food outlets also sell beverages, such as water, juice and sodas, but usually not alcohol.

The Fast Food Restaurants industry has managed to excel during the last five years right through the recovery. Keeping consumers’ appetites satisfied, fast food outlets / franchises have created new menu options that capitalize on the trend of increasing awareness of the health risks associated with a high-fat diet.

The industry has also thrived by developing products at price points attractive enough to weather the slow recovery, resulting in strong revenue growth. As a result of this, these trends are expected to continue and contribute to revenue growth going forward.

The Fast Food Restaurants industry is a thriving sector of the economy of the united states, United Kingdom , France, Italy, and Canada and in most country of the world. Statistics has it that in the United States of America, The Fast Food Restaurants industry generates a whopping sum of well over $228 billion annually from more than 208,392 registered fast food outlets / franchise scattered all around the United States of America.

The industry is responsible for the employment of well over 4,269,281 people. Experts project The Fast Food Restaurants industry to grow at a 2.4 percent annual rate. MacDonald’s, Yum Brands, Inc. and Subway are the leaders in The Fast Food Restaurants industry; they have the lion market share in the industry.

The Fast Food Restaurants industry is confidently embedded in the mature stage of its life cycle. Over the next 10 years, industry value added, which measures an industry’s contribution to US GDP, is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 2.5 percent, compared with estimated annualized GDP growth of 2.2 percent during the same period.

Thus, the industry has exhibited slow and steady long-term growth, at a slightly faster pace than the economy as a whole. For this reason, many fast food chain operators are seeking higher growth in the global market.

Over and above, the sandwich industry / sandwich shop line of business is a profitable industry and it is open for any aspiring entrepreneur to come in and establish his or her business; you can chose to start on a small scale in a street corner like the average mom and pop business or you can chose to start on a large scale with several outlets in key cities.

2. Executive Summary

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC is a standard and registered chain of fast food restaurants that will be located in one of the busiest roads in Cleveland – Ohio but hope to spread out to key cities in the United States with the first 5 years of operations.

We are at the final stage of leasing a facility along a major road that is big enough to fit into the design of the kind of fast food restaurant that we intend launching and the facility is located in a corner piece directly opposite the largest residential estate in Cleveland – Ohio.

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC will be involved in the sale burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al in our restaurant and when customers order for it to be delivered to them in any location around us.

Basically we will be involved in operating quick-service restaurants, operating fast food services, operating drive-thru and take-out facilities in our chains of fast food outlets that will be scattered all across major cities in the United States and Canada.

We are aware that there are several large and small fast food restaurants scattered all around Cleveland – Ohio, which is why we spent time and resources to conduct our feasibility studies and market survey so as to offer much more than our competitors will be offering. We have delivery service options for our customers, and our outlet is well secured with the various payment options.

Much more than retailing and serving burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al, our customer care will be second to none in the whole of Cleveland – Ohio.

We know that our customers are the reason why we are in business which is why we will go the extra mile to get them satisfied when they visit any of our chains of fast food restaurants and also to become our loyal customers and ambassadors.

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC will ensure that all our customers are given first class treatment whenever they visit any of our chains of fast food outlets.

We have a CRM software that will enable us manage a one on one relationship with our customers no matter how large the numbers of our customers’ base may grow to. We will ensure that we get our customers involved when making some business decisions that directly affect them.

We are aware of the trend in the restaurant / fast food industry and we are not only going to operate a system where our customers would have to come to our fast food restaurant to make purchase or whatever they want, but we will also operate an online fast food restaurant and our customers can place orders for our foods, snack and drinks online and they will get it delivered to their houses or any location they want us to deliver the goods to within Cleveland – Ohio.

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC is a family business that is owned by Mrs. Becky Alison and her family. Mrs. Beck Alison is a sandwich cum fast food specialist; she has a B.Sc. in Food Science and a Diploma in Business Administration, with well over 15 years of experience in the restaurant and fast food industry, working for some of the leading brand in the United States.

Although the business is launching out with just one outlet in Cleveland – Ohio, but there is a plan to open other outlets all around Ohio and in other key cities in the United States of America and Canada.

3. Our Products and Services

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC is in the restaurant/fast food industry to make profits and we will ensure we go all the way to make available a wide variety of fast food and soft drinks to our clients. Our product and service offerings are listed below;

• Operating quick-service restaurants
• Operating fast food services
• Operating drive-thru and take-out facilities
• Sale of Burgers
• Sale of Sandwiches
• Sale of Mexican
• Sale of Pizza and Pasta
• Sale of Chicken and Chips
• Sale of Asian
• Sale of beverages, such as water, juice and sodas

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to become the leading chains of fast food restaurant – brand in Cleveland – Ohio.
• Our mission is to establish chains of fast food restaurants that will make available a wide variety of fast food and soft drinks at affordable prices to the residence of Cleveland – Ohio and other cities in the United States of America and Canada where we intend opening our chains of fast food restaurants.

Our Business Structure

Finicky Fast Food®, LlC do not intend to start a fast food restaurant business just like the usual mom and pop business around the street corner; our intention of starting a fast food restaurant business is to build a standard business in Cleveland – Ohio.

Although our fast food restaurant might not be as big as McDonald’s and Subway et al, but will ensure that we put the right structure in place that will support the kind of growth that we have in mind while setting up the business. We will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, honest, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer (Owner)
• Restaurant Manager
• Human Resources and Admin Manager
• Chef/Kitchen Workers

Sales and Marketing Manager

Information Technologist

• Accountants/Cashiers
• Customer Services Executive
• Van Drivers/Deliverers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO (Chief Florist):

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

Admin and HR Manager

• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Restaurant Manager:

• Responsible for managing the daily activities in the restaurant (kitchen inclusive)
• Ensures that the restaurant facility is in tip top shape and conducive enough to welcome customers
• Interfaces with third – party providers (vendors)
• Reports to the Chief Executive Officer
• Attends to Customers complains and enquiries
• Prepares budget and reports for the organization
• Handle any other duty as assigned by the CEO

Chef/Kitchen Staff

• Make burgers, Mexican, chicken and chips, Asians, sandwiches and pizzas as supervised by the kitchen supervisor
• Responsible for carrying out all casual or unskilled jobs in the restaurant
• Responsible for packaging burgers, Mexican, chicken and chips, Asians, sandwiches and pizzas meant for delivery
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the restaurant manager
• Manages external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Models demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer purchases
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps increase sales and growth for the company
• Manage the organization website
• Handles ecommerce aspect of the business
• Responsible for installing and maintenance of computer software and hardware for the organization
• Manage logistics and supply chain software, Web servers, e-commerce software and POS (point of sale) systems
• Manages the organization’s CCTV
• Handles any other technological and IT related duties.

Accountant/Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the organization
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization

Waiters/Waitress

• Promptly attends to customers in a friendly and professional manner
• Ensures that un-occupied tables are always set and ready for customers
• Pulls out chairs for customers as they arrive
• Handle any other duty as assigned by the Chief Operating officer/restaurant manager

Van Drivers/Sandwich Deliverers:

• Delivers customer’s orders promptly
• Delivers correspondence for the restaurant
• Runs errand for the organization
• Any other duty as assigned by the floor/line manager
• Responsible for cleaning the shop facility at all times
• Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
• Cleans both the interior and exterior of the store facility
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the shop manager.

6. SWOT Analysis

Our intention of starting just one outlet of our fast food restaurant in Cleveland – Ohio is to test run the business for a period of 2  to 5 years to know if we will invest more money, expand the business and then open other outlets all over Ohio and Key Cities in the United States of America and Canada.

We are quite aware that there are several fast food outlets all over Cleveland – Ohio and even in the same location where we intend locating ours, which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business.

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

Finicky Fast Food®, LlC employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in fast food line of business to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives. This is the summary of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for Finicky Fast Food®, LCC;

Our location, the business model we will be operating on (physical chains of fast food restaurants with active online presence), varieties of payment options, wide varieties of fast food and soft drinks and our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a strong strength for Finicky Fast Food®, LCC.

A major weakness that may count against us is the fact that we are a new fast food restaurant – business and we don’t have the financial capacity to compete with multi – million dollars chains of fast food restaurants like McDonald’s and Subway et al.

• Opportunities:

The fact that we are going to be operating our fast food restaurant in one of the busiest streets in Cleveland – Ohio, provides us with unlimited opportunities to sell our burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al to a large number of people.

We have been able to conduct thorough feasibility studies and market survey and we know what our potential clients will be looking for when they visit our fast food restaurant; we are well positioned to take on the opportunities that will come our way.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing/spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new sandwich shop, pizza shop or fast food restaurant in same location where ours is located.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

In this era when the online community is growing rapidly, you would do your business a whole lot of favor if you create your own online presence. One of the easiest ways to get people to see you as an expert in your line of business is to blog constantly about fast foods.

You may also want to leverage on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and others to publicize your fast food restaurant. You can as well go ahead to open an online portal where people can place order from your fast food restaurant.

You must ensure that your delivery system is efficient if you intend to do well with your online fast food business. So also, keeping consumers’ appetites satisfied, fast food restaurants / franchises have created new menu options that capitalize on the trend of increasing awareness of the health risks associated with a high-fat diet.

8. Our Target Market

One thing about burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al is that you can hardly find someone who doesn’t patronize them. As a matter of fact, most fast food restaurants now have menu designed specifically for vegan and others depending on their food preferences.

In view of that, we have positioned our fast food restaurant to service the residence of Cleveland – Ohio and every other location where our chains of fast food outlets will be located in key cities all over the United States of America and Canada.

We have conducted our market research and we have ideas of what our target market would be expecting from us. We are in business to retail our products to the following groups of people;

• Event Planners
• Vegetarians
• Corporate Organizations
• Corporate Executives
• Business People
• Sports Men and Women

Our Competitive Advantage

A close study of the restaurant/fast food industry reveals that the market has become much more intensely competitive over the last decade. As a matter of fact, you have to be highly creative, customer centric and proactive if you must survive in this industry.

We are aware of the stiffer competition and we are well prepared to compete favorably with other sandwich shops, pizza shops and chains of fast food restaurants in Cleveland – Ohio. Finicky Fast Food®, LLC is launching a standard fast food restaurant that will indeed become the preferred choice of residence of Cleveland – Ohio and other cities where we intend opening our chains of fast food outlets.

Our fast food outlet is located in a corner piece property on a busy road directly opposite one of the largest residential estates in Cleveland – Ohio. We have enough parking space that can accommodate well over 20 cars per time.

One thing is certain, we will ensure that we have a wide variety of burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al available in our shop at all times. It will be difficult for customers to visit our fast food outlets and not make a purchase of burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al.

One of our business goals is to make Finicky Fast Food®, LLC a one stop fast food restaurant. Our excellent customer service culture, online options, various payment options and highly secured facility will serve as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups fast food restaurants) in the restaurant/fast food industry, meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives. We will also give good working conditions and commissions to freelance sales agents that we will recruit from time to time.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC is in business to operate a standard and secured fast food restaurant business in Cleveland – Ohio. We are in the restaurant/fast food industry to

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain when it comes to fast food restaurant business, if your fast food restaurant is centrally positioned, you will always attract customers cum sales and that will sure translate to increase in revenue generation for the business.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Cleveland – Ohio and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our clientele base.

We have been able to critically examine the restaurant/fast food industry and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to startups in Cleveland – Ohio.

Below is the sales projection for Finicky Fast Food®, LLC, it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to sandwich shop start – ups in the United States;

• First Fiscal Year-: $100,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $250,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $750,000

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

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Before choosing a location for Finicky Fast Food®, LLC, we conduct a thorough market survey and feasibility studies in order for us to be able to be able to penetrate the available market and become the preferred choice for residence of Cleveland – Ohio.

We have detailed information and data that we were able to utilize to structure our business to attract the numbers of customers we want to attract per time. We hired experts who have good understanding of the restaurant/fast food industry to help us develop

In other to continue to be in business and grow, we must continue to sell our fast food and drinks which is why we will go all out to empower or sales and marketing team to deliver. In summary, Finicky Fast Food®, LCC will adopt the following sales and marketing approach to win customers over;

• Open our fast food restaurant in a grand style with a party for all.
• Introduce our fast food restaurant by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations, schools, event planners, households and key stake holders in Cleveland – Ohio
• Ensure that we have a wide variety of fast food and soft drinks in our restaurant at all times.
• Make use of attractive hand bills to create awareness and also to give direction to our fast food restaurant
• Position our signage/flexi banners at strategic places around Cleveland – Ohio
• Position our greeters to welcome and direct potential customers
• Create a loyalty plan that will enable us reward our regular customers
• Engage on road shows within our neighborhood to create awareness for our fast food restaurant.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Despite the fact that our fast food restaurant is well located, we will still go ahead to intensify publicity for the business. We are going to explore all available means to promote Finicky Fast Food®, LLC.

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC has a long term plan of opening chains of fast food outlets in various locations all around Cleveland and key cities in the United States and Canada which is why we will deliberately build our brand to be well accepted in Cleveland before venturing out.

As a matter of fact, our publicity and advertising strategy is not solely for winning customers over but to effectively communicate our brand. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise Finicky Fast Food®, LLC;

• Place adverts on community based newspapers, radio stations and TV stations.
• Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from our loyal customers
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook ,Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Badoo, Google+  and other platforms to promote our business.
• Ensure that our we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around Cleveland – Ohio
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
• Contact corporate organizations, households, religious centers, schools and event planners et al by calling them up and informing them of Finicky Fast Food®, LLC and the products we sell
• Advertise Finicky Fast Food®, LLC business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
• Brand all our official cars and delivery vans and ensure that all our staff members and management staff wears our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Pricing is one of the key factors that gives leverage to fast food restaurants, it is normal for consumers to go to places where they can purchase / order burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al at cheaper price which is why big players in the restaurant / fast food industry will continue to attract loads of consumers.

We know we don’t have the capacity to compete with bigger and well – established chains of fast food restaurants like McDonald’s and Subway, but we will ensure that the prices of all the products that are available in our fast food restaurant are competitive with what is obtainable amongst fast food restaurant within our level.

We are aware that there are contracts for supply of fast foods and soft drinks by government establishments, NGOs, corporate organizations or big religious organization; we will ensure that we abide by the bidding pricing template when we bid for such contracts.

• Payment Options

At Finicky Fast Food®, LLC, Our payment policy is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that will be available in every of our outlets;

• Payment by cash
• Payment via Point of Sale (POS) Machine
• Payment via online bank transfer (online payment portal)
• Payment via Mobile money
• Payment with check from loyal customers

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our payment plans without any itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a fast food restaurant ; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. These are the key areas where we will spend our start – up capital;

• The Total Fee for Registering the Business in Cleveland – Ohio – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $1,300.
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Glazers Ice Cream Company®; in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of – $3,580.
• Cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500.
• Insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
• Cost for payment of rent for 12 month at $1.76 per square feet in the total amount of $105,600.
• Cost for construction of a fast food restaurant – $100,000.
• Other start-up expenses including stationery ( $500 ) and phone and utility deposits ( $2,500 ).
• Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $100,000
• The cost for Start-up inventory (food ingredients, drinks and packaging materials et al) – $80,000
• Storage hardware (bins, rack, shelves, food case) – $3,720
• The cost for counter area equipment (counter top, sink, ice machine, etc.) – $9,500
• Cost for store equipment ( cash register , security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
• Cost of purchase of distribution vans – $50,000
• The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al) – $4,000.
• The cost of Launching a Website – $600
• The cost for our opening party – $10,000
• Miscellaneous – $10,000

We would need an estimate of $500,000 to successfully set up our fast food restaurant in Cleveland – Ohio. Please note that this amount includes the salaries of the entire staff member for the first month of operation and the amount could be more or lower.

Generating Funding/Startup Capital for Finicky Fast Food®, LLC

Finicky Fast Food®, LLC is a private business that is solely owned and financed by Mrs. Becky Alison and her family. We do not intend to welcome any external business partners; which is why we decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital to 3 major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $200,000 (Personal savings $100,000 and soft loan from family members $50,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $300,000 from our bank. All the papers and document have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

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

One of our major goals of starting Finicky Fast Food®, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to retail our burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza and pasta, chicken, chips, rice, water, juice, sodas and Asian et al a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

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

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

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

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How to write a restaurant business plan + free template (2024)

By Homebase Team

Whether you’re living the dream of opening your own restaurant or reworking your existing concept, a restaurant business plan template takes a ton of stress out of writing a business plan.

With prompts for every section you’ll need, we’ve created our free restaurant business plan template to be your operational foundation (you’re welcome!). Something you can download, customize, and come back to whenever you make business decisions for your restaurant.

But first, let’s go through all the ways a written business plan helps shape your restaurant, and why it boosts your business’s chance of success.

What is a restaurant business plan?

A restaurant business plan is a written document that lays out an overview of a restaurant, its objectives, and its plans for achieving its goals.

It’s needed across all kinds and sizes of restaurants, and can be a handful of pages long or much more detailed. A well-written restaurant business plan not only helps you organize your ideas, it’s also a key part of getting investor funding .

Starting a restaurant? Here’s why you need a business plan. 

Creatively, opening a new restaurant can be incredibly exciting. But it’s also super complicated. From licenses, to equipment, to building a team, each phase needs a lot of attention to detail.

Before you jump in, it’s important to shape your plan of attack, organizing your business ideas into a clear, concise narrative that an outsider could easily understand. A business plan is an essential part of this—and here’s why.

Your business plan helps you:

Set short and long-term goals.

A restaurant business plan not only shows how your business will operate in its early stages, it also shows what steps it’ll need to follow as time goes by. Setting both your short and long-term goals at the outset makes you more likely to achieve them.

Understand your resource needs.

Going through the exercise of writing a restaurant business plan is as important as having the finished document in front of you. As you organize your thoughts, your resource needs—from the amount of capital you need to raise all the way down to the equipment you need to find—will take shape. 

Reduce potential risks.

Sadly, some 60% of restaurants fail within the first year of opening. One of the main reasons? A failure to plan. Your business plan will help you plan for most challenges at your restaurant before they come up, keeping you on the right side of that number.

Develop a marketing strategy.

As you do your market analysis and figure out who your customers are likely to be, the ways you’ll promote your business will get clearer. The more specific you are with your market research, the easier and more effective your marketing efforts will be.

Build your team.

Your business plan helps you see who you’ll need on your team and which roles you’ll need to fill first . For investors, it’s a document showcasing everyone’s collective experience, personalizing your restaurant in their eyes and packing a professional punch.

Share your vision.

Whether you’re using your business plan to secure startup funding or need additional capital after you’ve already opened, your restaurant business plan shows an investor or lender exactly why they should get behind you. 

The 9 elements of a strong restaurant business plan.

Your restaurant business plan will be unique to your vision. But all good business plans hit standard points, and whoever reads yours will expect them. As you develop and finalize your ideas, here are nine key elements you should include. 

1. Executive summary

A strong restaurant business plan begins with a strong executive summary. This is a sharp, concise overview of your restaurant and your opportunity to grab people’s attention.

Here’s where you communicate, in a nutshell, what kind of restaurant you want to run. Which demographic will you be targeting? Why is your business something the community wants or needs? Especially if you’re asking for financing, include a snapshot of your financial information and growth plan as well. 

Your executive summary should briefly lay out:

• Your mission statement. Why are you starting this restaurant now, in this location? 
• Your idea. What’s the concept of this restaurant?
• Your plan of execution. What are your key steps to making this concept work?
• Your potential costs. What are your expected expenses?
• Your anticipated ROI. How much do you expect your restaurant to make?

Many investors will make a split-second decision off of the executive summary alone—it might be all they’re going to read, so make every word count.

2. Company description

Now it’s time to let your creativity out and give your restaurant concept life. Give a more detailed description of your concept that lets your passion for what you’re creating come through. 

Flesh out all the other details of your proposed restaurant, including your restaurant’s:

• Style of cuisine and any unique selling points or differentiators that will make customers choose you
• Service style
• Restaurant name (or at least ideas)
• Size, seating style, and capacity
• Location ideas or the location you’ve scouted or secured
• Ambiance ideas including décor, lighting, and music
• Operating hours
• Other service offerings like whether you’ll offer delivery or takeout, delivery guarantees, catering, and any retail products you plan to sell
• Legal structure (e.g. sole proprietorship, LLC) 
• Existing management and their roles, including yours
• Experts or advisors you’ve brought on board

3. Market analysis

Present the research you’ve done on your target market. Make a couple of buyer personas to represent your future customers, explaining:

• Where your target customers live
• Their income levels
• Their dining-out and/or ordering-in pain points (e.g. lack of late opening hours, lack of family friendliness)
• How often they dine out or order in

Go through which other restaurants already have a customer base in your area, then explain why people will choose your restaurant over others. 

4. Sample menu

Even at the business plan stage, menu engineering is crucial. The specific menu items you’re likely to serve—the biggest thing that will set you apart—should shine through with descriptions that are short, clear, and evocative. If you have an executive chef already, this is a great area for them to add input.

Use language that will get people excited about trying your offerings. Hire a designer or use an online program to create your own mockup using the same colors, fonts, and design elements as the rest of your branding. 

5. Business structure

Dive deeper into your business structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, etc.) and organizational management. Show what your different employee positions will be (co-founders, managers, servers) to give a sense of your team’s makeup. An organizational chart can be helpful here.

Investors won’t expect you to have your entire team on board at this stage, but you should have at least a couple of people firmed up. For the roles that are already filled, including your own, summarize your collective experience and achievements. Bullet points work well, or some people choose to go into more detail with full resumes for the executive team or critical team members.

6. Restaurant design and location

Long before you sign a lease, make sure that your new offering will outshine existing ones nearby. In this section of your business plan, explain why your chosen location, or the ones you’re narrowing down, are going to be an effective space for your target market.

Consider things like:

• Neighborhood demographics
• Foot traffic
• Labor costs
• Accessibility

Hand in hand with location, your restaurant’s interior design—both in its floor plan and its ambiance—is also crucial to your business’s viability. Come up with a captivating restaurant design that communicates your theme and matches your cuisine, creating a memorable customer experience. Decide how many tables you’ll be serving, and plan out any outdoor seating.

Touch on things like:

• Team uniforms
• Flatware and glassware

7. Marketing strategy

How do you plan to market your restaurant? Your plan for grabbing customers’ attention is vital to getting diners through the door, especially at the beginning before word-of-mouth advertising has taken off.

What kind of offers will you provide? Will you have promotional events, direct mail, or a social media strategy ? Go through your planned marketing campaigns and explain how each of them will help secure your target market. 

8. Takeout and delivery options

If you’ve decided to have takeout and delivery at your restaurant—pretty important for most target markets—decide whether you’ll use your own drivers or a professional fleet like Uber Eats or DoorDash.

Show how you’ll provide the smooth digital experience your customers will expect. Decide if and how your website will come into play, bearing in mind that in 2023, 40% of consumers preferred to order directly from the restaurant website .

9. Financial projections

Your restaurant’s projected budget need to be solid, especially if you’re using your business plan to get startup funds. Without this, investors have no way of knowing if your business is a good investment or when it will become profitable.

Hire an experienced accountant with expertise in running restaurants and write down your market research, your planned costs , and your projected income. Show how investor funds will be used and whether you’ll be putting up collateral to get a loan. Give a sales forecast, usually for the first five years, and make sure to give a break-even analysis.

Get started with our free restaurant business plan template.  

As the team behind Homebase , we know how much there is to consider when you’re starting a new restaurant. We’re proud to be an all-in-one partner for thousands of restaurants large and small—helping make everything from staffing, to scheduling, to team communication easier for business owners.

And we know that your restaurant business plan is a high-stakes document. That’s why we created our free restaurant business plan template to make sure nothing gets overlooked.

Check out our free, downloadable template to get your ideas into shape, get started on your restaurant journey—and get investors excited to jump on board with you. 

Download your restaurant business plan template for free: Restaurant business plan + free template (2024)

Stop chasing down phone numbers with our built-in team communication tool. Message teammates, share updates, and swap shifts — all from the Homebase app.

Restaurant business plan template FAQs

What is the basic planning document for a successful restaurant.

The basic planning document for successful restaurants is a restaurant business plan. A restaurant business plan lays out a restaurant’s long and short-term goals and its plans for achieving those goals. Restaurant planners use it both to finetune their ideas and to secure investor funding.

How to write a restaurant business plan.

When writing a restaurant business plan, include an executive summary, a detailed restaurant description, market analysis research, a sample menu, a breakdown of your business structure, the design and location of your restaurant, your planned takeout and delivery options, your marketing strategy, and your financial projections.

What makes a business plan template for restaurants different from a standard business plan?

A restaurant business plan template differs from a standard business plan by including things like menu engineering, interior design, kitchen operations, front-of-house management, takeout and delivery offerings, and location analysis, which are unique to the food service industry.

Remember:  This is not legal advice. If you have questions about your particular situation, please consult a lawyer, CPA, or other appropriate professional advisor or agency.

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Article Index:

2.0 Company Description

3.0 daily operations and production, 4.0 market analysis, 5.0 marketing strategy and implementation, 6.0 organization and management, 7.0 financial plan.

1.0 Executive Summary

The Traditional Home-Style Restaurant (“THR”) will be a moderately priced 86 seat restaurant offering family style food and service. Broasted chicken, pot roast, steaks and pork chops along with classic hamburgers, wraps and generous salads are all on the menu. We will offer specialty selections including a lighter options and smaller portions for a children’s menu.

The restaurant will be family owned and operated by Jeff and Betty Wright. Together they have over 25+ collective years experience in the restaurant and catering industry.

The Wrights will be leasing a 3,400 square foot space located at West Roads Shopping Center, an existing retail center located in Benbrook, a suburb in Fort Worth, Texas. The site was previously leased as an Italian Restaurant. Although the location was previously utilized as a restaurant, the former tenant removed the majority of the furniture, fixtures and equipment which will need to be replaced. The location will also require some additional renovation to update the lavatories and increase table space in the dining area.

The décor will feature wood accented chairs with blue and white checked table cloths. Dinner style tables will be surrounded by wooden chairs with comfortable seating cushions.

Sales projections assume 1700 customers per week resulting in weekly sales of just over $19,777, or $1,028,000 annually. This equates to around $302 per square foot in sales annually which positions THR as a highly desirable concept for ownership in a table service market where $200 to $325 per square foot is considered moderately profitable and therefore a good investment. Total start up costs will be $363,000, $174,000 of which will be contributed by the owners and the remainder will be secured by a proposed bank loan.

1.1 Business Objectives

The primary objectives of the business plan for Restaurant are below:

• To be the premier home-style restaurant in western Fort Worth, Texas
• To provide quality meals at reasonable prices with exemplary service
• Achieve Cover ratios of 1.00X at each lunch and dinner serving
• To achieve Prime Cost Ratios lower than 65%

1.2 Mission Statement

Our Mission is to provide a unique and relaxing dining experience – similar to dining at home. We will strive to achieve this goal by: 1) by providing menu items incorporating quality ingredients at reasonable prices, and 2) we will be mindful of the well being of our customers and staff– treating each and everyone with dignity and respect – just like we would at our own home!

1.3 Guiding Principles

• Being Mindful of our Customers and our Staff Coinciding with our family values, we will treat both our customers and staff in a manner in which we ourselves would want to be treated (or better!).
• Gratitude “An attitude of gratitude” shown to our customers, employees and vendors – because without their input, service, labor and time, our business would not be here without them!
• Our Service Provide the warm and friendly service expected from a family-style restaurant creating an informal, comfortable environment which will make the customers satisfied and want to return again and again.

1.4 Keys to Success

• Repeat business. Every customer who comes in once should want to return, and recommend us. Word–of–mouth marketing is a powerful ally.
• Hire top notch chefs and offer training to keep the chef on top of his/her game, and pay top wages to ensure they stay with us.
• Location. Convenience is essential to us; we need to be close to our market because we are not trying to get people to travel to reach us.
• A variety of menu offerings with a “down home” theme, reasonably priced to establish credibility, but not so high as to limit customers.

The Traditional Home-Style Restaurant will be located 7950 Camp Bowie West Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas. The restaurant will be wholly owned and operated by Jeff and Betty Wright. The restaurant will serve a variety of classic home-style favorites from pot roast and mashed potatoes to patty melts and vanilla ice cream.

The restaurant will be open 7 days a week with hours as follows:

Monday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm Tuesday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm Wednesday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm Thursday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm Friday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

2.1 Ownership

The restaurant will be owned by Jeff Wright. Jeff began his restaurant career at the age of 15 working in a quick-service foodservice operation and earned his way through college as a server and bartender. After earning his degree, he worked for a regional restaurant chain and an independent fine dining restaurant. In these organizations he held the positions of Assistant Manager and then General Manager.

Betty Wright received her Culinary Degree from the Art Institute in Dallas. After graduation she was employed by a local chain restaurant and then at a Five Star Hotel in Dallas. Betty will be employed as the Kitchen Manager.

With the high turnover of help for startup restaurants, we will rely on family to fill in where required until we are off the ground and making a profit.

2.2 Legal Form

THR will be organized as a sole proprietorship, wholly owned and operated by Jeff Wright d/b/a Traditional Home-Style Restaurant. THR is registered in the state of Texas a community property state.

2.3 Start-Up Summary

The cost to open the restaurant is $363,000. The majority of the expenses are in furniture fixtures and equipment totally $110,000. The location requires some build-out and renovation totally $50,000 and will require approximately 30 days to complete. The Wrights will sub-contract the work themselves. Costs are detailed in a later section of this restaurant business plan.

$175,000 of the start-up costs will be funded by the owners. The owner’s source of funds is a combination of liquid assets and marketable securities, primarily from their existing catering business.

2.4 Location and Facilities

The 3,400 square foot restaurant will be located in a West Roads Shopping Center, a retail strip center located in the Benbrook suburb of Fort Worth, Texas. The restaurant is located in a major traffic area, at the intersection of Camp Bowie and Cherry Road.

Benbrook, a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas, has a population of over 51,000 according to the 2010 U.S. Census Report. The residential population in the immediate area is comprised of a mixture of single family and multi-family housing. The median household income is $46,532. Major employers include Union Pacific and Bank of America.

THR will be open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner requiring multiple shifts. Jeff will write the schedules. The schedules will be written in a manner that will allow the ability to increase or decrease hourly labor according to sales volume in order to maintain a consistent labor cost control.

Proper labeling and rotation techniques, accompanied by ample storage facilities will ensure that high quality prepared product will be sufficiently available to meet the demands during peak business hours. Replenishment and ongoing preparation will continue during off peak business hours.

Jeff Wright will be responsible for ordering, receiving and maintaining sufficient inventory to meet production demands. Ordering schedules will be staggered with perishable products being ordered multiple times per week to preserve freshness. Standard grocery and supply orders will be ordered less often, according to a predetermined schedule and storage capacity.

Mr. Wright will rely on operational checklists to verify that each work shift has been properly prepared for and to insure the operational standards are followed before, during and after work shifts.

The restaurant layout, including the dining room, kitchen and serving line, has been designed for efficiency and flexibility to accommodate the fluctuation in customer traffic and peak meal periods.

Upon arrival, guests will be greeted immediately by either the assistant manager or a server and asked for the seating preference. Drink orders will be taken and guests can munch on our complimentary rolls. Once the customer’s order is taken, the order will automatically be printed to a requisition printer located in the grill area. The grill cook will use the printed ticket to keep track of orders and place the meal under the heating lamps until the order is complete. The kitchen preparation line has been designed to be operated by a minimum staff of 1 line cook and a maximum of 4 cooks. This design allows line staffing to be adjusted to the business volume. Shift changes for all staff will involve cleanup, restocking and preparation. All monies will be settled at the end of each shift. The closing shift will involve designated closing duties that will leave the restaurant clean and fully prepared for the next day.

3.2 Competitive Comparison

The US restaurant industry includes about 480,000 restaurants with combined annual revenue of about $400 billion. Major companies include Brinker International which owns Chili’s Grill & Bar) and Maggiano’s, Ruby Tuesdays McDonald’s; YUM! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell); and Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Red Lobster). The industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest companies hold just 20 percent of the market.

Local competitors within a five mile radius are as follows.

• Hedarys Restaurant – This is a full service family restaurant established in 1977. The 5,000 SF restaurant run as a sole proprietorship, has 17 employees and generates $1.7 million in revenue annually. Prices are higher than THR and range from $8.00-$20 per entrée.
• Applebee’s – this is a chain restaurant offering standard fare. The food quality is average. Entrées range from $6.99 – $20.
• Chili’s – this is a chain restaurant also offering standard fare. Food choices are varied and prices range for $8-$21.
• Barbeque Ben’s – This is sole proprietorship offering primarily barbeque item. Although the food offering does not compete directly with the subject, the restaurant targets the same neighborhood families and has been operating at the single location since 1978. Entrée range from $8.99-$12.
• Cracker Barrel – located along Interstate 30, the restaurant is not located within the target market area. However due to its menu offering of home comfort food, the restaurant attracts a similar market, although Cracker Barrel’s attract the tourist business as well. Entrées range in price from $7.99-$14.

3.3 Suppliers

Because of their years of experience combined with their existing catering business, Jeff and Betty Wright have established relationships with qualified suppliers. These suppliers can provide reasonably priced products, delivered according to the schedule.

3.4 Management Controls

The Wrights will practice sound management procedures in order to control costs, insure quality of product and provide friendly customer service. The following systems will be used by management:

Order Guide: The restaurant will use an item specific order guide to track order history and maintain designated levels of product in inventory.

Weekly Inventory: Management will conduct a weekly inventory to determine valuation for use in the preparation of weekly profit and loss reports.

Daily Inventory Tracking: Daily inventory will be taken on specific items. Movement will be compared to sales data to ensure designated products have been properly accounted for.

3.5 Administrative Systems

With a limited staff, it is crucial that the Wrights remain current with daily cash outlay. The purchase of a POS system will immensely help them with these daily administrative reports:

Daily Cash Control.  Sales and receipts recorded by the POS system will be compared to actual cash and credit card deposits on a daily basis. Acceptable over/short amounts will be limited to $5.00 per day. Discrepancies greater than $5.00 will prompt management to conduct an immediate audit to account for the difference. Monthly totals will be compared to actual P&L statements for accuracy. Cash, debit card and credit card receipts will be deposited in a deposit.

Weekly Prime Cost Report.  Jeff Wright will prepare a weekly report that shows the gross profit margin after cost of goods sold and labor cost has been deducted from the sales revenue. The prime cost for this type of restaurant is expected to range from 60% to 65%. Proper control of the prime cost is the single most effective measure of management’s ability to operate the restaurant.

Purchasing Records/Payables.  A part time bookkeeper will process and record invoices and credits daily. Reports detailing cash expenditures, payments by check, and accounts payable transactions will be readily available. Check disbursements will be prepared by the bookkeeper. Check signing authority for the general operating account will be given to the general manager.

Payroll Processing.  Payroll checks will be issued bi-monthly. Jeff Wright will run reports from the time & attendance system, make necessary adjustments, and prepare for transfer to the payroll system. Payroll will be processed by a payroll processing service.

3.6 Future Services

THR has future plans to provide catering services for family reunions, weddings and other events desiring a “home-style” menu. This could potentially become a large portion of gross sales. The Wrights are targeting Year 2 and at that point, a sales agent would be hired to directly market the products for daily delivery or catered functions.

The restaurant industry is a large and diverse business: Restaurant-industry sales are forecast to reach $580.1 billion in 2010 – an increase of 2.5 percent over 2009. Restaurant-industry sales are projected to total $604 billion in 2011 and equal 4 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. The overall economic impact of the restaurant industry is expected to exceed $1.7 trillion in 2011. On a typical day in America in 2010, more than 130 million people will be foodservice patrons. Sales at full service restaurants reached $184.2 billion in 2010. Sales at limited service restaurants increased to $164.8 billion in 2010, while snack and non-alcoholic-beverage bar sales rose to $24.7 billion. (National Restaurant Association).

The US restaurant industry includes about 480,000 restaurants with combined annual revenue of about $400 billion. Major companies include McDonald’s; YUM! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell); and Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Red Lobster). The industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest companies hold just 20 percent of the market. (First Research).

The industry consists of full-service restaurants (FSR) and limited service eating places, which include quick-service restaurants (QSR); cafeterias; buffets; snack bars; and nonalcoholic beverage bars. (First Research)

4.1 Industry Analysis

This analysis is based on the Standard Industry Code (“SIC”) 5812: Eating and Drinking Places Establishments primarily engaged in the retail sale of prepared food and drinks for on-premise or immediate consumption. It is also based on the North American Industry Classification System (“NAICS”) 722110 – Full-Service Restaurants.

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing food services to patrons who order and are served while seated (i.e., waiter/waitress services) and pay after eating. These establishments may provide food services to patrons in combination with selling alcoholic beverages, providing carry out services, or presenting live nontheatrical entertainment.

Demographics, consumer tastes, and personal income drive demand. The profitability of individual companies can vary: while QSRs rely on efficient operations and high volume sales, FSRs rely on high-margin items and effective marketing. Large companies have advantages in purchasing, finance, and marketing. Small companies can offer superior food or service. The industry is labor-intensive. (First Research)

Wages form a significant proportion of operating costs. The existence of a statutory minimum wage in most states increases the need for players to keep other costs as lean as possible, which in turn increases the importance of suppliers. A slight complication is that in some states, foodservice employers are able to treat tips received by their staff as contributing to their wages; in such states, this policy reduces the impact of the minimum wage from the employers’ perspective. (Data Monitor)

Annual revenue per worker is less than $50,000.

Restaurants compete with companies that serve meals or prepared foods, including grocery stores, warehouse clubs, delis, and convenience stores. In addition, restaurants compete with home cooking.

Among FSRs, most establishments focus on Italian cuisine, steak, or seafood. Hamburger joints make up a majority of QSR locations, along with pizza parlors and sub sandwich shops. Industry revenue is roughly evenly split between FSRs QSRs.

In FSRs, waiters take orders, serve beverages and meals, present the check, and process payment. FSRs include casual dining (full bar); family dining (limited bar); and fine dining establishments.

Annual sales average $860,000 for FSRs.

An FSR’s square footage and the number of seats and tables dictate how many patrons it can serve (also known as table turns or covers) directly affects sales. Because the restaurant industry is highly competitive, site selection is critical: companies may consider population density, household income, competition, visibility, accessibility, and traffic.

Companies carefully manage inventory of perishable food products, such as fresh seafood and dairy goods, to reduce losses due to spoilage.

Computerized information systems can improve and link food preparation and serving operations. Touch screen ordering programs ensure accurate communication of customer orders. Timing systems monitor meal progress and can alert staff if an order is running behind schedule. Reservations programs maximize traffic flow and seating. Inventory management systems track supply levels and can help reduce waste due to spoilage. Cost accounting programs help companies determine the profitability of individual menu items. Handheld point-of-sale (POS) devices allow servers to place orders and print checks tableside, improving accuracy and reducing ordering time. Some handhelds can also print customer checks and process credit card payments. (First Research)

4.1.1 Market Size

The US restaurant industry includes about 480,000 restaurants with combined annual revenue of about $400 billion.

4.1.2 Industry Participants

Major participants include Major companies include McDonald’s; YUM! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell); and Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Red Lobster).

4.1.3 Main Competitors

The following restaurants are located within a five mile radius of THR:

• Applebee’s – This is a chain restaurant offering standard fare. The food quality is average. Entrées range from $6.99 – $20.
• Chili’s – This is a chain restaurant also offering standard fare. Food choices are varied and prices range for $8-$21.
• Cracker Barrel – Located along Interstate 30, the restaurant is not located within the target market area. However due to its menu offering of home comfort food, the restaurant attracts a similar market, although Cracker Barrel’s attract the tourist business as well. Entrées range in price from $7.99-$14.

4.1.4 Market Segments

THR will appeal to a broad base of consumers in both the residential and business community. The location selected for THR was chosen primarily to appeal to the growing number of households in the area.

The suburb of Benbrook located in western Forth Worth, TX has a population of over 51,000 according to the 2010 U.S. Census Report. The residential population in the immediate area is comprised of a mixture of single family and multi-family housing. The median household income is $46,532 for 2010 and estimated to be $54,646 for 2015. (US Census).

Major employers include Union Pacific Railroad and Bank of America.

(www.Business Decision. Info)

4.2 Market Tests

For the past 10 years, Jeff and Betty have been catering part-time. Their home-style menu is very popular with family reunions. More often than not, the couple gets asked to open a restaurant full-time so that patrons can return again and again.

Through Constant Contact (an online marketing program) the couple has stayed in touch with their host and hostesses, and has been asked to return to provide catering services to several repeat events. Home-Style Catering as also grown by word of mouth.

The couple also co-authors a home-style blog – attracting foodies nationwide and globally, swapping recipes, compiling the most sought after home-style comfort recipes, and identifying current trends, for example, providing expanded menus for children and for those with food allergies.

The Wrights already have a customer base through their catering business and local blog visitors. These customers will be the first to be contacted when they announce the grand opening of the brick and mortar restaurant.

4.3 Target Market Segment Strategy

Jeff and Betty Wright selected the subject area for its restaurant primarily because of its location to the very busy intersection of Cherry Street and Camp Bowie. The restaurant located in a retail strip center is located on “going home” side of Camp Bowie. This will encourage families tired from a day of work to stop in for a home cooked meal they can enjoy – without the cleanup!

Cherry Road which runs North and South is connected to the busy Interstate 30 corridor, 1/2 mile north of the shopping center. Camp Bowie which runs East and West connects to the newer western suburbs of Fort Worth.

4.3.1 Market Needs

The Benbrook area is in great need of a family style restaurant. This section of Camp Bowie is commonly referred to as “fast food alley” The selection of fast food is vast however; the area is limited on its family restaurant choices. THR’s nearest competitor, The Hedary Restaurant is located over 5 miles away from the location. Further, established in the 1970’s the Hedary Restaurant’s customers are older than the targeted family group THR focuses on.

4.3.2 Market Trends

According to the National Restaurant Association, the top 10 trends for are:

• locally sourced meats and seafood,
• locally grown produce,
• sustainability as a culinary theme,
• nutritious kids’ dishes,
• hyper-local items, (networked locally grown – like a Craigslist for restaurants)
• children’s nutrition as a culinary theme,
• sustainable seafood,
• gluten-free allergy conscious items,
• back to basics cuisine, and
• farm brand ingredients.

4.3.3 Market Growth

US consumer spending on services, an indicator of restaurant sales, rose 1.8 percent in November 2011 compared to the same month in 2010. The average US retail price for diesel and regular gas, which influences discretionary consumer spending on eating out, rose 13.1 percent and 9.3 percent respectively in the week ending January 16, 2012, compared to the same week in 2011. US tourism spending for food services and drinking places, an indicator for restaurant revenues, increased 6.1 percent in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. (First Research)

4.4 Positioning

Consumers believe that meals at home are healthier and higher quality than eating at restaurants. At THR, we will position ourselves as the premier home-style restaurant by preparing quality home cooked meals with simple wholesome ingredients. Jeff and Betty Wright will also provide home cooked fare that appeals to the current trends of healthier food and offer menu selections which will appeal to this group. THR will be positioned as the premier traditional home-style restaurant.

THR will position itself as the premier home-style restaurant in the Benbrook suburb of Fort Worth, Texas. We will do this by providing quality home style meals, prepared with quality ingredients at a reasonable prices. Customers will enjoy the quaint surroundings inside with the wood tables and checkered table cloths. Our restaurant will provide a relaxed atmosphere and when customers walk in they will be greeted by warm smiles and greeted just as they were arriving home.

The chains have tried to create home-style restaurants but where they have failed is in the personal aspect of the business. The POS system known as “The Expediter” used to monitor inventories and time meals has replaced one of the most important aspects of a restaurant – the friendliness of the staff! And in light of this, a handful of chain restaurants are beta testing self-pay tables!

Our customers will enjoy our standard menu fare, along with seasonal menus so that we can better take advantage of cost savings and stay current with some of the food industry trends.

At THR we plan to be the premier restaurant to work for as well. We believe that the restaurant industry is a great place to begin one’s career or pursue full-time. In fact, according to the Restaurant Association, nearly half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point during their lives, and more than one out of four adults got their first job experience in a restaurant. At THR we believe that our restaurant will provide job opportunities both for the entry level applicant was well as for the part-time worker searching for flexibly in job hours. We will pay our employees a competitive salary and believe we can do so by meticulously keeping our records, including daily review of the Prime Cost Report, and utilize Cost Accounting Systems, to prevent inventory shortfalls. We will be proactive with our employees by scheduling regular performance reviews, and provide bonuses and other incentives to motivate our staff. We will also provide our employees with the most current training programs regarding safe food handling, and worker protection. (Additional information regarding our employees is explained in Section 6.1 which follows).

THR will also remain current with current industry marketing tends. In addition to a website with our menu, map and driving directions, we will also have a Facebook page and utilize other social media such as Twitter. We will team up with Groupon and Yelp. We will offer a loyalty club and birthday club which recent reports indicate increases earnings as much as 15%.

5.1.1 Strengths

• Prime location with easy access from Interstate 30
• Exceptional staff with the can do attitude. Combined 25 years in the restaurant industry
• Because owner has catering industry experience, he already has established a customer market and approved vendors
• Due to our small size, we believe we can provide exceptional quality by hand selecting our market specials when compared to our larger corporate competitors
• The same concept holds true in our staffing requirements, by hand selecting our employees we will strive to offer unsurpassed service when compared to our larger competitors

5.1.2 Weaknesses

• Recruiting and retaining quality employees
• Tight margins will allow little wiggle room for error

5.1.3 Opportunities

• Little barriers to entry allows for immediate business opportunities
• Offer additional catering services

5.1.4 Threats

• Government mandates (restaurant operation, food safety, and worker protection at the federal level and health, sanitation, safety, fire at the local level)
• Rising operating costs
• Building/maintaining sales volume
• Supermarkets and convenience stores
• Consumers that believe that meals at home are healthier than those prepared in restaurants.

5.2 Strategy Pyramid

Strategy:  Be the Benbrook area’s premier Home-Style Food Restaurant in Customer Satisfaction.

Tactics:  First create awareness– our signage on the front of restaurant will bring customers to us and once inside, we will immediately acknowledge the customer with the warmest and most sincere greeting and begin the service process anticipating repeat customers.

Programs:  Provide employee training on customer service and retention; offer ongoing training programs for employees keeping them current on industry trends and food safety. Keep track of employee’s progress through performance reviews and offer employees incentives attracting and retailing customers. Employ Mystery Shoppers. Employ the use of surveys both at the table and online.

5.3 Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

THR will be able to offer home-style meals for a reasonable price in a comfortable ‘home-like’ setting. The average check price is expected to be between $8-$15 which appears in line with industry standards below $25.00 (First Research). Because of our current expertise with vendors, and our excellent credit, we can negotiate better credit terms than say someone brand new starting a restaurant. We will also be able to keep our menu reasonably priced by offering menu items that take advantage of seasonal produce further reducing price. Finally we will keep our prices in check by meticulous monitoring of our controllable expenses – keeping close eye on our Prime Cost Report and Inventory. By initially employing family members who will work for lower and reduced wagers, for example, we can further reduce our controllable expenses.

5.4 Competitive Edge

THR’s competitive edge is in its people. We truly believe that your business is not only as good as your products (meals) but the quality of your staff as well. Our staff is a reflection of us. Initially, we intend to employ our family members who will work for lower and reduced wages. Our long term goal is to hire team members that are truly hand selected and have the same honest to goodness family values we do. And unlike our big chain competitors, because of our lean size, we can turn on a dime when economically pushed and make changes quickly allowing us to be proactive. (Whereas our corporate competitors have to adhere more closely to their company policies thus impeding their reaction time)

5.5 Marketing Strategy and Positioning

We realize the success of THR will have to be achieved by doing more that serving great food, and providing friendly service. We will utilize a restaurant marketing plan to build customer traffic. At THR we will continually strive to win more customers by being proactive rather than reactive in our marketing efforts and stay current with popular industry trends. We will achieve these goals by using the following:

• Database: We will begin our campaign by marketing to our existing database of customers. We will email fliers announcing our grand opening. We will continually update our database by providing a fishbowl for business cards in the lobby and offer a weekly or monthly drawing.
• Loyalty Program/Birthday Program. THR will offer a birthday/loyalty club proving a complimentary hamburger or chicken sandwich or wrap to the for the birthday person. A recent report from the National Restaurant Association explained how this simple technique can increase revenues as much as 15% due to repeat business.
• Our restaurant team will also be active in the local community and we plan to take an active role by participating, sponsoring, and donating to local churches, sports clubs or teams in the market area.
• We will also strive to develop rapport with local business as a quick, comfortable lunch choice. In the future, we plan on establishing a marketing campaign to call on the local business in the market area, deliver samples, and encourage them to consider our restaurant as the restaurant of choice for their next business luncheon

5.5.1 Positioning Statement

THR will be the premier home-style dining restaurant in western Fort Worth. We will offer reasonably priced meals, in a warm, relaxed and comfortable setting. We have a wide selection on our menu and also have menu options for lighter fare as well as a children’s menu. We are open 7 days a week and unlike our chain competitors, our servers won’t try to be your best friend our rush you thought your meal. Our name says it all  “Traditional Home-Style Restaurant – – honest to goodness food served to you by honest to goodness people!”

5.5.2 Pricing Strategy

At THR, cost accounting is important, since the profitability of individual dishes can vary significantly and will initially determine the cost of the menu items. We will take advantage of our excellent credit terms with our suppliers and will also update our menu to take advantage of seasonality for example in local produce items. We will also closely monitor the Prime Cost Report which focuses on the controllable expenses of Cost of Goods Sold and Labor. As a new start-up we can currently control employee cost by hiring family members who will work for low and reduced wages.

5.5.3 Promotion and Advertising Strategy

• Location- The restaurant will be located in a strip center at the busy intersection of Cherry road and Camp Bowie. With easy access to Interstate 30 (less than ½ mile south) and located on the “going home side” (Western Corner) of the intersection. We will have Signage on the West Roads Shopping Plaza as well as signage over our entrance
• Word of Mouth – We already have a database of existing catering customers and will rely heavily on this method to attract and grow new business.
• Participate with Costco as Small Business of the Month – We will leave our menu, a fishbowl for business cards and a small ‘homey’ display with the retailer announcing us as new entrants in the local restaurant arena.
• Direct Mail – Bulk mailing either directly to potential customers or by including a postcard in a value-pack-type mailing.
• Event Marketing -We plan on joining our local chamber of commerce and utilizing their networking services for our grand opening

5.5.4 Website

• We will stay current with industry trends and have a webpage, Facebook page and Twitter site. Our menu, map, and hours of operation will be easily accessed. In the future we may consider fax or email orders as well a phone application.

5.5.5 Marketing Programs

• Our initial marketing campaign will consist of contacting our databases clients and notifying them of our grand opening. We will seek the use of a local mailing service program to assist us in the implementation of the campaign.
• Ongoing- we will meticulously keep our database current and use the Constant Contact program
• Loyalty and Birthday Club members will notified of upcoming special menu items and to alert them of our catering service.

5.6 Sales Strategy

Customer service is of the utmost importance. Customer surveys estimate that only 1 in 20 customers that have a problem in a restaurant will tell management about it. It will be our goal to provide a wonderful home-style meal combined with superior customer service. Training programs will include teaching materials to train our employees about service attitudes, customer perception and how to handle guest complaints. Jeff and Betty will conduct periodic staff meetings intended to review policy, increase guest satisfaction and to keep a general line of communication between staff and management. All guest complaints will be acknowledged by the staff and referred to management. Programs will be in place for all types of guest complaints. More serious complaints will be documented and kept on file. Customer feedback will be accomplished by customer surveys or the use of mystery shoppers.

5.6.1 Sales Forecast

We are expecting a conservative 5% increase in sales revenues annually over the next 3 years. The growth is adjusted for inflation. With the addition of catering revenues, sales will increase by 12.93% in Year 2 and 6.02% in Year 3.

The following table shows expected Sales Forecast for the next 3 years:

5.6.2 Sales Programs

We will encourage our employees to grow our customer base and provide incentives and regular bonuses to employees for referrals and repeat customers. These initiatives are still in the planning stages as we gear up to hire and staff. They will play an active role in our employee culture.

It is also anticipated that as we grow our catering business, along with our lunch business group, we will hire a sales director to facilitate this portion of the business. The sales director will be compensated similarly to their national peers (national Restaurant Association)

Initially we will be formed a sole proprietor: Jeff Wright d/b/a Traditional Home Style Restaurant. The State of Texas is a community property state. Over time, the couple plans to form a Limited Liability Company.

5.8 Milestones

Our initial milestones are as follows:

6.1 Organizational Structure

THR expects to hire 19 employees. Together, Jeff and Betty Wright will personally select each candidate. They’ve adopted an effective interview process designed to staff the restaurant with highly qualified people for each position. Each applicant will be rated and evaluated according to a pre-defined set of standards designed for each position. Background checks will be utilized for designated positions. Recruiting efforts will always center on referrals.

6.2 Management Team

Betty Wright received her Culinary Degree from the Art Institute in Dallas. After graduation she was employed by a local chain restaurant and then at a Five Star Hotel in Dallas. Betty will initially be employed as the Kitchen Manager.

6.3 Management Team Gaps

Initially Jeff and Betty will fill in many of the management gaps. Jeff has been responsible for developing the restaurant business plan and will be developing the marketing plan. Over time, they have plans to hire a sales director, a general manager, and a kitchen manager.

To meet the gaps associated in payroll, inventory management, and cost accounting, the Wrights will purchase have considered a POS (point of sale system) that it simplifies communications between the kitchen and the wait staff. Orders go through the computer, directly to the kitchen printer. Another benefit of a restaurant POS programs is that it can track everything from food usage, to the most popular menu items. Because the POS system acts as a time clock, it can also help prepare payroll – which will save some money in the bookkeeping department. Along with the daily operations of running a restaurant, a POS system can organize profit and loss statement and sales tax.

6.4 Personnel Plan

The following sections outline our financial plan:

• Required Cost of Start-Up
• Profit and Loss
• Balance Sheet
• Financial Ratios
• Hourly Labor Costs
• Weekly Sales Projections

7.1 Important Assumptions

• Meal Price range from $8.00 – $15.00
• Average lunch price: 8.79
• Average dinner price: 13.74
• The restaurant is located in the West Roads Shopping Center and is comprised of 3,400 square feet
• The dining room will be comprised of 20 tables with a seating capacity of 86 seats and 40 available parking spaces to meet the needs of the customers.
• The restaurant will employ 19 employees
• $860,000 -1,200,000 revenue target; Industry average for casual restaurant average of $860,000.
• Annual 3% increase for inflation and 5% annual increase in revenues
• Year 2 Assumes Catering Business in Place. Assumes 4 parties monthly @ $15 per plate and $50 persons. Catering will escalate to 8 parties monthly in month 20 and then 10 parties monthly thereafter. Also assumes additional increase in staffing (4 persons to be hired at 6 hours @ $8.00 per hour.

7.2 Start-Up Costs

Total start up costs will be $363,000, $174,000 of which will be contributed by the owners and the remainder will be secured through a proposed bank loan.

7.3 Source and Use of Funds

Total start-up costs are estimated to be $363,000. The majority of the costs are associated with the restaurant equipment, inventory and furniture and furnishings for the dining room. Total costs for these items are reported to be $110,500. The costs are associated with build out and renovation of the restaurant to provide updated plumbing and creating additional space in the dining area by removing a non-supporting wall: $50,000. Additional start up expenses are in the form of working capital and contingency $182,500.

Jeff and Betty Wright will contribute $174, 000 and are requesting an additional $189,000 in the form of a bank loan. The loan is expected to be a fully amortizing 5 year term note secured by UCC filings on all furniture fixtures and equipment.

7.4 Break-Even Analysis

Total fixed costs associated with the restaurant are $669,186 and represent the annual expenses. The variable cost (overhead) is estimated to be $4.51 per meal. Based on the assumption of $11.37 as the average meal price, the breakeven revenue then is $1,108,970 or 97,535 meals (units). This is further depicted in the Table Below and the Graph that follow:

7.5 Projections

7.5.1 projected profit and loss.

The profit and loss demonstrates modest increases in revenues over the three expected years with adjustments for inflation.

7.5.2 Projected Cash Flow

The statement of cash flow shows the incoming and outgoing cash of the business.

7.5.3 Projected Balance Sheet

Table 7.5.3 Pro Forma Balance Sheet

7.6 Business Ratios

7.7 Hourly Labor Schedule

7.8 Weekly Sales Projections

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