Business Plans For a Restaurant
An effective business plan is an indispensable asset to developing any restaurant concept. Business plans for a restaurant help refine and communicate your idea to others clearly while opening doors to success.
Include a short summary and resume for every member of your management team to demonstrate that they possess both the talent and experience necessary for operating successfully, which is key when seeking investors.
Menu
If you want your restaurant to succeed, having an effective business plan is vitally important. A well-constructed plan will show investors and yourself exactly how you’ll reach that break-even point and start profiting, as well as providing some insight into whether their investment makes sense. While its specifics may depend on your type of restaurant and location, some basic components should always be included within any comprehensive business plan.
Start your business plan off right with an executive summary that outlines your vision. Make it as clear and straightforward as possible so that it’s easily understood; provide an overview of your restaurant concept, market opportunity, marketing strategy, financial projections, and team members as well as any additional information that might be relevant or beneficial. This section should serve as the gateway into more in-depth planning documents about your restaurant business plan.
The company description section should provide your readers with an understanding of your restaurant. Here you should describe its ownership structure, brief biographies of founders or partners and any relevant background information that makes your restaurant unique in the industry; for instance if you possess an expertise in food and the culinary arts this may be an attractive selling point to potential investors.
Here, you can describe the service style you intend to offer your customers and how you will go above and beyond what other restaurants in the industry are doing to provide an improved customer experience. It is also the ideal opportunity to mention any special events planned for your new restaurant that set it apart from its competition.
As part of your business plan, this section must be as thorough and detailed as possible. Give investors an in-depth breakdown of all costs related to running the restaurant; including food costs, labor expenses, and any necessary expenses. Include a sample menu that reflects how you will price items within it as well as an explanation of how this price point was arrived at.
Location
Writing a business plan is an integral component of starting any restaurant, whether your aim is to attract investors or just outline a plan of action for yourself. While its content depends on the kind of restaurant, most plans typically contain similar components: an executive summary, operations plan, financial analysis and marketing strategy. Your restaurant business plan should contain enough detail so that any stranger could read it and understand your vision, goals, and plans to bring your restaurant idea to fruition.
Location is a vital aspect of a restaurant’s business plan. This section should go hand-in-hand with market analysis in your target area to make sure that you choose an environment in which your restaurant can thrive. Include in this section descriptions for potential locations along with information such as square footage and demographics for each one; additionally, describe any restaurants already located there as well as your plans to stand out.
Service models are an important element of a restaurant business plan, providing details to help determine how much staffing and amenities will be necessary. Furthermore, this plan should outline any unique services your restaurant may offer such as delivery or catering options.
Marketing and sales strategies should follow the market analysis of your restaurant, with emphasis placed on how to promote it to potential customers. This section should also encompass social media and website strategies as well as an outline of sales tactics.
Last but not least, your business plan must also detail financials and projections. While projected profits and losses may not jump significantly during its first year of operation, over time the restaurant should become profitable enough to sustain itself without additional funding sources.
While the contents of a restaurant business plan can differ depending on its scope and purpose, most usually span 15-20 pages in length. Plans may be shortened for quick pitches or expanded to provide funding opportunities. A good business plan should be considered an invaluable tool by any restaurant owner and should be carefully evaluated prior to submission to potential investors or lenders.
Management Team
If your restaurant business plan aims to persuade outside investors, providing them with information about the management team behind it will be essential in convincing them of its viability. This section should address experience in the restaurant industry as well as level of involvement within operation; biographies for each person involved could also be included here as a form of introduction – including past employment experience and entrepreneurial ventures.
Your business plan’s executive summary should be an essential component. Aim to write it so clearly and comprehensively that an outsider — perhaps an investor or potential client — could read through it and grasp your vision and strategy for turning your dream into a reality.
Market analysis should cover both micro and macro conditions in the area where you plan to open your restaurant, including details about population demographics, available food options, competition, and how you intend to introduce and maintain interest in your establishment – whether by advertising, word of mouth or other methods.
In this section, it’s also essential that you detail any licensing your restaurant will need and the costs of obtaining them, including everything from liquor licenses to music permits and signage permits. Finally, plan out how you intend to staff and start-up expenses related to getting started in the business.
An often-neglected element of business plans, this section can be crucial. A restaurant business plan provides you with a roadmap that ensures all details related to construction, licensing and operational processes are fully covered – while also acting as a reference should any unexpected issues arise during operations. Without such a comprehensive business plan in place, success becomes much less likely.
Financials
Before your car was built, an engineer drew blueprints on a computer screen; before your favorite album was recorded, a musician scrawled notes on paper; before opening their restaurant, restaurateurs create business plans to outline every aspect of their establishment’s menu, physical spaces, operations and marketing – and accounting – under one roof – collectively known as a business plan.
An effective restaurant business plan must be comprehensive enough that even an outsider could read it and understand your vision, goals, and plans to bring those goals to fruition. While business plans may differ in length and structure, all restaurant business plans should include some essential sections.
In the initial section of a restaurant business plan, it should introduce your company with details regarding legal status, contact info and ownership structure. A market analysis should also be included to demonstrate your understanding of the industry as a whole and why your restaurant will succeed.
Next, restaurants must clearly articulate their competitive advantage so as to appeal to potential investors. This may include items like your niche in the market and how it will meet or surpass customer expectations. Furthermore, it could be helpful if they could also include how they plan to promote and reach out to new customers through various outlets such as local media or social media campaigns.
Your market research should encompass an assessment of both the current state of restaurant industry and your local community. Focusing both on micro and macro markets (i.e. city growth and infrastructure projects) could prove valuable insights that contribute to your restaurant’s success.
Finalizing your business plan by outlining both startup costs and projected revenues will demonstrate to potential investors that you have considered all costs associated with opening your restaurant, and understand what it will take for it to remain profitable over time. Some rough calculations should be performed here such as how many tables should your restaurant contain and what their average check per table would be.