sample of business plan for take away

Fast Food Business Plan Template

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their fast food restaurants.

How To Write a Business Plan for a Fast Food Restaurant

Below are links to each of the key components of a comprehensive business plan for a fast food restaurant:

• Executive Summary – The Executive Summary is the first and most important section of your fast food restaurant business plan. It provides a concise overview of the entire document and should be written last to ensure it accurately reflects the rest of the plan.
• Company Overview – In this section, you will introduce your fast food restaurant, including its mission, vision, and goals. Explain the business concept, legal structure, its unique selling proposition, and the target market you intend to serve.
• Industry Analysis – In the Industry Analysis, conduct a thorough analysis of the fast food industry, including market trends, growth potential, and key players. Identify any challenges or opportunities that may impact your fast food restaurant.
• Customer Analysis – Define your target market in detail. Who are your ideal customers? What are their demographics, preferences, and behaviors? Understanding your customer spending habits will help you tailor your products, marketing, and operations to meet their needs.
• Competitive Analysis – In the Competitive Analysis, evaluate your direct and indirect competitors. Identify their strengths, weaknesses, and fast food market share. This analysis will help you understand the competitive landscape and develop strategies to differentiate your restaurant.
• Marketing Plan – The Marketing Plan section is where you will outline your marketing strategy, including your target audience, messaging, branding, advertising, social media marketing, and promotional activities. This section should clearly articulate how you will attract customers, the pricing strategy you will use, and the loyalty programs to keep them coming back.
• Operations Plan – The Operations Plan will describe the day-to-day operations of your restaurant, including staffing, training, inventory management, food preparation, online ordering, and customer service. This section should outline your procedures for ensuring efficiency and quality.
• Management Team – In the Management Team section, introduce the key members of your management team and their qualifications. This section should demonstrate that you have the necessary expertise to successfully run the restaurant.
• Financial Plan – In the Financial Plan section, develop detailed financial projections, including projected revenue, expenses, profit and loss statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet. This section will help you assess the financial viability of your fast food business and secure funding.
• Appendix – In the Appendix, include any supporting documents, such as market research data, resumes, permits, licenses, and fast food menu items. This section can be used as a reference for investors, lenders, and other stakeholders.

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Fast Food Business Plan FAQs

What is a fast food business plan.

A business plan provides a snapshot of your fast food restaurant concept as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why Do You Need a Business Plan for a Fast Food Restaurant?

If you’re looking to start a successful fast food restaurant or grow your existing one you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth in order to improve your chances of a successful fast food business . Your fast food business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your business grows and changes

What Are the Sources of Funding for a Fast Food Restaurant?

Fast Food restaurants are usually funded through small business loans, personal savings, credit card financing and/or angel investors.

This is true for a traditional fast food restaurant, a quick service restaurant and a takeout restaurant business plan.

How Do I Download a Free Fast Food Business Plan PDF?

You can download our fast food restaurant business plan pdf and use our sample fast food business plan to write your own business plan. This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format. If you are looking for the quickest and easiest way to complete your business plan, Growthink’s Ultimate Fast Food Business Plan Template has numerous features not available in the free template including its financial projections template which automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

FAST FOOD 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
• 10. Appendix
• Fast Food Business Plan Summary

Start Your Fast Food Plan Here

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Restaurant Business Plan Template & PDF Example

• September 4, 2024
• Business Plan

Creating a comprehensive business plan is crucial for launching and running a successful restaurant. This plan serves as your roadmap, detailing your vision, operational strategies, and financial plan. It helps establish your restaurant’s identity, navigate the competitive market, and secure funding for growth.

This article not only breaks down the critical components of a restaurant business plan, but also provides an example of a business plan to help you craft your own.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or new to the food and beverage industry, this guide, complete with a business plan example, lays the groundwork for turning your restaurant concept into reality. Let’s dive in!

Our restaurant business plan is structured to cover all essential aspects needed for a comprehensive strategy. It outlines the restaurant’s operations, marketing strategy, market environment, competitors, management team, and financial forecasts.

• Executive Summary : Offers an overview of the restaurant’s business concept, market analysis , management, and financial strategy.
• Restaurant & Location: Describes the restaurant’s prime location, size, seating capacity, and distinctive design, emphasizing its appeal to the target demographic.
• Supply & Operations: Outlines the supply chain management, focusing on local sourcing and quality ingredients, and details the operational aspects, including kitchen layout, equipment, and front-of-house operations.
• Key Stats: Shares industry size , growth trends, and relevant statistics for the full-service restaurant market.
• Key Trends: Highlights recent trends affecting the restaurant sector, such as health-conscious dining, sustainability, and technology integration.
• Key Competitors: Analyzes the main competitors in the vicinity, showcasing the restaurant’s unique selling proposition in comparison.
• SWOT : Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis.
• Marketing Plan : Strategies for promoting the restaurant to maximize visibility and customer engagement.
• Timeline : Key milestones and objectives from the initial setup through the launch and operational optimization.
• Management: Information on who manages the restaurant and their roles.
• Financial Plan: Projects the restaurant’s financial performance, including revenue, profits, and expected expenses, aiming for profitability and sustainable growth.

Restaurant Business Plan

Fully editable 30+ slides Powerpoint presentation business plan template.

Download an expert-built 30+ slides Powerpoint business plan template

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary introduces your restaurant’s business plan, offering a concise overview of your establishment and its offerings. It should detail your market positioning, the variety of cuisines and dining experiences you offer, its location, size, and an outline of day-to-day operations. 

This section should also explore how your restaurant will integrate into the local market, including the number of direct competitors within the area, identifying who they are, along with your restaurant’s unique selling points that differentiate it from these competitors. 

Furthermore, you should include information about the management and co-founding team, detailing their roles and contributions to the restaurant’s success. Additionally, a summary of your financial projections, including revenue and profits over the next five years, should be presented here to provide a clear picture of your restaurant’s financial plan.

Restaurant Business Plan Executive Summary Example

Business Overview

The  business overview  should detail the restaurant’s specific features, such as its seating capacity, ambiance, and supply chain practices. It’s important to emphasize how the restaurant caters to its target demographic through its strategic location and operational model.

Example: “[Your Restaurant Name],” located in [specific area or neighborhood], covers [total square footage] sq ft and includes a main dining area, bar, and outdoor patio, offering a total of [number of seats] seats. The restaurant’s commitment to quality is reflected in its locally sourced produce and sustainable supply chain practices, catering to a diverse clientele.

Market Overview

This section involves analyzing the size, growth, and trends of the full-service restaurant market. It should address the industry’s digital transformation, health-conscious dining preferences, and eco-friendly practices, positioning the restaurant within the broader market context.

Example: “[Your Restaurant Name]” enters a U.S. full-service restaurant market valued at $293 billion. The restaurant’s focus on technology, healthier menu options, and sustainability aligns well with current  market trends  and consumer preferences, setting it apart from six main competitors in the area.

Management Team

Detailing the management team’s background and expertise is crucial. This section should highlight how their experience in culinary arts and restaurant management contributes to the success of the restaurant.

Example: The Executive Chef and Co-Owner of “[Your Restaurant Name]” leads menu development and kitchen operations, ensuring high-quality food preparation and presentation. The General Manager and Co-Owner manages daily operations, staff, customer service, and financial aspects, ensuring a seamless dining experience.

Financial Plan

This section should outline the restaurant’s financial goals and projections, including revenue targets and profit margins, providing a clear picture of its financial aspirations and health.

Example: “[Your Restaurant Name]” aims to achieve $2.7 million in annual revenue with an 11%  EBITDA  margin by 2028. This financial goal is supported by a focus on quality dining experiences, strategic marketing, and operational efficiency, positioning the restaurant for growth in the  competitive  full-service restaurant market.

For a Restaurant, the Business Overview section can be concisely divided into 2 main slides:

Restaurant & Location

Briefly describe the restaurant’s physical environment, emphasizing its design, ambiance, and the overall dining experience it offers to guests. Mention the restaurant’s location, highlighting its accessibility and the convenience it offers to diners, such as proximity to entertainment venues or ease of parking. Explain why this location is advantageous in attracting your target clientele.

Supply & Operations

Detail the range of cuisines and dishes offered, from appetizers and main courses to desserts and specialty beverages. Outline your sourcing strategy, ensuring it reflects a commitment to quality and sustainability, and matches the market you’re targeting.

Highlight any unique culinary techniques, exclusive ingredients, or innovative kitchen technologies that set your restaurant apart. Discuss your operational strategies, including inventory management, supplier relationships, and kitchen workflow, to ensure efficiency and consistency in delivering exceptional dining experiences.

Industry size & growth

In the Market Overview of your restaurant business plan, start by examining the size of the restaurant industry and its growth potential. This analysis is crucial for understanding the market’s scope and identifying expansion opportunities.

Key market trends

Proceed to discuss recent market trends , such as the increasing consumer interest in farm-to-table dining, ethnic cuisines, and experiential dining experiences.

For example, highlight the demand for restaurants that offer unique cultural dishes, the growing popularity of health-conscious and dietary-specific menus, and the integration of technology in enhancing the dining experience.

Competitive Landscape

A  competitive analysis  is not just a tool for gauging the position of your restaurant in the market and its key competitors; it’s also a fundamental component of your business plan.

This analysis helps in identifying your restaurant’s unique selling points, essential for differentiating your business in a  competitive  market.

In addition, competitive analysis is integral in laying a solid foundation for your business plan. By examining various operational aspects of your competitors, you gain valuable information that ensures your business plan is robust, informed, and tailored to succeed in the current market environment.

Identifying Competitors in the Restaurant Industry

To comprehensively understand the competitive landscape, start by identifying both direct and indirect competitors in your area. Direct competitors are restaurants offering similar cuisines or targeting a comparable customer base. For instance, if your restaurant specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine, other nearby Mexican restaurants are direct competitors. Indirect competitors may include food trucks, cafes, or even fast-casual eateries offering diverse menus that overlap with your offerings.

Leverage digital tools like Google Maps, Yelp, or food delivery apps to map out the locations of your competitors. Reviews and ratings on platforms like TripAdvisor and social media can offer valuable insights into competitors’  strengths and weaknesses . Positive reviews highlighting exceptional service or a unique dining experience at a competitor’s restaurant can signify an area of focus for differentiation and improvement.

Restaurant Competitors’ Strategies

To conduct a comprehensive analysis, delve into various aspects of your competitors’ operations:

• Menu Offerings:  Assess the breadth and uniqueness of dishes offered by competitors. Take note if any local restaurants are gaining traction by focusing on farm-to-table ingredients, regional specialties, or offering innovative fusion cuisines, as these aspects often indicate emerging  market trends .
• Service and Ambiance:  Evaluate the overall customer experience. Identify if there’s a competitor renowned for its fine dining experience, another known for its trendy and vibrant atmosphere, or one that excels in providing a casual, family-friendly environment. These elements significantly contribute to a restaurant’s success and differentiation.
• Pricing and Positioning:  Compare pricing strategies . Determine whether competitors are positioned as budget-friendly eateries or if they adopt a more upscale approach with premium pricing, highlighting gourmet ingredients, or exclusive dining experiences.
• Marketing Channels :  Analyze how competitors market their restaurants. Do they leverage social media platforms for promotions, engage in collaborations with local influencers, or host special events or themed nights? Understanding their marketing tactics provides insights into effective promotional strategies that resonate with the  target audience .
• Operational Efficiency:  Observe if competitors have adopted technological advancements such as online reservations, mobile apps for ordering, or contactless payment systems. These innovations not only streamline operations but also contribute to an enhanced customer experience.

What’s Your Restaurant’s Value Proposition?

Reflect on what uniquely distinguishes your restaurant from the competition. It could be your innovative fusion of cuisines, a strong emphasis on locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, or perhaps a distinctive ambiance that reflects a particular cultural theme or historical narrative.

Listen attentively to customer feedback and observe emerging industry trends to identify gaps or unmet demands in the market. For instance, if there’s a growing interest in plant-based dining experiences and competitors have not tapped into this niche, it could present an opportunity for your restaurant to cater to this demand and stand out.

Consider how your restaurant’s location influences your strategy. A downtown location might warrant a focus on quick service and catering to office lunch crowds, while a suburban setting could embrace a more relaxed, family-friendly dining environment.

First, conduct a SWOT analysis for the restaurant , highlighting Strengths (such as a unique menu and exceptional customer service), Weaknesses (including potential high operational costs or strong competition in the area), Opportunities (for example, a growing interest in diverse cuisines and healthy eating), and Threats (such as economic downturns that may decrease consumer spending on dining out).

Marketing Plan

Next, develop a marketing strategy that outlines how to attract and retain customers through targeted advertising, promotional discounts, an engaging social media presence, food blogger outreach, and community involvement, such as local events or charity sponsorships.

Marketing Channels

Utilize various marketing channels to engage with your audience and attract new patrons.

Digital Marketing

• Social Media:  Utilize social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok to showcase your restaurant’s ambiance, signature dishes, behind-the-scenes glimpses, chef profiles, and customer testimonials. Regularly engage with your audience by responding to comments, hosting interactive polls, or sharing user-generated content.
• Email Marketing:  I mplement an email marketing strategy to build a loyal customer base. Offer incentives such as exclusive recipes, promotional offers, or early access to special events in exchange for subscribing to your newsletter. Regularly communicate with your subscribers, sharing updates, promotions, and stories that resonate with your brand.
• Website and SEO:  Maintain an  informative website showcasing your menu , chef profiles, reservation options, and reviews. Optimize it for local SEO to ensure visibility in searches related to your cuisine and location.

Local Advertising

• Printed Materials:  Distribute well-designed flyers in nearby neighborhoods, advertise in local magazines, and collaborate with tourism centers or hotels for exposure.
• Community Engagement:  Sponsor local events, collaborate with food bloggers or influencers, and participate in food festivals or charity events to increase brand visibility and community involvement.
• Partnerships:  Forge partnerships with complementary businesses (such as wine shops or local farmers’ markets) for cross-promotions or collaborative events.

Promotional Activities

Engage potential customers through enticing offers and events.

• Special Offers:  Launch promotions like ‘Chef’s Tasting Menu Nights’ or ‘Happy Hour Discounts’ to attract new diners and retain regulars.
• Loyalty Programs:  Implement a loyalty system offering rewards for frequent visits or referrals, such as a free appetizer or dessert after a certain number of visits.
• Events and Special Occasions:  Host themed nights, seasonal menus, or exclusive culinary events to create buzz and attract diverse audiences.

Sales Channels

Efficiently manage  sales channels  to maximize revenue and customer satisfaction.

In-Restaurant Upselling

• Menu Strategies:  Highlight premium dishes or chef’s specials, offer wine pairings or dessert suggestions, and train staff to upsell without being pushy.
• Merchandising:  Display branded merchandise, specialty sauces, or cookbooks for sale to complement the dining experience.

Online Ordering and Delivery

• Online Ordering Platform: I mplement an easy-to-use online ordering system for takeout or delivery orders. Offer exclusive online discounts or bundle deals.
• Delivery Partnerships:  Collaborate with food delivery services or establish in-house delivery for customers’ convenience.

Reservation Management

• Reservation System:  Utilize an efficient reservation platform to manage bookings. Offer incentives for off-peak reservations or special occasions.

Membership and VIP Programs

Developing membership and VIP programs can cultivate a loyal customer base and drive recurring revenue:

• VIP Memberships:  Create exclusive membership tiers offering perks like priority reservations, chef’s table access, or private event invitations.
• Reward Programs:  Develop a digital loyalty system where customers earn points for every dollar spent, redeemable for discounts, exclusive menu items, or special events.

Strategy Timeline

Finally, create a detailed timeline that outlines critical milestones for the restaurant’s opening, marketing campaigns, customer base growth, and expansion objectives, ensuring the business moves forward with clear direction and purpose.

The management section focuses on the restaurant’s management and their direct roles in daily operations and strategic direction. This part is crucial for understanding who is responsible for making key decisions and driving the restaurant towards its financial and operational goals.

For your restaurant business plan, list the core team members, their specific responsibilities, and how their expertise supports the business.

The Financial Plan section is a comprehensive analysis of your financial projections for revenue, expenses, and profitability. It lays out your restaurant’s approach to securing funding, managing cash flow, and achieving breakeven.

This section typically includes detailed forecasts for the first 5 years of operation, highlighting expected revenue, operating costs and capital expenditures.

For your restaurant business plan, provide a snapshot of your financial statement (profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement), as well as your key assumptions (e.g. number of customers and prices, expenses, etc.).

Make sure to cover here _ Profit and Loss _ Cash Flow Statement _ Balance Sheet _ Use of Funds

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Restaurant Business Plan: What To Include, Plus 8 Examples

• Business Growth & Management , Templates & Guides

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

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

Table Of Contents

What Is A Restaurant Business Plan?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The questions are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) Executive Summary

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

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

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

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

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

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

2) Mission Statement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3) Company Description

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

Useful details to include are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

4) Market Analysis

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

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

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

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

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

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

We break down our market into five distinct categories:

• High-end singles
• Businessmen and businesswomen

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

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

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

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

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

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

6) Location

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

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

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

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

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

7) Marketing

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

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

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

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

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

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

8) Financials

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elevator Pitch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stakeholder Plan (External)

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

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

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

Management Plan (Internal)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fast Food Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Fast Food Business Plan Template

If you want to start a successful fast food business or expand your current fast food restaurant concept, you need a business plan.

The following Fast Food business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning Fast Food restaurant business plan. It can be used to create a takeout restaurant business plan, a quick service restaurant business plan or a traditional fast food plan.

You can download our Fast Food Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Sample Business Plan for a Fast Food Restaurant

I. executive summary, business overview.

[Company Name], located at [insert location here] is a new, upscale fast food restaurant focusing on providing organic, healthy and/or premium food and beverage products. Our product line fits nicely with health trends nationwide – as individuals are seeking healthier lifestyles complimented by natural, low-fat, and organic foods.

Products Served

[Company Name] will offer a full menu of appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. All products will use 100% all natural and organic ingredients. Several products on the menu will be highlighted as being lower in fat, cholesterol, or sodium.

In addition to a full fast food menu, [Company Name] will offer beer, wine, coffee, tea, and soft drinks.

Customer Focus

[Company Name] will primarily serve the residents within a 15 mile radius of our fast food restaurant. The demographics of these customers are as follows:

• 27,827 residents
• Average income of $74,700
• 58.9% married
• 49.6% in Mgt./Professional occupations
• Median age: 38 years

In addition to this prime adult demographic for an upscale and healthy fast food restaurant, there are five elementary schools , a middle school, and a high school. This will make [Company Name] an ideal location for parents to spend time while waiting for their children or to bring their children to after school.

Management Team

[Company Name] is led by [Founder’s Name] who has been in the fast food restaurant business for 20 years. While [Founder] has never run a fast food restaurant himself, he has taught cooking classes at the local culinary institute for 20 years and has worked as a sous-chef at some of the most upscale fast food restaurants in the community over the past 10 years. As such [Founder] has an in-depth knowledge of the fast food restaurant business including the operations side (e.g., running day-to-day operations) and the business management side (e.g., staffing, marketing, etc.).

Success Factor’s

[Company Name] is uniquely qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:

• There is currently no upscale and healthy fast food restaurant in the community we are entering. In addition, we have surveyed the local population and received extremely positive feedback saying that they explicitly want to frequent our business when launched.
• Our location is in a high-volume area with little direct traffic, and will thus be highly convenient to significant numbers of passerby’s each day
• The management team has a track record of success in the fast food restaurant business.
• The upscale and healthy fast food restaurant business is a proven business and has succeeded in communities throughout the United States.
• Market trends such as healthy and organic living support our business opportunity as well as growing awareness about the obesity epidemic and repercussions of non-nutritious eating

Financial Highlights

[Company Name] is currently seeking $370,000 to launch. Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

• Store design/build: $250,000
• Working capital: $120,000 to pay for Marketing, salaries, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even

II. Company Overview

You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Who is [Company Name]?

[Company Name], located at [insert location here] is a new, upscale and healthy fast food restaurant focusing on providing organic and delicious foods to the local community.

[Company Name] was founded by [Founder’s Name]. While [Founder’s Name] has been in the fast food restaurant business for some time, it was in [month, date] that he decided to launch [Company Name]. Specifically, during this time, [Founder] took a trip to Fort Lauderdale, FL. During his trip, [Founder’s Name] frequented a fast food restaurant that enjoyed tremendous success. After several discussions with the owner of the fast food restaurant, [Founder’s Name] clearly understood that a similar business would enjoy significant success in his hometown.

Specifically the customer demographics and competitive situations in the Fort Lauderdale location and in [insert location here] were so similar that he knew it would work. Furthermore, after surveying the local population, this theory was proven.

[Company Name]’s History

Upon returning from Fort Lauderdale, surveying the local customer base, and finding potential retail location, [Founder’s Name] incorporated [Company Name] as an S-Corporation on [date of incorporation].

[Founder’s Name] has selected three initial locations and is currently undergoing due diligence on each property and the local market to assess which will be the most desirable location for the fast food restaurant.

Since incorporation, the company has achieved the following milestones:

• Developed the company’s name, logo and website located at www…
• Created the menu
• Determined equipment and inventory requirements
• Began recruiting key employees with experience in the fast food restaurant industry

[Company Name]’s Product’s

Below is [Company Name]’s initial menu. All items will be 100% natural and organic. As you can see all items are classified under the following two main categories:

Store Design

[Company Name] will develop a 5,000 square foot fast food restaurant whose key elements will include the following:

• Kitchen area
• Ordering counter
• Waiting area
• Tables to comfortably seat 50 customers

The location has 40 dedicated parking spots which should suffice even in peak hours.

[Company Name] plans to be open 7 days a week, from 12 PM to 11 PM. As demand dictates, we may extend or reduce our hours. Likewise, as demand dictates, we may offer delivery service.  

III. Industry Analysis

[Company Name] directly or indirectly competes with all food service providers nearby our store that offer similar dining experiences. Competition will come from supermarkets, fast food restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and other retail establishments. Direct competition will come from companies offering 100% natural, organic foods similar to [Company Name].

Industry Statistics & Trends

The following industry size facts and statistics bode well for [Company Name].

The fast food industry will continue to play an influential role in the United States food services sector over the next five years. The industry’s ability to provide convenient food at a low price will remain popular, especially with consumers seeking affordable food options. Industry revenue growth is expected to increase at an average annual rate of just 1.8% to $248.0 billion.

Fast food restaurants will benefit as the economy continues to improve over the next five years. Steady gains in consumer spending are expected to mitigate any severe decreases in spending at industry establishments, as more money in consumers’ wallets are expected to encourage greater spending, particularly for time-poor consumers returning to work. Additionally, fast food restaurants are expected to continue to expand their menu options away from highly processed foods that are high in fat to cater to changing consumer preferences. This product innovation will play a large part in the industry’s growth over the coming years.  

IV. Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

[Company Name] will serve the residents of [company location] and the immediately surrounding areas as well as those who work in [company location].

The area we serve is affluent and has an affinity to healthy and organic foods and beverages like we will be offering

Customer Segmentation

We will primarily target the following four customer segments:

• Soccer/stay-at-home moms: the town has a large population of stay-at-home moms who are active in the school and community. These moms often meet for lunch or coffee and [Company name] will provide a perfect place for them to congregate. a. We also expect mothers to take their children to [Company name] after school and for weekend snacks and meals.
• Local office workers: approximately 5,000 individuals work in offices within a quarter mile of our location and we expect a fair portion of these individuals to frequent us during lunch hours.
• Students: there is a middle school and a high school in the town and the high school are within one half mile. Students from these schools will be targeted to frequent [Company Name].
• Families and Couples: We expect couples and families to frequent our fast food restaurant and enjoy our dinner atmosphere.

V. Competitive Analysis

Direct & indirect competitors.

The following retailers are located within a 2 mile radius of [Company Name], thus providing either direct or indirect competition for customers:

Joe’s Tavern

Joe’s Tavern is the town’s leading local fast food restaurant and has been in business for 32 years. Joe’s offers a wide array of foods, with local bands as entertainment, and is a highly family friendly environment. .

Joe’s has an extensive menu, with some healthy options and some fried foods and bar favorites. While it has an established clientele, Joe’s Tavern does not differentiate itself as a healthy food choice.

Old Time Organics

Old Time Organics has been in business for 5 years. Old Time offers a variety of baked goods, organic teas and coffees, and sandwiches served to-go.

While Old Time Organics’ food is entirely organic, they have a very limited selection of items and are not open for dinner. The location only has four sit down tables and is thus targeting to-go customers that are either stopping for a quick breakfast or picking up baked goods and coffee for work.

Freddy’s Deli

Freddy’s Deli is a recently opened fast food restaurant. Freddy’s offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is open until 1 am nightly.

[Company Name] has several advantages over Freddy’s Deli including:

• Freddy’s Deli does not offer products, including pastries, sandwiches, soups and more, made with organic ingredients
• Freddy’s has very little ambience and due to enormous portion sizes and low quality ingredients, the food is largely unhealthy

While we expect that Freddy’s Deli will continue to thrive based on its location and excitement about a new fast food restaurant, we expect that more and more customers will frequent [Company Name] based on the high-quality and organic ingredients we use and product selection.

Competitive Pricing

Competitive Advantage

[Company Name] enjoys several advantages over its competitors. These advantages include:

• 100% Natural/Organic/High-Quality Ingredients: getting 100% Natural/Organic baked goods, soups, sandwiches and more in the local market is challenging and is being increasingly demanded by the local community.
• Management: Our management team has years of business and marketing experience that allows us to market and serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than our competitors.
• Relationships: Having lived in the community for 25 years, [Founder’s Name] knows all of the local leaders, newspapers and other influences. As such, it will be relatively easy for us to build branding and awareness of our fast food restaurant.

VI. Marketing Plan

The Marketing Plan describes the type of brand [Company Name] seeks to create and the Company’s planned promotions and pricing strategies.

The [Company Name] Brand

The [Company Name] brand will focus on the Company’s unique value proposition:

• Offering organic, high-quality food items including baked goods, sandwiches, soups, salads and more.
• Offering a convenient location that offers both eat-in or take-out options.
• Providing excellent customer service.

Promotions Strategy

[Company Name] expects its target market to be individuals working and/or living within a 15-mile radius of each of its store. The Company’s marketing strategy to reach these individuals includes:

Direct Mail

[Company Name] will blanket neighborhoods surrounding its locations with direct mail pieces. These pieces will provide general information on [Company Name], offer discounts and/or provide other inducements for people to frequent the fast food restaurant.

Public Relations

We will contact all local and area newspapers and television stations to tell them about the opening and unique value proposition of [Company Name].

Advertising

[Company Name] will initially advertise in local newspapers and sponsor community events in order to gain awareness.

[Company Name] employees will initially give free food samples to passerby’s to enable them to taste the quality of our products and learn about us.

Ongoing Customer Communications

[Company Name] will maintain a website and publish a monthly email newsletter to tell customers about new events, products, and more.

Pre-Opening Events

Before opening the store, [Company Name] will organize pre-opening events designed for prospective customers, local merchants and press contacts. These events will create buzz and awareness for [Company Name] in the area.

Pricing Strategy

[Company Name]’s pricing will be moderate so customers feel they receive great value when patronizing the stores.  

VII. Operations Plan

Functional roles.

In order to execute on [Company Name]’s business model, the Company needs to perform many functions including the following:

Administrative Functions

• General & administrative functions including legal, marketing, bookkeeping, etc.
• Sourcing and storing ingredients
• Hiring and training staff

Kitchen Functions

• Food preparation
• Ongoing menu creation and modification

Fast food restaurant/Retail Functions

• Order taking and fulfillment (for take-out and dine-in)
• Customer service
• Janitor/maintenance personnel to keep the fast food restaurant clean

[Company Name] expects to achieve the following milestones in the following [] months:

VIII. Management Team

Management team members.

[Company Name] is led by [Founder’s Name] who has been in the fast food restaurant business for 20 years.

While [Founder] has never ran a fast food restaurant himself, he has taught cooking classes as the local culinary institute for 20 years. Two courses that he taught included:

• How To Cook for Everyday Eating
• This course was designed to give students an overall understanding of basic dishes that could be cooked for everyday healthy home-style meals
• Vegetarian Cooking
• This course was designed to give students an overall understanding of how to cook with the necessary vitamins and proteins needed to enrich a vegetarian diet without compromising on taste.

[Founder] has also worked part-time at fast food restaurants throughout the region. Specifically, he has worked for Giana’s Patisserie and Mike’s Place, where he was responsible for overseeing kitchen quality.

[Founder] graduated from the University of ABC where he majored in Communications.

Hiring Plan

[Founder] will serve as the fast food restaurant manager. In order to launch the fast food restaurant, we need to hire the following personnel:

• Wait staff (4 full-time equivalents to start)
• Chefs (3 to start)
• Sous-chefs (2 to start)
• Assistant Fast food restaurant Manager (will manage cash register and other administrative functions)

IX. Financial Plan

Revenue and cost drivers.

[Company Name]’s revenues will come from the sale of natural and organic food products to its customers.

The Company will have dine-in, takeout, and possibly delivery systems to cater to a broad spectrum of customers in its target market.

The major costs for the company will be food production costs and salaries of the staff. In the initial years, the company’s marketing spend will be high, as it establishes itself in the market.

Capital Requirements and Use of Funds

[Company Name] is seeking a total funding of $370,000 to launch its fast food restaurant. The capital will be used for funding capital expenditures, manpower costs, marketing expenses and working capital.

Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

• Working capital: $120,000 to pay for marketing, salaries, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even

Key Assumptions & Forecasts

Below please find the key assumptions that went into the financial forecast and a summary of the financial projections over the next five years.

5 Year Annual Income Statement

5 Year Annual Balance Sheet

5 Year Annual Cash Flow Statement

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Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan

Starting or growing a fast food business? Use this fast food restaurant business plan example as your guide to create your own custom plan to start a food truck, kiosk, or fast food franchise. You can even download it for quick editing.

After all, it’s always easier to edit something that to write it from scratch. That’s why we provide this fast food business restaurant plan free for downloading. You can modify the concepts presented in this plan to fit your specific needs and goals.

Download this Fast Food Business Plan free for easy editing in Google Docs or Microsoft Word:

Table of Contents

1.0 Fast Food Business Plan – Executive Summary

1.1 company & industry.

Nudlez, a Washington Corporation, is in the fast-food service industry. The company has developed a unique business model that reduces overhead by utilizing mobile vending units as opposed to brick and mortar stores. This is a very popular alternative to dining in larger business centric cities.

1.2 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Nudlez provides high quality, fast-served Asian-styled meals, based on a central theme of noodles. The meals cater for variety and are delivered fresh faster than other noodle-based products. The meals are provided to the consumer initially through mobile Noodle Vending Units (NVU’s), which provide widespread point of sale coverage. The NVU’s are state-of-the-art, complying with health regulations. The first trial NVU was tested in Seattle in July 20XX, receiving great response. The NVU will become a product in itself, as Nudlez expands rapidly through franchising. Nudlez is a globally transportable business.

1.3 FAST FOOD RESTAURANT BUSINESS PLAN: MARKET ANALYSIS

1.4 STRATEGY & IMPLEMENTATION

Nudlez will build brand recognition through its Noodle Vending Units being placed strategically throughout large cities’ business districts. Once brand recognition has been achieved, catering services will be offered, and the Nudlez products will be available in supermarkets. Additionally, Nudlez offers franchise opportunities to help further expand its reach, along with adding an additional revenue stream.

1.5 MANAGEMENT

The owners have significant experience in: the hospitality industry, advertising, and business management. The founder previously owned two very successful Thai restaurants in Seattle but grew tired of paying exorbitant rent hoping customers would turn up each night. His Nudlez concept takes the product to the street!

1.6 FINANCIAL PLAN

Nudlez has strong financials, and is always cash flow positive. Revenues are projected to grow to nearly $58,000,000 by Year 5, with EBITDA totaling $15,000,000. An initial analysis indicates that only 100 meals per day per NVU must be sold to break even. The strong financial plan ensures that the company will be attractive as an acquisition for exit.

1.7 FUNDS REQUIRED & USE

The purpose of this business plan is to raise $1,500,000 from an investor, in the form of a convertible and redeemable note, providing a 32% compound annual return. Nudlez is committed to the rollout of its ‘wok-fresh’ fast food business in 20XX.

2.0 Company Summary

2.1 legal entity & ownership.

Nudlez is trademark registered. Nudlez Inc. was incorporated in the State of Washington in March 20XX. Nudlez is currently equally owned by Mr. Dan Billings and Mr. Bill Cook. They have already spent over $75,000 in direct costs of product testing and development, and will commit a further $200,000 in 20XX, prior to funds being required from the investor. Both owners will each hold two voting rights on the Board with the investor holding one.

2.2 HISTORY

For a start, shop fronts in good locations are expensive. The key to making such a venture successful domestically would be to ensure that the vendor outlets are very hygienic, comply with health standards, serviced by an efficient re-supply network producing consistent meals, with professionalism and quality paramount. He spent considerable time designing a purpose built Noodle Vending Unit. He also moved back to Seattle and renewed his ties in the culinary community to elicit the design of fresh and tasty meals to be served from the NVU. The Nudlez brand was born! Realizing the opportunity to seize a market niche through rapid expansion, the inventor also joined forces with an experienced international business team to develop and implement that initiative.

2.3 FACILITIES & LOCATIONS

During the start-up phase of the business, food sales revenue will come from NVU lunchtime customers in busy Seattle CBD locations. A small office will be setup in Seattle that will serve as the headquarters of the company.

3.0 Mobile Cooking Unit (Food Truck) Products and Services

3.1 product description.

These two products symbiotically solidify the Nudlez brand name. Nudlez is a state-of-the-art stir-fry noodle street vending system. While Nudlez’s footprint in the three major metropolitan cities in Washington will be underpinned by the NVU fleet and a smaller number of strategically placed Nudlez stores, the aim in year-3 is to diversify the revenue stream by selling the meal product alone in supermarkets for home preparation and consumption.

3.2 FEATURES & BENEFITS

Fast & affordable meals.

The NVU operator cooks the meals in front of the customer within sixty seconds, using fresh ingredients. As implied by the Nudlez tagline ‘wok fresh’, each serving of noodles is a taste sensation, freshly cooked-to-order and served piping hot in a convenient cardboard pail. Customers are invited to create their own noodle dish following three easy steps: Step 1: Select Noodle Type; Step 2: Add Sauce; Step 3: Choose Protein. Compared to the meals offered by competitors, Nudlez offers a fresh, tasty, nutritious alternative. Nudlez may be slower than some fast food from the point of order, but it is significantly fresher, more nutritious, and almost 50% more profitable.

One secret to the speed of Nudlez meals is that the meats and vegetables are pre-blanched and hygienically sealed in the same pail that the customer eventually receives. The operator simply removes from the fridge, and combines with noodles and sauce in the wok.

Noodle Vending Unit

Each NVU cart is immaculately presented in stainless steel and branded in strong colorful graphics. At night the noodle stand benefits from its own internal lighting. Construction is of the highest quality kitchen-grade stainless steel. It is designed to be versatile for use in just about any place where it is legal to sell food from a temporary stall. In comparison to standard ‘caravan-type’ vendor units, the NVU has major advantages in that it is: cheaper to produce, smaller size for better site access, self-sustaining power (no mains required short-term), easily moved by one person, unique look, hygienic and cheap to service.

3.3 COMPETITION

The range of competitors spans the market dominants like McDonalds to sandwich and sushi bars to ‘vendor’ foods like kebabs. However, when looking for closer similarity to Nudlez’s offering, we arrive at the specialized noodle-based products provided by such companies as ‘Noodlist’. A storefront operation located close to Pioneer Square in Seattle, the meal variety at ‘Noodlist’ is slightly broader. However speed of preparation is significantly slower than Nudlez, necessitating the addition of standard pre-cooked, oily and somewhat bland Asian fare to satisfy the ‘time-poor’ consumers. It is only this time constraint that is satisfied though, as taste and nutrition are compromised. The lack of speed in the fresh cooked Asian fast food market is emphasized by another competitor, ‘Hot Wok’, offering noodle-based meals in the Sea-Tac International Airport, where a sign on the counter informs consumers that meals may take up to thirty minutes to prepare. A captive consumer group is not being exploited here. Nudlez will change that.

‘Wok in a Box’ is an Oregon competitor that intends to open stores in Washington beginning in 20XX. The company currently operates 16 stores in the Pacific Northwest. Market research indicates company revenue for 20XX reached $5 million, representing a growth rate of 78 percent over the prior year. This growth is encouraging to Nudlez, which through the use of its NVU’s and its other competitive advantages will gain broader exposure. The existence of such competitors makes Nudlez an attractive acquisition or merger proposition.

3.4 COMPETITIVE EDGE/BARRIERS TO ENTRY

• Unique modality of fast-food availability, with unmatched preparation times
• Lower capital costs and overheads and high margin unit sales through broad exposure.
• Healthy, fresh, fast, quality, price competitive alternative
• New funky, identifiable brand, professional approach and solid management
• Aimed at segment of large market not currently exploited by the competition

3.5 DEVELOPMENT

The founders of Nudlez have invested a total of $75,000 in development of the NVU, and plan to spend an additional $200,000 over the next year on development of the second generation NVU. The ‘Generation-2’ NVU is currently under design, maintaining versatility yet improving with the introduction of inventions such as the Nudle-Rac.

4.0 Food Truck Market Analysis Summary

4.1 target market.

With Nudlez, the term “customer” holds two meanings; firstly as a reference to “consumers” who may purchase a meal from a Nudlez point of presence, and secondly as “entities” with an interest in owning a Nudlez franchise. The primary target “consumer” group for the first phase of Nudlez fits the profile of a medium to high-income earner, with a healthy and fresh lifestyle orientation. The first phase of the business plan is about growing brand awareness quickly with customers of this profile. Shortly after growing the brand awareness, as part of the Nudlez rapid growth plans, franchisee customers looking for a self-employment opportunity providing good income relative to the hours worked will be targeted. Institutions such as university campuses will also be targeted as potential franchisees.

The profile will then extend through catering to the customer who is looking for a relatively low cost, value-adding product to support private or corporate events. This customer will be served at both the supermarket (DIY) and event catering levels.

4.2 MARKET SIZE

With sales in excess of $105 billion, the market for fast food is substantial, and the opportunity to build and grow a new exciting product with a strong brand is real. Asian style food represented approximately 35% of this revenue. Although the market is mature with heavy buyer/seller saturation, it is heavily segmented on quality, style, modality and price, presenting opportunity for niche market products such as Nudlez. Customers’ perception of ‘healthier’ is an important value proposition. Nudlez provides this, with the added bonus of serving the meal quickly.

The idea that desirable food could be prepared in a quick fashion appeals to a sizeable portion of the market; those in tourism, people engaged in a commercial capacity, busy homemakers and students. These few examples are indicative of a large and growing collection of “time poor” individuals placing increasing value on every spare moment of their day. Nudlez has the ability to match the ravenous need for convenience with the utility that modern, fast paced lifestyles drive. Nudlez negates boundaries of culture, age and preference, through a daily mission to satiate appetites.

4.3 MARKET TRENDS

The economic environment for the successful outlet will take into account the factors and conditions that influence the ability of its target market to afford its product. Consumers today, particularly in business-centric cites, have a relatively high disposable income. Nudlez will be priced competitively with existing alternatives and will strive to attract market share through product differentiation.

4.4 FAST FOOD RESTAURANT SWOT ANALYSIS

The following represents our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for this fast food business plan:

• Strong product supported by great tasking meals with a strong focus on quality, healthy and competitively priced meals in addition to the speed of producing meals
• Strong brand, which has been tested before full implementation. Emphasis on a fund brand culture
• Market conditions are favorable with Nudlez offering new niche spark in an otherwise static market
• Low development risk as the product currently exists
• Easy, low risk growth through short time to market and short time for NVU construction as well as low cost per unit
• Transferable business model as a result of similarities in trends and the US culture of street style food vending. Ability to capitalize on brand and concept with expansion through franchise and other market segments
• Low management risk due to experienced team and the strong diversification of skills and expertise = holistic results
• High gross margins on meal products, which can be maximized by negotiating bulk purchase agreements with wholesalers.
• Defendability of concept as the meal products cannot be patented; this needs to be addressed by building strong brand awareness and establishing copyright on total quality system. Focus also on rapid growth and securing prime sites in target markets
• NVU restocking logistics is being addressed through NVU design, which ensures breakeven results for a day’s trade without restocking. Central production facilities also being established to support restocking
• Site permits for street vending need to be established before implementation of NVU’s, but also private sites will be secured to reduce exposure to local government issues
• Product may be vulnerable to weaken over time, which can be minimized through product innovation and diversification

Opportunities

• Niche-specific opportunities through monopolizing niche market by building strong brand awareness and leading the street food vending culture through being vigilant with other vending business opportunities.
• Low restriction to NVU operating hours means there can be diversity of venues and access to a very diverse target customer group
• Capitalize on diversity of venues and consumer groups to promote and market expansion through event catering and franchise ownership
• International expansion to Europe, which has a strong culture for street food vending and pre-prepared meals. Target strategic partner for joint venture, master franchise or sale of Nudlez
• Local government regulations in relation to street vendors means permits secured have minimum life period, however change in this area is slow
• Vulnerability to imitation products from competitors will be reduced through rapid development of Nudlez products and brand.
• Short-term site permits means the Nudlez brand needs to be diversified through catering, franchise and supermarket placement
• Seasonal demand for NVU’s meaning inconsistent returns. This can be minimized through diversifying brand through catering, franchising and a supermarket product line.

5.0 Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan Strategy & Implementation

5.1 philosophy.

“To forge a new, vibrant, high quality brand in the fast-food sector; to challenge the established market by offering a fresh, tasty and professional alternative; and to build a robust business model founded on high-yield, low capital outlay products.”

It is our vision that Nudlez will expand predominantly through franchising domestically and then to appropriate international markets. It will diversify through catering and product placement in supermarkets. The possibility of trade acquisition or merger also exists.

5.2 MARKETING STRATEGY

5.3 SALES STRATEGY

The marketing objective of Nudlez is to position itself so that consumers of fast food are confident they are purchasing and consuming a healthy and fresh product, enhanced by the overall delivery experience. The marketing objectives are to:

• Rapidly establish a recognized brand through street vendor points of sale supported by a smaller number of strategically placed hardstand stores
• Position itself as a fresh, tasty and healthy alternative to traditional fast food
• Maintain high gross margins on meal products
• Capitalize on the brand through expansion using franchising and product diversification, which will include catering and supermarket placement

Nudlez’s initial strategy will be focused within Washington, commencing in Seattle then within 18 months expansion into Spokane and the Vancouver/Portland metropolis. Beginning with company owned NVU’s and central production facilities, rapid expansion will then be achieved through franchising in all target areas.

5.4 OPERATIONS

NVU production will be outsourced to a manufacturer in Seattle and has been estimated at $12,500 per NVU. Each city will have company owned NVU’s, shops, a central kitchen premises and support kitchens (hubs).

Product Production and Preparation

Raw product has been sourced from selected Seattle suppliers. It is a competitive quality market, with room for a number of suppliers to diversify risk. The secret to Nudlez’ fast delivery to the customer from moment of order is the blanching and preparation process of the raw product at the central kitchen premises and hub sites. This will be overseen by our master-chef teams, adhering to strict health regulations. All ordering, stocking and quality controls will be managed on an in-house computer based system enabling usage patterns to be monitored maintaining ordering efficiency and minimizing wastage.

5.5 NVU Stocking

A unique system for NVU and store restocking, the Nudle-Rac is currently under design. Essentially providing completely removable internal sectioning to the refrigerators to hold the different meals available, it is spring-loaded so that when one meal is removed, the next meal raises to the top for easy access. At the beginning of each day, a franchisee will arrive at their support kitchen where the Nudle-Rac, preloaded with the day’s meals, will be loaded directly into the NVU’s fridge without having to remove the NVU from the van providing an efficient stocking system and minimizing the time meals spend out of refrigeration. For large catering events, support vans will provide additional pre-stocked Nudle-Racs to onsite NVU’s.

5.6 FAST FOOD RESTAURANT EXIT STRATEGY

It is Nudlez objective to be acquired by another fast food company within five years by posting large revenues and a substantial EBITDA. Additionally, merger options, as well as an IPO may be considered at that time.

6.0 Management Summary

6.1 organizational structure.

Nudlez will be lead by Bill Cook, CEO. He will report to the founders and investors, which will make up the board. The CEO will oversee the CFO, CIO, Food and Human Resources departments.

6.2 MANAGEMENT TEAM

With over 80 years of sector diverse, international strategic and operational combined experience, professionally qualified and with energetic personalities critical to ensuring the Nudlez values, the owners and the management provide the skills to deliver:

• Bill Cook has run start-up business operations, with broad management skills
• Dan Billings has owned and managed 2 successful restaurants and an advertising firm
• David Noor is a financial wiz with broad entrepreneurial appreciation
• Angela Gates is not your typical CIO, with a creative flair and eye for efficiency
• Sheila Arch brings the important HR skills combined with a marketing bent

Bill Cook – CEO & Director (Systems, Strategy & Finance)

Bill is a Seattle boy, born and bred, with an intimate knowledge of the cultural and niche diversities of Seattle. Originally with an honors degree in Civil Engineering, Bill worked in the Seattle construction industry from the 80’s boom time through the recession of the early 90’s. From there he traveled overseas working in such places as the UK, Bosnia (during the war), Romania and Holland. The bulk of his experience in these eight years centered on strategic management of start-up ventures. These ranged from establishing critical engineering support facilities for the UN in Bosnia, to expending Shell’s retail network across Eastern Europe, to property development ventures in Romania. Bill returned to Seattle in 20XX to utilize this broad strategic experience on home soil, initially focusing on the property sector. Bill has known Dan for over 20 years and quickly assessed the potential of his Nudlez idea, convincing Dan that rapid expansion was key to securing the market niche. Bill graduated his MBA with High Distinction in 20XX.

Dan Billings – Director (Marketing & Food Technology)

After a successful career in advertising culminating in the establishment of his own Seattle based agency, Dan entered the hospitality industry. His first venture, Pad Real Thai, a Thai restaurant and takeaway situated on bustling Pine Street, was an instant hit. An innovative and funky menu, supported with clever marketing (including the use of real Bangkok Pad’s for delivery vehicles) saw the business achieve critical acclaim. Rave reviews in Short Black and Cheap Eats to name a few, were followed by televised appearances on ‘Seattle Weekly’ and Seattle’s Food Lover’s Guide. A second Pad restaurant opened in Bellevue, and was awarded the prestigious ‘Bent Fork” award. Dan sold the Pad enterprise in 20XX to pursue business interests in Thailand. It was here, while enjoying Bangkok’s vibrant street food culture, where the Nudlez concept was born. Dan has a degree in Science from the University of Washington.

6.3 PERSONNEL NEEDS

In the long term, the employee/income ratio will be approximately $125,000 per employee. Nudlez will run a lean operation with an emphasis on sales and food production. In years two and three the sales staff will grow from 20 to 110 people, and the production staff will grow from 12 to 277 people. Administration will grow as needed to support this fast food business plan.

7.0 Fast Food Restaurant Financial Plan

7.1 requirements.

The investor’s $1,500,000 will be structured as a redeemable note, convertible to 15% shareholding in Nudlez at the end of year-3. Alternatively, redemption can be done at this time providing a return of $3,450,000 (2.3 times investment), equating to a compound annual return of approximately 32%. The end of year-3 is good point for possible investor exit, as decisions on product expansion into supermarkets will be made at this time.

7.2 USE OF FUNDS

Funds will be used to initially finish development of the NVU and to establish fit out central premises in Seattle, including IT infrastructure. 5 hubs and 5 sites will initially be established in Seattle, following that expansion into Vancouver/Portland and Spokane will begin.

7.3 INCOME STATEMENT PROJECTIONS

Nudlez will be profitable by the end of its first fiscal year, as shown in the attached financial statements. The business will grow dramatically in years two and three.

Break Even Analysis

A break even analysis, assuming zero catering and acquisition stores, reveals less than 100 meals per NVU and 150 per store need to be sold per trading day to achieve break even.

7.4 FAST FOOD BUSINESS PLAN ASSUMPTIONS

We are using the following assumptions in this fast food business plan:

• Number of average rain days for the 3 cities is 12 per month. This equates to approximately 40% of the month, which we have conservatively applied, despite its low probability. The conservatism also allows for logistics accidents, staff truancy, etc. to arrive at 13 trading days/month for NVU’s. (Exclude catering)
• Total employment in the expanded Seattle CBD areas is estimated at over 350,000. Nudlez expects to capture less than 2% of this daily market from CBD NVU’s and stores
• Seattle and Portland/Vancouver are similar sized markets, with Spokane being approximately half the size. Revenue estimates reflect these ratios.
• Gen-1 and first Gen-2 NVU, testing and development costs totaling around $75,000 already spent by inventor are not included in financials.
• First Gen-2 NVU will obtain homologation, meaning that the design has blanket pre-approval with local government, reducing time and cost for individual site permits.
• First 10 NVU’s cost $125,000, including homologation.
• Wastage is estimated at 15% across all food related product (validated in Seattle trials). This will reduce once the ‘Nudle-Rac’ and associated IT systems are in place
• Training, Quality Management Systems and Franchise Operations Manuals will be completed effectively for $220,000 by the end of year 1.

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Restaurant Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Restaurant Business Plan

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

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

What is a Restaurant Business Plan?

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

What are the Main Types of Restaurants?

There are many types of restaurant businesses which vary based on their service style. Restaurants can range in type from fast food, fast casual, moderate casual, fine dining, and bar and restaurant types.

Restaurants also come in a variety of different ethnic or themed categories, such as Mexican restaurants, Asian restaurants, American, etc.  Some restaurants also go mobile and have food trucks.  

How Do You Get Funding for Your Restaurant Business Plan?

Restaurant businesses are most likely to receive funding from banks or independent restaurant investors. Typically you will find a local bank and present your restaurant business plan to them. Most independent restaurant investors are in the restaurant business already and can be a valuable resource for advice and help with your business plan.

Another option for a restaurant business is to obtain a small business loan. SBA loans are a popular option as they offer longer loan terms with lower interest rates.  

Sample Business Plan for a Restaurant Owner

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

Executive Summary

Business overview.

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

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

Products Served

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

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

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

Customer Focus

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

Management Team

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

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

Financial Highlights

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

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

Company Overview

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

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

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse History

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

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

Industry Analysis

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

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

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

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

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

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

Customer Segmentation

The target audience for Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will primarily include the following customer profile:

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

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will be competing with other restaurants in Oklahoma City. A profile of each of our direct competitors is below.

Located in the trendy area known as the Plaza District, The Press has reimagined our favorite foods of the surrounding regions through the lens of home.

The menu consists of appetizers, soups, burgers and sandwiches, bowls, main dishes, sides, desserts, and a large selection of alcoholic beverages. The Press serves craft beer, domestic beer, wine spritzers, house cocktails, wine, and mimosas. They also offer brunch. The menu of The Press is affordable with the most expensive dish being $16. The wine menu is also not pretentious as the wine is sold either by the glass or bottle, with the most expensive bottle being $52 for the Gruet Sparkling Brut Rose.  

Oak & Ore

Oak & Ore is a craft beer and restaurant in OKC’s Plaza District. They have a 36-tap beer selection and offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free dining options. Oak & Ore offers a rotating, 36-tap selection of their favorite brews from Oklahoma and around the world. Each beer is thoughtfully paired with a craft beer-inspired restaurant experience.

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

The Mule OKC

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

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

Competitive Advantage

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

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

Marketing Plan

Promotions strategy.

The marketing strategy for Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse is as follows:

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

Social Media

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will use social media to cater to the millennials and Oklahoma City residents. Chef Peter and Anastasia plan to hire an advertising agency to take professional photographs of the menu items and location to create appealing posts to reach a greater audience. The posts will include pictures of the menu items, as well as upcoming featured options.  

SEO Website Marketing

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse plans to invest funds into maintaining a strong SEO presence on search engines like Google and Bing. When a person types in “local fine dining restaurant” or “Oklahoma City restaurant”, Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will appear in the top three choices. The website will include the full menu, location, hours, and lots of pictures of the food, drinks, and steaks.  

Third Party Delivery Sites

Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse will maintain a presence on sites like GrubHub, Uber Eats, Doordash, and Postmates so that people looking for local food to be delivered will see Bluehorn Restaurant & Steakhouse listed near the top.  

Operations Plan

Operation functions:.

The company will hire the following:

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

Milestones:

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

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

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

7/10/202X – Finalize menu.

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

8/15/202X – Start of marketing campaign

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

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

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

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

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

Chef Peter Logan, Co-Owner

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

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

Anastasia Gillette, Co-Owner

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

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

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

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

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

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

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

Financial Projections

Income statement.

Balance Sheet

Cash Flow Statement

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

How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan

A comprehensive business plan is the foundation of every successful restaurant. You need a business plan before you can begin to execute on anything having to do with opening your establishment. A proper business plan is a guide that will help take your idea from concept to reality.

When you begin to seek professional and financial support for your new business, your business plan will be the primary document of reference to describe your concept, market, and potential for profitability. You need a business plan for investors, lenders, consultants, partners, and other team members who will help make your dream of opening a restaurant come true.

In this article, we’ll walk you through every part of how to write a restaurant business plan, explain the function of each section, and provide an example you can use as a starting point.

Before Writing Your Business Plan: Questions to Answer

Before you start writing your business plan, you’ll want to consider a few key things. Knowing the answers to these questions will make writing your business plan and communicating your vision a hundred times easier. Keep the answers to these questions top of mind as you’re writing your business plan.

Who is your business plan for?

Are you approaching investors and lenders, or is your plan specifically for you and your staff? You’ll need to adapt your writing for different audience types, and perhaps place emphasis on certain sections over others depending on your primary audience.

Where will your restaurant be located?

If you don’t yet have a location for your restaurant , you should at least know which neighbourhood your restaurant will be located in. Your restaurant’s location will determine important elements of your business plan, like your competitive analysis, ingredient availability, venue type, etc. If you’re in the early stages of planning, you likely don’t know your exact address, but nailing it as close as you can will guide you in your writing.

What is your venue type?

You should have a clear idea of what kind of restaurant you’re opening , whether it’s an intimate cafe, craft microbrewery, or gourmet food truck. If you aren’t quite sure, you’ll need to decide before you write your business plan. You should know exactly what your venue is going to be as you work through the details of a business plan.

What are your goals?

Do you want to start a food truck and then grow to open a sister restaurant, or do you want to open a full service restaurant and grow to operate a fleet of food trucks? Are you looking to open a burger place with a constant flow of customers? Or maybe you want to be the go-to place for special occasions. Be as specific as you can in your vision, and be clear on exactly what you want to achieve.

What are your credentials?

Have you worked in the restaurant industry before? How well do you know the market? Do you need any additional skills before you start your restaurant? If you’re confident you have the skills, feel free to start. But if you’ve never spent any time in a kitchen or in the foodservice industry, you may want to get some hands-on experience so you know what you’re getting into.

5 Tips on How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan

Before you start writing your business plan, here are some tips to make the process easier.

• Collect materials that are relevant, like links, articles, quotes and information that may benefit you as you are writing, and use them for inspiration or include them within the appropriate sections of your business plan.
• Taking something from concept to creation can be challenging, but try to put everything you see in your imagination down in the most accurate words possible. Go through the business plan template the first time and make tons of notes for each section, then come back to it later and flesh out your ideas further.
• If a section stumps you, make a note and move on, then revisit it later when you have more information or more clarity. Refine and rework. Be sure to add all new developments that are happening, and when you’re confident you’ve said all you can about a section, go back in and edit and re-word until you’re satisfied.
• Use graphics and images to clarify your message when you feel it’s necessary. Consider creating Pinterest boards to keep you inspired and help you get visual. Then, when you are writing your business plan, go back to your boards to pull in graphics that get your idea across better than words.
• Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, know that your business plan will take time. It can take anywhere from weeks to months to years to get a solid grasp on what it is you’re creating. As time passes and you continue to work on it, you’ll fine-tune your message and have a crystal clear plan on your hands.

Are you confident in your vision, clear on your goals, and comfortable with your skills? Ready to jump in?

Restaurant Business Plan Template

Table of Contents

Your restaurant business plan is going to be a long document. Depending on the nature of your restaurant, your business plan could be anywhere from 10 to 50 pages – so your readers will need to find sections easily. This is where a table of contents comes in. It’ll look something like this:

• Executive Summary – p. 3
• Business Overview – p. 5
• Business Description – p. 7
• The Marketplace – p. 12
• Marketing – p. 20
• Business Operations – p. 25
• Financials – p. 30
• Business Plan Summary p. 37

After you’re finished writing your restaurant business plan, make sure to review your table of contents so that your page numbers are accurate.

Executive Summary While the Executive Summary may live at the beginning of your business plan, it’s the last thing you’ll write. The Executive Summary is a one-page summary of every section in your business plan, so that readers can get a general sense of your entire plan in one page. Remember to keep this section brief yet impactful.

Business Overview

Your Business Overview is simple: it’s a list of basic information about your business, such as your legal name, type of business, business number, etc. You may have some empty fields until you’re closer to actually opening. This list is for quick reference and especially important if you’ll be seeking bank loans or approaching investors:

• Legal name of business
• Trade name of business (doing business as)
• Business address or potential business address
• Current mailing address
• Phone number
• Social media handles
• Structure of business
• Date business was established
• Nature of business
• Banking details (branch and banker’s name)

Quick tip: many of the details in your business overview will be filled out as your business takes shape. fill in what you can as you go. if some of this information is unknown, don’t let it hold you up.

Business Description

Your Business Description is where your restaurant comes to life. Here is where you’ll describe, in detail, what your business is going to look like, where it will be, and the kind of vibe it will have. Your Business Description answers all of the questions that relate to your vision and goals. Be as expansive as you want here – go into as much detail as possible, and don’t be afraid to use visuals! Here’s what to include in your Business Description.

Will your business be run as a sole trader, a partnership, or a company? Who is involved and what is their role? This can be a short paragraph.

Your restaurant concept is your idea . Take the time to describe why your business is special, and talk about what you’ll do differently as compared to other restaurants. Why should people choose your restaurant over another? What kind of experience will you be providing customers?

Mission statement

Your mission statement is one sentence that describes what your restaurant will achieve. Think of your end goal, the ultimate driving force behind your business. Your mission statement should be something that can be displayed on marketing materials, and it should express to people what your business is all about.

Short-term and long-term goals

Here you’ll want to mention any relevant personal goals, then list your short-term and long-term objectives. Think about where you’re going and what you hope to be doing in a couple of years. Your short-term goals describe your first year as a restaurant owner. Long-term goals are larger, like how you plan to scale your business and how you hope to grow. Be descriptive in this section, but also remember to remain realistic and within the scope of your projections in the financial section.

Menu and services

Include a sample menu, or menus, and discuss the details of each, such as times of day offered and the inspiration or rationale for each. If you’re going to offer catering, delivery, or any other services, mention those here. Describe anything else you’ll be selling, such as pre-packaged foods, canned or bottled drinks, or retail items such as t-shirts and hats.

You likely won’t have secured a location or negotiated a lease at this point, so instead mention the neighbourhoods you’re considering for your venue. Answer the following questions here: Which features of the neighbourhood will affect your business? What other businesses are located in the area? What kinds of people live, work, or visit the neighbourhood? Consider and document all effects that the location will have on your business, like access to parking, public transportation, walk score, etc.

Take the time to describe your concept with as much visual detail as you can. Express why these details are important (hint: they should relate back to your branding). If you’re working with a design agency or interior design specialist, mention them and show their proposals or mockups. Business description summary Finally, briefly sum up everything in this section. Your Business Description tends to be a long section, so you’ll need a summary that provides an overview of what you’re going to achieve with your business.

The Marketplace

This section is where you’ll describe the current status of the marketplace for your business. The most important thing to remember about this section is that you’ll need to remain honest and authentic. You won’t do yourself or anyone else any favours by painting an unrealistic picture of the marketplace and how your business fits within it. This section requires a lot of research and critical thinking skills.

Visit your direct competition and gain some intel on their customer experience and menu. Ask people in your prospective neighbourhood about how businesses perform in the area. By gathering as much information as you can, your marketplace assessment will be clear and rooted in reality.

Market segment

This section should provide a quick overview of the size of your customer base. What are the demographics, psychographics, and segments of your target market?

You need to know your target customers. Who will frequent your restaurant and what characteristics do they share? List statistics you’ve gathered about your market and any other relevant information about your potential customers. Make a note of any customer segments within your target demographic that have certain needs over others.

You’ll want quantitative and qualitative research to round out this section. Make sure to talk to people within your target market to gain a clear understanding of their needs and how you can serve them. You’ll also discover other valuable insights through these discussions.

Market trends

Here you’ll want to list relevant statistics about past and current trends within your marketplace. Include anything that relates to the demand for your business, social or economic factors, and trends that have affected similar businesses. If you’ve done research or hired a firm to conduct some for you, mention all the outcomes from that research here.

Competition

So you know other restaurants are your competition, but you’ll need to be specific. Analyse your prospective neighbourhood, and make a list of all your competitors from small to large. Use a critical eye to determine how they differ from your establishment. Categorise your competitors into “direct” and “indirect”. Your direct competitors are those restaurants that are offering similar customer experiences and type of cuisine, while indirect competitors may be different from your restaurant but still compete for your target market’s attention and spend.

Now that you’ve analysed the competition, you should be able to spot how you’ll be able to stand out. What will your restaurant do that no one else is doing? What are your differentiators that will cause the market to take notice of your business?

Opportunities

After you determine your differentiators, you’ll know how your restaurant can fill potential gaps in the marketplace or provide a better option for customers. From the menu to the hours, whatever your restaurant can do better, list it here.

Now, the other side of the coin: what your restaurant may not be able to do better than the competition. Take the time to list these as challenges, provide rationale as to why your restaurant will face these barriers, and how you’ll tackle them once you’re open. Don’t be afraid of honesty here; a candid account of the challenges you’ll face will show readers you’re self-aware and ready to overcome problems with practical solutions.

Marketplace summary

Briefly sum up everything that you’ve talked about in this section, reiterating the demographics of your target market, advantages, and opportunities.

You may be an amazing chef and create exceptional dishes, but without customers and sales, you don’t have much of a business. You need a marketing strategy to get people in the door and coming back. In this section on how to write a restaurant business plan, we’ll get into your strategy: how you’re going to price your meals, how you’ll position yourself to appeal to your target customers, and how you’ll promote your business to let customers know you exist.

Positioning

Describe how you’ll appeal to your target customers and where you will place yourself in the customer’s mind. Use your differentiators in the previous section to guide your positioning strategy. How will you communicate your differentiators to your market? What will you be offering the market that your customers wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else?

Describe your pricing and how it compares to similar businesses. Provide ballpark figures for different menu items and list standard pricing for your type of business. List your competitors’ prices and explain why yours will be higher or lower. Make sure to align this section with your financials so that your food and labour ratios are taken into account when crafting this section.

Online promotion

If you plan on creating and maintaining social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, explain how you’ll use them to promote your business. Describe your website’s main elements, design style, and who will build it. List all paid digital promotion here such as Google ads, paid social media ads, and any agencies you’ll work with to develop and execute on all digital marketing initiatives.

Traditional promotion

Will you be holding any events, releasing a press release, or taking out any print ads?

Marketing summary

Briefly summarise your overall marketing strategy and what you’ll concentrate on the most: digital, traditional, PR, etc. Let readers know why you think your marketing strategy will work for your type of restaurant.

Business Operations

You’ve described your vision, the market, and how you plan to promote your business. But how will you actually execute your plans? Who will operate your business day-to-day? Here’s where you get into the nitty-gritty details of your business operations.

Introduce everyone on your payroll. List their qualifications, special skills, and job description, with an emphasis on how they will help you reach your goals and the tasks they will do every day. Categorise each staff member into other owners, chefs, managers, servers, bartenders, etc.

Supplier relationships

List your suppliers by type: food, payment, alcohol, cleaning, etc. Note how each supplier serves your restaurant’s needs , and list their credit and payment terms. List all suppliers for the following:

• Waste removal
• Restaurant supplies like dishware and glass
• Paper products
• Payroll service
• Cleaning services
• Plants or landscaping
• Linen service
• Entertainment
• Marketing and advertising
• Technology, such as EPOS hardware and software, mobile delivery apps, loyalty apps, and an internet provider

Your restaurant will need insurance coverage . Do some research to determine mandatory insurance and special coverage, and start to compare costs between insurance providers. List each type of insurance your restaurant will need and what it covers.

What kind of licencing does your restaurant need? List all of the licences and permits required for your restaurant and staff here. Check your local government website for the details and anything else that you are required to obtain in your area.

Business operations summary

Briefly sum up everything that you’ve talked about in the Business Operations section.

You’ve now arrived at the most important – and the most daunting – part of your restaurant business plan. This is where you prove that your idea is actually a business that can turn a profit. Complete a financial forecast that takes your concept and translates it into numbers. This exercise is the most important part of your business plan, as investors and lenders will be scrutinising these numbers before they read anything else.

The Breakdown

Your forecast will be broken into four main parts:

• Revenue: Forecasted sales
• Controllable costs: Food and beverage costs as well as cost of labour
• Expenses: Marketing, rent, supplies, utilities, etc.
• Start-Up Costs: What it costs to get you to open, as well as things like capital improvements and training.

We’ve created a downloadable sample forecast that demonstrates what you’ll need to do. Our example is Joe’s Burgers, a small 1,000 square foot quick service restaurant with no alcoholic beverage sales. Once you understand the sample forecast, we’ve included a blank forecast sheet where you can add in your own numbers to project how profitable you’ll be. Notes about the forecast spreadsheet

• Take the blank forecast and “save as” so that if you make a mistake, you can return to the original spreadsheet and start again.
• There are formulas pre-programmed in the cells of the spreadsheet.
• If you are planning to open a restaurant that will serve alcoholic drinks, you will have to figure out your sales mix of the various types: bottled beer, draft beer, liquor, and wine, and the costs associated with each. For example, if your bottled beer cost is 28% and wine cost is 40%, you’ll have an average beverage cost of 34% to add to your forecast.
• If you are going to offer catering or other services, you can create another revenue stream that covers events executed, average spends, revenues, cost of goods sold and labour costs for that source.

Business Plan Summary

Your Business Plan Summary should tie the whole message together. Use this section to highlight how you’re different and what you’re offering, reiterating the most important points about your restaurant.

Sections to include are:

• Why you will succeed: in a few short sentences, repeat how you are different and why your business will work.
• What you need: if you’re asking for money, repeat the ask here.
• A thank you: a quick thanks at the end reminds people that you value their time and input.

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Here is a free business plan sample for a restaurant.

Have you been toying with the idea of opening your own restaurant but feel overwhelmed about where to start?

Look no further, as we're about to guide you through a comprehensive business plan tailored for the restaurant industry.

Creating a robust business plan is a crucial step for any aspiring restaurateur. It serves as a roadmap, outlining your vision, objectives, and the strategies you'll employ to turn your culinary dreams into a thriving reality.

To streamline your planning process, take advantage of our restaurant business plan template. Our seasoned professionals are also on hand to review and refine your plan at no extra cost.

How to draft a great business plan for your restaurant?

A good business plan for a restaurant must be tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of the food service industry.

To start, it's important to provide a comprehensive overview of the restaurant market. This includes up-to-date statistics and an analysis of current trends, which you can find in our restaurant business plan template .

Your business plan should articulate your concept clearly. Define your target audience (locals, tourists, business diners, etc.), and describe the distinctive character of your restaurant (fine dining, fast-casual, ethnic cuisine, etc.).

Market analysis is a critical component. You need to thoroughly understand your competitors, the dining habits of your potential customers, and the overall demand for your type of restaurant in the area.

Detailing your menu offerings is essential. Explain the variety of dishes, the culinary style, and how your menu will appeal to the tastes and dietary preferences of your target market.

The operational plan is vital for a restaurant. It should outline the location, dining room design, kitchen setup, sourcing of ingredients, and the flow of service.

For a restaurant, it's crucial to highlight the quality and sourcing of ingredients, culinary expertise, and adherence to health and safety regulations.

Discuss your marketing and sales strategies. How will you draw in new customers and keep them coming back? Consider promotional tactics, loyalty programs, and potential for ancillary services (like catering or delivery).

Incorporating digital strategies, such as a robust website, online reservations, and a social media presence, is increasingly important for restaurants.

The financial plan is a cornerstone of your business plan. It should include startup costs, revenue projections, operating expenses, and the point at which you expect to break even.

Restaurants can have variable margins, so precise financial planning and a clear understanding of your cost structure are imperative. For assistance, refer to our financial forecast for a restaurant .

Compared to other businesses, a restaurant business plan must pay special attention to factors like the freshness of ingredients, labor costs in a high-turnover industry, and the potential need for extended operating hours.

A comprehensive business plan is a tool for the owner to crystallize their vision and strategy, as well as to attract investors or secure loans.

Investors and lenders will look for a solid market analysis, realistic financial projections, and a clear plan for day-to-day operations.

By presenting a thorough and substantiated plan, you showcase your dedication and preparedness for managing a successful restaurant.

To achieve these goals while saving time, you can fill out our restaurant business plan template .

A free example of business plan for a restaurant

Here, we will provide a concise and illustrative example of a business plan for a specific project.

This example aims to provide an overview of the essential components of a business plan. It is important to note that this version is only a summary. As it stands, this business plan is not sufficiently developed to support a profitability strategy or convince a bank to provide financing.

To be effective, the business plan should be significantly more detailed, including up-to-date market data, more persuasive arguments, a thorough market study, a three-year action plan, as well as detailed financial tables such as a projected income statement, projected balance sheet, cash flow budget, and break-even analysis.

All these elements have been thoroughly included by our experts in the business plan template they have designed for a restaurant .

Here, we will follow the same structure as in our business plan template.

Market Opportunity

Market analysis and projections.

The restaurant industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving sector with significant impact on the economy.

Recent studies have valued the global restaurant market at over 3 trillion dollars, with expectations for continued growth, driven by the increasing consumer demand for diverse and high-quality dining experiences.

In the United States alone, there are over 1 million restaurant locations, contributing to an annual revenue of approximately 800 billion dollars for the restaurant industry.

These statistics underscore the integral role restaurants play in American society and their substantial contribution to the economy.

Industry Trends

Current trends in the restaurant industry indicate a shift towards health-conscious dining, environmental sustainability, and technological integration.

There is a rising trend in farm-to-table restaurants, where the emphasis is on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, appealing to consumers who value food provenance and sustainability.

Technology is also revolutionizing the dining experience, with the adoption of digital menus, online reservations, and contactless payment systems enhancing customer convenience and operational efficiency.

Delivery and takeout services have seen a surge, accelerated by the pandemic, leading to the growth of virtual kitchens and delivery-only restaurant models.

Moreover, the demand for dietary-specific menus, such as gluten-free, keto, and plant-based options, is growing as consumers become more health-conscious and dietary-aware.

These trends highlight the restaurant industry's adaptability and responsiveness to the evolving preferences and values of modern diners.

Key Success Factors

Several factors contribute to the success of a restaurant in a competitive marketplace.

Foremost, the quality and uniqueness of the culinary offerings are vital. Restaurants that provide a memorable and delicious dining experience can build a strong, loyal customer base.

Innovation in menu creation and presentation can distinguish a restaurant from its competitors and attract food enthusiasts looking for new experiences.

The location of the restaurant is also critical, as high foot traffic areas can lead to higher visibility and patronage.

Exceptional customer service is imperative for ensuring that guests leave with a positive impression and the desire to return.

Efficient operations management, including cost control, waste reduction, and sustainability practices, are essential for the financial health and public image of the restaurant.

Lastly, the ability to keep pace with industry trends, such as offering online ordering or incorporating special diet menus, can be decisive in maintaining relevance and success in the restaurant business.

The Project

Project presentation.

We are excited to introduce our gluten-free restaurant concept, designed to cater to the needs of individuals with gluten sensitivities, celiac disease, or those who simply prefer a gluten-free lifestyle. Strategically located in a bustling urban area with high foot traffic or near health and wellness centers, our restaurant will offer a diverse menu of gluten-free dishes, ranging from appetizers and main courses to desserts, all crafted with premium, gluten-free ingredients.

Our emphasis is on the flavor, quality, and presentation of our dishes to ensure a delightful dining experience that rivals that of traditional cuisine.

Our restaurant is poised to become a go-to destination for gluten-free dining, enhancing the lives of those with dietary restrictions by providing a safe and enjoyable eating out experience.

Value Proposition

The value proposition of our gluten-free restaurant lies in its commitment to offering a gourmet dining experience without the gluten. We understand the challenges faced by those with dietary restrictions and are dedicated to providing a diverse menu that doesn't compromise on taste or quality.

Our dedication to culinary excellence, coupled with a strict adherence to gluten-free standards, ensures that our customers can dine with confidence and pleasure. We aim to create a welcoming atmosphere where all guests can savor a meal that caters to their health needs and palate preferences.

As a cornerstone of the community, our restaurant will not only serve delectable gluten-free meals but also act as an advocate for gluten-free living, educating patrons on the advantages of such a diet.

Project Owner

The project owner is a seasoned restaurateur with a passion for health-conscious cuisine and an empathetic understanding of the dietary challenges faced by individuals with gluten intolerance.

With a background in restaurant management and a commitment to nutritional wellness, the owner is driven to establish a gluten-free restaurant that stands out for its dedication to taste, quality, and customer health.

Armed with a mission to provide a safe and enjoyable dining environment for those requiring or choosing gluten-free options, the owner is determined to make a positive impact on the community's health and dining culture.

Their passion for gastronomy and their commitment to inclusivity are the cornerstones of this venture, aiming to enrich the lives of those in search of sumptuous and safe gluten-free dining experiences.

The Market Study

Market segments.

The market segments for this gluten-free specialized restaurant are categorized into distinct groups.

Firstly, there are individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease who require a strict gluten-free diet for their well-being.

Additionally, there is a growing demographic of health-conscious consumers who opt for a gluten-free lifestyle to improve overall health.

The market also encompasses patrons who are exploring gluten-free dining options out of curiosity or personal taste preferences.

Healthcare professionals, including dietitians and physicians, represent another segment as they may recommend our restaurant to patients seeking gluten-free meal options.

SWOT Analysis

Conducting a SWOT analysis for this gluten-free restaurant initiative highlights several key points.

Strengths include a specialized focus on gluten-free cuisine, culinary expertise, a dedication to high-quality ingredients, and a burgeoning market for gluten-free dining.

Weaknesses might involve the higher costs associated with sourcing premium gluten-free ingredients and the challenge of differentiating ourselves in a niche market.

Opportunities can be found in broadening our customer base to include not only those with dietary restrictions but also the wider public interested in healthier dining options, along with the potential for educational outreach.

Threats may consist of volatile prices for gluten-free ingredients and the task of distinguishing our restaurant amidst the competition in the gluten-free dining space.

Competitor Analysis

An analysis of competitors within the gluten-free restaurant industry indicates a competitive landscape.

Direct competitors include other gluten-free restaurants and mainstream dining establishments that offer gluten-free menu options.

These competitors vie for the attention of a clientele that values health and quality in their dining experience.

Potential competitive edges include the caliber of our gluten-free dishes, the breadth of our menu, brand recognition, and the ability to stay abreast of dietary trends while providing an outstanding dining experience.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these competitors is crucial for carving out a unique position in the market and ensuring customer loyalty.

Competitive Advantages

Our dedication to the authenticity and quality of our gluten-free cuisine is central to our competitive advantage.

We offer a wide array of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, all crafted with the finest gluten-free ingredients to deliver superior flavor and satisfaction.

Our commitment to customer education and engagement helps to foster a loyal customer base and establish trust in our brand.

We pride ourselves on transparency regarding our sourcing and preparation methods, providing peace of mind to our health-focused patrons.

You can also read our articles about: - how to open a restaurant: a complete guide - the customer segments of a restaurant - the competition study for a restaurant

The Strategy

Development plan.

Our three-year development plan for the gluten-free restaurant is designed to establish us as a leader in the health-conscious dining sector.

In the first year, we aim to build a strong local following by offering a diverse menu of delicious, gluten-free dishes and exceptional service.

The second year will focus on expanding our reach by opening additional locations in key urban centers and optimizing our supply chain for quality and efficiency.

In the third year, we plan to diversify our menu with seasonal offerings and collaborate with nutritionists to create balanced meal options, further solidifying our reputation as a trusted dining establishment for health-conscious consumers.

Throughout this period, we will prioritize customer satisfaction, sustainability, and culinary innovation to adapt to market trends and customer feedback.

Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas for our gluten-free restaurant targets individuals with gluten sensitivities, celiac disease, and those who prefer a gluten-free lifestyle.

Our value proposition is centered around a commitment to flavorful, high-quality gluten-free meals, a welcoming dining atmosphere, and educational initiatives about the benefits of gluten-free eating.

We will serve our customers through our restaurant locations and offer online ordering for pickup and delivery, utilizing our dedicated kitchen spaces and culinary team's expertise.

Key activities include meal preparation, customer service, and community engagement.

Our revenue streams will be generated from dine-in, takeout, and catering services, while our costs will be associated with ingredients, labor, and operational expenses.

Access a detailed and customizable Business Model Canvas in our business plan template .

Marketing Strategy

Our marketing strategy is centered on engagement and experience.

We plan to educate our target market on the advantages of gluten-free dining and establish trust in our brand through the consistent quality of our meals. Our tactics include interactive social media campaigns, hosting community events, and offering cooking workshops.

We will also seek endorsements from nutritionists and health influencers to validate our menu offerings.

Additionally, we will leverage food bloggers and local media to generate buzz and attract a wider audience, all while upholding our dedication to culinary excellence and menu innovation.

Risk Policy

The risk policy for our gluten-free restaurant is focused on mitigating risks associated with food preparation, supply chain management, and customer health.

We will strictly adhere to gluten-free food handling practices, source our ingredients from reputable suppliers, and implement rigorous staff training.

Regular audits will be conducted to ensure the integrity of our gluten-free offerings. We will also maintain a conservative financial approach to manage costs effectively.

To protect against unforeseen events, we will have comprehensive insurance coverage, ensuring that we can provide safe, high-quality meals with confidence.

Why Our Project is Viable

We are committed to launching a gluten-free restaurant that meets the increasing demand for health-focused dining options.

With our dedication to culinary innovation, customer education, and a superior dining experience, we believe our restaurant will thrive in the competitive food industry.

We are passionate about enhancing the well-being of our patrons and are eager to adapt to their evolving needs, ensuring the long-term success of our gluten-free restaurant concept.

We are prepared to make the necessary adjustments to navigate challenges and seize opportunities, looking forward to a prosperous future in the gluten-free dining space.

You can also read our articles about: - the Business Model Canvas of a restaurant - the marketing strategy for a restaurant

The Financial Plan

Of course, the text presented below is far from sufficient to serve as a solid and credible financial analysis for a bank or potential investor. They expect specific numbers, financial statements, and charts demonstrating the profitability of your project.

All these elements are available in our business plan template for a restaurant and our financial plan for a restaurant .

Initial expenses for our gluten-free restaurant include the cost of leasing and renovating a suitable dining space, equipping the kitchen with specialized equipment for gluten-free cooking, sourcing high-quality gluten-free ingredients, training staff on gluten-free food preparation and cross-contamination prevention, as well as expenses for branding and executing targeted marketing strategies to attract health-conscious customers.

Our revenue projections are based on an in-depth market analysis of the local demand for gluten-free dining options, taking into account the increasing number of people with gluten sensitivities and the general trend towards healthier eating habits.

We expect a gradual increase in patronage, beginning with a conservative estimate and expanding as our restaurant's reputation for delicious and safe gluten-free cuisine grows.

The projected income statement outlines the anticipated revenue from our gluten-free menu offerings, the cost of goods sold (including ingredients and kitchen operations), and operating expenses (such as rent, marketing, staff wages, etc.).

This leads to a projected net profit that is essential for assessing the long-term viability of our restaurant.

The projected balance sheet will display assets unique to our restaurant, like kitchen equipment and food inventory, alongside liabilities such as loans and projected operational costs.

It will provide a snapshot of the financial condition of our gluten-free restaurant at the end of each fiscal period.

Our projected cash flow statement will detail the cash inflows from sales and outflows for expenses, enabling us to predict our financial needs and maintain a healthy cash balance to support restaurant operations.

The financing strategy outlined in our business plan will specify the sources of funding we intend to tap into to cover our initial costs.

We will keep a close eye on the working capital requirement for our gluten-free restaurant to ensure we have sufficient funds on hand for day-to-day expenses such as ingredient purchases, inventory management, and payroll.

The break-even analysis will determine the sales volume required to cover all our costs, including the initial investment, and begin generating profits.

It will signal the point at which our restaurant becomes financially sustainable.

Key performance indicators we plan to monitor include the profit margin on our gluten-free dishes, the current ratio to evaluate our ability to meet short-term liabilities, and the return on investment to gauge the efficiency of the capital we have invested in our restaurant.

These metrics will be instrumental in assessing the financial performance and overall success of our gluten-free restaurant.

If you want to know more about the financial analysis of this type of activity, please read our article about the financial plan for a restaurant .

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How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan [Free Template]

Start creating your restaurant’s business plan with BentoBox’s free business plan template.

The restaurant business plan is a crucial first step in turning an idea for a restaurant into an actual business. Without it, investors and lenders will have no way of knowing if the business is feasible or when the restaurant will become profitable. Business plans span dozens (or even hundreds) of pages, and due to the stakes that lie within the document and the work required to write it, the process of writing a restaurant business plan can threaten to overwhelm. 

That’s why BentoBox has created a restaurant business plan template for aspiring restaurant owners. With section prompts for business plan essentials like financial projections, market analysis and a restaurant operations overview, this template makes creating a business plan significantly more manageable. 

Included is a professionally designed, customizable version of the template on Google Docs. Restaurants can download the template below, make a copy and tailor it to their specific concept. For design inspiration,  download here .

Restaurant Business Plan Template

Download the Free Restaurant Business Plan Template from BentoBox

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• Business Ideas
• Startup Plans
• Advertising

How To Start Fast Food Restaurant Business [PLAN]

• by Olaoluwa
• January 15, 2024 August 28, 2024

FAST FOOD RESTAURANT BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE

Fast food business all has to do with providing quickly prepared and served food which has low nutrition compared to other foods.

It refers to a restaurant that sells food with preheated or precooked ingredients served in a take away form for customers.

Here is how to start a fast food cafe business.

You can own a fast food business by starting it from the ground, buying an existing fast food business or buying into a franchise.

To start such fast food business, in-depth research and planning is important to achieve success.

(1) Decision Making

It is important to decide on which approach you want to use in having a small fast food business. Do you want to start from scratch? Do you want to buy a fast food business going into extinction and make it better? Or do you want to buy into a fast food franchise?

These are questions you should ask yourself in order to be able to decide on one approach out of the three for shaping your fast food business model. It all depends on you because the three approaches are good enough. The success of the business depends on management and not on the approach used in owning a fast food business.

(2) Feasibility Study

This will help in giving economic indicators to use in starting your fast food business. It states the start up and operating cost of a business and also shows if the business is worth all your efforts or not, that is, the profitability or failure of the business.

Feasibility study takes into cognizant the requirements of starting and owning a start up business like the manpower needed, the materials and machines that is needed.

Feasibility study also includes the cash flow analysis which deals with the money needed for the business and how to source for and regroup money for the business.

(3) Fast Food Business Plan

A restaurant business plan is an integral part of starting a fast food outlet. This helps in knowing the steps that will be taken in ensuring success of the business and also helps in determining the target audience of your fast food business.

A fast food restaurant BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE always include: business model, information on the product and services, market analysis, financial plan, objectives and method of implementation.

(4) Food Product

There is the need for you to decide on the type of food you want to be selling before opening the business. Although small fast food restaurants mostly sell hamburgers, you can make other products because you are not limited to hamburger. This helps in knowing the type of food you can sell to make money.

You don’t only decide on the type of products to offer but also develop your product for optimal satisfaction of the customers and high profitability.

To do this, you need to conduct a research to come up with a very good recipe that will attract many customers. Test should also be done to determine the final outlook of the product, to ensure that the color of the product doesn’t change due to chemical reactions and also to determine the ingredients that will make it healthy enough to consume.

(5) Location

In every business, location is an important thing that has to be considered carefully because it determines the success of your business and how well you will be patronized. A fast food business should not be situated in places with less traffic and visibility, such location will kill the business.

Highways, shopping centers, business areas, malls, colleges and universities are good locations where you can have your fast food takeaway business.  Easily accessed areas are also good for a fast food restaurant.

(6) Funding 

The feasibility study carried out earlier would have calculated the start up fund needed for the business. Here, all you have to do is to get the money either through your savings or loans and grants. The best way to get your capital is to locate potential investors with your business plan. To do this, you must have a good business plan and must be able to convince the investors.

(7) Registration

You should make inquiries from the health department in your vicinity to know the requirements of starting and owning a fast food restaurant and also the required permits and license. You will also need to be inspected by the health department before you can go on with your business.

In Texas, Florida, California and other states in the US, It is important that you meet both the state and federal requirements and also have the necessary license and permits before opening your healthy mobile fast food business.

Regulations differ from one state to another and from one country to another.

The following are other basic things that needs to be done when starting a fast food center business:

• Purchasing of all required and necessary equipment especially cooking utensils. • Staffs should be hired and trained for providing effective service.  Training is mostly important for staff in order to be aware of developments in the products they offer and also to become better at what they do. • Promote your fast food business through adverts on social media and other platforms.

FAST FOOD RESTAURANT BUSINESS PLAN EXAMPLE

Perhaps, you are keen on writing a business plan because you need it to help you obtain a loan from the bank; or maybe, you realize how really important a business plan could be to the success of your business.

Before we delve in, i believe you must have made inquiries and prepared for that business, and you are well aware of the necessary requirements and steps to be observed before starting up. This article will serve as useful template to help you draft your own fast food outlet business plan.

Other Fast Food Plans:

• Bubble Tea Business Plan
• Shawarma Stand Business Plan
• Cupcake Shop Business Plan
• Catering Business Plan
• Pizza Shop Business Plan
• Ice Cream Factory Business Plan
• Hot Dog Cart Business Plan
• Sandwich Shop Business Plan
• Frozen Yogurt Business Plan
• Cake Making Business Plan
• Donut Shop Business Plan

So without any ado, below is a fast food restaurant BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE.

BUSINESS NAME: Tantalizer’s Fries

• Executive Summary
• Vision Statement
• Mission Statement
• Business Structure
• Products and Services
• Market Analysis
• Target Market
• Sales and Marketing Strategy
• Sales Forecast

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Tantalizer’s Fries is a fast food restaurant business that is registered and fully licensed as a Limited company to operate in Singapore. It is a fast food restaurant business that has fulfilled the necessary requirements and obtained the required licenses and permits to legally operate in Singapore.

At Tantalizer’s Fries, we will be committed to tantalizing our customers with good, and quality food recipes at excellent prices with great packaging. We know that today’s world is a very busy one, and people have less time to properly prepare their meals; this is why we have become the answer to this pressing demand for fast food. We will offer a vast range of products, from sandwiches to Belgian fries.

Our fast food restaurant will be located at one of the crowded and populated areas of Singapore. The size of the establishment will range from 60 – 70 metres square and it will contain 20 – 25 guests.

Tantalizer’s Fries will be owned by Matthew Robinson and Jimmy McDonalds, both of whom will be having a 50-50 ownership. Both Matthew Robinson and Jimmy McDonalds have more than 15 years of experience in the fast food industry. We will expand our fast food restaurant business and offer franchise opportunity in the near future, probably after the first five years.

BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

At Tantalizer’s Fries, we have set out our business objectives as given below, to be able to cement our position as one of the leading fast food restaurants in Singapore and Asia as a whole. Our business objectives include:

• To establish a presence as one of the leading fast food restaurants in Singapore and Asia.
• To establish Tantalizer’s Fries as a fast food restaurant that anybody would love to come to.
• To expand the restaurant business and start offering franchise opportunity, before the last quarter of our third year of business, in Singapore, United States, and other parts of the world.
• To create an exciting and unique menu that will set us apart from every other fast food restaurant in Singapore.
• To provide more than a satisfactory service to our customers and maintain a high level of excellent services.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is clear and straightforward, and it is in harmony with our business vision. Our ultimate goal is to be among the leading fast food restaurants in Singapore, offering franchise opportunities within and outside Singapore, and the United States.

Bearing in mind our ultimate goal, we will put in our best efforts to ensure that we provide top quality customer services to our wonderful customers. We will make our customers have more than a wonderful experience whenever they visit our fast food restaurant, and even when they visit our website. We will make sure we will have great quality packaging for our products, and have our brand label attached to all our products.

In a nutshell, our main focus is on serving our cherished customers great quality food at great and affordable prices in a very calm and soothing atmosphere.

BUSINESS STRUCTURE Tantalizer’s Fries will be owned by Matthew Robinson and Jimmy McDonalds. Matthew Robinson holds a Masters degree from the University Of Michigan, and had once been a project manager at several multinational companies while Jimmy McDonalds holds a BS degree. As the company expand over the years, we will need the services of:

• A director of store operations.
• Human Resource Manager (HRM).
• Marketing Manager, and
• Administrative Manager.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Tantalizer’s Fries will focus solely on the sales of fries, sauces, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. We will offer the sales of our products at very affordable prices. We will open our fast food restaurant every day from 8am to 8pm.

We will offer some Belgian fries and sandwiches in various flavours, ranging from satay sauce, Thai chilli ketchup, pesto mayo, teriyaki sauce, creamy wasabi mayo, lava cheese, barbecue, Caribbean islands, etc.

MARKET ANALYSIS

In Singapore, the end of the year 2000 marked the immense growth of consumers’ expenses for fast food, and the subsequent bounce back of the nation’s economy. The number of fast food restaurants had increased tremendously over the years.

In a survey of people within the ages of 15 – 45 years old, 80% of them confirmed to like fast food. 90% of them confirmed to like eating fast food regularly, and 10% of them affirmed to having great love for fast foods.

TARGET MARKET

Our target market will include a host of adolescents and adults that fall within the age bracket of 15 – 38. This is because this group have very flexible budgets. We will make sure we offer our products at prices that are much more appealing than those of our competitors. Our target market will also include the family unit, the male adults –this is because they have very little dietary concerns; and the medium income earners.

SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

We will do well to employ the necessary sales and marketing strategies to be able to catapult our fast food restaurant business to the top and cement it there. We will locally market our brand by distributing colour brochures throughout the regions in our target market areas.

We will make use of the local media of newspapers, magazines, and direct mail campaign; and also establish a website for our fast food restaurant business. We will also not hesitate to move our brand to the social media world such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

FINANCIAL PLAN

Startup requirements

Startup expenses:

Legal fee                                 $2,000 Rent fee                                  $20,000 Interior equipment                  $17,000 Kitchen equipment                 $23,000 Packaging                               $10,000 Contingencies                         $5,000 Startup asset                          $60,000 Total                                       $137,000

Startup funding:

The initial startup investment sum required to startup Tantalizer’s Fries fast food restaurant business is $137,000.

Both Matthew Robinson and Jimmy McDonalds will contribute a 50-50 percent sum of investment to make up the startup capital. Matthew Robinson and Jimmy McDonalds will both contribute $68,500 as the startup investment.

SALES FORECAST

Our sales forecast for Tantalizer’s Fries for the next three years is as follows. This sales projection is however based on a number of factors that have been considered.

Year 1             $100,000 Year 2             $170,000 Year 3             $350,000

Kindly share this business plan for a fast food restaurant , thanks.

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A  restaurant business plan  is a document you begin with when setting up or opening a new restaurant. It's a  framework that brings together financials, menus, and marketing that helps you turn your restaurant ideas into a reality.

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Business Plan Template: Restaurant

This easy-to-use business plan template is designed to help aspiring restaurant owners set their plans into motion. Download now to start working on your plan.

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A restaurant business plan provides the foundation for your business. Not only is a detailed business plan the key to your restaurant’s success, but it also outlines your vision by detailing how your business will take shape and operate.

• Highly customizable – Easily add your concept, ideas and information into the editable template.
• Prompts and examples – Not sure where to start? Our examples help you craft a detailed business plan that’s ready to present to potential partners and investors.
• Open-ended template – Get started quickly by filling out the sections that are relevant to your business. Skip the sections you don’t need.

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9 Business Plan Examples to Inspire Your Own (2024)

Need support creating your business plan? Check out these business plan examples for inspiration and guidance.

Any aspiring entrepreneur researching how to start a business will likely be advised to write a business plan. But few resources provide business plan examples to really guide you through writing one of your own.

Here are some real-world and illustrative business plan examples to help you craft your business plan .

Business plan format: 9 examples

The business plan examples in this article follow this template:

• Executive summary
• Company description
• Market analysis
• Products and services
• Marketing plan
• Logistics and operations plan
• Financial plan
• Customer segmentation

1. Executive summary

Your executive summary is a page that gives a high-level overview of the rest of your business plan. While it appears at the beginning, it’s easiest to write this section last, as there are details further in the report you’ll need to include here.

In this free business plan template , the executive summary is four paragraphs and takes a little over half a page. It clearly and efficiently communicates what the business does and what it plans to do, including its business model and target customers.

2. Company description

You might repurpose your company description elsewhere, like on your About page , social media profile pages, or other properties that require a boilerplate description of your small business.

Soap brand ORRIS has a blurb on its About page that could easily be repurposed for the company description section of its business plan.

You can also go more in-depth with your company overview and include the following sections, like in this business plan example for Paw Print Post:

Business structure

This section outlines how you registered your business —as an LLC , sole proprietorship, corporation, or other business type : “Paw Print Post will operate as a sole proprietorship run by the owner, Jane Matthews.”

Nature of the business

“Paw Print Post sells unique, one-of-a-kind digitally printed cards that are customized with a pet’s unique paw prints.”

“Paw Print Post operates primarily in the pet industry and sells goods that could also be categorized as part of the greeting card industry.”

Background information

“Jane Matthews, the founder of Paw Print Post, has a long history in the pet industry and working with animals, and was recently trained as a graphic designer. She’s combining those two loves to capture a niche in the market: unique greeting cards customized with a pet’s paw prints, without needing to resort to the traditional (and messy) options of casting your pet’s prints in plaster or using pet-safe ink to have them stamp their ’signature.’”

Business objectives

“Jane will have Paw Print Post ready to launch at the Big Important Pet Expo in Toronto to get the word out among industry players and consumers alike. After two years in business, Jane aims to drive $150,000 in annual revenue from the sale of Paw Print Post’s signature greeting cards and to have expanded into two new product categories.”

“Jane Matthews is the sole full-time employee of Paw Print Post but hires contractors as needed to support her workflow and fill gaps in her skill set. Notably, Paw Print Post has a standing contract for five hours a week of virtual assistant support with Virtual Assistants Pro.”

Your mission statement may also make an appearance here. Passionfruit shares its mission statement on its company website, and it would also work well in its example business plan.

3. Market analysis

The market analysis consists of research about supply and demand , your target demographics, industry trends, and the competitive landscape. You might run a SWOT analysis and include that in your business plan. 

Here’s an example SWOT analysis for an online tailored-shirt business:

You’ll also want to do a competitive analysis as part of the market research component of your business plan. This will tell you which businesses you’re up against and give you ideas on how to differentiate your brand. A broad competitive analysis might include:

• Target customers
• Unique value proposition , or what sets the products apart
• Sales pitch
• Price points for products
• Shipping policy

4. Products and services

This section of your business plan describes your offerings—which products and services do you sell to your customers? Here’s an example for Paw Print Post that explains its line of custom greeting cards, along with details on what makes its products unique.

5. Marketing plan

It’s always a good idea to develop a marketing plan before you launch your business. Your marketing plan shows how you’ll get the word out about your business, and it’s an essential component of your business plan as well.

The Paw Print Post focuses on four Ps: price, product, promotion, and place. However, you can take a different approach with your marketing plan. Maybe you can pull from your existing marketing strategy , or maybe you break it down by the different marketing channels. Whatever approach you take, your marketing plan should describe how you intend to promote your business and offerings to potential customers.

6. Logistics and operations plan

The Paw Print Post example considered suppliers, production, facilities, equipment, shipping and fulfillment, and inventory. This includes any raw materials needed to produce the products.

7. Financial plan

The financial plan provides a breakdown of sales, revenue, profit, expenses, and other relevant financial metrics related to funding and profiting from your business.

Ecommerce brand Nature’s Candy’s financial plan breaks down predicted revenue, expenses, and net profit in graphs.

It then dives deeper into the financials to include:

• Funding needs
• Projected profit-and-loss statement
• Projected balance sheet
• Projected cash-flow statement

You can use a financial plan spreadsheet to build your own financial statements, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement.

8. Customer segmentation

Customer segmentation means dividing your target market into groups based on specific characteristics. These characteristics can be demographics, psychographics, behavior, or geography. Your business plan will provide detailed information on each segment, like its size and growth potential, so you can show why they are valuable to your business. 

Airsign , an eco-friendly vacuum cleaner company, faced the challenge of building a sustainable business model in the competitive home appliance market. They identified three key customer personas to target:

• Design-oriented urban dwellers
• Millennials moving to suburbs
• Older consumers seeking high-quality appliances

The company utilized Shopify’s customer segmentation tools to gain insights and take action to target them. Airsign created targeted segments for specific marketing initiatives.

Put your customer data to work with Shopify’s customer segmentation

Shopify’s built-in segmentation tools help you discover insights about your customers, build segments as targeted as your marketing plans with filters based on your customers’ demographic and behavioral data, and drive sales with timely and personalized emails.

9. Appendix

The appendix provides in-depth data, research, or documentation that supports the claims and projections made in the main business plan. It includes things like market research, finance, résumés, product specs, and legal documents. 

Readers can access detailed info in the appendix, but the main plan stays focused and easy to read. Here’s an example from a fictional clothing brand called Bloom:

Appendix: Bloom Business Plan

Types of business plans, and what to include for each

This lean business plan is meant to be high level and easy to understand at a glance. You’ll want to include all of the same sections in one-page business plan, but make sure they’re truncated and summarized:

• Executive summary: truncated
• Market analysis: summarized
• Products and services: summarized
• Marketing plan: summarized
• Logistics and operations plan: summarized
• Financials: summarized

A startup business plan is for a new business. Typically, these plans are developed and shared to secure funding . As such, there’s a bigger focus on the financials, as well as on other sections that determine viability of your business idea—market research, for example:

• Market analysis: in-depth
• Financials: in-depth

Your internal business plan is meant to keep your team on the same page and aligned toward the same goal:

A strategic, or growth, business plan is a big-picture, long-term look at your business. As such, the forecasts tend to look further into the future, and growth and revenue goals may be higher. Essentially, you want to use all the sections you would in a normal business plan and build upon each:

• Market analysis: comprehensive outlook
• Products and services: for launch and expansion
• Marketing plan: comprehensive outlook
• Logistics and operations plan: comprehensive outlook
• Financials: comprehensive outlook

Feasibility

Your feasibility business plan is sort of a pre-business plan—many refer to it as simply a feasibility study. This plan essentially lays the groundwork and validates that it’s worth the effort to make a full business plan for your idea. As such, it’s mostly centered around research:

Nonprofit business plans are used to attract donors, grants, and partnerships. They focus on what their mission is, how they measure success, and how they get funded. You’ll want to include the following sections in addition to a traditional business plan:

• Organization description
• Need statement
• Programs and services
• Fundraising plan
• Partnerships and collaborations
• Impact measurement

Set yourself up for success as a business owner

Building a good business plan serves as a roadmap you can use for your ecommerce business at launch and as you reach each of your business goals. Business plans create accountability for entrepreneurs and synergy among teams, regardless of your business model .

Kickstart your ecommerce business and set yourself up for success with an intentional business planning process—and with the sample business plans above to guide your own path.

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Business plan examples FAQ

How do i write a simple business plan.

To write a simple business plan, begin with an executive summary that outlines your business and your plans. Follow this with sections detailing your company description, market analysis, organization and management structure, product or service, marketing and sales strategy, and financial projections. Each section should be concise and clearly illustrate your strategies and goals.

What is the best format to write a business plan?

The best business plan format presents your plan in a clear, organized manner, making it easier for potential investors to understand your business model and goals. Always begin with the executive summary and end with financial information or appendices for any additional data.

What are the 4 key elements of a business plan?

• Executive summary: A concise overview of the company’s mission, goals, target audience, and financial objectives.
• Business description: A description of the company’s purpose, operations, products and services, target markets, and competitive landscape.
• Market analysis: An analysis of the industry, market trends, potential customers, and competitors.
• Financial plan: A detailed description of the company’s financial forecasts and strategies.

What are the 3 main points of a business plan?

• Concept: Your concept should explain the purpose of your business and provide an overall summary of what you intend to accomplish.
• Contents: Your content should include details about the products and services you provide, your target market, and your competition.
• Cash flow: Your cash flow section should include information about your expected cash inflows and outflows, such as capital investments, operating costs, and revenue projections.

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Perfecting your crisis communication plan

Jenny Pak Director of Program Management at PandaDoc

• Copy Link Link copied

In business, everything that could go wrong would most likely go wrong.

And when this happens, you need a crisis communication plan to let stakeholders and customers know what’s going on.

Crisis communication eliminates the corporate confusion and helter-skelter that could ensue when disaster strikes.

If handled poorly, it could ruin your organization’s reputation.

Or even worse, lead to public safety tragedies.

This article will show you how a crisis communication plan can help your business navigate rough waters.

Key takeaways

• Crisis communication involves notifying clients, stakeholders, and members of the general public about events, accidents, and public safety incidents.
• A crisis communication plan outlines how an organization should go about informing internal teams and the public across multiple communication channels.
• Organizations can use crisis communication plans to minimize losses, prevent legal blowback, and save lives.
• The plan works best if a crisis team can analyze the situation carefully before appointing the appropriate spokesperson to speak to the public.

What is a crisis communication plan?

A crisis communication plan is a document containing guidelines and procedures for communicating with clients and stakeholders when an unprecedented event occurs.

The person or team running point during the crisis should spell out the roles, responsibilities, and messaging promptly in order to reduce panic and speculation.

Applications of a crisis communication plan

From businesses to academic institutions, communication is part of the crisis management playbook.

Here are some types of crisis communication plans.

• Financial emergency : Following the Capital One hack, the bank chairman released a detailed public statement on its website.
• Public health and safety : During peak COVID , governments and corporations used a detailed crisis communication plan to prevent cities from spiraling into dystopian wastelands.
• Natural disasters : Emergency response services use multiple communication channels to notify people during earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and other natural disasters.
• Personnel changes : When staff members (especially C-level and customer-facing employees) leave the company, you need to inform your clients and investors.
• Personal safety : If a criminal hacks into your Instagram or TikTok account, you need to find a way to notify your followers before they start sending Bitcoin to the hacker.
• Malpractice or criminal activity : When a member of an institution is found guilty of a crime, the crisis response team will put out a statement to dissociate the individual from the group.
• Transportation : Airlines and logistics companies use crisis response plans to notify passengers and customers about delays, accidents, and cancellations. (Failure to do so has repercussions — after United Airlines fumbled their response to the Dr. Dao incident, the company’s image has yet to recover from #boycottUnited .)
• Academic institutions : Schools and colleges can send out memos to students and staff during crisis scenarios such as a death on campus, active shooter events, or disruption of services.

How a crisis communication plan can save your organization

A crisis communication plan keeps you and your organization ready for unprecedented events.

Let’s check out how a coherent response plan can save your organization.

• It helps organizations handle the fallout of scandals, natural disasters, and controversies.
• Despite massive data and privacy violations , Mark Zuckerberg has maintained a less problematic reputation than no-filter Elon Musk.
• Prompt and effective crisis communication prevents further losses in customers and revenue.
• Banks and product companies communicate about bankruptcy or hacks early to avoid panic withdrawals.
• It protects the reputation of companies by presenting the leadership as competent and personable.
• Crisis communication plans can reduce the casualties of natural and human-made disasters.
• After the train derailment in Ohio , the government sent out an evacuation memo to residents.
• It dissociates the organization from the actions of unsavory characters.
• The British Crown has a standby controversy response team that disavows members of the family who step out of line.
• A well-articulated crisis response can cover your company’s behind from any legal implications.
• In 2019, Burger King used this strategy to get a frivolous lawsuit dismissed.
• It highlights the preparedness and competence of the management structure within an organization through decisive, from-the-front leadership.

Common strategies for crisis communication

Let’s explore the communications strategy your team could use in times of crisis:

• The company PR team or spokesperson will release a statement or go for a sit-down interview.
• Companies with a massive social media presence can coordinate crisis responses across all social media channels.
• Organizations can conduct in-person outreach through emails and phone calls.

Establish a comprehensive crisis communication plan

Here are the steps to follow when creating a crisis communication plan for your organization.

Analyze the situation

Resist the knee-jerk urge to tweet your response as soon as something happens. Instead, take some time to analyze the crisis situation and understand the whole picture before putting out a statement.

Your management team needs to analyze the event to figure out the best course of action and the tone to take in the event of a crisis.

Nominate a spokesperson

The spokesperson should be the face of the organization, representing its values and sentiments.

Some innate qualities that every spokesperson should have include the following:

• Excellent communication skills
• Media training
• Resourcefulness and recognizability.

You also need to put forward someone with authority and clout to make decisions.

Picture Siobhan Roy during the cruise scandals in Succession .

You don’t want Logan Roy responding to sexual assault allegations.

Develop and approve response systems and communication methods

The response plan should cover the three main stages of crisis response:

• Pre-crisis stage: This provides the fundamental procedures and escalation hierarchy for a potential crisis. Some organizations appoint spokespersons for different cases, so every team member knows their role once it’s “go time.”
• Crisis stage: The response systems during this phase should focus on informing the public and internal teams . This is where you plan the social media posts, personal outreach calls, or PR statements.
• Post-crisis stage: This involves addressing feedback mechanisms and suggested changes. In most cases, the fallout from the crisis itself dictates the post-crisis response.

Create a response script

Your public relations responders need to craft a consistent messaging across all platforms.

This assures the customer that the information is legit and that the entire organization is in lockstep.

Consider using a crisis communication template to draft written and verbal responses faster.

Your legal team should also review the final text to make sure you don’t implicate yourself.

Crisis Management Plan Template

Used 4890 times

With this template, you can quickly and easily put together a comprehensive Crisis Management Plan.

Release the update through the designated channels

When the image of the Pope in the puffer jacket broke the internet, the Vatican didn’t panic.

They released a statement across multiple channels — including regular media outlets and socials — to quell fears and rumors.

The usual channels for communication crisis updates include the following:

• Social media channels — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
• Verified personal profiles — Elon Musk providing updates about X.
• News media channels — CNN, etc.
• Emails and app notifications.
• Press releases and PR statements on the company website.

Airports and transportation hubs can use digital displays to notify the public about delays as well as scheduled and unprecedented service disruptions.

Answer questions

After putting out a statement, members of the public and media will reach out to your organization for clarification or confirmation.

This is where the crisis response and customer service teams earn their keep.

You need to provide them with a script to address frequently asked questions as well as an escalation hierarchy for complex queries.

In criminal cases with massive legal implications, you could give them the canned law enforcement “cannot comment on an ongoing investigation” response.

Provide regular sitreps

During prolonged events, you need to keep external stakeholders updated about recent developments in real time.

This will calm down fears and fend off misinformation while showing the progress your team members are making in handling the situation.

For website or application outages, you can use status page updates, website banners, or in-app notifications.

Deliver a detailed recap afterward

Once the dust settles, the CEO has to release a statement containing a sober analysis of what happened and the immediate to long-term impact.

This public recap is your way of showing accountability to key stakeholders. You can also use a fact sheet to provide further details about the causes and consequences of the mishap.

For companies with high-value clients, you can schedule calls to follow up on them. This is important for reputable institutions as well as companies with world-renowned investors.

Share lessons learned internally

Regardless of how successful or disastrous the crisis communication was, your crisis communication team needs to share lessons learned. These will help set up the playbook for future scenarios.

How PandaDoc can help with crisis communication

As a document management solution , PandaDoc helps organizations draft, edit, and share crisis communication outlines in record time.

You can get a crisis response template for every phase of the response.

Besides, PandaDoc uses document tracking features to keep an eye on who works on, approves, or edits the document. This ensures transparency and accountability.

If you want to create external communications for multiple scenarios, you can store them in the PandaDoc online repository .

Want to consider using PandaDoc to draft and share your organization’s crisis communication plan? Book a free demo with us.

PandaDoc is not a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This page is not intended to and does not provide legal advice. Should you have legal questions on the validity of e-signatures or digital signatures and the enforceability thereof, please consult with an attorney or law firm. Use of PandaDoc services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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