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Updated by Ella_Johnson on Oct 15, 2019
Headline for Top 8 Things to Include in Restaurant Business Plan
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Ella_Johnson Ella_Johnson
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Top 8 Things to Include in Restaurant Business Plan

“Restaurant Business Plan” is not as heavy as it sounds. It’s only a document that contains all the crucial details about your restaurant.
A restaurant business plan serves as a guide that explains everything that is needed to begin a restaurant and how is it going to function thereafter. It’s a detailed plan consisting of schemes and strategies.

1

Executive Summary

Executive Summary

The first part of your restaurant business plan should talk about the main objective of your restaurant. Here you must cover the brand’s history, how you’re planning to make it a success, future prospects and everything you’ve envisioned your restaurant to be. Remember, you’ve got to keep the readers engrossed while being short and crisp about everything. It must cover the following key points.

  • The restaurant model you’re looking to open. Whether it’s going to be a QSR, fine-dine, Food Truck, Bar or a Cafe.
  • The food that’s going to be served there.
  • Location in which you’re planning to establish your restaurant and the competition that comes with it.
  • Your target audience.
  • Prerequisites like restaurant name, interior design, menu and more.
2

Company Overview

Company Overview

Next comes a business or company overview. It’s a sketch of your restaurant’s concept. Here, you must be able to put forth your plan for acquiring and later multiplying your customers.
There are three main ingredients- restaurant model type, menu card, and staff.

Restaurant Model

A Quick Service Restaurant, fine dining establishment, cafe or bar? What is your first restaurant going to be? Based on the restaurant type, the layout of your restaurant must be clearly mentioned. This includes everything from interior design to your restaurant’s furnishing. The overview must also contain details like restaurant technology and what Commercial Kitchen Equipment you’re going to buy.

Looking for ideas to design your restaurant? Check these Stunning Restaurant Interior Designs out.

Restaurant Menu
In any restaurant, a menu plays a massive role in shaping the customer’s perspective towards your eatery. Therefore, it only makes sense that you create menus that are captivating enough.

In the overview, you’re not supposed to provide the complete and final menu design but a brief sketch of the same. Something that gives a glimpse of what your menu would look like once it goes live. Whether it’s going to be a menu full of illustrations or pictures directly from your kitchen. The font and designs that you’re going to be using while creating the menu. If you’re planning to hire professionals for creating your restaurant menu card then make sure you share some sample designs. Bonus read: Creating the best restaurant menu card with tips and examples from top restaurants across the globe.

Management
The ownership angle of the restaurant is introduced in this section. Typically, this contains basic details about people who are going to be managing your restaurant. Owner, Restaurant/Bar Manager, and Head Chef. Discuss the hierarchy and important things like who will be in charge in your absence, their roles and duties.

3

Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan

Simply starting a restaurant won’t bring you customers. You have to market your brand right in order to widen your customer base. Marketing Plan as a crucial part of the restaurant business plan includes strategies and promotional hacks that must be followed before and after opening your restaurant.
Based on customer demographics and eating trends, send out effective CRM campaigns. Group your customers based on their order frequency, order type, order size and more. Basis this, send them compelling discounts and offers which they can redeem on subsequent orders with your restaurant. To put this plan to action you need a strong and reliable customer database. This will help you upsell and thereby increase revenue.
Bonus Read: 12 Unique Restaurant Promotion Ideas to Win More Customers

4

Restaurant Business Operations Plan

Restaurant Business Operations Plan

Your restaurant’s daily activities and functions are to be discussed in this section of the restaurant business plan.
To know more about hiring the best team for your restaurant, click here.

5

Financial Analysis

Financial Analysis

Finances are a pivotal part of a restaurant business plan. Any investor who is looking to invest in your business will anticipate this part from the very beginning. You need to give them a solid plan. This will also help you work out the overall cost of opening a restaurant.

6

Legal Necessities

The restaurant business plan must contain a list of all the licenses that are essential and applicable to your restaurant. These licenses could vary depending on the city or state you’re opening your restaurant in. Nobody likes to run into trouble with the authorities. There are some very important restaurant licenses that you must obtain before starting your first restaurant.

  • FSSAI License
  • Liquor License
  • Health/Trade License
  • Eating House License
  • Shop and Establishment License
  • Signage License

There are a few other licenses and certificates that you might need depending on the kind of restaurant you are planning on running. To read more about the pricing and procedures to obtain these licenses read All the 10 Licenses Required to Open a Restaurant in India.

7

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis, as the name suggests, is listing down all potential factors that will affect your restaurant business. Including this in your restaurant business plan will help identify and cover all aspects that are substantial for your restaurant’s growth.

  • Strengths Each new business venture has a USP. Recognize the strong points of your restaurant and describe how it is going to uplift your restaurant’s sales. You could bank on a unique restaurant concept, central location or a game-changing dish.
  • Weaknesses During the initial time of planning out a restaurant business, you get a fair idea of all the probable pitfalls that you might incur on your way. You could be struggling with restricted restaurant space or a handful of employees. Therefore, it’s important to list these down so that new methods can be devised to overcome those.
  • Opportunity This simply includes implementing interesting new ideas that haven’t been touched upon by anyone else. Anything that you can anticipate in the eating behavior of your customers. Something that proves to be a turning point for your restaurant business.
  • Threat An upcoming new restaurant across the street that serves a similar cuisine or high staff attrition rates. There are plenty of perils while opening a restaurant. These threats may curb a restaurant’s growth. Hence it’s important to figure out various threats you might face that may be harmful to your business.
8

Specialists and Restaurant Business Consultants

Specialists and Restaurant Business Consultants

There are contractors and consultants that are going to help at various stages of your restaurant business. You may not understand each and every aspect of opening a restaurant. That’s where Specialists and Consultants come in. These are :

  • Financial accountants
  • Lawyers and attorneys
  • Architect
  • Interior designers
  • Menu designers and/or engineers
  • Marketing professionals

They are experienced professionals who will help you get your restaurant business up and running. List down all the top companies and professionals within your restaurant’s vicinity and then approach the ones you think would suit your needs the best.