A restaurant business plan needs seven sections: executive summary, concept and menu, market and location, operations and staffing, marketing, financials, and an appendix. Below is what goes in each, plus a worked example for a 45-seat neighborhood cafe so you can see real numbers, not blanks.
We build websites and lead capture for local businesses, including restaurants, so the marketing section here is honest about what actually fills tables. The plan itself is yours to write — we are only the website-and-marketing part of it, and we will tell you when you do not need us yet.
One page, written last. The concept in a sentence, who it serves, the funding you need, and the headline first-year numbers. A lender or landlord decides whether to keep reading from this page.
What you serve and why this neighborhood wants it. Include a sample menu with prices and your target food-cost percentage per dish. The menu is the product; treat pricing as a decision, not a guess.
Daytime population, foot traffic, nearby competitors and what they charge, and why your spot works. Rent should target roughly 6 to 10 percent of projected sales — a lease above that is a red flag the bank will see.
Hours, seats, table turns, prep flow, and an org chart with wage rates. Label your licenses: business license, food handler's permits, a liquor license if you pour, and a health-department sign-off.
A complete Google Business Profile, a site with the live menu and reservations, direct online ordering so you keep more than the apps leave you, and an email or text list. Budget 3 to 6 percent of sales, weighted higher in year one.
Startup costs, a month-by-month first-year forecast, and a break-even point. Show food cost, labor, rent, and a cash cushion of at least three months of operating expense. This is the section the bank reads twice.
Lease terms, equipment quotes, owner resumes, the full menu, and any letters of intent. Keep it out of the body so the plan reads cleanly.
Concept: all-day breakfast and lunch cafe, 45 seats, average check $18.
Startup costs: buildout and equipment $210,000, opening inventory and deposits $25,000, working capital $40,000 — about $275,000 taking over an existing kitchen space.
Year-one revenue: ~120 covers a day, 6 days, 50 weeks at $18 average = roughly $648,000.
Costs: food 30% ($194k), labor 30% ($194k), rent 8% ($52k), other operating 22% ($143k).
Net: roughly $65,000, about a 10% margin in a good first year — and that assumes the room fills, which is where marketing earns its keep.
Run your own version of this with conservative covers. If break-even needs the room full six nights a week from day one, the plan is too tight.
We build the website-and-marketing part of the plan. You do not need us while you are still:
Come to us about four to six weeks before opening, when there is a menu to publish and reservations to take.
Our Start Getting Leads plan is $249/mo for a hand-built cafe site with the live menu, reservation and direct-ordering links, and an AI assistant that answers hours and dietary questions after close and captures the contact. Grow in Google is $597/mo with the SEO content engine and lead attribution; Own Your Market adds CRM and reputation automation from $1,750/mo. Month-to-month, and you own the site and domain.
We will build a free working demo in 48 hours. More reading: how to start and grow a business, the companion restaurant marketing guide, templates and docs, and whether local SEO is worth it.
We don't post stock testimonials. On a 15-minute call we screen-share the real dashboards behind our own businesses — live leads, rankings, and the exact page that produced each one. See the proof →
Executive summary, concept and menu, market and location, operations and staffing, marketing, financials, and an appendix. Lenders read the financials and the summary most closely.
Roughly $150k–$300k for a small quick-service spot and $300k–$750k or more for full service, driven mostly by lease, equipment, and buildout.
Net 3 to 9 percent is typical. Aim for food cost around 28 to 35 percent and labor 25 to 35 percent of sales.
Send your restaurant name and city — we'll confirm your market is open and build a working demo within 48 hours. Free, no card, no commitment.
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