Restaurant Business Plan Template: Step-by-Step Guide With Examples

You need a restaurant business plan. Not because some business book told you to, but because banks won't give you money without one. Because most restaurants fail in year one. Because winging it with your life savings is a terrible idea.

Below you'll find a complete business plan template with all nine essential sections. Copy any section and customize it for your restaurant. Use the examples to see what good looks like. Everything here is free to use.

Your restaurant deserves a real plan. Here's how to build one.

TL;DR: What should your restaurant business plan include?

Need to write a business plan but not sure where to start? Banks and investors expect nine specific sections, and missing even one can tank your funding chances.

Every restaurant business plan needs:

• Executive summary that sells your concept in one page
• Business overview defining your restaurant type and mission
• Market analysis proving local demand
• Menu with pricing strategy
• Marketing plan for customer acquisition
• Operations section covering location and staffing
• Management team structure
• Financial projections with realistic break-even timeline
• Appendix with supporting documents

The sections that make or break funding:

• Executive summary: Your entire concept in 1-2 pages (investors read this first)
• Market analysis: Proof there's demand in your area, not just gut feeling
• Operations plan: Staffing schedule and labor costs (typically 25-35% of revenue)
• Financial projections: Break-even by month 6-12, not month 1 (banks can smell unrealistic numbers)

What to include in each section:

• Specific numbers (how many seats, average ticket price, daily customer targets)
• Competitor analysis (who you're up against and how you're different)
• Hourly staffing breakdown (servers per shift, peak hour coverage, total weekly payroll)
• Realistic startup costs (most restaurants underestimate by 30%)

Copy the template sections below and customize for your restaurant type. Fast-casual needs different details than fine dining.

Why you need a restaurant business plan

Here's what a restaurant business plan actually does: it forces you to answer hard questions before you sign a lease. How many customers do you need per day to break even? What does your staffing schedule look like during peak hours versus slow periods? Can you actually afford the space you're eyeing on Main Street?

Three reasons you can't skip this:

• Banks won't fund you. No lender hands over $100K based on your passion for farm-to-table cuisine. They want to see market research, financial projections, and proof you understand restaurant economics. No plan means no loan.
• You'll burn through cash. Without mapped-out labor costs, most new restaurant owners staff too heavy during slow periods and too light during rushes. Your biggest expenses after food are labor and rent. If you're guessing at these numbers, you're gambling with your life savings.
• Investors need proof of concept. Even if your uncle wants to invest, he'll ask to see your plan. How are you different from the three Italian restaurants already in your neighborhood? What's your customer acquisition strategy? Who's running the kitchen when you're not there?

A restaurant business plan isn't busy work. It's your operating manual for the first year and your pitch deck for anyone writing checks. The restaurants that make it past year one? They all had a plan.

What to include in your restaurant business plan

Executive summary: the one-page pitch

This is the first thing anyone reads and the last thing you write. Your executive summary condenses your entire plan into 1-2 pages: what you're opening, where, who your customers are, how much funding you need, and when you'll break even. Investors decide whether to keep reading based on this section alone. If your summary can't sell your concept in 60 seconds, rewrite it.

Business overview and restaurant concept

Define exactly what type of restaurant you're opening. Fast-casual Mexican? Fine dining steakhouse? Ghost kitchen for delivery only? Include your service style, cuisine type, price point, and mission statement. This section answers: What makes your restaurant different from the dozen others already in your market? Keep your mission real. "Serve great food" isn't a concept.

Market analysis and competitive research

Prove there's demand for your restaurant in your specific location. Who are your target customers? How many of them live or work within a mile of your location? Who are your direct competitors, and what are they doing wrong that you'll do right? Include local demographics, foot traffic patterns, and why your neighborhood needs another restaurant. Banks want data, not assumptions.

Menu design and pricing strategy

List your signature dishes and explain your pricing strategy. Most successful restaurants aim for 28-35% food cost (the cost of ingredients as a percentage of menu price). If your menu price is $20 and your food cost is $10, that's 50% and you won't survive. Include sample menu items with costs. Show you understand the economics of every plate that leaves your kitchen.

Marketing plan for your restaurant

How will you get customers through the door on day one and keep them coming back? Break down your marketing budget by channel: social media, local advertising, grand opening promotions, loyalty programs. Don't just say "we'll use Instagram." Explain your customer acquisition cost and how many customers you need to acquire per month to hit revenue targets.

Operations plan: location, suppliers, and staffing

Cover three critical areas: where you're located and why it works, who supplies your ingredients and equipment, and how you'll staff each shift. This is where hourly workforce planning matters most. Map out how many servers, cooks, and hosts you need during lunch versus dinner. Include your labor cost as a percentage of projected revenue (target 25-35%). Show you've thought through peak hours, slow periods, and who covers call-outs.

Management team and organizational structure

Who's running this restaurant? Include background and relevant experience for owners and key managers. If you've never run a restaurant but your head chef has 15 years of experience, highlight that. For small operations, even if it's just you wearing all hats, map out the roles: who handles scheduling, inventory, vendor relationships, and payroll? Investors want to know the team can execute.

Financial projections and funding requirements

This section makes or breaks your funding request. Include startup costs (equipment, build-out, permits, initial inventory), monthly operating expenses, and revenue projections for the first three years. Show when you'll break even (month 6-12 is realistic, month 1 is a fantasy). Include your profit and loss forecast, cash flow projections, and how much funding you're requesting. Most restaurants underestimate costs by 30%, so pad your numbers.

Appendix and supporting documents

Attach everything that supports your plan but would clutter the main sections: sample menus with full pricing, floor plans and restaurant layout, equipment lists, permits and licenses you've secured, resumes of key team members, and letters of intent from suppliers or landlords. This section proves you've done the homework.

Restaurant business plan template

Copy each section below and customize it for your restaurant. Replace the bracketed placeholders with your specific information.

Executive summary

[Restaurant Name] Business Plan Executive Summary

Business name: [Your restaurant name]
Location: [Full address or neighborhood]
Concept: [Restaurant type, cuisine, service style in one sentence]
Owner(s): [Your name and any partners]
Funding required: $[Amount]
Projected break-even: [Month and year]

Business summary: [2-3 paragraphs describing your restaurant concept, target market, competitive advantage, and financial highlights.]

Business overview and restaurant concept

Restaurant type: [Fast-casual / fine dining / quick service / food truck / ghost kitchen]
Cuisine: [Specific cuisine type]
Service style: [Dine-in / takeout / delivery / full service / counter service]
Hours of operation: [Days and hours]
Seating capacity: [Number of seats]
Average check: $[Amount per customer]

Mission statement: [One sentence describing your purpose. Keep it real.]

What makes us different: [2-3 sentences explaining your competitive advantage. What can customers get from you that they can't get elsewhere?]

Market analysis

Target customer profile:

• Age range: [Demographics]
• Income level: [Range]
• Location: [Where they live/work]
• Dining habits: [How often they eat out, what they spend]

Market size: [Number of potential customers within X miles of your location]

Local competition:

1. [Competitor name] - [What they do well and where they fall short]
2. [Competitor name] - [What they do well and where they fall short]
3. [Competitor name] - [What they do well and where they fall short]

Market opportunity: [2-3 sentences explaining why your neighborhood needs your restaurant. What gap are you filling?]

Menu and pricing strategy

Signature dishes: [Insert list]

Menu categories: [Appetizers, entrees, desserts, beverages - list main categories]

Target food cost percentage: [28-35% is standard]

Menu differentiation: [What makes your menu different from competitors? Local ingredients? Family recipes? Unique preparation?]

Marketing plan

Customer acquisition strategy:

• [Channel 1]: $[Budget] - [Specific tactic]
• [Channel 2]: $[Budget] - [Specific tactic]
• [Channel 3]: $[Budget] - [Specific tactic]

Grand opening promotion: [Your plan to generate buzz on day one]

Ongoing marketing: [How you'll keep customers coming back - loyalty program, social media, email, etc.]

Customer acquisition cost: $[Amount to acquire one new customer]
Monthly customer target: [Number of new customers needed per month]

Operations plan

Location details:

• Address: [Full address]
• Square footage: [Size]
• Lease terms: [Monthly rent, length of lease]
• Why this location works: [Foot traffic, parking, visibility, nearby businesses]

Suppliers:

• Food supplier: [Company name and what they provide]
• Equipment supplier: [Company name]
• Other key vendors: [List any critical suppliers]

Staffing plan:

Peak hours (lunch/dinner rush):

• [Number] servers
• [Number] cooks
• [Number] hosts
• [Number] bussers/support staff

Slow periods:

• [Number] servers
• [Number] cooks
• [Number] hosts

Total weekly labor hours: [Number]
Average hourly wage: $[Amount]
Weekly labor cost: $[Total]
Labor cost as % of projected revenue: [25-35% is target]

Management team

Owner/Operator: [Name]
Experience: [Relevant background - prior restaurant experience, culinary training, business management]
Responsibilities: [What this person handles day-to-day]

Head Chef: [Name]
Experience: [Culinary background]
Responsibilities: [Kitchen management, menu development, food cost control]

General Manager: [Name if applicable]
Experience: [Management background]
Responsibilities: [Staff scheduling, vendor relationships, customer service]

[Add any other key team members]

Financial projections

Startup costs:

• Kitchen equipment: $[Amount]
• Dining room furniture/fixtures: $[Amount]
• Build-out/renovations: $[Amount]
• Initial inventory: $[Amount]
• Permits and licenses: $[Amount]
• Marketing/signage: $[Amount]
• Working capital (first 3 months): $[Amount]
• Total startup costs: $[Amount]

Monthly operating expenses:

• Rent: $[Amount]
• Labor: $[Amount]
• Food costs: $[Amount]
• Utilities: $[Amount]
• Insurance: $[Amount]
• Marketing: $[Amount]
• Other: $[Amount]
• Total monthly expenses: $[Amount]

Revenue projections:

• Month 1: $[Amount]
• Month 3: $[Amount]
• Month 6: $[Amount]
• Month 12: $[Amount]
• Year 2: $[Amount]
• Year 3: $[Amount]

Break-even analysis:
Monthly revenue needed to break even: $[Amount]
Projected break-even date: [Month/Year]

Funding request: $[Amount] for [equity/loan] to cover [specific uses]

Appendix

Include as separate attachments:

• Full menu with complete pricing
• Floor plan and restaurant layout
• Equipment list with costs
• Resumes of key team members
• Copies of permits and licenses (or applications in progress)
• Letters of intent from suppliers or landlord
• Market research data and sources

How to write a restaurant business plan

You've got the template above. Here's how to turn it into your restaurant's actual plan.

• Start with what you know. Fill out the easy sections first: your restaurant name, location, concept, and menu ideas. Don't overthink your mission statement. If you can't explain what you're doing in one clear sentence, your concept isn't ready yet.
• Research before you write. Your market analysis needs real data, not guesses. Walk your neighborhood and count competitors. Check census data for local demographics. Talk to potential customers. Look up average restaurant revenue per square foot in your area. Banks can spot made-up numbers instantly.
• Build your staffing plan around real shifts. Map out a typical Tuesday lunch versus Friday dinner. How many servers do you need when you're at 50% capacity versus packed? Multiply those hours by your hourly wages. If your labor cost is creeping above 35% of projected revenue, rework your schedule or your prices.
• Make your financial projections believable. Month one profit is a fantasy. Breaking even by month six is ambitious but realistic. Most restaurants take 8-12 months. Use industry benchmarks: 28-35% food cost, 25-35% labor cost, 10% rent. If your numbers don't align with these ranges, explain why or redo your math.
• Customize for your restaurant type. Fast-casual? Delete the sommelier position. Food truck? Your "location" section becomes route planning. Fine dining? Your labor costs will run higher than the 35% benchmark.
• Write your executive summary last. After you've completed all eight other sections, distill everything into 1-2 pages. This is what investors read first, so make every sentence count.

Save your plan as a PDF before sending it to banks or investors. Update it quarterly as your actual numbers come in.

Common mistakes that kill restaurant business plans

• Over-optimistic revenue projections. If your plan shows profitability in month one or assumes 80% capacity from day one, banks will laugh you out of the room. Real restaurants take 6-12 months to break even and build to full capacity gradually. Use conservative numbers. You can always exceed them.
• Ignoring labor costs or guessing at schedules. Labor is your second-biggest expense after food. If your plan says "we'll need some servers" without specifying how many per shift and what that costs weekly, you haven't done the work. Map every position for every shift and multiply by hourly wages.
• Forgetting to update your plan. Your business plan isn't a document you write once for a loan application. It's your operating manual. Revenue lower than projected? Adjust your staffing. Food costs running high? Revisit your menu pricing. Review your plan monthly for the first year.
• Copying a template without customizing. Fine dining needs different staffing ratios than fast-casual. A breakfast cafe has different peak hours than a dinner-only concept. Generic plans get rejected. Make yours specific to your restaurant type and location.

FAQs Restaurant business plan template

How long should a restaurant business plan be?

15-25 pages for a complete plan. Your executive summary should be 1-2 pages maximum. Focus on substance over length.

Can I use this template for a food truck or cafe?

Yes, but customize it. Food trucks need route planning instead of fixed locations. Cafes have different peak hours than dinner restaurants. Adjust the template to match your concept.

How often should I update my business plan?

Review financial projections monthly for the first year. Update your full plan quarterly or whenever major changes happen (new location, menu overhaul, revenue shifts).

Where can I find market data for my area?

Check the U.S. Census Bureau for demographics, your local chamber of commerce for business statistics, and the National Restaurant Association for industry benchmarks.

Turn your plan into action with the right tools

You've mapped out your restaurant concept, costs, and staffing needs. Now you need to execute that plan every single week.

Your business plan says you need three servers and two cooks per dinner shift. Homebase turns that into actual schedules. Build your weekly roster in minutes, not hours. Track who's working and when. Clock your team in and out automatically. Monitor labor costs in real time so you stay under your 30% target.

Run payroll without spreadsheets or calculators. Your plan outlined the wages—Homebase handles the math, taxes, and direct deposits. Try it free.

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