How to Write a Winning Restaurant and Bar Business Plan (+ Template)
Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be beneficial for restaurants and bar s that want to improve their strategy or raise funding.
A well-crafted business plan outlines your company’s vision and documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you will accomplish it. To create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components essential to its success.
This article provides an overview of the key elements that every restaurant and bar owner should include in their business plan.
Download the Ultimate Bar Business Plan Template
What is a restaurant and bar business plan.
A restaurant and bar business plan is a formal written document describing your company’s business strategy and feasibility. It documents the reasons you will succeed, your areas of competitive advantage, and information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.
Why Write a Restaurant and Bar Business Plan?
A restaurant and bar business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide to your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.
Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.
Writing an Effective Restaurant and Bar Business Plan
The following are the critical components of a successful restaurant and bar business plan:
Executive Summary
The executive summary of a restaurant and bar business plan is a one- to two-page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.
- Start with a one-line description of your restaurant and bar
- Provide a summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast, among others.
Company Description
This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.
You may not have a long company history if you are just starting your restaurant and bar. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your restaurant and bar company, mention this.
You will also include information about your chosen restaurant and bar business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.
Industry Analysis
The industry or market analysis is an important component of a restaurant and bar business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market.
Questions to answer include:
- What part of the restaurant and bar industry are you targeting?
- How big is the market?
- What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support your company’s success)?
You should also include sources for your information, such as published research reports and expert opinions.
Customer Analysis
This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.
For example, a restaurant and bar business’ customers may include office workers who are looking for a place to have after-work drinks or families who are looking for a kid-friendly restaurant for dinner.
You can include information about how your customers decide to buy from you and what keeps them buying from you.
Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or restaurant and bar services with the right marketing.
Competitive Analysis
The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will differ from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.
For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.
Marketing Plan
This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be laid out, including the following 4 Ps.
- Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
- Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
- Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
- Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, or launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your restaurant and bar business via word-of-mouth or by partnering with another business.
Operations Plan
This part of your restaurant and bar business plan should include the following information:
- How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone?
- What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?
You also need to include your company’s business policies in the operations plan. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.
Finally, and most importantly, your Operations Plan will outline the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years.
Examples of milestones for a restaurant and bar include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include expanding to a second location or launching a new menu.
Management Team
List your team members here, including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your establishment. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.
Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.
Financial Plan
Here, you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix).
This includes the following three financial statements:
Income Statement
Your income statement should include:
- Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
- Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs and the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
- Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.
Sample Income Statement for a Startup Restaurant and Bar
Balance sheet.
Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:
- Assets : Everything you own (including cash).
- Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
- Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.
Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Restaurant and Bar
Cash flow statement.
Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:
- Cash Flow From Operations
- Cash Flow From Investments
- Cash Flow From Financing
Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup restaurant and bar .
Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Restaurant and Bar
You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:
- Your complete financial projections
- A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
- Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.
Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and grow your restaurant and bar . It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.
A well-written restaurant and bar business plan is a must for any business owner. It’s a great tool for attracting investors and keeping the company focused.
Finish Your Bar and Restaurant Business Plan in 1 Day!
IMAGES
VIDEO