Now that we know how to write a general restaurant business plan (see our article explaining every section step by step here), it’s time for some examples. Take a look at this sample fast food business plan template for a place called Ben’s Burgers and Veg to see how your own business plan might look.
Fast food restaurant business plan template, step by step
1. The executive summary
As you may remember, the executive summary is all about introducing potential investors to your general concept and outlining the different points you will be talking about in more detail later. Even a simple business plan for a small restaurant needs an executive summary. This could sound something like this:
Ben’s Burgers & Veg, located at 123 St. Paul’s Street is a brand-new fast food concept combining the known and loved flavor of juicy burgers with multiple vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes for an atmosphere that is welcoming to all. Ben’s Burgers & Veg values long-term customer health and well-being as much as it does flavor, and is therefore dedicated to serving 100% organic, locally-sourced products. Our attitude to food is in line with all of the newest health trends, and we plan to make the idea that junk food can be healthy and veggies delicious a central part of our image.
2. Company overview
Time to get a bit more specific! This is the part of your business plan where to talk about what you want your brand identity to be, as well as define the target group and talk a little about how you will attract customers. Later on, you can get into some even more specific details on the interior and decor, as well as what you plan to offer on your menu and what kitchen appliances you will need to cook it. You could write something like this:
Ben’s Burgers & Veg will primarily serve residents of the area within a 10-mile radius of the restaurant. Said area is home to 29,884 people with an average income of $60,000 per person per year, a median age of 36, and 48.8% of whom are married. The restaurant will also be located in the vicinity of the largest park in the neighborhood as well as a high school, public pool and ballet school, giving parents a place to spend an hour while waiting for their children to finish their extracurricular activities.
The median income in the area is also growing at a rate of 4% per year, and according to the locals we surveyed (see the attachment), over half of respondents (56%) are very likely to spend their disposable income on eating out.
41.6% of the respondents surveyed also claimed to be eating less meat nowadays than they did in the past, and that’s why exactly half of the planned 20 dishes on the menu at Ben’s Burgers & Veg will contain meat, and the other will be either vegetarian or vegan.
3. Industry analysis
Time to talk location and competition. This is the part of your business plan where you lay out where you plan to open up and why that would be a good location to reach your customers. In your fast food business plan, you might write something like this:
No other restaurant in the area offers a combination of mouthwatering meat-based and plant-based fast food options like Ben’s Burgers & Veg does. The obesity rate in this area of town is also 1.9% lower than it is in the rest of the city, something we believe bodes success for our concept. Ben’s Burgers & Veg will however be indirectly competing with 28 other restaurants in the area that serve various kinds of fast food.
4. Marketing plan
Next up, your marketing strategy. Let your potential investors know how you want to advertise your business –– online? On the radio/TV? –– and what your ad budget is. This section of your fast food restaurant business plan might sound like this:
Ben’s Burgers & Veg will focus on the company’s promise of guaranteeing customers delicious, healthy fast foods made from locally-sourced, high-quality products. Almost 70% of the local population, including 90% of people between the ages of 18 and 65, are active Facebook users, so advertising will take place mainly through Facebook Ads, with 2 posts being published per week and displayed to people living within the restaurants target 10-mile radius. Occasional competitions, raffles and other events will be organized on the company’s Facebook profile so as to encourage shares, likes and generally increase brand recognition and boost organic visibility. The high level of customer service we plan to offer our customers is also expected to generate some word-of-mouth advertising.
5. Operating plan
How you and your staff will be working on a day-to-day basis is an enormously important thing to plan and lay out. This is the part of your business plan where you talk about how you will hire and manage employees, work with suppliers and deal with (sometimes rude) customers. Take a look at this example:
In order to properly execute Ben’s Burgers and Veg business model, several positions will need to be filled. These include one full-time chef as well as one full-time chef’s assistant, a half-time janitor, two full-time waitresses and one extra full-time employee whose duties would include equipment maintenance, ordering supplies, and social media posting. The founder, Ben Smith, who studied at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Sciences in New York, will serve as the manager, dealing with menu creation as well as any complaints and other issues as they come up. Ben’s Burgers and Veg will be outsourcing accountant and HR services. Furthermore, if the potential need for a driver is confirmed by customer requests, one full-time driver will be needed. We already have a car, and its maintenance and insurance costs amount to $1,000 dollars per year, plus gas.
6. Financial analysis
No business plan would be complete without a section detailing what all of the aforementioned components are going to cost, and how much you will need to sell to make a profit. The financial analysis part of your business plan should include a Profit and Loss Statement (P&L) and a Break Even Analysis, and an Expected Cash Flow analysis.Take a look to see what this section might be like.
Ben’s Burgers and Veg revenue will come solely from selling its high-quality products to customers. Virtually all of the business’ costs will come from purchasing ingredients for the dishes served and will vary from month to month, depending on sales. Rent and staff salaries. These costs are expected to amount to around $15,000 per month.
Ben’s Burgers and Veg is seeking a total of $120,000 to launch. The funds acquired will be used to cover equipment purchases, a minor renovation of the location’s interior, manpower costs until the restaurant is viable (3 months, according to our calculations), and initial marketing efforts to establish a foothold on the local market. Please see the attached P&L Statement, as well as the Break Even and Cash Flow analyses for more details.
7. Charity involvement
Last but not least, charity involvement. Lending your support to a cause is not only a good deed, but it is also good publicity, and a model restaurant business plan will include this section. Not to mention what a great way charity involvement is to get in with the local community! If you plan on doing any charity work, be sure to detail it in your business plan. You might word it like this:
Ben’s Burgers and Veg plans to partake in the support of various local charitable causes and endeavours in order to gain exposure and strengthen its ties with the local community. These include events to raise money for the local animal shelter, as well as sponsoring the Johnson High School basketball team. Taking steps to bond with locals and their families has been shown to increase the lifetime value of a customer by almost 40%. We hope this short guide will help you get a feel for what a fast food business plan might look like and inspire you to create your own. It’s the first real step towards making your dream of owning a restaurant come true! The best part is you will likely continue to use it as a compass in the future, as your compass and restaurant planning guide.