Writing A Business Plan:
Sample Restaurant Business Plan Research

There are two good reasons you need to study the sample restaurant business plan research: (1) your lender has, and (2) you want to succeed.  

Financing Your Restaurant

The 7 Step Business Plan - Restaurant Priced at under US$45, this series is a real bargain.  Set your priorities.  Make the right decisions as you plan your new restaurant.  This may be your best opportunity for success.

Key Consideration for Restaurant Business Plan Research

Restaurants and clothing stores have the highest failure rates of all businesses. No one doubts that you can cook. You are probably an extremely good cook. Maybe even a star chef.

But what do you know about business? Honestly.

More than anything else, you must be able to demonstrate that you have full command of demographics and industry averages. No, your restaurant isn't "average". But you better know why the figures are outside of the norm, if indeed they are.

Strongest Advantage To This Sample Restaurant Business Plan Research Outline

Bankers and lenders understand numbers.  They may not know a spatula from a gravy ladle, but they know numbers. More to the point, they expect you to know numbers too.  

There are two major sets of research that you need to know backwards and forwards: the demographics of your clientele, and the financial norms for your type of restaurant.

The Demographics In Your Sample Restaurant Business Plan Research Guide

Executive chef: Know thy client. Every single page of your business plan needs to actively demonstrate that you know who your clients will be, where they will come from, how much money they make, how much they spend going out to meals, how often they go out, AND how close in proximity they are to your restaurant.

Sometimes restaurants are set in "restaurant districts" like State Street in Chicago or the Golden Triangle in Beverly Hills. Sometimes they are set in shopping malls, like McDonalds or Olive Garden. Sometimes they are stand alone units, like the sushi place around the corner.

Whatever demographic clientele your restaurant focuses on, every single page of your business plan must point to that group, from the design of the facade through how payments are received.

Get the Marketing Numbers the Lenders Get.

There are several places where you can get reliable demographic stats for your sample restaurant business plan research outline. These numbers are critical for your marketing plan presentation.

First, check with the restaurant and hospitality organizations that you belong to (and, yes, you MUST belong to some). They often compile stats for use by members. Do ask how current the stats are, and how they were compiled.  

Check with your local city and county planning departments for both current demographics and projected demographics. These stats are most reliable from areas that are growing -- new developers and businesses of all sorts rely on them.

Also, check with your local bank. Ask if they provide demographic information for business development in the area. Hey -- the worst they can do is say No.

Or get demographic information for metropolitan areas from BizMiner.  In the menu on the left, click on "View All Reports", then on "Area Demographics". Then in the little blue box on the upper right hand of the next page, select your state or your metropolitan area from the drop down menu.  

You can see a sample of what the report from BizMiner will be by looking at the bottom of the page.

For even more specific information, click on "Find a local business summary" toward the bottom of the page. In the page that appears, choose your state, metropolitan area, or county. Select your business from the list of industries on the next page.

These are the numbers that are most used by bankers and lenders of all sorts.  

As This Sample Restaurant Business Plan Research Outline Demonstrates, Each Restaurant Type Also Has Unique Marketing And Financial Elements

A burger joint is not The Pump Room. The financials won't remotely compare. What you need are financial summaries for your specific type of business.

Go to BizMiner. At the bottom of the page, click on "Restaurant" . Holey maloney. By clicking on Casual Dining, Drinking Places, Food Services or Specialty Restaurants, a whole slew of options pop up. You will discover sample restaurant business plan research data for

Note the different types of reports available for each type of restaurant. When you get them, study the daylights out of them and incorporate your findings into your business plan.

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