You’ve come to the right place to create your Cafe business plan.
We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Cafes.
Below is a template to help you create each section of your Cafe business plan.
The Countryside Cafe is a startup cafe founded by Cheryl Nelson and Tammy Overton in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Together they have over twenty years of experience in managing and operating cafes and they are highly skilled in the creation of menu items customers love, exemplary service to customers, and in their honed expertise in running efficient and profitable restaurants. Cheryl is the former manager of a family-owned restaurant, where she had oversight of the employees, ordering, systems and financial record-keeping for the restaurant. Tammy was the head staff person of a chain restaurant who managed the scheduling, training and day-to-day operations of the restaurant. Together, they have decided to bring a family friendly environment and classic menu items to Tulsa.
The following are the products and services that Countryside Cafe will provide:
The Countryside Cafe will target customers throughout the Tulsa region who enjoy eating comfort foods, such as they may have grown up eating. Secondary target customers will be those who enjoy the hometown-feel of a small cafe rather than a large or more modern establishment. Those individuals who occupy nearby businesses or government offices will also be targeted by the Countryside Cafe, as well as those who own farms or ranches in the region.
The Countryside Cafe will be owned by Cheryl Nelson and Tammy Overton. Together they have over 20 years of experience in managing and operating a regional cafe and they are highly skilled in the creation of menu items customers love, exemplary service to customers, and in their honed expertise in running efficient and profitable organizations. Cheryl is the former manager of a family-owned restaurant and Tammy was the head staff person of a chain restaurant. Together, they have decided to bring a family friendly environment and homestyle, fresh foods to Tulsa. The menu will include breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, as well as popular favorites such as ice cream sundaes and homemade pies any time of day.
Countryside Cafe will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:
Countryside Cafe is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its cafe business. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the restaurant space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:
The following graph outlines the financial projections for Countryside Cafe.
Countryside Cafe is a newly established, full-service homestyle cafe in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Countryside Cafe will be the most reliable, cost-effective, and efficient choice for individuals and families, as well as businesspeople in Tulsa and the surrounding communities. Countryside Cafe will provide a comprehensive menu of favorite meals, snacks and desserts for any diner to utilize. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive menu and seating options to suit each family, including small children.
Countryside Cafe will be able to serve over fifty people at one time. The team of owners and staff members are highly qualified and experienced in preparing, making and serving favorite family meals and snacks. Countryside Cafe removes all headaches and issues of finding easy, friendly and moderately-priced meals in Tulsa and ensures all appetites are satisfied while delivering the best customer service.
The Countryside Cafe consists of two experienced restaurateurs with distinctive areas of expertise: Cheryl Nelson and Tammy Overton have over twenty years of experience together in managing and operating a regional cafe and they are highly skilled in the creation of menu items customers love, exemplary service to customers, and in their honed expertise in running efficient and profitable organizations.
Cheryl Nelson is the former manager of a family-owned restaurant, where she had oversight of the employees, ordering, systems and financial record-keeping for the restaurant. Tammy was the head staff person of a chain restaurant who managed the scheduling, training and day-to-day operations of the restaurant. Together, they have decided to bring a family friendly environment and honest, favorite foods to Tulsa.
Since incorporation, Countryside Cafe has achieved the following milestones:
The following will be the services Countryside Cafe will provide:
Countryside Cafe will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.
Mama’s Kitchen was started in 1998 by Candy and Jamie Swanson. Originally intended as a truck stop, Mama’s Kitchen grew to include a larger restaurant area in 2005 and has served breakfast and lunch to travelers from that time to the present. Located on the main highway through the city of Tulsa, the restaurant receives many travelers who opt to stop for a meal.
Mama’s Kitchen is twenty-three miles away from the Countryside Cafe. There are a few similarities to the menus served by both restaurants, as homestyle fare is offered. The differences between the two restaurant businesses is found in the family-friendly dining-booth atmosphere of the Countryside Cafe, while Mama’s Kitchen has countertops and bar stools throughout. This makes seating for a family difficult and children are not able to reach the countertops on stools at Mama’s Kitchen, which creates discomfort for children.
Owned by Robert “Buddy” Gorman, Buddy’s Bar & Grill is a full-service bar with a small dining room attached. The restaurant is located six miles from the Countryside Cafe. Meals are served at Buddy’s Bar & Grill during lunch and dinner; however, the restaurant is not open for breakfast. Meals are geared toward grilled hamburgers, steaks and fried fish, while the bar menu is laden with appetizer choices served during happy hour each Tuesday afternoon. Robert Gorman is assisted by his sister, Babs, who acts as the lone server in the grill and is known for her fast service and quick wit, which customers find charming. Children are not allowed in the bar, but they can be served in the grill side of the restaurant. The children’s menu is limited to hamburgers or cheese sandwiches served with fries.
Howard’s Family Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a small dining room attached to the golf country club on the outskirts of Tulsa. It is located ten miles from the Countryside Cafe. Most patrons of Howard’s Family Restaurant are golfers who want to enjoy a meal before or after playing golf. The restaurant is one of a chain of restaurants and, while the prices are higher than those of the other cafes and small restaurants in Tulsa, the restaurant is known by the national marketing of the parent company. Children are served a special kids’ play and dine menu and families are highlighted as the primary target of the chain.
Countryside Cafe will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:
Countryside Cafe will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:
The promotions strategy for Countryside Cafe is as follows:
Word of Mouth/Referrals
Countryside Cafe has built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to their clients, including guests of all ages. The personal contacts and business associates will follow the new owners to the new cafe and help spread the word of Countryside Cafe.
Professional Associations and Networking
The new owners of the Countryside Cafe, Cheryl and Tammy, will join the civic organizations and trade networks to help build their cafe to its potential. They will become active in the committees for city celebrations, as well, to help build visibility of their cafe and raise awareness of their specialty menu items.
Print Advertising
The Countryside Cafe will send a direct mail flyer to each home and business in Tulsa in the two weeks prior to the launch of the restaurant. The flyer will invite everyone to participate in special discounted offers during the first month of business and offer a free dessert for each person who stops by to check out the area’s newest cafe.
Countryside Cafe will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Countryside Cafe provides. The website will also list their contact information and list their menu and pricing, along with delivery options. The website will engage in SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “homestyle cafe” or “cafe near me,” Countryside Cafe will be listed at the top of the search results.
The pricing of Countryside Cafe will be moderate and below or on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their products and services. Certain items, such as the childrens’ menu items, will be priced at a reduced profit margin in order to facilitate larger families that want to visit and can afford to do so with the reduced prices.
The following will be the operations plan for Countryside Cafe.
Operation Functions:
Countryside Cafe will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.
The Countryside Cafe will be owned by Cheryl Nelson and Tammy Overton. Together they have over twenty years of experience in managing and operating a regional cafe and they are highly skilled in the creation of menu items customers love, exemplary service to customers, and in their honed expertise in running efficient and profitable organizations.
Cheryl Nelson is the former manager of a family-owned restaurant and Tammy was the head staff person of a chain restaurant.Together, they have decided to bring a family friendly environment and homestyle, fresh foods to Tulsa. The menu will include breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, as well as popular favorites such as ice cream sundaes and homemade pies any time of day.
The revenue drivers for Countryside Cafe are the fees they will charge to customers for their products and services.
The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Countryside Cafe. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, inventory, office supplies, and marketing materials.
Countryside Cafe is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its cafe business. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the restaurant space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:
The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.
| FY 1 | FY 2 | FY 3 | FY 4 | FY 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||||
| Total Revenues | $360,000 | $793,728 | $875,006 | $964,606 | $1,063,382 |
| Expenses & Costs | |||||
| Cost of goods sold | $64,800 | $142,871 | $157,501 | $173,629 | $191,409 |
| Lease | $50,000 | $51,250 | $52,531 | $53,845 | $55,191 |
| Marketing | $10,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| Salaries | $157,015 | $214,030 | $235,968 | $247,766 | $260,155 |
| Initial expenditure | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total Expenses & Costs | $291,815 | $416,151 | $454,000 | $483,240 | $514,754 |
| EBITDA | $68,185 | $377,577 | $421,005 | $481,366 | $548,628 |
| Depreciation | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 |
| EBIT | $41,025 | $350,417 | $393,845 | $454,206 | $521,468 |
| Interest | $23,462 | $20,529 | $17,596 | $14,664 | $11,731 |
| PRETAX INCOME | $17,563 | $329,888 | $376,249 | $439,543 | $509,737 |
| Net Operating Loss | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Use of Net Operating Loss | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Taxable Income | $17,563 | $329,888 | $376,249 | $439,543 | $509,737 |
| Income Tax Expense | $6,147 | $115,461 | $131,687 | $153,840 | $178,408 |
| NET INCOME | $11,416 | $214,427 | $244,562 | $285,703 | $331,329 |
| FY 1 | FY 2 | FY 3 | FY 4 | FY 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | |||||
| Cash | $154,257 | $348,760 | $573,195 | $838,550 | $1,149,286 |
| Accounts receivable | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Inventory | $30,000 | $33,072 | $36,459 | $40,192 | $44,308 |
| Total Current Assets | $184,257 | $381,832 | $609,654 | $878,742 | $1,193,594 |
| Fixed assets | $180,950 | $180,950 | $180,950 | $180,950 | $180,950 |
| Depreciation | $27,160 | $54,320 | $81,480 | $108,640 | $135,800 |
| Net fixed assets | $153,790 | $126,630 | $99,470 | $72,310 | $45,150 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $338,047 | $508,462 | $709,124 | $951,052 | $1,238,744 |
| LIABILITIES & EQUITY | |||||
| Debt | $315,831 | $270,713 | $225,594 | $180,475 | $135,356 |
| Accounts payable | $10,800 | $11,906 | $13,125 | $14,469 | $15,951 |
| Total Liability | $326,631 | $282,618 | $238,719 | $194,944 | $151,307 |
| Share Capital | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Retained earnings | $11,416 | $225,843 | $470,405 | $756,108 | $1,087,437 |
| Total Equity | $11,416 | $225,843 | $470,405 | $756,108 | $1,087,437 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY | $338,047 | $508,462 | $709,124 | $951,052 | $1,238,744 |
| FY 1 | FY 2 | FY 3 | FY 4 | FY 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS | |||||
| Net Income (Loss) | $11,416 | $214,427 | $244,562 | $285,703 | $331,329 |
| Change in working capital | ($19,200) | ($1,966) | ($2,167) | ($2,389) | ($2,634) |
| Depreciation | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 |
| Net Cash Flow from Operations | $19,376 | $239,621 | $269,554 | $310,473 | $355,855 |
| CASH FLOW FROM INVESTMENTS | |||||
| Investment | ($180,950) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net Cash Flow from Investments | ($180,950) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING | |||||
| Cash from equity | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Cash from debt | $315,831 | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) |
| Net Cash Flow from Financing | $315,831 | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) |
| Net Cash Flow | $154,257 | $194,502 | $224,436 | $265,355 | $310,736 |
| Cash at Beginning of Period | $0 | $154,257 | $348,760 | $573,195 | $838,550 |
| Cash at End of Period | $154,257 | $348,760 | $573,195 | $838,550 | $1,149,286 |
A cafe business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your cafe business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.
There are a number of different kinds of cafe businesses , some examples include: Take-Out Cafe, Restaurant Cafe, Casual cafe, and Coffee Shop.
Cafe businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.
Starting a cafe business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.
Learn more about how to start a successful cafe business:
