Cafe Business Plan Template

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.

Executive Summary

Business Overview

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.

Product Offering

The following are the products and services that Countryside Cafe will provide:

Customer Focus

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.

Management Team

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.

Success Factors

Countryside Cafe will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

Financial Highlights

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 Pro Forma Projections

Company Overview

Who is 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.

Countryside Cafe Management History

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:

Countryside Cafe Services

The following will be the services Countryside Cafe will provide:

Competitive Analysis

Direct and Indirect Competitors

Countryside Cafe will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Mama’s Kitchen

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.

Buddy’s Bar & Grill

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

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.

Competitive Advantage

Countryside Cafe will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

Marketing Plan

Brand & Value Proposition

Countryside Cafe will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

Promotions Strategy

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.

Pricing

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.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Countryside Cafe.
Operation Functions:

Milestones:

Countryside Cafe will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

Management Team

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.

Financial Plan

Key Revenue & Costs

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.

Financial Highlights

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:

Key Assumptions

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.

Financial Projections

Income Statement
FY 1FY 2FY 3FY 4FY 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
Balance Sheet
FY 1FY 2FY 3FY 4FY 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
Cash Flow Statement
FY 1FY 2FY 3FY 4FY 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

Cafe Business Plan FAQs

What Is a Cafe Business Plan?

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.

What are the Main Types of Cafe?

There are a number of different kinds of cafe businesses , some examples include: Take-Out Cafe, Restaurant Cafe, Casual cafe, and Coffee Shop.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Cafe Business Plan?

Cafe businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Cafe Business?

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.

  1. DevelopA CafeBusiness Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed cafe business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.
  2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your cafe business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your cafe business is in compliance with local laws.
  3. Register YourCafeBusiness - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your cafe business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.
  4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your cafe business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.
  5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.
  6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.
  7. Acquire NecessaryCafeEquipment & Supplies - In order to start your cafe business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.
  8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your cafe business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

Learn more about how to start a successful cafe business: