Cafe Business Plan Executive Summary

Finding an open spot in the market for a cafe, and setting yourself apart from the local competition, will be necessary for the success of your business.

Building a business plan gets you to start making concrete decisions about your cafe, the space you will create, the types of food and beverages you’ll serve, and the kind of customer experience you imagine creating.

The executive summary is the first section of any business plan. As an introduction and summary of your vision for the restaurant, this section includes information about products, consumers, and the team. A basic outline of the business’s path to success and financial plans is also found in the executive summary.

We’ll share business plan writing tips that will help you attract attention and build a compelling executive summary.

How to Write a Cafe Business Overview

A business overview is an introduction that “hooks” the reader – it should provide just enough description of your restaurant to get the reader interested in learning more about the business plan. Include an outline of the ownership structure, location, type of restaurant, and customer experience in the business overview.

This section might also introduce key members of your team and a staff training and retention plan. Potential investors will want to see not just that your business plan is exciting but also that it is sustainable.

Finally, paint a detailed picture of the restaurant’s brand. In addition to written descriptions, use branded graphics, sample color schemes, and photos of the style of decor you imagine. Show readers that you’ve considered all the details.

What Menu Items Will the Cafe Serve

The kind of cafe you want to start influences a lot of other decisions. Continue the executive summary by outlining the products that your restaurant will serve. In this section, work to capture the imagination of potential investors – you’ll have a chance to impress them with your business savvy later in the restaurant summary.

Is your cafe meant to have an upscale interior design and a premium price point? Or will your strategy be more utilitarian, less concerned with aesthetic and more concerned with great food and throughput? The origins and inspirations of your menu are selling points for your brand.

The kind of menu your cafe serves is directly related to the restaurant’s concept. Include information about what makes your concept and menu unique. Investors will want to be sure that your restaurant fills a gap in the market.

Who will be the Target Consumer

Competition in the food industry is fierce, which makes finding a unique niche imperative. Potential investors will want information about how your restaurant stands out in the market.

Build a few customer personas – describe a few potential customers using market data about the demographics, characteristics, and behaviors of diners. Then, describe how your restaurant will cater to those guests.

Are you expecting to cater to daily regulars who spend hours in the cafe per day, or will your service model be more designed around efficiency through the ordering process?

It’s cliche but “location, location, location” is the song of good business–even the best business plans will struggle to find footing unless they cater to the locals. Make decisions for your business based not only on local tastes but also on the local economy. Describe how your menu’s price point is accessible to the target market.

Who are the Key Management Team Members

Restaurants can’t run without people, and you can’t do it all yourself. Write a concise description of the critical roles in your business’s management structure. Describe how bakers, pastry chefs and FOH managers are integral to your restaurant’s success.

If your business relies on the talents of a specific chef or operations manager, include descriptions of those people (and their qualifications) in this section. If you still need to hire for key roles, describe the hiring and retention strategy for the highly-skilled labor your restaurant needs.

What are the Cafe Success Factors

What does success look like for this cafe? What contingencies have to go your way? What are the risks of your business model? Having concrete goals and knowing what obstacles stand in the way will impress potential investors.

What are reasonable profit margin based on the menu you will offer? What are the points of leverage to improve profit margins and how can you develop relationships will multiple food suppliers to reduce total food costs?

It might seem better to avoid writing about potential pitfalls in your cafe business description. But, showing investors that you have a plan to succeed and that you know how to overcome setbacks lets readers know that you’re serious about the business.

What is the Cafe Financial Plan

The executive summary of your cafe’s business plan should also include an overview of the financial plans. Answer common questions that investors and banks will need, such as how much funding you need to raise, loans and lines of credit you’ll rely on, and how long it will take for the business to become profitable.

Calculate and report on the upfront fixed costs of opening your restaurant. These are the costs that you know you’ll have to keep up with to keep the business afloat, such as equipment, maintenance, and loan repayments.

Then, give investors an idea of the variable costs per month. Things like labor, raw materials, marketing, and packaging costs are likely to change from month to month. Provide a range of the total variable costs per month.

In a later section of the business plan, you’ll provide different reports and financial projections. For the executive summary, focus on the broad strokes of your financial plans. Answer questions like how you plan to raise startup funds and potential profit margins based on projected sales.

Writing your Cafe’s Executive Summary

Writing about finances can be a challenge–here’s how you can make the details of your restaurant’s finances an interesting read.

Always keep the audience in mind. Use some of the financial vocabulary introduced in this article and write for your potential investors.

• Find your voice. As the first section, the executive summary is about making an impression. Investors are often just as interested in your business savvy as the strength of your business plan. Infuse your unique vision and voice into your writing style.

• Keep it simple and clear. It's tempting to throw in lots of clever flourishes when writing, but clarity should be the number 1 priority, especially when discussing financial details.

• Related Restaurant Resources

  • Cafe Business Plan

  • Cafe Financial Plan

  • Cafe Operations Plan

  • Cafe Industry Market Analysis

  • Cafe Management Team