The Significance of Having a Restaurant Plan

Read time: 3 minutes
By: ServingIntel

According to Murphy’s Law, anything that might go wrong will go wrong. This is genuinely applicable to businesses, especially restaurants, considering how they can be unpredictable. The surprising failure rate in the restaurant business is a visible sign that there is a bit off in how restaurants operate. 

While there are numerous causes for a restaurant’s failure, no strategy and lack of planning is often the main culprit. Of course, there are hundreds of other elements that could lead to why a restaurant fails. Most of which most could be prevented if you have a proper and distinct plan you follow meticulously. 

Restaurant Plan Overview 

Your restaurant plan serves as a roadmap and guide for your business. It contains all the necessary information from the smallest details to the most vital resolution you’d be doing for your restaurant. It comprises of:

  • Summary of Restaurant
  • Business Overview
  • Industry Analysis
  • Financial Analysis
  • Operations Plan
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Marketing Plan

Why is it Important? 

The main goal of a restaurant plan is to describe the business and allow you to understand the different attributes of managing a restaurant. When you have a proper plan with succinct and attainable objectives, implementing them will be easier. Here’s what you should include in your plan:

Construct an Operational Plan:
The primary purpose of a restaurant plan is an operational plan creation. This plan should list all the actions you will be making for the success of your restaurant. Having a clear overview of your business guarantees that you have a clear vision of your restaurant’s overall concept and theme. It also helps you determine the number of employees you should have. 

Understand Your Vision:
Before pitching your restaurant to potential investors or customers, make sure you’re clear about what you want to obtain. Choosing your restaurant’s theme, format, and type is just one thing. Would you focus on hospitality? Or have a specialty menu that would have people lining up? Determine your main goal. Having a restaurant plan helps put your vision on paper and making it a reality. 

Modify Possible Risks and Competition:
Several internal and external factors could lead to a business’ downfall. It is essential to have a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) analysis. It foresees the opportunities and risks that are involved in managing a restaurant. Your restaurant plan must have the scope to facilitate unforeseeable events so that they can’t have any negative impact on your business. 

Assess the Progress:
Having a restaurant plan is essential not only because of the roadmap but also for benchmarking your business as well as assessing the progress. When you arranged timelines for your restaurant plan, it will help you work to obtain your objectives within the set timeframe. It also helps you analyze market trends and use them to optimize your restaurant and stay in the business competition. It will give you an idea about what to anticipate in the future. 

Investor Proposal:
A restaurant plan is a requirement if you’re looking for potential funding and investment from external sources. Always have your restaurant plan whenever you approach investors. Doing such will not only show your sincerity and seriousness, but it also shows your valuable ideas and strategies for the business.  

Takeaway
The importance of a restaurant plan is more than what you think it is. Despite thorough planning and setting strategies, there are still things that could go wrong. But having your restaurant plan and consistently working will surely produce a positive outcome. Here’s to a brand-new restaurant coming soon! 

About ServingIntel 
ServingIntel is an international hospitality technology company that creates cloud-based enterprise and point-of-sale solutions serving a variety of hospitality industries, including restaurants, country clubs, hospitals, and senior living communities. Providing complete software, mobile hardware, and business intelligence software through its ServingIntel.com platform, ServingIntel increases revenue and profit in foodservice operations, while enhancing service and quality levels for the guests. 

Reference: 
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/why-you-need-a-restaurant-business-plan-2888634