a fast food business plan

Fast Food Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Business Plan Outline

• Fast Food Business Plan Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan

Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan & Template

You’ve come to the right place to create your fast food business plan.

We have helped over 100,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their fast food businesses.

Fast Food Business Plan Example

Below are links to each section of a fast food restaurant business plan sample:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Fast Food Business Plan FAQs

What is a fast food business plan.

A fast food business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your fast food restaurant. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your fast food business plan using our Fast Food Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Fast Food Businesses?

There are many types of fast food businesses. The most common fast food restaurants serve hamburgers, fries, and soft drinks. Other common fast food establishments serve chicken, Chinese food, Mexican food, and pizza. There is a recent trend in fast food restaurants serving healthier options such as smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, and salads. A fast food restaurant can be centered around any food genre that is able to be prepared fast and in large quantities to serve multiple customers daily.

What Are the Main Sources of Revenue and Expenses for a Fast Food Restaurant?

The primary source of revenue for a fast food restaurant are the food and drink items sold at the establishment.

The key expenses are the costs to source the ingredients for the menu items, kitchen equipment and supplies, overhead expenses for the staff and rent, and any marketing costs the restaurant chooses to partake in.

What is the Difference Between a Franchise and Non-Franchise Fast Food Restaurant?

A franchise fast food restaurant is a business that is owned and operated by someone who has a contract with a larger company. That company provides the products, training, and marketing for the smaller business. A non-franchise fast food restaurant is a business that is independently owned and operated.

Franchise fast-food restaurants have a set of guidelines and standards to which they must adhere in order to use the franchise name. Non-franchise fast food restaurants do not have these guidelines and can vary greatly in terms of quality, cleanliness, and customer service.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Fast Food Business?

Fast food businesses are most likely to receive funding from banks. Typically you will find a local bank and present your business plan to them. Another option for a fast food business is to obtain a small business loan. SBA loans are a popular option as they offer longer loan terms with lower interest rates. Outside investors, crowdfunding, and/or friends or family are other typical funding options. This is true for a fast casual restaurant business plan or a takeout restaurant business plan.

What are the Steps To Start a Fast Food Business?

Starting a fast food restaurant can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a successful fast food business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Write A Fast Food Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed fast food business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include market research on the fast food industry and potential target market size, information on your fast food menu, marketing strategy, pricing strategy and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your fast food 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 fast food business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Fast Food Restaurant   - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your fast food 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 fast food 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 Necessary Fast Food Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your fast food 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 fast food business. Marketing efforts 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 to reach your target audience.

Where Can I Get a Fast Food Business Plan PDF?

You can download our free fast food business plan template PDF here. This is a sample fast food business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Fast Food Business Plan Template

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their fast foods.

Below are links to each section of your fast food business plan template:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Fast Food Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my fast food business plan, where can i download a fast food business plan pdf, what is a fast food business plan, why do you need a business plan for a fast food restaurant, what are the sources of funding for a fast food restaurant business plan.

Fast Food restaurants are usually funded through small business loans, personal savings, credit card financing and/or angel investors.

This is true for a traditional fast food restaurant, a quick service restaurant and a takeout restaurant business plan.

FAST FOOD BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE

• Fast Food Business Plan Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan
• 10. Appendix
• Fast Food Business Plan Summary

Start Your Fast Food Plan Here

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

• Sample Business Plans
• Food, Beverage & Restaurant

Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan

Planning on starting a fast food restaurant? It can be an excellent way to create a niche business, serve a diverse customer base, and make a great career in the food service industry, but you need detailed planning for it.

That’s where you need a business plan; it will not only help you secure funding but will also provide a roadmap for seamless business operations.

Need help writing a business plan for your fast food restaurant business? You’re at the right place. Our fast food restaurant business plan template will help you get started.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free fast food restaurant business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

• Fill in the blanks – Outline
• Financial Tables

How To Write A Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan?

Writing a fast food restaurant business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the whole business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

• Market Opportunity: Summarize your market research, including market size, growth potential, and marketing trends. Highlight the opportunities in the market and how your business will fit in to fill the gap.
• Products and Services: Highlight your food menu and the services you will offer to your customers. Describe any special dishes you serve.
• For instance, your products and services may include menu items, combo meals, takeout and delivery services, combo meals, and catering services.
• Marketing & Sales Strategies: Outline your sales and marketing strategies—what marketing platforms you use, how you plan on acquiring customers, etc.
• Financial Highlights: Briefly summarize your financial projections for the initial years of business operations. Include any capital or investment requirements, associated startup costs, projected revenues, and profit forecasts.
• Call to Action: Summarize your executive summary section with a clear CTA, for example, inviting angel investors to discuss the potential business investment.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your restaurant. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

• Business Description: Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:
• Vegetarian fast food restaurants
• Pizza chains
• Mexican fast food restaurants
• Asian fast food restaurants
• Sandwich shops
• Fried seafood restaurants

Describe the legal structure of your fast food restaurant, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.

• Owners: List the founders or owners of your fast food restaurant. Describe what shares they own and their responsibilities for efficiently managing the business.
• Mission Statement: Summarize your business’ objective, core principles, and values in your mission statement. This statement needs to be memorable, clear, and brief.
• Business History: If you’re an established fast food restaurant business, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.
• Additionally, If you have received any awards or recognition for excellent work, describe them.
• Future Goals: It’s crucial to convey your aspirations and vision. Mention your short-term and long-term goals; they can be specific targets for revenue, market share, or expanding your services.

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

• Target market: Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.
• For instance, young adults, millennials, and busy professionals can be an ideal target market for a fast food restaurant.
• Market size and growth potential: Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.
• Competitive Analysis: Identify and analyze your direct and indirect competitors. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, and describe what differentiates your fast food restaurant from them. Point out how you have a competitive edge in the market.
• Market Trends: Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.
• For instance, there is an increasing demand for healthier food options; explain how you plan to cater to this growing market.
• Regulatory Environment: List regulations and licensing requirements affecting fast food restaurants, such as business registration, insurance, food service license, employment, and environmental regulations.

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your fast food business plan:

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

• Fast Food Menu: Start this section by offering an overview of your fast food menu. Include the details about the types of cuisine, dietary options you provide, and any signature dishes.
• Beverages and Desserts: Besides the fast food items, mention if your restaurant serves any other beverages such as tea, coffee, soft drinks, juices, and desserts or treats. For instance, dramatic style involves using longer & thicker lashes for a glamorous look.
• Food Preparation and Safety Measures: This section should explain your food preparation process, cooking methods, and how your business aligns with food safety regulations.Your safety measures may include maintaining cleanliness, regular sanitization, and conducting regular staff training programs.
• Special Services: Mention if your fast food restaurant offers any additional services. You may include services like online ordering, drive-thru, and valet parking.

In short, this section of your fast food restaurant plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.
• For example, fresh and quality ingredients, unique menu items, sustainability, and ethical practices could be some of the great USPs for a fast-food restaurant.
• Pricing Strategy: Describe your pricing strategy—how you plan to price your products and services and stay competitive in the local market. You can mention any discounts you plan on offering to attract new customers.
• Marketing Strategies: Discuss your marketing strategies to market your services. You may include some of these marketing strategies in your business plan—social media marketing, Google ads, brochures, email marketing, content marketing, and print marketing.
• Sales Strategies: Outline the strategies you’ll implement to maximize your sales. Your sales strategies may include offering loyalty programs, online food delivery services, and creating corporate accounts.
• Customer Retention: Describe your customer retention strategies and how you plan to execute them. For instance, introducing loyalty programs, focusing on personalized service, offering promotions, etc

Overall, this section of your fast food restaurant business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your fast food restaurant, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

• Staffing & Training: Mention your restaurant’s staffing requirements, including the number of employees or kitchen staff needed. Include their qualifications, the training required, and the duties they will perform.
• Operational Process: Outline the processes and procedures you will use to run your fast food restaurant. Your operational processes may include restaurant opening, staff assignments, food preparation and cooking, order fulfillment, cleanliness and sanitization, and closing procedures.
• Equipment & Machinery: Include the list of equipment and machinery required for fast food restaurants, such as refrigerators, coffee machines, ice machines, POS systems, Utensils and kitchen tools, and food preparation equipment.
• Explain how these technologies help you maintain quality standards and improve the efficiency of your business operations.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your fast food restaurant’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

• Founders/CEO: Mention the founders and CEO of your fast food restaurant, and describe their roles and responsibilities in successfully running the business.
• Key managers: Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.
• It should include key executives, master chefs, senior management, and other department managers (e.g. operations manager.) involved in the fast food restaurant operations, including their education, professional background, and any relevant experience in the food industry.
• Organizational structure: Explain the organizational structure of your management team. Include the reporting line and decision-making hierarchy.
• Compensation Plan: Describe your compensation plan for the management and staff. Include their salaries, incentives, and other benefits.

This section should describe the key personnel for your fast food restaurant, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

• Profit & loss statement: Describe details such as projected revenue, operational costs, and service costs in your projected profit and loss statement . Make sure to include your business’s expected net profit or loss.
• Cash flow statement: The cash flow for the first few years of your operation should be estimated and described in this section. This may include billing invoices, payment receipts, loan payments, and any other cash flow statements.
• Balance Sheet: Create a projected balance sheet documenting your business’s assets, liabilities, and equity.
• Break-even point: Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.
• This exercise will help you understand how much revenue you need to generate to sustain or be profitable.
• Financing Needs: Calculate costs associated with starting a fast food restaurant, and estimate your financing needs and how much capital you need to raise to operate your business. Be specific about your short-term and long-term financing requirements, such as investment capital or loans.

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the restaurant industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your fast food restaurant business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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This sample fast food restaurant business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful fast food restaurant plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our fast food restaurant business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a fast food restaurant business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful fast food restaurant business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your fast food restaurant.

How to get funding for your fast food restaurant business?

There are several ways to get funding for your fast food restaurant business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your fast food restaurant business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your fast food restaurant business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your fast food restaurant business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any fast food restaurant business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our   business plan software .

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How to Write a Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan + Free Template

Makenna Crocker

6 min. read

Updated February 7, 2024

Crafting a savvy business plan is like perfecting the ultimate fast food combo for your restaurant’s triumph. It’s the special blend of your entrepreneurial vision, spicy industry knowledge, well-baked financial projections, and sizzling strategic plans served together to drive your venture forward.

In the U.S. alone, the fast-food industry is estimated to be worth over $250 billion as of 2023, indicating the immense potential within this sector. The industry has shown remarkable resilience even in economic downturns, further validating its prominence in the business world.

In this article, we’ll bite into our  free fast food restaurant business plan  for the example scenario of Fast Bites Delight, serving you a step-by-step guide to brewing up a compelling business plan specific to your fast food enterprise. You can download our sample fast food restaurant business plan to get started.

Through this journey, we aim to help you dish out a blueprint that can help you tap into this growing market and set your fast food joint up for success.

• Introduce your fast food business

Fast Bites Delight isn’t your typical fast-food joint. It serves up a smorgasbord of speedy, appetizing meals that neither compromises on nutrition nor taste. With more people seeking quality, convenience, and nutrition, Fast Bites Delight whips up a delectable answer to this culinary conundrum.

Their mission? Swiftly serve scrumptious yet healthy meals that satiate fast food cravings while keeping nutrition front and center.

The introduction effectively captures Fast Bites Delight’s unique selling proposition – serving quick, delicious meals that balance taste and nutrition. Highlighting your unique selling proposition upfront can give your business plan an immediate edge and create intrigue for what follows.

Conduct a market analysis 

Identifying your market is crucial. For Fast Bites Delight, their primary patrons include busy professionals, families on the go, students craving nourishing fast-food, and individuals scouting for a quick, healthy bite. But their clientele isn’t limited to individual consumers. They also cater to local businesses that need food services for events or meetings.

Their competition ranges from conventional fast-food chains, convenience stores, and quick-service restaurants to food trucks and supermarket deli sections. The key to standing out in this crowd? Fast Bites Delight dishes out a diverse, health-focused menu prepared with premium ingredients, served with a side of speedy service and a generous dollop of top-notch customer service.

This section does an excellent job identifying their key target market and competition. A  detailed market analysis  will help you understand your customers’ needs and how your product/service fulfills them. It also guides your marketing and competitive strategies.

• Funding your fast food restaurant

Every venture needs a financial launchpad. Fast Bites Delight projects an initial investment requirement of $250,000. This chunk of capital covers essentials like property rent, kitchen apparatus, renovations, initial inventory, and a cash reservoir to keep the business bubbling until it starts generating enough revenue.

By clearly stating their financial needs, Fast Bites Delight makes it easier for potential investors to see what their investment will cover. You too should detail your funding requirements, ensuring transparency and building trust with stakeholders. For more guidance on funding, check out our  Small Business Funding Guide .

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• Fast food restaurant sales and marketing strategy

The art of attracting customers involves blending multiple strategies. Fast Bites Delight plans to plate up culinary delights at their physical location, serve digital customers via their website, partner with food delivery apps, and spread their flavors through catering services.

Their marketing mix combines traditional methods with digital strategies. Social media campaigns, local SEO, content marketing, collaborations with community businesses and events, email marketing, and in-store promotions flavor their marketing efforts. The goal? To resonate with their target audience, whet their appetites, and draw them into the delightful dining experience that Fast Bites Delight promises.

They’ve created a multi-faceted approach to reach their customers, demonstrating adaptability and a customer-centric approach. In your plan,  consider different strategies  to reach your audience – from physical to digital platforms.

• Fast food restaurant financial projections

Projections give stakeholders a taste of the financial potential. Fast Bites Delight estimates revenue will rise from $300,000 in 2023 to $400,000 by 2025. Their expenses are expected to start at $200,000 in 2023, increasing to $240,000 by 2025.

With these numbers, they project profits simmering at $100,000 in 2023 and rising to a sizzling $160,000 by 2025.

Fast Bites Delight provides clear and realistic financial projections, an essential element to  demonstrate viability and profitability . Make sure your plan includes similar forecasts, indicating your business’s financial potential.

• Milestones for your fast food restaurant

Milestones add structure and strategy. Fast Bites Delight’s roadmap includes obtaining permits and licenses by June 2023, getting the restaurant ready for a grand opening in October 2023, and launching catering services by December 2023. In March 2024, they plan to expand their online delivery options.

By June 2024, they aim to turn a profit monthly. Franchise opportunities may even be on the table in 2025.

This part of the plan breaks down their journey  into achievable steps . It provides a clear timeline of expectations and goals. Similarly, include your startup’s major milestones to give a timeline for your growth.

• Assembling the perfect team

Running a fast food restaurant is no solo venture. The owner/operator stands at the helm, overseeing daily operations from menu planning to staff training. A kitchen manager ensures the back of the house operates smoothly, maintaining food safety, managing kitchen staff, and collaborating on menu development. Front-of-the-house manager ensures customers receive top-notch service while maintaining a clean and welcoming environment.

They clearly define the roles and responsibilities within their team, showcasing how everyone contributes to the restaurant’s success. Define your team structure similarly to give potential investors confidence in your operation’s management.

• Partnerships for your fast food restaurant

Partnerships add value and resources that a standalone business might struggle to find. Fast Bites Delight aims to join forces with local farms and food suppliers to source high-quality, fresh ingredients. Collaborations with food delivery apps extend their reach, making their meals accessible to customers from their homes or offices.

Community organizations and schools also fall within their network scope. By hosting fundraising events and promoting healthy eating habits, Fast Bites Delight aims to strengthen their ties with the community. Local businesses and health and fitness centers present partnership opportunities for catering services and promotional offers, combining business with the promotion of healthier lifestyle choices.

Partnerships are a strategic asset to Fast Bites Delight, extending their reach and adding value to their offerings. Identify potential partnerships for your business to show how you plan to leverage community and industry networks.

• Conclusion: The sweet success of fast bites delight

Fast Bites Delight’s business plan is a masterclass in combining vision, market analysis, strategic planning, and financial forecasting. From understanding their audience and competition to defining their unique value proposition, planning their funding needs, setting goals, and assembling the right team, they have a roadmap that can guide their venture toward success.

As a fast-food entrepreneur, applying these principles and tailoring them to your context will set you on a path toward a successful venture in this highly competitive market. So get ready, set, and let your fast food business plan cook up a storm!

The conclusion reaffirms their unique approach and ties the entire plan together. When you conclude your business plan, summarize your unique value proposition and how each aspect of your plan contributes to achieving your goals.

If you are ready to write your plan, you can download our free  fast food restaurant business plan  from our library of  500+ sample business plan templates . 

Makenna Crocker is the Marketing Specialist at Richardson Sports. Her work focuses on market and social trends, crafting gripping and authentic content, and enhancing marketing strategy to foster stronger B2B and B2C relationships. With a master’s degree in Advertising and Brand Responsibility from the University of Oregon, she specializes in generating a strong and responsible brand presence through content that positively influences and inspires others.

Table of Contents

• Conduct a market analysis 

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How to write a Fast Food Business Plan: Complete Guide

• January 3, 2023
• Food & Beverage

50 million Americans (37% of the US population) consume fast food daily: the US is undeniable the biggest market for fast food worldwide. Yet, before you can open your own fast food restaurant, you will first need to prepare a solid business plan.

Indeed, a business plan is mandatory for any business that seeks funding from private investors or to get a loan from a bank (like a SBA loan ).

In this article we go through, step-by-step, all the different sections you need in the business plan for a fast food restaurant . Use this template to create a complete, clear and solid business plan that get you funded.

1. Fast Food Executive Summary

The executive summary of a business plan gives a sneak peek of the information about your business plan to lenders and/or investors.

If the information you provide here is not concise, informative, and scannable, potential lenders and investors will lose interest.

Though the executive summary is the first and the most important section, it should normally be the last section you write because it will have the summary of different sections included in the entire plan.

Why do you need a business plan for a fast food?

The purpose of a business plan is to secure funding through one of the following channels:

• Obtain bank financing or secure a loan from other lenders
• Obtain private investments from investment funds, angel investors, etc.
• Obtain a public or a private grant

How to write your fast food’s executive summary?

Provide a precise and high-level summary of every section that you have included in the business plan of your fast food restaurant. The information and the data you include in this section should grab the attention of potential investors and lenders immediately.

Also make sure that the executive summary doesn’t exceed 2 pages in total: it’s supposed to be a summary for investors and lenders who don’t have time to scroll through 40-50 pages, so keep it short and brief.

The executive summary usually consists of 5 major sub-sections:

• Business overview : start by introducing your fast food restaurant, where it is located, how big it is (space, seating arrangement, counters, etc.) and give a brief of the fast food items (a sample menu) that you want to sell as well as their average prices. Also, mention whether you plan to open an independent fast food restaurant or a franchise restaurant instead.
• Market overview : should contain an overview of the expected market size , target audience , and demography. Also provide here a quick overview of your competitors
• People : first, introduce your fast food’s management. Provide a brief (no more than a couple of sentences each) of the experience and track record of the team. Also, speak about your hiring plans: in other words, how you intend to run the business (what are the different teams and how many employees will you hire?)
• Financial plan : how much profit and revenue do you expect in the next 5 years? When will you reach the break-even point and start making profits ? You can also include here a chart with your key financials (revenue, gross profit, net profit )
• Funding ask : what loan/investment/grant are you seeking? How much do you need? How long will this last?

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2. Fast Food Restaurant Business Overview

In this section of the business plan, you will provide details about your fast food restaurant.

You must answer here some important questions that potential investors and lenders often ask about your business and operations. Here are some examples of questions you must answer:

• What is the rationale behind your opening a fast food restaurant today?
• What’s the fast food restaurant’s location and why did you select that location?
• Why did you select the type of fast food restaurant you want to open?
• What will be the food items you will offer?
• What will be your pricing strategy and why?
• What is your expected customer footfall?
• What will be the legal structure of your company?

a) History of the Project

Any business overview must start with explaining the history of the project. There are 2 components here:

• Passion & experience of the business owner
• Rationale behind starting a fast food restaurant today

Passion & experience

You may or may not have prior experience. If you have experience, speak about it and how it will help you to run your business. For instance, you may have been a regional manager of a leading fast food brand for 5 years, and now you want to start your own fast food restaurant and use your knowledge to run it more efficiently.

Is there a certain problem (or perhaps, a set of problems) that your fast food restaurant will try to solve when it comes into existence? For example, there may not be any fast food restaurant offering tacos and burritos while there are enough restaurants offering burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, pizzas, etc.

But that’s not all! The market must be suitable for a business to exist and thrive. For instance, if you are trying to open your fast food restaurant offering tacos and burritos in an area where there isn’t enough demand for those food items, you may run into losses.

Similarly, if the major chuck of the target audience is between the age group of 15 to 25 with limited income, offering high-priced food will not provide the price/value relationship they seek. Offering pricey food will only stretch their budget.

The rationale behind your project must be backed up by a thorough analysis of the industry in the area where you plan to open your fast food restaurant. This is what we will cover under Market Overview further below.

b) Business Model

This section of the Business Overview should explain what type of business model and fast food restaurant you want to open. For example:

• Will you open a franchise or an independent restaurant instead?
• Will you buy an existing fast food restaurant and do some remodeling, or will you start a new fast food restaurant and design it from scratch?
• Will you go for a traditional brick-and-mortar store or will you settle for a mobile vending model to reduce overhead?

What are the different types of fast food restaurants?

There are multiple types of fast food restaurants. Some of them that you may consider include, but are not limited to:

• Burgers & Fries : In this type of fast food restaurant, you will specialise in burgers and fries, but you can also sell shakes, smoothies, etc.
• Tacos & Burritos : you may go for variations like Mexican-American fusion or original Mexican soft corn tortillas for example here
• Chicken : Your specialty may be chicken based. For instance, you can sell fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, etc.

Apart from food-based selection, you can also choose whether you want to open a sit-in restaurant, drive-through or food truck instead.

c) Products & Services

It is needless to say that the products that you will sell through your fast food restaurant will depend on the type of restaurant you are opening. So give here an overview of the menu you will offer your customers. Yet, if there are too many products, highlight the main ones and save the rest for the appendix instead.

Another important thing that you must mention is how you are going to source the products. For example, if you are opening a burger and fries restaurant, will you be baking the buns yourself or buying mass-produced buns?

Finally, a fast food restaurant is all about delivery speed. People visiting these restaurants are busy and usually don’t have the luxury of sitting for long durations. You can still add a few services like mobile and laptop charging areas (those who visit your restaurant), home or office delivery for super-busy folks who can’t step in, etc.

d) Pricing Strategy

This is where you will provide an overview of your pricing strategy. For instance, you may sell the products at a lower price point than your competitors because you enjoy a bulk purchase discount from the product supplier.

Again, product quality matters. For example, if you are using organically farmed products, you may charge higher than your competitors. Similarly, if you are creating something super unique, you may charge extra. The size and quantity also factor in. Think of the Quadruple Bypass Burger or the Octuple Bypass Burger of the Heart Attack Grill which cost $20.25 and $29.80 per burger.

Your pricing strategy will also significantly depend on the spending capability of the target audience in your area of operation. 

For example, if you are trying to sell super high-quality fast food products in a neighborhood where the target audience is major students, teens, and day laborers with no, limited, or fixed income, highly-priced products may not sell well. Thus, you must always factor in the spending power of your target audience while developing your pricing strategy.

Pricing table

It’s always good practice to create a pricing table to provide price ranges for your products. Yet, you don’t need to provide exact pricing for each product.

For example, if you are selling different variants of beef burgers, you don’t need to list each burger. Instead, just mention something like: Beef burgers – $7.50 to $15.50.

Offering a pricing chart is important as it will allow investors to tie your pricing strategy with your financial projections later on.

e) Legal Structure

Finally, your business overview section should specify what type of business structure you want. Is this a corporation or a partnership (LLC)? Who are the investors? How much equity percentage do they own? Is there a Board of Directors? If so, whom? Do they have experience in the industry?

3. Fast Food Market Overview

A complete understanding of the market where you want to operate is important for the success of your business. That’s also something you must showcase in your business plan.

For example, if you are trying to sell high-calorie burgers to a health-conscious target audience, you will probably fail. Similarly, if you are trying to sell high-priced food items to day laborers with very limited income, they will most likely not buy from you.

Therefore, you must cover here 3 important areas:

• Industry Size & Growth : how big is the fast food industry in your area? What is its growth rate (or decline rate) and what are the factors contributing to its growth or decline?
• Competition Overview : how many competitors are there? How do they compare vs. your business? How can you differentiate yourself from them?
• Customer Analysis : who is your target audience? What type of fast food products do they prefer? How regularly do they eat fast food? How much do they spend on fast food per month?

a) Fast Food Industry Size & Growth

How big is the fast food industry in the us.

According to Zippia , the US fast food industry market size in 2021 was worth $297 billion, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% over 2020-2027.

When it comes to the number of fast food restaurants, there were 197,653 in 2021: that’s an average annual turnover of $1,500,000 per restaurant..!

How big is the fast food industry in your area?

After getting a clear picture of the fast food industry in the US as a whole, narrow down to your location. Yet, you may not find this information anywhere (at least not for free). In that case, you can use our guide to estimate the TAM, SAM, and SOM for your business. Here is an example of how to do it:

We know the average annual turnover per fast food restaurant is around $1.5 million. Therefore, if the area where you want to open your fast food restaurant has 30 competitors (say, in a 10-mile radius), you can assume the fast food industry in your area is worth approximately $45 million .

How fast is the fast food industry growing in your area?

Looking at public information online, we know that the US fast food market grew from $209 billion in 2011 to $295 billion in 2019: that’s an average of 5.14% per year..!

What about where you live? US national averages can be a great addition to your business plan, yet they don’t necessarily help to assess the fast food industry where you want to open your store.

For example, the industry might be growing in the US, but declining in your region for a number of reasons (decreasing population or disposable income, etc.).

As you likely won’t find this information online, you can instead rely on the number of fast food restaurants to calculate the average growth rate of the industry in your area.

For example, if the region had only 21 fast food restaurants in 2011 and 30 in 2019, you can assume that the average annual growth rate of the fast food industry in the area is 5.4%, in line with the US average.

b) Fast Food Competition Overview

Studying your competitors’ business models is vital. You need to understand what makes them successful or why they fail. A clear understanding of their fast food offerings, marketing strategies, etc., will allow you to provide a better service.

If your competitors are offering nearly the same products & services, then what is their market share and how do they market their products & services to attract new customers?

It is always a good idea to do some research (if necessary, physically visit your competitors without revealing your business intentions) and create a comparative table summarizing their product & service offerings, marketing strategies, target audience, etc.

Here is a sample table that you can use:

Fast Food Restaurant SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. This analysis will help lenders and investors better understand how you compare vs. competitors as well as the overall risk and reward profile of your business.

Here is a sample that you can use as a reference:

• Strengths : Worked as a regional manager at a leading taco & burrito chain for 5 years; master’s degree in business administration from a reputed institute
• Weaknesses : Startup cost, no initial brand reputation
• Opportunities : Industrial and office area with a high concentration of day laborers, contract workers, and immigrants with low income looking for low-priced yet filling food
• Threats : Well-established brands are introducing a specialized line of low-cost food offerings to capture the target market

c) Customer Analysis

This is the sub-section where you will provide a detailed analysis of your target audience.

Some important points that you must include in your customer analysis include:

• Age and gender distribution (you can get local demographic data from census.gov )
• Average monthly income and disposable income
• Average spend on fast food (per month or per year)
• Types of fast foods they prefer
• The expected price range for fast food
• Inclination towards loyalty programs & free perks
• Things they dislike about existing fast food restaurants and what they expect to be improved

You can add as many data points as required to validate your business decision. The idea here is to display your deep understanding of the target audience and their needs, preferences, and expectations. This knowledge can help you to tailor your products & services to attract new customers.

4. Sales & Marketing Strategy

This is the segment where you outline your customer acquisition strategy. Try to answer the following questions:

What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

• What are the different marketing strategies you will use?
• How do you intend to track the success of your marketing strategy?
• What is your CAC or customer acquisition cost?
• What is your marketing budget?
• What introductory promos and offers do you intend to provide for attracting new customers?

What marketing channels do fast food restaurants use?

A few marketing channels that fast food restaurants typically use are:

• PPC ads, Instagram / Facebook ads, etc.
• Social media content
• Billboards & signages
• Loyalty programs
• Pamphlets & flyers

It is not necessary to use all channels. Instead, you can start by focusing on a few of them, and include other marketing strategies later.

Also, you must have a fair and nearly accurate estimate of your marketing budget. Failure to display a well-planned and adequate budget for advertising and marketing may lead to investors losing confidence.

In other words, how do you differentiate yourself vs. competitors? This is very important as you might need to win customers from competitors.

A few examples of USPs are:

• Product quality : you may be offering higher quality products vs. your competitors, for example, burger buns made from fertilizer-free organically grown wheat
• Location : your restaurant may be located closer to your target audience and/or closer to a busy street where new potential customers can see your signage
• Price : your products may be cheaper vs. competitors
• Uniqueness : you may be the only taco restaurant (in an area with high population of Mexican migrants) that uses authentic Mexican-style soft corn tortillas

Your USP will depend on your business model, competitor analysis , and target audience. Whatever your USP be, it should be clear and appeal to your target audience.

5. Management & People

You must address 2 things here:

• The management team and their experience
• The organizational structure : different team members and who reports to whom

Small businesses often fail because of managerial weaknesses. Thus, having a strong management team is vital. Highlight the experience and education of senior managers that you intend to hire to oversee your fast food business.

First, describe their duties, responsibilities, and roles. Also, highlight their previous experience and explain how they succeeded in their previous roles.

If they have specialized training and experience (such as a professional degree in business management, managerial experience in a leading fast food chain, a proven track record of designing & executing successful marketing campaigns for famous restaurants leading to a measurable increase in ROI, etc.), add that information.

Organization Structure

Even if you haven’t already hired a general manager, administrative staff, busboy, cashier, chef, kitchen helpers, and other relevant staff members, you must provide a chart of the organizational structure defining hierarchy and reporting lines.

6. Financial Plan

The financial plan is perhaps, with the executive summary, the most important section of any business plan for a fast food .

Indeed, a solid financial plan tells lenders that your business is viable and can repay the loan you need from them. If you’re looking to raise equity from private investors, a solid financial plan will prove them your fast food is an attractive investment.

There should be 2 sections to your financial plan section:

• The startup costs of your project (if you plan to start a new fast food, renovate your restaurant, etc.)
• The 5-year financial projections

a) Startup Costs

Before we expand on 5-year financial projections in the following section, it’s always best practice to start with listing the startup costs of your project. For a fast food, startup costs are all the expenses you incur before you open your fast food and start making sales. These expenses typically are:

• The leasing deposit for the space (if you rent) or to buy the real estate (if you buy)
• Renovations and improvements
• Equipment & appliances
• Furniture & tableware

Of course, the startup costs depend on a number of factors, like the size of your restaurant, its location, the facilities, the menu, etc.

On average, it costs $89,000 to $266,000 to open a casual pizzeria (1,500 sq. ft.) in the US. In comparison, a 150-seats restaurant will cost more: $484,000 to $685,000.

Note that these costs are for illustrative purposes and may not be fully relevant for your business. For more information on how much it costs to open and run a restaurant, read our article here .

b) Financial Projections

In addition to startup costs, you will now need to build a solid 5-year financial model for your fast food restaurant.

Your financial projections should be built using a spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) and presented in the form of tables and charts in the business plan of your fast food.

As usual, keep it concise here and save details (for example detailed financial statements, financial metrics, key assumptions used for the projections) for the appendix instead.

Your financial projections should answer at least the following questions:

• How much revenue do you expect to generate over the next 5 years?
• When do you expect to break even?
• How much cash will you burn until you get there?
• What’s the impact of a change in pricing (say 15%) on your margins?
• What is your average customer acquisition cost?

You should include here your 3 financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement). This means you must forecast:

• The number of covers (customers or orders) over time ;
• Your expected revenue ;
• Operating costs to run the business ;
• Any other cash flow items (e.g. capex, debt repayment, etc.).

When projecting your revenue, make sure to sensitize pricing, cost of raw materials (food supplies) and your sales volume. Indeed, a small change in these assumptions may have a significant impact on your revenues and profits.

7. Use of Funds

This is the last section of the business plan of your fast food restaurant. Now that we have explained what your fast food’s business model and concept are, what is your menu, your marketing strategy, etc., this section must now answer the following questions:

• How much funding do you need?
• What financial instrument(s) do you need: is this equity or debt, or even a free-money public grant?
• How long will this funding last?
• Where else does the money come from? If you apply for a SBA loan for example, where does the other part of the investment come from (your own capital, private investors?)

If you raise debt:

• What percentage of the total funding the loan represents?
• What is the corresponding Debt Service Coverage Ratio ?

If you raise equity

• What percentage ownership are you selling as part of this funding round?
• What is the corresponding valuation of your business?

Use of Funds

Any business plan for a fast food restaurant should include a clear use of funds section. This is where you explain how the money will be spent.

Will you spend most of the loan / investment in paying your employees’ salaries and the inventory? Or will it cover mostly the cost for the lease deposit and the renovation?

For the use of funds, we also recommend using a pie chart like the one we have in our financial model template where we outline the main expenses categories as shown below.

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How To Build a Financial Model for a Pizzeria?

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