Pizza Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Pizza Business Plan

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

We have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Pizza businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Pizza business plan.

Executive Summary

Business Overview

Papa Jack’s is a new pizza restaurant in the Cincinnati, Ohio area that will serve residents, businesses and local schools. The restaurant will primarily be a dine-in establishment, but will also offer delivery and pick-up. The pizzeria offers an extensive menu that includes pizza, sandwiches, pasta, salads, desserts, and drinks. All of our food is made from unique and authentic Italian recipes created by the founder himself.

Papa Jack’s is founded and run by Jack Russo. Jack has spent the past 15 years in the restaurant industry, working as a waiter, chef, and restaurant manager. His experience in the industry has given him the knowledge and skills needed to run all aspects of a pizza restaurant.

 

Product Offering

Papa Jack’s will offer a full menu of pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Pizza selections include thin crust, pan and stuffed, while pasta options include all traditional Italian specialties like spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine alfredo and lasagna. Sandwiches include Italian Beef, Sausage and Chicken Parmesan.

The restaurant is also available for private events and catering.

 

Customer Focus

Papa Jack’s will serve the residents and workers of Cincinnati, Ohio and the immediately surrounding areas. The area is home to thousands of families and students who are always looking for high-quality pizza restaurants. Cincinnati is also full of hard-working laborers who need high-quality dine-in and takeout options after a hard day of work.

 

Management Team

Papa Jack’s is founded and run by Jack Russo. Jack has worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years and is knowledgeable of the operations and standard procedures of running a restaurant. Jack is also a well-respected chef who has made thousands of pizzas and other Italian dishes throughout his career. After spending years working at other restaurants, Jack has decided to run his own pizza restaurant where he can sell pizzas made from his own unique and authentic recipes. Though Jack has experience managing a restaurant, he will hire other management staff to help him run Papa Jack’s.

 

Success Factors

Papa Jack’s will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

  • Location: Papa Jack’s location is near the center of town, giving us access to commuters going and leaving, local office workers, students and passersby. We also offer adequate parking making it easy for customers to patronize us.
  • Great pizza and service at an affordable price: The pizza restaurant will offer dine-in, home delivery and carry-out services, providing convenience to our customers and further extending our market reach.
  • Management: Our management team has years of business and marketing experience that allows us to market to and serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than our competitors.
  • Relationships: Having lived in the community for 25 years, Jack Russo knows all of the local leaders, newspapers and other influencers. As such, it will be relatively easy for us to build branding and awareness of our restaurant.


Financial Highlights

Papa Jack’s is seeking a total funding of $400,000 to launch its pizza restaurant. The capital will be used for funding capital expenditures, salaries, marketing expenses, and working capital.

Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

  • Restaurant design/build: $200,000
  • Equipment, supplies, and inventory: $50,000
  • Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $100,000
  • Marketing costs: $30,000
  • Working capital: $20,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Papa Jack’s.

Papa Jack's Financial Projections

 

Company Overview

Who is Papa Jack’s?

Papa Jack’s is a new pizza restaurant in the Cincinnati, Ohio area that will serve residents, businesses and local schools. The restaurant will primarily be a dine-in establishment, but will also offer delivery and pick-up. The pizzeria offers an extensive menu that includes pizza, sandwiches, pasta, salads, desserts, and drinks. All of our food is made from unique and authentic Italian recipes created by the founder himself.



Papa Jack’s is founded and run by Jack Russo. Jack has spent the past 15 years in the restaurant industry, working as a waiter, chef, and restaurant manager. His experience in the industry has given him the knowledge and skills needed to run all aspects of a pizza restaurant.

 

Papa Jack’s History

Papa Jack’s was founded by Jack Russo. Jack has worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years and is ready to apply his experience and skills in his own pizza restaurant. His experience as a chef has helped him create an extensive menu made from his own unique and authentic recipes.

Jack incorporated Papa Jack’s on February 1st, 2023 and was able to achieve the following milestones since then:

  • Developed the company’s name, logo and website
  • Created the menu
  • Determined equipment and inventory requirements
  • Began recruiting key employees with experience in the restaurant industry

 

Papa Jack’s Services

Papa Jack’s will offer a full menu of pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Pizza selections include thin crust, pan and stuffed, while pasta options include all traditional Italian specialties like spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine alfredo and lasagna. Sandwiches include Italian Beef, Sausage and Chicken Parmesan.

The restaurant is also available for private events and catering.

 

Industry Analysis

The pizza industry has grown over the past five years due to rising consumer spending and changing preferences. Consumer spending is expected to increase an annualized 3.0%, as unemployment declines and economic conditions improve. As a result, the pizza industry has benefitted.

Changing consumer preferences have altered the industry over the past five years. Americans have become more concerned about their health and the food they eat, moving away from food high in fat, salt and sugar. Organic, locally grown and gourmet food has become more popular, and pizzerias are offering a greater array of flatbreads and whole-wheat and gluten-free crusts as a result. Consumers have also been indicating a preference for quick-service pizza shops, where pizza can be ordered online, rather than traditional, sit-down pizza restaurants.

The way operators use technology will also become increasingly important to the industry’s performance as consumers increasingly use their smartphones or tablets to order, expecting seamless internet interfaces that make it easy to customize pizza preferences.


Customer Analysis

Demographic Profile of Target Market

Papa Jack’s will serve the residents and workers of Cincinnati, Ohio and the immediately surrounding areas. The area is home to thousands of families and students who are always looking for high-quality pizza restaurants. Cincinnati is also full of hard-working laborers who need high-quality dine-in and takeout options after a hard day of work.

The following are the precise demographics of the Cincinnati area:

 

Customer Segmentation

Papa Jack’s will primarily target the following customer profiles:

  • Families
  • Students
  • Local workers


Competitive Analysis

Direct and Indirect Competitors

Papa Jack’s will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

 

Pizza Garden

Pizza Garden was founded in 1988 and opened its first franchise a year later. Pizza Garden has nearly 14,000 restaurants, about 60% of which are in the United States. Similar to its competitors, the company focuses on a franchise model, with over 90.0% of Pizza Garden restaurants operating under franchise or license agreements.

Pizza Garden’s menu features a range of pizzas, offering a variety of toppings suited to local preferences and tastes. Many Pizza Garden locations also offer pasta and chicken wings. Pizza Garden offers casual dine-in, delivery and carryout.

 

City Pizzeria

Founded in 1985, City Pizzeria is one of the largest pizza restaurant chains in the United States. The company operates and franchises pizza delivery and carryout. The company operates in all 50 states and in 34 countries.

City Pizzeria’s menu includes pizza, and other side items such as breadsticks, cheese sticks, chicken wings and desserts, all made of quality ingredients on a consistent basis. The company’s quality control center system takes advantage of volume purchasing of food and supplies and provides consistency in fresh dough production. The company’s marketing strategy has increasingly been focused towards online and digital marketing in response to increasing consumer use of online and mobile technology.

 

Checkers Pizza

Checkers Pizza has grown to over 14,800 company-owned and franchised locations worldwide since its founding in 1960. Checkers Pizza operates in all 50 states and has locations in more than 70 countries. Furthermore, it is the second-largest pizza company in the world. Checkers Pizza sales are primarily generated through its pizza delivery business. As a result, the company focuses on securing its position within the industry by providing convenient store locations and an efficient supply chain.

Checkers Pizza’s menu varies regionally, but is primarily focused on Italian-American entrees and side dishes. They recently added artisan-style pizzas and added handmade pan pizza to their menu. They also have pasta, chicken, bread bowls, desserts and oven-baked sandwiches.


Competitive Advantage

Papa Jack’s will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

  • Location: Papa Jack’s location is near the center of town, giving us access to commuters going and leaving, local office workers, students and passersby. We also offer adequate parking making it easy for customers to patronize us.
  • Great pizza and service at an affordable price: The pizza restaurant will offer dine-in, home delivery and carry-out services, providing convenience to our customers and further extending our market reach.
  • Management: Our management team has years of business and marketing experience that allows us to market to and serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than our competitors.
  • Relationships: Having lived in the community for 25 years, Jack Russo knows all of the local leaders, newspapers and other influencers. As such, it will be relatively easy for us to build branding and awareness of our restaurant.

 

Marketing Plan

Brand & Value Proposition

Papa Jack’s will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

  • Moderate price point
  • Offering a convenient location that offers dine-in, delivery and carry-out options
  • Family-friendly environment
  • Providing excellent customer service

 

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Papa Jack’s is as follows:

 

Sampling

Papa Jack’s will initially give free pizza samples to passersby to enable them to taste the quality of our products and learn about us.

Website/SEO

Papa Jack’s will develop a professional website that showcases pictures of our pizzas, drinks, and other food offerings. It will also invest in SEO so that the company’s website will appear at the top of search engine results.

Social Media

Jack Russo will create the company’s social media accounts and invest in ads on all social media platforms. These accounts will showcase pictures of the restaurant and popular items on the menu. The company will use targeted marketing to appeal to our target demographics.

Word of Mouth & Referrals

Papa Jack’s is confident that its existing loyal clients will spread the word and refer the pizzeria to residents who may not be familiar with it. The pizzas speak for themselves and word will quickly spread around town of the delicious pizza and food that Papa Jack’s has to offer.

 

Pricing

The pricing of Papa Jack’s will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing our pizzas and other food items.


Operations Plan

The operations plan for Papa Jack’s is relatively simple as its overhead and cost is small. The functional roles for its employees are as follows:

Operation Functions:

  • Jack Russo will be the Owner and Restaurant Manager of Papa Jack’s. He will oversee the general operations of the restaurant, help out with customer service, and help out in the kitchen.
  • Jack will hire an Assistant Manager to help him manage the staff and run the general operations of the restaurant.
  • Jack will also hire an Administrative Assistant to help out with the administrative and executive functions of the company.
  • As the restaurant grows, Jack will hire several waiters, chefs, and other staff to run the service functions of the pizzeria.


Milestones:

Papa Jack’s aims to open in the next six months. The following are the milestones needed in order to obtain this goal.

  • 3/202X – Finalize lease agreement
  • 4/202X – Begin interior design and construction
  • 5/202X – Social media and advertising campaign begins
  • 6/202X – Final walk-through of construction and build-out
  • 7/202X – Order and pre-stock inventory; hire key employees
  • 8/202X – Grand opening of Papa Jack’s

 

Management Team

Papa Jack’s is founded and run by Jack Russo. Jack has worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years and is knowledgeable of the operations and standard procedures of running a restaurant. Jack is also a well-respected chef who has made thousands of pizzas and other Italian dishes throughout his career. After spending years working at other restaurants, Jack has decided to run his own pizza restaurant where he can sell pizzas made from his own unique and authentic recipes. Though Jack has experience managing a restaurant, he will hire other management staff to help him run Papa Jack’s.


Financial Plan

Key Revenue & Costs

Papa Jack’s revenues will come primarily from selling pizza, sandwiches, pasta, drinks, and other food items.

The major costs for the company will be food costs and salaries. In the initial years, the company’s marketing cost is expected to be high, as it establishes itself in the market.

 

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Papa Jack’s is seeking a total funding of $400,000 to launch its pizza restaurant. The capital will be used for funding capital expenditures, salaries, marketing expenses, and working capital.

Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

  • Restaurant design/build: $200,000
  • Equipment, supplies, and inventory: $50,000
  • Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $100,000
  • Marketing costs: $30,000
  • Working capital: $20,000


Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and pay off the startup business loan.

  • Number of customers per day:
    • Year 1: 25
    • Year 2: 40
    • Year 3: 60
    • Year 4: 85
    • Year 5 : 110
  • Annual lease: $100,000
  • Average order value: $25

 

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

Pizza Business Plan FAQs

A pizza business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your pizza business. 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 Pizza business plan using our Pizza Business Plan Template here.

There are a number of different kinds of pizza businesses, some examples include: Franchise Pizza Shop, Full Service Pizza Shop, and Quick Service Pizza Shop.

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

Starting a pizza 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. Develop A Pizza Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed pizza 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 pizza 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 pizza business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Pizza Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your pizza 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 pizza 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 Pizza Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your pizza 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 pizza 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.



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