Knowing what each of your menu items costs to prepare is one of the most basic yet overlooked aspects of running a profitable restaurant. This comprehensive spreadsheet template will give you an easy-to-use tool to calculate and maintain the current cost of your menu and recipes.... more >>

Use the restaurant checklists as a guide for deciding what should be happening in every area of your restaurant to create the quality products, dining experience and operating results you expect. They will help you get organized and become aware of the essential tasks, procedures and practices that need to be performed in each area of your restaurant.... more >>

Many RestaurantOwner.com members cite that having a sound business plan was the single most important ingredient in making their new business a reality. During the startup phase, your business plan will have a direct bearing on your ability to get a loan, obtain investors and even secure a lease. Learn how to prepare an impactful restaurant business plan.... more >>

Using our restaurant employee training manual templates is the fast and easy way to save yourself hours and hours of researching, organizing and writing your...... more >>

Many people who open an independent restaurant don't fully understand the role they should play as the owner. They're convinced that rolling up their sleeves and "running the restaurant" will lead to restaurant success, when in reality, this mindset is often the fatal flaw behind many underperforming or failed independent operations. Find out what independent restaurant owners SHOULD be doing instead.... more >>

A comprehensive Employee Handbook is crucial to the success of your business and the retention of your people. Use this template to develop one of the most important documents in any restaurant. Put your own unique set of employee policies, procedures and practices in writing so that everyone on your staff knows the rules and your expectations.... more >>

An organization chart is an effective way to show who is responsible for what functions and areas in a business enterprise. This template includes 8 different samples for both full-service and limited-service restaurants and can be used to quickly create a useful organization chart for your restaurant.... more >>

Having a hard time paying your rent? It may be time to talk to your landlord for relief. As demand for lease space softens, national chains as well as independents are obtaining rent reductions of 10%, 20% and even more. Use this template to notify your landlord, make your case and set the tone for a successful outcome.... more >>

Get design, content and other ideas for your own restaurant business plan from our sample plan for Blue Fish Grill,a casual-theme, seafood concept.... more >>

The Food Cost Yield Calculator is a flexible Microsoft Excel set of spreadsheets designed to aid restaurant owners, chefs, and managers in determining the true cost of the raw products used to produce menu items.... more >>

The vast majority of restaurant failures can be attributed to the absence of a plan or practical budget upon which decisions, accountability and actions are based. A budget focuses management on considering changing conditions and forces them to adapt their operations to maintain profitability and consistency of product and service.... more >>

To the majority of potential lenders and investors, the financial section will be the most important part of your business plan. Even if the other sections of your plan are impeccable, the financials will still make or break your presentation. Use this series of Excel worksheets to prepare a comprehensive, professional and convincing financial section for your business plan.... more >>

Spreadsheet template to record daily sales transactions. Includes fields to record sales, deposits, discounts & comps and paid-out detail.... more >>

Nobody's perfect, so how a restaurant handles customer complaints can make a big difference to their future sales and profits. Whether you're responding by letter, email or online, these templates can help you respond quickly and appropriately to show you care about your guests' experience and give you a shot at turning those disappointed diners into loyal customers.... more >>

Chain operators are serious about what they do. Here's one report that every chain restaurant prepares each week and how they use it keep their key costs areas in check. Find out an easy way you can do it and add 2%-4% of your sales to your bottom line!... more >>

Servers have sidework duties in addition to their primary service tasks. So that these tasks are completed consistently, it's important to have detailed checklists so that everyone knows what they're responsible for. Download a sample and learn how to quickly create your own detailed sidework checklists.... more >>

Welcome to Restaurant Owner Learning System! Discover the learning opportunities in our growing library of video courses produced exclusively for members of RestaurantOwner.com. Use them as a way to expand the insights and skills of your entire team.... more >>

After food, beverage and labor costs, occupancy cost ranks as the next biggest expense item on the restaurant profit & loss statement. In this survey we asked operators to share what they pay per square foot for rent and triple net charges. We categorized the results into various regions, service styles and types of lease space to make it easier to compare rates to what you currently pay... more >>

The financial section is often viewed as the most important part of a business plan. It is likely to receive a lot of attention and even scrutiny from potential lenders and investors. Use these guidelines with the financial model worksheets to prepare a comprehensive, professional and convincing business plan.... more >>

Opening a restaurant means dealing with a myriad of details and activities. Missing a critical step or activity can mean delays, cost overruns or worse. Use this 300+ point checklist from 12 months out to opening day to better plan and manage the process.... more >>