Financial Plan of a Coffee Shop: Preparing for Success

A smart financial plan leads to a successful business. Learn what to expect and prepare for financially when opening a coffee shop.

FORMING YOUR PLAN

Writing a coffee shop financial plan doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Once you have identified a few key factors and goals, with a little creativity and dedication, it basically writes itself.

While there is no set length for the financial plan of a coffee shop, keep in mind that it’s best to keep it concise and engaging while relaying as much information as possible to give potential lenders or investors confidence in your vision.

You want to accentuate the positive while acknowledging any challenges your business may encounter, and how you will address them along the way. A huge benefit of owning your business as a franchisee is the fact that a lot of the research and legwork has already been done for you.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PLAN

1. COMPANY DESCRIPTION. If you are working with a franchise, a lot of helpful information for this portion can be found in Item 1 of the company’s Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Here is where you provide a general overview of your coffee shop’s back story and outlook, including the products or services you intend to offer.

2. PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES DESCRIPTION. This is where you can go into further detail about what exactly will make your business stand out from other coffee shops. As an early adopter of the hybrid coffee house drive-thru kiosk model, Scooter’s Coffee® stands out as a leader in a crowded industry.

3. MANAGERIAL STRUCTURE. Address how your coffee shop will run on a day-to-day basis. What will your duties be as owner? Who will be responsible for making things happen? Detail all levels of operations and detail all prior relevant business experience to imbue lenders’ confidence in your future success.

4. MARKETING PLAN. This is the section where you reveal your plan for attracting and maintaining customers. Item 11 of your franchisor’s FDD will give you an overview of their marketing and advertising system — another massive advantage to investing in an established brand.

5. FUNDING & FUTURE FINANCIALS. Here, you will lay out a larger picture about your financial situation and provide realistic projections about return on investment and loan repayments. Your franchisor can provide a great deal of help here through items 5 and 19 of the FDD, as well as general counsel through the startup process. While franchisors can’t provide you with projections of future earnings, you can get a strong sense of how the business has performed in the past. The right franchise will give you a transparent accounting of all the fees and ongoing royalty percentages that will be entailed in your partnership.

THE FRANCHISE APPROACH

Franchising is perfect for folks who want to enjoy the freedom of being their own boss while benefiting from the training, support and strong reputation of a nationally recognized brand. In addition to earning a solid annual income, owning a franchise means you can skip the legwork entailed in advertising, marketing, product development and quality control that you would have to manage alone as an independent coffee shop owner.

Potential investors need a lot of cash available to open a coffee shop. Startup costs can exceed $1 million for many major coffee franchises in the U.S. In addition to startup costs, franchisees have to pay ongoing monthly fees for royalties, advertising and other services that can add up to more than 10% of gross sales. But fear not — the right franchise will offer competitive pricing as well as comprehensive support for your coffee franchise cost.

FRANCHISE WITH SCOOTER’S COFFEE

Scooter’s Coffee provides prospective franchise partners with a competitive fee structure and access to partnered lending institutions to help make their dreams of owning a world-class coffee shop a reality. We offer unmatched franchise support through training, location selection and construction, marketing initiatives, product innovation and more.

To learn more about how to own your own Scooter’s Coffee, contact us.