1. Executive summary (write this last)
One page: brand name, cuisine, target city and locality, delivery channels (Zomato, Swiggy, magicpin, WhatsApp), total capital required, and the month you expect to break even. Everything below feeds into it.
2. Market analysis
- Locality demand: pick a 4–6 km delivery radius and list the top 15 competing kitchens on Zomato/Swiggy with their rating and price band.
- Gap: which cuisine, price point or meal slot (breakfast, late-night, office lunch) is under-served?
- Customer: students, IT office lunch, families, gym/high-protein — pick one primary segment, not all.
- Sizing: use FSSAI registration density and city data on our FSSAI insights dashboard to justify the city choice.
3. Brand and menu strategy
- 15–20 SKUs maximum at launch; every item must share at least two base preparations.
- Target food cost of 28–32% of menu price; price combos to lift average order value to ₹350–450.
- Plan one hero dish that the whole brand is discovered for.
- Detail in our menu planning guide.
4. Operations plan
- Kitchen size (250–400 sq ft), layout zones: prep, hot line, packing, dispatch.
- Equipment list and vendor quotes — see the equipment checklist.
- Daily order capacity at peak (orders/hour × service hours) and packaging SOP.
- Supply chain: 2 vendors per key raw material, weekly rate contracts.
5. Compliance and licences
List FSSAI registration/licence, GST, Shops & Establishment, trade licence and fire NOC with expected cost and timeline. Start with our FSSAI licence application page and the full legal requirements guide.
6. Team and staffing
| Role | Count | Monthly cost (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Head chef | 1 | 25,000 – 40,000 |
| Commis / helper | 2 | 24,000 – 36,000 |
| Packer & dispatch | 1 | 12,000 – 16,000 |
| Owner / manager | 1 | Draw after month 6 |
7. Marketing and channel plan
- Aggregator onboarding and launch offers — see listing on Zomato and Swiggy.
- Direct WhatsApp ordering to cut commission on repeat customers.
- Free FSSAI-verified listing on Cloud Kitchen Adda for local discovery.
- Budget: 8–10% of revenue in months 1–3, 4–5% thereafter.
8. Financial projections (12 months)
| Line | Month 1 | Month 6 | Month 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orders/day | 15 | 45 | 80 |
| Average order value | ₹350 | ₹380 | ₹400 |
| Monthly revenue | ₹1.6 L | ₹5.1 L | ₹9.6 L |
| Food cost (30%) | ₹0.5 L | ₹1.5 L | ₹2.9 L |
| Commission (22%) | ₹0.35 L | ₹1.1 L | ₹2.1 L |
| Fixed cost (rent, staff, utilities) | ₹1.1 L | ₹1.3 L | ₹1.6 L |
| Net | −₹0.35 L | ₹1.2 L | ₹3.0 L |
Ground your capex assumptions in the India setup cost breakdown (₹4L–₹15L).
9. Risks and mitigation
- Aggregator commission hikes → build direct WhatsApp ordering from day one.
- Rating drop below 4.0 → daily review monitoring, refund SOP.
- Raw material inflation → weekly rate contracts and quarterly menu repricing.
- Single-brand dependence → add a second virtual brand after month 6.
10. Funding ask
State the amount, the split between capex and 3 months of working capital, and what the money buys. Example: ₹8 lakh — ₹5L setup, ₹3L working capital, break-even in month 5.
Next steps
Fill this template, then follow our step-by-step launch guide and decide between a franchise or your own brand.
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