"Restaurant opening budget separates CAPEX investments, OPEX expenses and working capital in one full plan. Chef Ahmet Özdemir explains how to budget design, kitchen equipment, construction, staff, rent, food, energy, technology and opening costs, compare supplier quotations and calculate a cash reserve needed to prevent financial pressure during the first months."
A restaurant budget is not only the total cost of kitchen equipment and decoration. Professional restaurant consulting separates pre-opening investment, ongoing operating expenses and the cash required during the first months.
Budget items should be compared in two main groups.
Architecture, construction, mechanical-electrical infrastructure, ventilation, refrigeration, furniture, lighting, POS systems, signage and pre-opening installation belong to CAPEX. Professional kitchen consulting aligns investment with real production needs.
Quantity, unit price, tax, delivery time and payment plan should be shown for every item. Comparing equipment selection through the same technical specification reduces unnecessary or incompatible purchases.
Rent, common expenses, staff, ingredients, energy, cleaning, maintenance, software, marketing, accounting and logistics are OPEX items. Fixed and sales-dependent variable expenses should be separated.
Staff and ingredient costs should be planned according to target sales capacity, while product range and production load are controlled through menu consulting data.
A new restaurant may not reach planned sales immediately. Without working capital for rent, payroll, supply and energy, even a well-designed project can face serious cash pressure.
The cash required under low, expected and strong sales scenarios should be calculated together with the feasibility report.