What does a counter-service restaurant cost to open?
Illustrative case · Independent leased counter-service restaurant; existing kitchen infrastructure; no alcohol, drive-through or franchise fees · United States illustrative operating case; Florida food-service jurisdiction; no city or real site specified
Explore this business · Startup costs
The base illustrative opening requirement is $260,574: $153,674 of capital assets, $27,800 of preopening expenses, $4,500 of inventory, $9,600 of refundable deposit and $65,000 of reserve. The model assumes a usable existing kitchen infrastructure. Most amounts are planning allowances requiring site bids; two bare equipment prices are current primary observations.
Define what is already there
The budget is for an independent operator leasing an existing 1,600-square-foot restaurant. It preserves the core hood, suppression, service panel, gas supply and drain/grease infrastructure. It does not buy real estate, purchase goodwill or pay franchise fees. Seven dining tables and 28 chairs are case quantities, not a plan-approved capacity. The design must leave usable paths for the order queue, pickup collection, dish return and staff movements.
DBPR review examines the menu and equipment layout. The March 2026 rule compilation includes equipment addition, removal or relocation within remodeling, with a division-determined exception where sanitation and safety are unaffected. A landlord saying “restaurant-ready” does not resolve that regulatory question. Confirm the intended changes with the responsible authorities and keep the written response with your lease and trade bids. Florida rule compilation; Plan-review application
Read the quantity schedule, not just the headline
| Scope | Quantity × unit basis | Subtotal | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|---|
| sqft of existing floor/finish repair | 1,600 × $10 | $16,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| sqft equivalent of repair/paint/cleanable finishes | 1,600 × $8 | $12,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| dedicated circuit/connection allowance; no service upgrade | 3 × $1,800 | $5,400 | Assumed scope allowance |
| existing fixture connection/rework allowance | 2 × $2,500 | $5,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| retained hood/suppression review and repair allowance | 1 × $7,000 | $7,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| retained restroom/access repairs; no new shell | 1 × $12,000 | $12,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| counter/pickup/service millwork allowance | 1 × $12,000 | $12,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| Avantco ZPT-48-FB-M-HC list price, not installed | 1 × $3,199 | $3,199 | Listed bare unit |
| Avantco CAG-36-MG live list price, not installed | 1 × $589 | $589 | Listed bare unit |
| commercial reach-in refrigerator/freezer allowance | 2 × $3,500 | $7,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| compact commercial convection oven allowance | 1 × $5,000 | $5,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| commercial undercounter warewashing allowance | 1 × $4,500 | $4,500 | Assumed scope allowance |
| water heater/booster allowance; survey recovery/load | 1 × $3,500 | $3,500 | Assumed scope allowance |
| three-compartment and hand sinks, prep tables/shelves set | 1 × $6,500 | $6,500 | Assumed scope allowance |
| pans, utensils, storage, trays; item schedule needed | 1 × $4,000 | $4,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| four-person dining tables | 7 × $350 | $2,450 | Assumed scope allowance |
| commercial dining chairs | 28 × $125 | $3,500 | Assumed scope allowance |
| register, printer, kitchen display and setup set | 1 × $2,500 | $2,500 | Assumed scope allowance |
| menu-specific layout and mechanical/electrical design allowance | 1 × $8,500 | $8,500 | Assumed scope allowance |
| freight, receiving and appliance commissioning allowance | 1 × $10,000 | $10,000 | Assumed scope allowance |
| Equipment tax allowance | 7.0% of purchased equipment/furniture/POS | $2,992 | Assumed; confirm location and tax basis |
| Capital contingency | 15.0% of pre-contingency assets | $20,044 | Spent/capitalized allowance, separate from reserve |
| Total installed-capital planning allowance | Assets and commissioning | $153,674 | No complete contractor quotation |
The selected prep table is $3,199 per unit and the gas griddle $589. The latter live page differs from the lower search snippet; this case uses the checked live value. These observations validate those two item prices only. Cold storage, oven, warewasher, water heating, sinks and smallwares remain assumed specification budgets. Furniture and POS quantities also need quotes. Exact prep-table listing; Exact griddle listing
Equipment tax is applied only to the purchased set. The separate freight/install allowance pays receiving, placement and commissioning rather than duplicating the modeled circuit/plumbing connection scopes. A real contractor must remove overlaps. Capital contingency is assumed spent on assets; it is not a second emergency cash reserve. Book lives vary by asset, and the model depreciates each separately.
Keep the available cash visible
| Use | Case amount | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Preopen training | $9,000 | Expensed at month 0; not included again in operating Year 1 |
| Preopen rent | $4,800 | Expensed at month 0; not included again in operating Year 1 |
| Preopen legal | $3,500 | Expensed at month 0; not included again in operating Year 1 |
| Preopen launch | $2,000 | Expensed at month 0; not included again in operating Year 1 |
| Permit training | $2,500 | Expensed at month 0; not included again in operating Year 1 |
| Loan fees | $6,000 | Expensed at month 0; not included again in operating Year 1 |
| Opening inventory | $4,500 | Asset; replenishment follows food/pack consumption |
| Refundable occupancy deposit | $9,600 | Asset; two months assumed; rent not counted twice |
| Available reserve | $65,000 | Cash remains at opening |
| Total startup uses | $260,574 | Equals debt plus owner equity |
At month 0, $190,000 of debt and $70,574 of owner equity fund the base uses. The reserve is not a rounded number of months of revenue. The executed monthly model finds a minimum base cash balance of $30,412 while paying the owner and the loan. Ingredients and packaging are replenished on a cash-on-delivery basis; inventory targets seven days of consumption. Card and marketplace settlement receivables mean a sale can occur before its cash arrives.
The downside startup total rises to $296,869. Keeping the loan principal and reserve unchanged requires $36,295 more opening equity than base. That overrun funding does not cure the later operating cash shortfall. A larger reserve should increase cash only, with no change to EBITDA; the sensitivity check confirms this.
Price the three material scopes before signing
| Scope | Case basis | What could invalidate it |
|---|---|---|
| Existing-site trades and service counter | $69,400 | Retained systems cannot pass inspection; new service, hood, grease work or restroom changes required |
| Purchased equipment/furniture/POS | $42,738 | Menu throughput, cold/hot holding, warewash capacity or package exclusions differ |
| Preopening expenses | $27,800 | Opening delay extends rent, training and loan-carry/fees; current allowance is finite |
Ask the refrigeration supplier for clearance, circuit and starting-load requirements. The chosen table lists 115 V, 4.9 A running and 14.7 A starting; that does not verify the building panel. The gas griddle lists 90,000 BTU and a three-quarter-inch connection; that does not verify available gas pressure, meter capacity or hood capture. Utility review must include refrigeration, cooking, water heating and ventilation together. Cold-line requirements; Hot-line requirements; End-use review
Turn remaining unknowns into a purchasing register
Obtain signed scope, quantity, tax/freight, deposit milestone, installation responsibility, commissioning criteria and quote validity for each material line. The budget excludes a ground-up shell, major structural repairs, full service replacement, alcohol licensing, delivery vehicles, drive-through works and franchise royalties. It includes finite repair/connection allowances, but it cannot price an undiscovered defect. No supplier retail item is presented as a complete installed project quotation.
Landlord concessions, equipment financing and staged procurement may change when cash leaves; they do not erase uses. Before adopting the model, replace the occupancy figure with actual rent/CAM/tax responsibilities, get the complete equipment set and site bids, determine permit/training fees, and test an opening delay in months rather than burying it in contingency. The exact inputs and all three monthly exports are retained privately for the future owner-generated plan.
Validate the case inputs
Download the input and evidence register (CSV). This case export separates observed context from assumptions and leaves quotation fields blank for your project. It is an educational register, separate from the planned personalized model.
Sources and scope
- Illustrative case assumptions and planning methodology · Checked 2026-10-04 · All local numeric hypotheses in reference-model/inputs.json and FINANCIAL_ASSUMPTIONS.md are declared case assumptions; this link describes methodology and does not validate a market price.
- ENERGY STAR: Small-business restaurant energy guidance · Checked 2026-10-04 · Operational end-use review and kitchen utilities; no certified savings or measured utility budget for this site.
- Florida administrative rules for public food service, March 2026 compilation · Checked 2026-10-04 · 61C-1.002 page 7: equipment removal/addition/movement can be remodeling; exception if division determines no sanitation/safety impact; unchanged uninterrupted change of ownership exception. 61C-1.001 incorporates specified 2017 Food Code provisions.
- Avantco Chef Series CAG-36-MG gas griddle · Checked 2026-10-04 · SKU 177CAG36MG; manual natural-gas 36-inch model. Gas connection, hood/suppression, certified installation and gas supply capacity are not included in bare item price.
- Florida DBPR: Food service plan review · Checked 2026-10-04 · Florida public food service; new, converted, remodeled, or reopened after at least 18 months. Layout and menu must be supplied.
- Avantco ZPT-48-FB-M-HC refrigerated prep table · Checked 2026-10-04 · SKU 178ZPT48MHC; listed unit, not installed quotation. Listed free shipping does not establish site offload/placement/hookups/tax.