A Business Plan for Grass Fed Restaurant

This paper will present a business plan for a grass fed steakhouse concept in Chicago. After having spent the past year researching the grass fed meat market, meeting with grass fed farmers and looking for restaurant locations in three different markets (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago) it has become apparent that Chicago is going to be the best market for this type of concept. In the restaurant industry, contacts and word of mouth are two huge players in success in the restaurant business and this is definitely a connection that the partners have in Chicago. Why grass fed? As this paper will explain, there are many health benefits to eating grass fed meat. While many restaurants are starting to add grass fed beef to their menu (burgers in most cases), there is no steakhouse in the Chicago that serves exclusively grass fed product from having looked at the menus of all of Chicago’s top steakhouses. The latest trend, eating organic and healthy food while supporting local sources has become much more important to American consumers in the recent years. There has been a great deal of pressure by consumers for more organic and “farm to table” options. People are beginning to realize that the quality, the sustainability and humane treatment of factory raised commodity beef is very disturbing (Biondich, 2009). As this paper will discuss, Grass Fed cows live a much more humane life and have a diet of only grass as opposed non grass fed cows that are exposed to pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and many other harmful chemicals used by farmers to treat the farm land as well as to increase the fat content of the animals. This paper contains the business plan for “Grass Fed,” the restaurant to open in the near future in Chicago. The business plan will contain the following sections: The inspiration behind the concept, an extensive overview of the concept, an explanation of the benefits of grass fed beef, details regarding interior design, details regarding service, details regarding location, the core values behind the concept, research conducted regarding feasibility, competition and demand. Finally, from a financial standpoint, there will be a proforma overview, a capital budget plan, as well several financial projections. This business plan will be used to present to investors to raise the $400,000 that is required to complete this project