Bar business plan with pour costs, licensing and a weekly sales pattern
A bar makes most of its money on a few nights a week, and a few points of pour cost or a delayed liquor license can sink it. This prompt has your todo.is agent research bars around your site and the license process in your city, then write a plan with your concept, menu costing, staffing by night and a forecast built on covers and average spend.
The prompt
- Write a business plan for my bar, [BAR NAME AND CONCEPT], at [ADDRESS OR NEIGHBORHOOD]. Space and budget: [SIZE, CAPACITY, LEASE AND BUDGET]. My background: [HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE AND PARTNERS]. Research with links: 10 bars within a mile (concept, prices, busy nights, reviews) and the liquor license types, timeline and other permits in my city. Write: summary, concept and atmosphere, customers, competition, drinks menu with pour cost targets (beer, wine, cocktails, spirits), food offer, events and programming by night, layout and bar design, staffing and schedule by night, responsible service and security, inventory and theft control, suppliers, marketing, licensing timeline, risks, and financials. Build an Excel forecast with guests per night by day of week, average spend, sales mix, pour cost per category, labor, rent, music licensing, insurance, startup costs, monthly cash flow for year 1 and 3-year totals. Mark assumptions. Send Word and Excel.
What to change
- [BAR NAME AND CONCEPT]: E.g. "The Copper Still, a neighborhood cocktail bar with small plates and live jazz on Thursdays".
- [ADDRESS OR NEIGHBORHOOD]: E.g. "East Nashville". Your agent researches nearby bars and local license rules.
- [SIZE, CAPACITY, LEASE AND BUDGET]: E.g. "1,800 sq ft, 85 people, $6,500 a month, $320,000 budget".
- [HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE AND PARTNERS]: E.g. "10 years bartending, bar manager for 3, one silent partner".
Example result
- Summary
- The Copper Still is an 85-seat neighborhood cocktail bar in East Nashville with a short small-plates menu and live jazz on Thursdays. The owner has 10 years behind the bar, 3 as a bar manager. We target locals aged 28 to 50 who want good drinks without the tourist crowds.
- Concept and atmosphere
- • Warm lighting, a long copper bar, booths and a small stage corner
- • Classic cocktails done well plus 6 house drinks that change each season
- • Music low enough to talk, except on jazz night
- Drinks menu and pour cost targets (illustrative)
- • Cocktails: target 18% to 22% pour cost
- • Draft beer: 22% to 26%, 8 local taps
- • Wine by the glass: 28% to 32%
- • Spirits neat: 15% to 20%
- • Blended target: 21%; every cocktail costed by the quarter ounce
- Programming by night
- • Mon: closed
- • Tue: industry night for local hospitality workers
- • Wed: trivia
- • Thu: live jazz trio
- • Fri to Sat: full bar, 2 bartenders plus a barback and a door host
- • Sun: late brunch cocktails and a quiet evening
- Staffing
- • Owner as bar manager, 4 bartenders, 2 barbacks, 2 servers, a cook for small plates, 2 door hosts on weekends
- • Responsible service training for every staff member before opening
- Inventory and theft control
- • Weekly counts by bottle weight, variance report, jiggers for every pour
- • POS with comps and voids that need manager approval
- Licensing timeline (check your city and state)
- • Liquor license application, background checks and any public notice period can take months
- • Also: business license, health permit for food, music licensing, sign permit, occupancy limit from the fire marshal
- Numbers (all illustrative assumptions)
- • Thursday to Saturday bring 68% of weekly sales
- • Average spend per guest: $31
- • Year 1 sales: $820,000; labor 28%, pour and food cost 24%, rent 9.5%
- • Startup costs include build-out, bar equipment, opening stock and 3 months of working capital
- Risks
- • License delays: budget 2 extra months of rent before opening
- • Overserving and incidents: trained staff, door host, liquor liability insurance
- • Slow weekdays: trivia, industry night and private events
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your concept, location, space and experience.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram. Attach the lease draft or build-out quotes.
- Your agent studies nearby bars and your city's license process with links, then sends a Word plan and an Excel forecast.
- Ask follow-ups like "cost my 8 house cocktails from this recipe list" or "what if Fridays are half full?".
Tips for a better result
- Cost every cocktail to the quarter ounce. A heavy pour of a few points across the year is a lot of money.
- Plan the liquor license timeline first. Opening is often delayed by licensing, not construction.
- Build programming for slow nights. Trivia, live music and industry nights fill Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Set a weekly to-do: attach your inventory count and your agent sends a pour cost and variance report.
bar business plan: FAQ
- How much does it cost to open a bar? It varies a lot with the city, space and build-out, plus license costs that differ by state. Many bars need a six-figure budget. Your forecast lists startup costs from your quotes.
- What is a good pour cost for a bar? Many bars aim for roughly 18% to 24% overall, with spirits lower and wine higher. The right target depends on your prices and concept.
- How long does a liquor license take? It depends on the state and city and can take weeks to many months. Your agent finds the official steps for your area; confirm them with the licensing office.
- Can it write a drinks menu? Yes. Ask for a menu with descriptions, and your agent can also design it as a PDF to print.
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