Coffee shop business plan built around cost per cup
A coffee shop lives on small tickets and big volume, so the plan has to show the cost of each drink, how many cups you sell in the morning rush and whether the rent works. This prompt has your todo.is agent scout cafes near your spot, cost your drink menu and forecast sales by hour of the day.
The prompt
- Write a business plan for [COFFEE SHOP CONCEPT] at [LOCATION]. Audience: [WHO WILL READ IT]. My numbers: [SPACE, RENT, HOURS AND BUDGET]. Research cafes within walking distance with links: drinks and prices, opening hours, seating and what reviews praise or complain about. Write: summary, concept, drink and food menu, cost per cup for my main drinks using [BEAN SUPPLIER OR PRICE PER KG], target customers, competitors, location and foot traffic, equipment list, staffing by shift, suppliers, marketing and loyalty, risks, and financials. Build an Excel forecast with customers by hour (morning rush, midday, afternoon), average ticket, cost of goods, labor, rent and monthly profit for year 1, plus years 2 and 3. Mark every assumption. Send a Word plan and the Excel file.
What to change
- [COFFEE SHOP CONCEPT]: Style and size, e.g. "a specialty espresso bar with 20 seats near a train station" or "a drive-thru coffee kiosk".
- [LOCATION]: The street or area, e.g. "Queen Street West, Toronto". Your agent researches cafes nearby.
- [WHO WILL READ IT]: E.g. "a bank", "the landlord" or "a friend who wants to invest".
- [SPACE, RENT, HOURS AND BUDGET]: Size of the space, rent, opening hours, and how much you can invest. Attach the lease offer or equipment quotes if you have them.
- [BEAN SUPPLIER OR PRICE PER KG]: Your roaster or a price, e.g. "local roaster at $24 per kg", or "find typical wholesale prices".
Example result
- Summary
- Northline Coffee is a 20-seat specialty espresso bar two minutes from a commuter train station on Queen Street West, Toronto. Open 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., focused on fast, excellent espresso drinks for commuters and a calm space for remote workers after 9 a.m.
- Cost per cup (illustrative, beans at $24 per kg)
- • Double espresso (18 g): coffee $0.43, cup and lid $0.18, total about $0.61, price $3.75
- • 12 oz latte: coffee $0.43, milk $0.48, cup $0.22, total about $1.13, price $5.50
- • 16 oz cold brew: coffee $0.65, cup $0.30, total about $0.95, price $5.75
- • Oat milk adds about $0.30 per drink, priced at $0.75
- Sales by time of day (assumptions)
- • 6:30 to 9:30: 55% of daily sales, about 160 customers
- • 9:30 to 1:00: 30%, laptops and meetings, food matters more
- • 1:00 to 4:00: 15%, cold drinks and snacks
- • Average ticket: $7.20
- Equipment
- • 2-group espresso machine, two grinders (espresso and decaf), batch brewer, water filtration, under-counter fridges, dishwasher, POS with a loyalty app
- Staffing
- • Opening shift: 2 baristas plus a floater on the till from 7 to 9
- • Midday and close: 1 barista plus the owner
- • Labor target: under 32% of sales
- Food
- • Pastries from a local wholesale bakery delivered daily, sold at roughly twice the cost
- • Two toasties made in-house, no full kitchen needed
- Competitors (from the research)
- • 6 cafes within a 5-minute walk; 2 open before 7 a.m.
- • Reviews nearby mention slow morning lines, so speed is our pitch
- Financial summary (illustrative assumptions)
- • Startup budget: $165,000 CAD (fit-out, equipment, opening stock, 3 months of cash)
- • Year 1 sales: $395,000, Year 2: $450,000, Year 3: $480,000
- • Coffee and food cost: 28% of sales
- • Rent: 11% of year-1 sales
- • Break-even: month 12
- Risks
- • Coffee price swings: review menu prices twice a year
- • One big competitor opening nearby: loyalty program and wholesale bean sales to regulars
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and replace the [brackets] with your concept, location, rent and budget.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram, with any lease or quotes attached.
- Your agent checks nearby cafes, costs your drinks and sends a Word plan plus an Excel forecast by hour.
- Ask for changes like "add a drive-thru window" or "open until 6 p.m." and get updated numbers.
Tips for a better result
- Count morning foot traffic yourself for a few days. It is the number lenders question most, and your own count beats any average.
- Cost every drink including the cup, lid, sleeve and milk. Alternative milks and large cold drinks change your margin more than you expect.
- Check rent against sales. If rent is far above 10% to 12% of realistic sales, the spot may be too expensive.
- Tell your agent to remember your menu and costs, then ask it next season to reprice everything after a bean price change.
coffee shop business plan: FAQ
- How much profit does a coffee shop make per cup? Espresso drinks often cost well under a third of their price in ingredients and packaging, but rent, labor and equipment take most of the rest. Your plan shows the full picture, not just cup margin.
- How many customers does a coffee shop need a day? It depends on your average ticket and costs. Divide your monthly costs by your margin per customer to find the break-even number, and the forecast does this for you.
- Should a coffee shop sell food? Most do, because food raises the average ticket. Buying pastries from a wholesale bakery avoids the cost of a full kitchen.
- Can I get the plan as slides? Yes. Ask your agent for a short PowerPoint version of the plan for meetings with a landlord or investor.
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