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1. Introduction
Grubz is a company that wants to make the customers rank the restaurant as their No. 1 choice in Philadelphia for the best grub around. The home style menu is designed to satisfy the tastes anyone’s taste buds. In fact, the staff at Grubs wants to have your tongue shouting out for more. The food is the result of many years of cooking. The head chef and sous chef have lived in Philadelphia their whole lives, for a total of about 65 years – they are kinda old. Check out the following pages for a menu. Along with the great food, the staff looks to implement a fun atmosphere that will have children’s hearts racing when they hear the name, and the parents smiling, because they know the whole family will be happy and getting along when they are at Grubz. . [“Write my essay for me?” Get help here.]
But wait a minute! Here is the kicker: Grubz isn’t your ordinary, great food, low price restaurant with incredible service (we know there are already the odd ones of those around). The staff wanted to do something that no-one has seen before. It’s not a spot to park your car while you are being served, it is a spot to park your car while it is being washed! This idea is something that will have Gordon Ramsay banging his head against a lobster, asking himself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Well, too bad, because the founders of Grubz did. After you finish eating from the menu, which looks good enough to eat itself, your car will be sparkling clean. The only danger is, you might have to push aside men and women wanting your phone number. (The staff at Grubz offers no guarantees of people asking for your phone number due to your shiny car). You will now have a ride that those in downtown Philadelphia take notice of. Don’t have a car, bring your bike, don’t have a bike, receive 10 per cent off your food purchase.
While downtown Philadelphia has some rides that stand out, and many of them will be just as clean as yours, no restaurant in this area will match not only the service, but the food, atmosphere and prices at Grubz. When deciding the restaurant location, the owners wanted it to be central, with a vibrant community feel and in an area that needs a stellar restaurant. That is why Grubz will open in downtown Philadelphia on September 27.
This location is sure to stand out and will draw in many customers. That is why the restaurant is located in a 4,500 square foot building with 3,000 square feet of dining area. This will accommodate the crowds that are expected to come out, so a reservation might be needed on most nights.
Owners Stu and Soup O’Henry are brothers who have had this vision since they were old enough to eat. So by age one day they have wanted to open a restaurant together. (The exact day may vary from between 4,000 and 5,000 days).
The company needs to break even after the course of three years in order for the owners to want to continue. (Please refer to the following financial statement for details). The team understands that many businesses don’t make a profit in their first five years, but the owners believe in what Grubz has to offer and are willing to bet that profits will be made by year 4. The team aims to provide a $500 bursary to one of its graduating employees and the benefits to the community won’t stop there. The team will host a fundraiser each year (more on that in the pages ahead).
The Grubz team is, as you can probably tell, deliciously excited about opening the first of many Grubz restaurants, with two in Philadelphia, within the next five years. Several more will be opened throughout the United States.
Executive Summary
Grubz is on a mission to set itself up as the go-to place in the community for the tastiest food that people will want to eat every day. This means we want people coming back for more. The management at Grubz has lived and breathed the Philadelphia community and lifestyle their whole lives and while we love the city, there is one thing it needs: Grubz. Much of the groundwork for establishing Grubz has already been completed, and now it is time for us to launch. Many years of saving, research and testing recipes has boiled down to this moment, and in two weeks the doors to Grubz will be open to the public.
The Philadelphia restaurant industry is a competitive market, but management team – which has training and experience in every area of running a restaurant – knows the type of food and service it takes to be successful. Grubz will be the restaurant that defines a community, where grandparents will take their grandchildren if they behave, where young men will take their girlfriends on a first, second and third date – and it will be where people return to when they want a taste of home.
2. Benefits to the Community
As mentioned, there will be a bursary of $500 offered to a high school graduate who is an employee at Grubz. The money will be earmarked for a culinary school of their choosing. This is a way for the staff at Grubz to not only recognize what the staff here mean to us, but to give back to the community and put Grubz on the map as an employee of culinary talent. The chef here is always interested in hiring people who have either already trained at a culinary school, or who have the intention of moving on to great things in the restaurant industry.
Additionally, Grubz will be doing a food bank fundraiser, involving the Smart Step youth program. Grubz will hire a person to conduct a cooking workshop for students. The workshop will teach students not only how to cook, but also how to find an education in cooking and find the cooking job of their dreams, which might just be at Grubz.
Finally, Grubz will have a mascot that will attend community events. This mascot, you guessed it, will be a fish with big gills and lemon on its head, with tartar sauce streaming down its sides. While he will look good enough to eat, people will be warned not to chew on him. He will hand out 10-percent-off coupons to the restaurant. People may take their picture with him, but he is unable to sign autographs, as he has no thumbs.
As if the mascot wasn’t enough, Grubz will employ up to 15 full-time employees and as many as 20 who are part-time. Twenty staff will be in the kitchen, while 15 will work up front. These numbers don’t include the management team, Stu and Soup, and the head chef, Chowder Jones. The salary for both the front- and back-of-the-house will be minimum wage plus $1, with raises of between 1.5 and 3 percent each year, depending on performance.
The team atmosphere at Grubz will allow the employees to develop the skills they will need to succeed in virtually any kind of profession in the future. The staff here, however, does value the employees who stick around, and there will be opportunities to move up and manage other restaurants that will be added as the franchise grows from it’s starting point on Sept. 27, 2012.
3. Company and Industry
This is the first of many fast-food stores to come. While there are some other fast food restaurants in downtown, none offer the carwashes to go along with a combined dinner order of at least $30. McDonald’s might bring your food to your car, if they take a long time to cook it, but we will actually wash the car when you eat inside. Indirect competitors in the area includes the Papa Joes, which is comparable in the interior, but not comparable in quality and service, and was the free carwash mentioned?
All the company needs from the other business in the community, is a smile and a cookies, if they have them. While the cookies aren’t mandatory, the management team will provide the milk in which the cookies can be dipped. But in all seriousness, Grubz just needs the common courtesy that any civil business owner would give. The businesses that aren’t competitors are sure to benefit by the extra crowd that stops by the area to eat at Grubz.
Grubz seeks to control as much as the market as possible. While the management team doesn’t believe in complete world domination, Stu and Soup would like to have lots of money so they can provide for their families. This would require a stronghold of about 5 per cent of the fast food business in downtown Philadelphia by the fifth year of business. There are currently approximately 20 fast food restaurants in the area, so that would be equivalent to an average market share.
The fast food industry is relatively important to the community because many students are in the area and they need a place to go that is relatively cheap and where they can find nourishing food. But there is also virtually every other demographic in the area that will enjoy the food. Many families in downtown Philadelphia are young and require the homely type food that can be found only at this fast food restaurant. Grandmas, grandpas, moms, dads, grandchildren, daughters, the whole family can come down and enjoy what there is to offer. Grubz has something for everyone and this is how the menu is structured.
But not only is the food incredible, the restaurant will be a landmark. Grubz, the mascot fish, will be on site during the busy times, and when he isn’t elsewhere in the community. The store is bright red and so people can miss it. The paint is already up and management wanted to make it as visible to everyone as possible. It will be one of those stores that lasts. This is an important component of the business plan: as the store becomes more and more of a landmark, people will come out from all over to get a glimpse and to try the food that is offered. It’s long-term projections such as these that will make Grubz a lasting force in Philadelphia.
The fast food industry has almost always had its hold in Philadelphia and there is no reason for it to slow down. The only real hit the fast food industry has taken in the last several years is the amount of healthy food that is needed to keep the growing demographic of dieters stopping by. But Grubz also caters to those who are looking to run a marathon, or just slim down for beach season. As long as Grubz stays on top of the menu options and changes them to meet the growing needs of the public, the fast food business will continue to thrive in the area and Grubz will be the leading force. It should be noted that while the menu will change, there will still be the favorites menu that will last as long as the franchise – hopefully forever.
The community will survive along with the fast food business. This part of Philadelphia is among the oldest and there is no sign of it slowing down. The buildings are beautiful and so are the people. This will never change about this city.
Grubz management really feels that the location plays an integral role to the business’s success. But it’s also the free car wash with a $30 or more order and the combination of this restaurant being homely while catering to the fast food crowd. It’s a hybrid that is rarely seen. Also, as mentioned, the community involvement through the bursary program and the charity work that is done with Smart Step will keep the businesses going for a very long time.
The restaurant isn’t only anticipating expanding to new locations, it also wants to evolve with its current options. The menu will continue to grow and this is the main area where Grubz management sees increasing profits. Money will also be made through the patenting of products, such as what A&W did with their root beer. Grubz is the place to go for the in-house, signature tartar sauce, and this product will be sold in stores in the future.
Grubz is exactly as advertised, and when management here says they appeal to every demographic, they mean it. That’s why the team is offering various e-business options. When coming to Grubz, people will have the opportunity to take a card with them that has the Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn addresses that they need to connect. A daily coupon will be randomly awarded to a member of each group. This coupon ranges for anywhere from 5 percent to 40 percent off of purchases over $30, plus a free car wash. You can also visit the website, which has already launched, at www.grubz.com.
As mentioned, the space that will be occupied is about 4,500 square feet, with a 3,000-foot dining area. The management team hopes to add a patio area by June 2013, which will add another 1,000 square feet. The actual restaurant will be located right downtown Philadelphia.
4. Management Team
The Grubz team has the experience it takes to take this company to the top. The team comprises of people who have worked in every restaurant role for several years. First, the two top palyers are brothers Stu and Soup. These guys have lived and breathed the restaurant industry since they were children. It could have been because their parent took them out to eat most nights that they developed a taste for home style food and fast food. This could be where the idea for a hybrid restaurant came in. The pair would later meet Chowder, the head chef and this is where it all began. Let’s take a look at the careers of each of these three players.
Stu began working for McDonald’s when he was 15 years old. He worked at the same location, moving up from hamburger flipper to manager in just four years. It was when he was studying culinary arts that he left McDonalds to work for the Italian eatery GiGi’s, where he eventually moved into the manager position after just one year. This is where he became more familiar with the front-of-the-house requirements. After finishing culinary arts school when he was 25, he began to work two jobs, one at GiGi’s and another as a cook at McDonald’s, so he could save to put a down payment on his own business. He was finally able to secure enough funds by the time he turned 30 and, along with his brother, Soup, was able to get to where he is now.
Unlike his brother, Stu, Soup worked mainly in the front of restaurants. While he started in the kitchen at an Italian restaurant, Anducci’s, when he was 18 he moved to the front of the house at age 21 to become a server. At age 22, and while in his third year of restaurant management, Soup became manager at Anducci’s, where he would stay until he was 26. At that time, which is nearly one year ago, he set out with his brother to open Grubz.
Soup worked closely with Chowder while the pair were at Anducci’s. They got to know each other well and became close friends. Chowder was the head chef at Anducci’s and he will continue that role at Grubz. Chowder has a degree in culinary arts and knows what it takes to create an eye-popping menu.
Stu and Soup with have a 50/50 co-ownership in the company. Grubz aims to go public by 2017, so a portion of the franchise will be owned by shareholders, at that point. Chowder is a paid employee who holds no stake in the company and makes a salary of $55,000 per year.
Other key players, such as an accountant and lawyer will be contracted throughout the year. They will be given a rate that is to be determined and what will be billed to the management at Grubz. The company aims for honesty in every dealing. Management aims to perform the duties that are needed from companies that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This is because the company aims to be listed in five years. Quarterly updates will be necessary.
As the corporate owner, Stu will be responsible for managing the back of the house, while Soup will be in charge of the front. Unofficial financial records will be collected and compiled on a day-to-day business by these owners. They will be working many hours to ensure that the company becomes profitable and it running as efficiently as possible. There will also be a large learning curve in the first several month, but employees should be familiar with best practices after that point.
Company Statement
Grubz is structured on three pillars on which it recognizes that the community, customers and employees are key for the success of the business. While earning money is a goal to this success, the management feels strongly tied to the community and wants to give back a portion that is earned through the restaurant’s operations. Grubz will always strive to be a fun and clean atmosphere that leaves people smiling.
6. The Human Resources Component
While the positions were divided quite evenly between the front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house, a clearer overview will be given as follows: full time servers/cashiers – 10, part-time servers/cashiers – 2, and part-time car washers – 3. The kitchen will employ 10 full-time workers and 10 part-time workers. Fifteen kitchen staff will be cooks, while there will be 5 dishwashers.
On the Fixed Cost Projection Spreadsheet, it offers a 28 percent of costs spent in this department. The employees who are working for the company full time will receive fringe benefits that include some coverage for dental and medical. This will only be for full-time employees after a six-month probation period.
Each full-time employee will be given a two- weeks’ vacation after their first year of employment, followed by an additional week for each subsequent year, up to five paid vacation weeks. Part-time employees will be allowed to book time off in advance. However, because the schedules will be made two weeks in advance, all employees are asked to book holidays at least three weeks in advance. Five paid sick days will be allotted to each full-time employee and part-timers won’t receive paid sick days, but they are able to get their shift covered. The shift supervisor will do whatever they can to help in this. Two paid personal days are available each year for full-time employees.
The hiring process is very similar to what one would see at any other place of employment. Grubz is an equal-opportunity employer who believes in a diverse workforce. All jobs will be posted and everyone will have an equal opportunity to apply. After collecting applications, the supervisor or chef, depending on where the opening is, will narrow down their top picks. The owners will then narrow that down to their favorite 4 candidates and interview them. After that process, one or more will be selected to participate in the orientation, which involves a video. Employees who have education and/or experience in working in the kitchen will given preference for that position. Friendly and experienced front-of-the-house staff will be considered for the cashier/server positions.
Shift manager will experience or a keen interested will be selected, through it expected that these positions won’t be as frequent, as promotions are likely to fill them.
All employees will be paid minimum wage, plus $1, and be given a tip out. Cooks and preplien workers receive 10 per cent of the tips. Each year of experience in any position counts as an additional $1. The wage will be topped off at $10 above minimum, but will increase with inflation.
Total salaries per year will be approximately $660,000.
The supervisor will recommend pay increases for front-of-the-house, while the head chef will suggest raises for the back-of-the-house.
7. The Marketing Plan
The prices reflect an economy that isn’t exactly flourishing. They also reflect the budget of students. However, there are pricier items on the menu. This price structure goes along with the theme of appealing to virtually everyone. The prices for the purely fast food items are comparable to the prices for similar food at other fast food chains, while the homely food is a bit more expensive.
As mentioned, the target markets are virtually everyone, though Grubz specifically targets students and families – students, because they love fast food, and families, because of the homegrown flavor.
Downtown Philadelphia has several schools, where kids will get out and hopefully come to Grubz for a bite. They will be in the low budget range, which would be $7 for a meal. Their product will be the fast food component. There will be coupons left at the school office for students to pick up. This demographic, because there are so many of them in the area, will make up about 50 percent of the business.
The seniors centre is another are and Grubz will have special discounts for them. They would be in the low range where food also costs around $7. They can try to homely foods that strike a chord with many seniors. The seniors discount is a great way to market to them. They will make up about 20 percent of the business, because many elderly people would like to sit in the restaurant and enjoy a coffee in the morning. While they don’t spend as much, they are more frequent.
A few fitness centers are in the area, and the people there will enjoy the selection of healthy items. Their price would be in the medium- to high-range, which would be around $12 for a meal. There are several items on the home menu that would appeal to them and having them come to Grubz for the healthy options. Fitness people are expected to make up 10 percent of business.
Christmas will be a major time to get business from many demographics, because they are all out shopping. Once they see the big red restaurant, they will want to come right over. Green Christmas lights will work nicely to create a red, green Christmas feel. Sales can increase during the Santa parade and the store can have baseball-themed cups when the Phillies are in the World Series for Major League Baseball. It would be nice to get the mascot Grubz out for a game.
There aren’t expected to be changes in the target market, because these markets are stable. Students, seniors and gyms are always going to be overflowing with people.
9. The Exit Strategy
If everything goes south, then the owners will empty the building and finish up their year leash. The current leash is year-to-year, so while owners are optimistic, they aren’t too locked into a long-term lease agreement. There would be a significant loss, financially and in layoffs, but that’s the risk of opening a business.
On the other hand, if everything is fine, but the owners want to leave the business, then it will go up for sale. If no-one buys, then ending the lease and emptying the building is the only other option. The business will pass on to the owners’ families when the owners die.
Management is currently looking into the possibilities to go public. There needs to be more stability before Grubz would be accepted onto the New York Stock Exchange. Investors would get their money back through the sale. The sale of the company would determine the value of the shareholders units. The new owner may continue to keep the business running, in which case shareholders would keep their interest, or they would be paid out if the new owner closed the restaurant.
11. The Critical Risks and Assumptions Component
If sales don’t develop as quickly as management would like at Grubz, the restaurant owners will access its contingency fund. This will provide the cushion needed to get through the rough patch. If the market develops too quickly, this is a very good problem. Staff will be asked to work overtime, and the owners will be putting in long hours helping out wherever possible. A hiring frenzy will begin and management will try as best as possible to get good people. Inventory would have to be restocked more regularly. If business is too overwhelming after one year, Grubz will raise its prices.
In the event of a market flux in competition, Grubz may have to lower its prices to match, or beat, the competitors. The company’s actions really depend on how much business the restaurant is receiving.
If the bank cancels the line of credit, the contingency account may decrease more rapidly than desired. This could lead to the restaurant decreasing the time to make a profit from 5 years to 4 or 3. [Need an essay writing service? Find help here.]
Appendix 1 (Organizational Chart Job Descriptions)
Owners
The owners will run the day-to-day operations of the company and ensure that the future is always on mind. With the goal of turning the business into a franchise, the pair will constantly re-evaluate the climate to determine the best course of action. They will occasionally make public appearances to meet with the public.
Head Chef
The head chef will create the menu along with the two owners. He will supervise the workers and ensure they are doing their job. He will occasionally consult with the public to ensure they are satisfied with their food.
Assistant Shift Managers
The assistant shift manager will be responsible for keeping track of money at the end of each shift by collecting it from the cashiers. The money will be documented, along with receipts to back up the transactions. The receipts and receive have to match. The shirt manager is also responsible for supervising workers and ensuring there is enough staff on shift.
Servers/Cashiers
The cashiers will take orders and handle transactions. They will also occasionally need to work as a server in the restaurant. They will handle the transactions by taking orders and handing back the appropriate amount of change.
Head Chef
The head chef is responsible for developing the menu and ensuring the food is up to par. They are also responsible for making sure each worker is trained properly. All the food should be ready for inspection by a health agent at any given moment.
General Cook
The general cooks are responsible for taking direction from the head chef or shift supervisor. All the food must be prepared exactly according to how it is laid out in the company training manual.
Prepline Cook/Dishwasher
The prepline cook also receives directions from the head chef and the shift supervisor about what tasks to complete. They need to ensure the list that is created by the head chef is carried out. This includes maintaining all of the stock levels so that the cooks don’t run out of food. The job also involves making sure all the dishes are done and kitchen equipment is clean.
Busboy
The busboys need to walk through the restaurant to ensure that it is completely clean. The main duty involves clearing the tables and ensuring the dishes are taken back to be cleaned. Busboys also have to take out the garbage and follow direction of the shift supervisor.
Car Cleaner
This one is pretty self-explanatory. The worker will greet the customers and then clean every area of the outside of the vehicle after the order is place. There will be electronic ways to communicate, which have yet to be developed. In the meantime, the cashier will signal with their hand which car will be washed.
Appendix 2 (Shifts and Vacations)
The business will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., for a total of 17 hours. While the shifts will change as the owners become familiar with the customer traffic, two cashiers/servers will work from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with an unpaid 30-minute break. Another two cashiers/servers will take over at that time and work until 11 p.m., with an unpaid 30-break. Two servers will be added at 5 to 9 p.m. In the kitchen, two staff will open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a 30-minute break. This will consist of a cook and prep line worker. Two cooks and two prepline workers will come on at 2 p.m. and work until 11 p.m. Three cooks and one prepline worker will be scheduled from 5 to 9:30 p.m. One bus boy will work from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and another will work from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Two car washers will work from 12 p.m. to sun down. The graveyard shift will be from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., when 1 server and 1 cook will work. (Check out the operations component of the plan for more information). < Click Essay Writer to order your essay >
