Sample Marketing Plan Part 1

Marketing plans can be hard to write, especially without some guidance. Below you’ll find a sample marketing plan created for a start-up restaurant. This is a very basic marketing plan, so it does not include graphics or as much detail as investors might want to see. However, it would work nicely as a guide to help you create a marketing plan for your personal use. This sample plan follows on from the article discussing elements of a restaurant marketing plan part one and part two.
1. Executive Summary

People & Their Pets Outdoor Cafe will provide a unique dining experience for consumers. By allowing diners to bring their pets to the restaurant and by serving both human and pet food options, the restaurant will be catering to a growing number of pet lovers who do not want to leave home without their beloved companions.
(Note: If this was your marketing plan, you might spend some additional time talking about any restaurant experience you have had or about the success of similar restaurants in your area or similar areas in other parts of the country).

2. Situation Analysis

The pet care industry has been booming in recent years because people are spending more money on their pets than ever. This rise in spending has also seen an increased interest in pet-friendly hotels and pet-welcoming retail stores. Based on the research, people seem to want to spend as much time as possible with their pets.

Because of this trend, this seems to be a good time to open a restaurant that not only permits customers to bring their pets but also provides food and beverages for both.

2a. Market Summary

People & Their Pets Outdoor Cafe’s target market is going to be pet owners in general. However within that group, we are going to be targeting a certain segment which tends to pamper their pets more than others.

That segment consists primarily of individuals or couples who have no children but who have middle and upper middle class incomes. Most of these people will have active lifestyles and are concerned more about quality and experience than about price.

Our secondary market is going to be families from the same income levels. Small families – parents, one or two children, and their pets – may also enjoy the experience because they are able to eat outdoors (which is attractive to children) and can bring their pets along for the outing. The children may also enjoy being around the other pets.

2a-1. Market Demographics

Our target market will be

? Male and Female
? Professionals
? Between the ages of 25 and 50
? Earning $40,000 or more per year
? Pet owners
? Concerned about pet-related issues
? Interested in pet activities

2a-2. Market Needs

Our target market has the following needs:

? A restaurant where they can comfortably bring their pet
? Casual, high-quality food
? Nutritional, tasty food for pets
? Customer service geared towards meeting the needs of the customer and their pets

2a-3. Market Trends

As competition in the restaurant market continues to grow, restaurants are meeting the needs of niche markets or are providing unusual dining experiences.

Additionally, pet owners are more focused on engaging in activities with their pets, instead of boarding them and/or leaving them alone at home. Even tourists are beginning to make their travel decisions based on pet-friendly attractions.

2b. SWOT Analysis

Below is an outline of People and Their Pets Outdoor Cafe’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

2b-1. Strengths

? Great location – a short walk from the city’s most popular dog park and two miles from a highly trafficked pet store which permits dogs
? Trained staff – our staff has been hand-selected to provide superior service to customers and to their pets
? Quality food – our custom menu provides a mix of healthy and delicious casual options for customers and their pets

2b-2. Weaknesses

? Lack of restaurant experience – None of the primary figures in the venture has significant restaurant experience. This may cause us to have a sharper learning curve as we start the business.
? Weather Issues – Because the restaurant is an outdoor cafe, weather may interfere with our ability to serve consumers. We may be forced to close during the winter months and need to develop an alternative for rainy days.

2b-3. Opportunities

? Unique concept – No other restaurant caters to pet owners in this way so we have limited competition.
? Merchandising – Within a month of opening the restaurant, we are going to start selling shop-related merchandise, including pre-packaged versions of some of the pet foods.

2b-4. Threats

? Trend changes – If trends related to pet owners and their pets change, then our business may suffer.
? Economic changes – While our target market currently has the disposable income available to frequent our establishment, a change in the economy may change that.

So far we’ve covered a portion of the marketing plan. In Part 2, you’ll see a sample of how to put together information about your competition and your marketing strategy.