The handbook · Before you open
What it costs
Here are the numbers: what you pay before opening and what a normal month costs after that.
Summary
A small grill or take away costs 250,000 to 700,000 kronor to open. A restaurant with a dining room and table service ends up between 700,000 and 1.5 million. The biggest items are the kitchen and the ventilation. If you take over premises that have been a restaurant you can halve the sum. Add three months of fixed costs as a buffer.
Numbers to plan with
- 250,000 to 1.5 million SEK
- typical start capital depending on size and premises
- 3 months
- of fixed costs you should still have in the bank at opening
- 28 to 33 %
- of sales without moms usually goes to ingredients
- 6 to 12 %
- of turnover is a rent that works. Above that it gets heavy.
What you pay before you open
This money goes out before a single guest has eaten at your place. The figures below are for a small to medium place with 20 to 40 seats or pure take away. The ranges are wide for a simple reason: the difference between finished restaurant premises and an empty shop is big.
| Item | Kitchen already there | Building from empty premises |
|---|---|---|
| Rent deposit | 3 months of rent | 3 to 6 months of rent |
| Rebuilding and surfaces | 50,000 to 150,000 kr | 300,000 to 900,000 kr |
| Ventilation and imkanal | 0 to 50,000 kr | 150,000 to 500,000 kr |
| Fettavskiljare | Usually already there | 60,000 to 200,000 kr |
| Kitchen equipment | 50,000 to 250,000 kr | 200,000 to 600,000 kr |
| Furniture and fittings | 40,000 to 150,000 kr | 80,000 to 300,000 kr |
| Cash register system and terminal | 10,000 to 40,000 kr | 10,000 to 40,000 kr |
| Sign, decor and print | 15,000 to 60,000 kr | 15,000 to 60,000 kr |
| First stock | 25,000 to 60,000 kr | 25,000 to 60,000 kr |
| Fees and insurance | 10,000 to 25,000 kr | 10,000 to 25,000 kr |
What a normal month costs
Fixed costs come even in a bad week. Here is an example for a grill with two employees and an owner who works in the kitchen.
Note that staff and rent together eat more than half the money. That is where a restaurant wins or loses.
| Cost | Example per month | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Rent with extra charges | 25,000 to 45,000 kr | Always ask what the extra charge covers |
| Staff with contributions | 60,000 to 130,000 kr | Wage plus 31.42 percent in contributions |
| Ingredients | 28 to 33 percent of sales | Variable, follow it every week |
| Electricity and heating | 6,000 to 20,000 kr | The fryer and the fridges use the most |
| Cash register, systems and apps | 1,500 to 5,000 kr | Subscriptions that are easy to forget |
| Waste collection and grease emptying | 1,500 to 4,000 kr | The municipality sets the rate |
| Insurance | 800 to 2,500 kr | Pay yearly if you get a discount |
| Accounting | 2,000 to 6,000 kr | More expensive if you hand over receipts in a bag |
Where you can really save
It is possible to open for less money than the figures above. But save on the right things. If you cut corners on ventilation or the cold chain it gets more expensive in the end.
- Take over premises that have already been a restaurant. That is by far the biggest saving.
- Buy used stainless steel equipment from bankruptcy auctions and second hand dealers
- Start with take away and a few tables instead of full table service
- Rent the coffee machine and the drinks fridge from the supplier instead of buying
- Keep the window display and the interior simple. The guests come for the food.
Do the maths yourself
Do the numbers add up?
Change the numbers to yours. The result is what is left before your own wage, interest and tax.
Sales including moms245 700 kr
Sales excluding moms231 792 kr
Ingredients71 856 kr
Staff, rent and other140 000 kr
Left over in the month19 937 kr
- Ingredients
- Staff
- Rent
- Other
- Left over in the month
This is how many guests per day you need to break even: 62
The VAT is 6 percent on takeaway and 12 percent when the guest eats on the premises. It is not your money. Set the right rate below and work with the amount excluding VAT when you compare costs.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to open a food place?
Take over small premises that are approved for food, do take away and keep a short menu. Then you often avoid big costs for ventilation, fettavskiljare and dining room staff. Many start that way and build out after a year.
How high should the rent be compared with turnover?
Aim for 6 to 12 percent of turnover without moms. If the rent is above 15 percent you need very high volume for it to work. Do the maths backwards before you sign: what turnover is needed for the rent to be reasonable?
What does a cash register system cost?
A certified kassaregister with a terminal costs 10,000 to 40,000 kronor to buy, or hundreds of kronor a month if you rent. Count on card fees of around 1 to 2 percent of every payment as well.
How much wage can I take out myself the first year?
Many take out little or nothing at all the first months, then 25,000 to 40,000 kronor a month. Set a low wage that you know you can manage and raise it when the figures hold for three months in a row.