Mini Golf Course Break-Even Analysis: ~$49K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $37.8K Monthly base

Contribution margin 87% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $43.3K Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 2 Model break-even

Break-even calculator

Test how monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs shape break-even for a mini golf course.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue is the pool that covers direct costs and then fixed overhead. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses These are direct costs that rise as guest traffic and sales rise. $ Lean costs Heavy costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $50,378 $57,333 revenue - $6,956 variable expenses

Margin ratio

88%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly cost base break-even must cover before profit starts. $ Low overhead High overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which mini golf course expenses stay fixed, and which ones move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even gets reliable only when fixed overhead stays separate from guest-driven costs. For this venue, the big watchout is payroll: opening coverage often stays fixed even when rounds are slow.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Property Lease/Rent	Fixed	Use $10,000 per month as fixed overhead before calculating required monthly sales.	Treating rent as flexible when the lease payment is due regardless of traffic.
Property Taxes	Fixed	Use $1,500 per month as a fixed facility charge in the break-even base.	Leaving it below the line and understating the monthly sales target.
Business Insurance	Fixed	Use $750 per month as fixed operating overhead for the full planning period.	Assuming insurance falls during slow months when coverage still has to stay active.
Wages	Semi-fixed	Use $23,125 per month in the first year, then step it up as staffing FTE rises.	Treating all payroll as variable when opening coverage often stays fixed.
Course Maintenance (Fixed)	Semi-fixed	Use $1,500 per month until course size, hours, or wear requires another maintenance step.	Modeling maintenance as purely guest-driven and missing the base upkeep needed every month.
Utilities	Semi-variable	Use the $2,000 monthly base, but expect usage to rise with longer hours and higher guest volume.	Treating utilities as fully fixed when lighting, water, and climate use can climb.
Cost of Sales - F&B & Merchandise	Variable	Apply 7.5% of related sales in the first year because this moves with snack and merchandise volume.	Putting product inputs into fixed overhead and overstating contribution margin.
Marketing & Advertising	Variable	Apply 6.0% of revenue in the first year when paid promotion scales with sales goals.	Locking marketing as fixed and missing the spend needed to drive extra rounds.

How does break-even change from a lean opening year to fuller demand for a mini golf course?

Scenario table

As demand rises from Year 1 to Year 5, revenue grows faster than variable costs, so the contribution margin stays strong and the break-even bar moves up only from about $48.7k to $54.2k a month. The catch is fuller demand also needs more staff.

Planning cases only; actual traffic, labor, and costs can move the break-even point.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean opening year	$57,333	$10,033	$40,175	82.5%	$7,126	Near $48.7k break-even, so cushion is thin if traffic slips.
Base case, Year 3	$78,583	$12,331	$43,550	84.3%	$22,702	At about $51.7k break-even, the venue has a steadier cushion.
Full-demand Year 5	$104,025	$14,459	$46,633	86.1%	$42,933	Near $54.2k break-even, the cushion is strongest, but staffing load rises too.

How much traffic or cost pressure will push the mini golf course past break-even?

Stress test

The base plan clears break-even, but the cushion is thin. A 15% revenue slip leaves almost no room, and weaker traffic, higher overhead, or margin compression can turn a steady month into a cash gap.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change; first-year monthly revenue is $57,333.	$48,700	$8,633 cushion	The plan clears break-even, but the buffer is not wide.
Revenue shortfall	Monthly revenue falls 15% to about $48,733.	$48,700	$33 cushion	Almost no cushion; one weak month can tip profit to loss.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed costs rise 10% from the current base.	$53,600	$3,733 cushion	Lease, payroll coverage, or repairs would squeeze the margin fast.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise 5 points, cutting contribution margin to 77.5%.	$51,800	$5,533 cushion	Small fee or labor drift moves break-even up quickly.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 15%, fixed costs rise 10%, and margin drops 5 points.	$63,700	$6,400 gap	Slow party bookings, weak weekday traffic, and higher payroll coverage create a monthly loss.

Can this mini golf course clear break-even before you sign the lease and start build-out?

Founder checklist

Do the math before you commit. This model needs about $48.7K in monthly revenue and $479K of cash through Month 9, so the site, pricing, traffic, and build-out all have to line up.

1Break-even revenue$48.7K/mo

Verify the site can clear this monthly level, because that is the floor after about an 82.5% contribution margin.

2Round volume25,000 rounds

Confirm Year 1 traffic can really reach this level, since it is the core draw behind the opening revenue plan.

3Package price$16 / $600

Test that guests will pay $16 per round and groups will book $600 event packages, because pricing drives the top line.

4Core capex$468K

Verify you can fund course construction, renovation, snack bar equipment, and POS and IT before you sign the lease.

5Opening payroll$23.1K/mo

Make sure the opening crew can start near this wage load and still cover course ops, guest service, snacks, and events.

6Cash cushion$479K to M9

Keep this reserve in view through Month 9, because that is the low point after insurance, maintenance, utilities, security, and opening marketing.