DRIVE-THRU RESTAURANT BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary

Company Description

Fleet & Fork—named to capture speed (fleet) and chef-quality (fork)—is a 2026 launch in the U.S. quick-service restaurant sector. We operate a fast-casual drive-thru chain with a dual-lane drive-thru and a chef-designed menu serving breakfast, brunch, and dinner. Core offerings combine premium-sourced proteins, made-to-order sandwiches and bowls, and a rotating seasonal lineup. We run in-house procurement, centralized prep for consistency, a tech stack for mobile ordering and kitchen display, and high-throughput on-site operations. One-liner: Gourmet on the Go—speed without sacrificing chef quality.

We target urban and suburban commuters, ages 25–45, plus families seeking higher-quality quick meals at scale. Short-term goals: open 3 company-owned sites by December 2026 and reach store-level break-even within nine months of each opening. Long-term goals: expand to 75 locations by 2030, pursue selective franchising, and sustain a 18–22% EBITDA margin through scale, supply agreements, and tech-driven labor efficiency. One-liner: Scale fast, keep food premium, and deliver consistent throughput.

Problem

Busy urban consumers in high-traffic U.S. metro areas like Austin lack quick access to chef-inspired, nutritious breakfast and brunch options. The market gap is between speed and quality: traditional fast food is fast but low-quality, while sit-down and fast-casual are higher quality but too slow for commuters and families, forcing many to choose processed, low-diversity meals during morning and mid-day rushes.

One-liner: Commuters and time-pressed families need a fast, consistent, chef-quality meal option that current quick-service and sit-down formats do not provide.

Solution

Consumers currently trade food quality for speed; busy professionals, commuters, and families lack quick access to diverse, chef-inspired meals. Our solution delivers chef-inspired Poke Bowls, beverages, and sides through a high-efficiency dual-lane drive-thru and a mobile app that routes orders to a Kitchen Display System for rapid, fresh fulfillment, enabling seamless in-vehicle pickup without compromising ingredients or taste.

One-liner: Fast, fresh, chef-quality meals picked up from a dual-lane drive-thru via pre-order app.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to empower modern consumers by delivering a superior, chef-inspired dining experience through the ultimate convenience of a high-speed drive-thru, so no one has to compromise on food quality for the sake of time. We commit to consistent food excellence, fast service, and respectful treatment of teammates and guests. We measure success by on-time service, repeat visits, and customer satisfaction scores.

Key Success Factors

Critical operational and financial milestones that must be met to achieve profitability and scale.

• Hit breakeven by April 2026 to validate unit economics and cash flow.
• Maintain ≥150 Saturday covers in year one to sustain weekend revenue density.
• Reduce raw ingredient COGS from 12% to 10% by 2030 to protect gross margin.
• Scale catering to 15% of sales mix to diversify revenue and lift average transaction value.
• Keep weekend AOV at $20.00 and ensure rapid dual‑lane throughput to maximize daily capacity and profitability.

Financial Summary

Financials project positive operating momentum with EBITDA rising from $86,000 in Year 1 (2026) to $286,000 in Year 3 (2028).

The business requires a minimum cash buffer of $770,000 (minimum cash month: Feb-26) to cover opening capex and working capital; payback is targeted at 27 months with an overall Return on Equity of 1.48.

Overall outlook: strong revenue growth, disciplined costs, and improving EBITDA through 2028.

Funding Requirements

The business requires $770,000 to launch in 2026 and reach breakeven in Apr-26.

Projected first-year EBITDA is $86,000, growing to $556,000 by 2030; payback is 27 months with a 1.48 return on equity, revenue driven by rising daily covers (reaching 270 covers on Saturdays by Year 5), a $1.00 annual increase in average order value, and a disciplined cost structure with fixed rent of $5,000/month.