Dash Gourmet Business Plan

The Dash Gourmet

A unique solution for your dining experience

Business Plan

July 16, 2007

Presented By:

Ben Blum

Rahul Kapasi

Candice Lalor

Elyssa McMullen

Brian Reppert

Suresh Selvarangan

Jeff Tierney

Executive Summary

Dash Gourmet is a quick service deli on the cutting edge of technology, designed to serve a clientele consisting of busy corporate employees looking for a quick, yet healthy, dining experience. Dash Gourmet will feature traditional deli food: sandwiches, salads, etc., but will utilize unique technology designed to enhance and accelerate the customers’ dining experience. Each customer will be able to place their order themselves, either ahead of time on the internet or via a self service touchpad ordering device located both at the checkout counters for to-go orders, or at each individual table for eat-in customers.

This business plan will describe for potential investors the operational strategy for Dash Gourmet. It will also summarize our conclusions regarding site selection based on our demographic research and analysis, as well as reviewing the responses from our market survey. Additionally, the business plan will explain the use of technology in the deli and how it will reduce the cost associated with serving each customer. Finally, it will review the company’s five-year financial projections.

Objectives

1. To provide our customers with quality food at a reasonable prices in a timely fashion.

2. To differentiate our offering from our competitors through the intermingling of technology with our regular operations, and to achieve a significant cost savings as a result of the gains in efficiency.

3. To achieve positive cash flow in our first year of operation, and to recoup all of the technology cost outlays strictly through savings in employment costs by the year 2013.

Mission

Our mission is to provide the “time-challenged” corporate employee with a place to go for a healthy lunch, without spending too much time or money to do so. Since all of the founding members fall into the target demographic that we are aiming to serve, this is something that everyone feels strongly about, and everyone is committed to providing.

Keys to Success

1. Reduce personnel costs due to increased efficiency from ordering via touchscreen monitors.

2. Site selection driven by maximizing our exposure to corporate clientele in an optimal demographic location.

3. Provide healthy, quality food that can be ordered, prepared and served quickly.

Company Summary

Dash Gourmet is a technologically advanced and customer focused deli that will be located in the Metro Park section of Edison. Serving predominantly healthy food with an ordering process driven by customer operated touch screen point-of-sale devices, Dash is designed to service the underserved segment of technologically savvy corporate clientele with a desire for healthy food, and not a lot of time to eat it.

Company Ownership

A Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) will be formed to limit personal liability of the owners and investors in Dash Gourmet. Ownership will be divided equally between the members of the Student Consulting Team: Ben Blum, Rahul Kapasi, Candice Lalor, Elyssa McMullen, Brian Reppert, Suresh Selverangan, and Jeff Tierney, as well as the primary investors, Paul Belliveau and Daniel Duane.

Start-up Summary

The start-up costs for Dash Gourmet can be found in the chart and table below under the Financial Analysis section.

Company Location and Facilities

The first Dash Gourmet will be located in or adjacent to the Metro Park section of Edison, NJ. The location was carefully selected based on an analysis of a number of commercial and residential demographic statistics. There are a number favorable characteristics in this area, including the significant number of corporate employees located nearby in the Metro Park office park, as well as the large residential population located nearby, which will provide for weekend patronage.

Two other suitable locations were identified and researched, and could serve as potential backup locations if suitable retail space is not available in a location close enough to Metro Park. Additionally, these locations could serve as secondary locations for future restaurant expansion.

The restaurant will feature dining room seating for approximately 15 tables and will be equipped to serve up to 50 take-out customers per hour during peak lunchtime hours.

Market Analysis Summary

Market Segmentation

The 2000 Census indicates that there are about 116,000 people living in the Edison/Woodbridge Area. Additionally, there are 1,305 corporate businesses in the area, employing about 16,000 employees between them.

Target Market Segment Strategy

Although the target market demographic for quick service restaurants is fairly broad, and The Dash Gourmet will capitalize on the overall market, the main target demographic that we are aiming to serve is the technologically savvy and busy corporate employee who is concerned with eating quickly and in a healthy manner.

Market Needs

Currently there are no sit down restaurants that utilize self-service ordering. The Dash Gourmet would be the first establishment to fill this need, which would be essential for the target demographic that we are serving, the computer-savvy corporate customer who cannot afford to spend