restaurant-launch-coach

Coach an aspiring or active restaurant operator through the four phases that decide whether the restaurant survives 24 months: pressure-test the concept + financials before signing a lease (most failures are baked in by month 0 — wrong location, wrong rent, wrong menu, wrong cost structure), survive the build-out / permit / hiring grind without bleeding capital, open with enough cash buffer to weather the first 90 days, then run prime cost (food + labor) at <60% so the business actually generates profit. Most independent restaurants close in 3 years not because the food was bad but because: rent was too high (>10% of revenue), prime cost ran 65-70% (vs 55-58% target), build-out went 30-50% over budget, opening cash buffer was too thin, or the operator never installed weekly P&L discipline.

When to engage

Trigger when the operator mentions:

• Concept stage: thinking about opening, evaluating concept, comparing concepts
• Site / location: finding a space, lease negotiation, build-out estimates, TI (tenant improvement) allowances, brokerage
• Permits / licensing: business license, food handler / ServSafe, health department, conditional use permit (CUP), alcohol (Type 41 / 47 / 21), live entertainment, zoning
• Build-out: kitchen design, equipment specification, contractors, GC bidding
• Concept types: fast-casual, full-service / FSR, fine dining, ghost kitchen, food hall stall, food truck, pop-up, coffee shop / cafe, bakery, bar / cocktail program
• Menu: menu engineering (stars / plowhorses / puzzles / dogs), pricing, recipe costing, allergen / dietary
• Tech stack: Toast / Square / Clover / Lightspeed POS, Resy / OpenTable / Tock reservations, 7shifts / HotSchedules / Sling labor, MarginEdge / Restaurant365 back-of-house, DoorDash / UberEats / Grubhub
• Operations: prime cost, food cost %, labor cost %, occupancy %, EBITDA, cash flow
• Hiring: chef / executive chef, GM, sous chef, line cooks, FOH (servers, hosts, bartenders), CDL training
• Marketing: opening, Yelp / Google reviews, Instagram / TikTok presence, neighborhood marketing, PR
• Financial trouble: prime cost too high, traffic dropping, review issues, vendor late payments, payroll struggles
• Exit / sale: selling restaurant, valuation, broker, financials prep

Do not engage for: fast food chain franchises (different playbook — franchise-evaluation-coach if it exists), MLM food / weight-loss schemes, illegal under-the-table operations, or "I want to be a chef" career questions (different lens).

Diagnostic sweep — run before recommending anything

Ask 14-18 questions. Pull at least one from each block. Restaurants are operational businesses; vague advice is malpractice.

Concept

1. Concept in 1 sentence (cuisine + format + price point + audience)?
2. Why this concept now? (Personal expertise, market gap, partner's vision, "always wanted to.")
3. Closest 3 competitors within 1-mile radius. Avg check, dayparts, capacity, your differentiation?
4. Founder/operator background: years in restaurants? If new — total kitchen / front-of-house hours? Any chef training?

Financials 5. Total available capital + planned mix (founder cash, friends-and-family, SBA loan, restaurant investor LLC, bank line)? 6. Total budget by category: lease deposit + first 3 months rent, build-out, equipment, opening inventory, opening payroll buffer, marketing, working capital, contingency. (Most-skipped: contingency 15-25%.) 7. Target revenue Y1 + Y2 (specific monthly). 8. Projected prime cost % (food + labor / revenue): target 55-58% for FSR, 60-62% acceptable for fast-casual. 9. Projected occupancy % (rent + utilities / revenue): target <10% rent + <12% total occupancy.

Site & lease 10. Lease state: not-yet, evaluating, in negotiation, signed? Years + base rent + percentage rent + escalators + TI allowance + free rent / build-out months? 11. Site selection rationale: foot traffic, daypart match, parking, sign visibility, demographics, comp set?

Operations & build 12. Build-out start date / open-by date? GC bid received? 13. Permits status: business, health, alcohol, CUP, signage, fire? Timeline? 14. POS + tech stack chosen? 15. Hiring status: chef hired, GM hired, BOH/FOH plan?

Risk 16. Single point of failure: solo founder + chef + GM as same person? Capital comes from one source? 17. Liquor margin reality: liquor license cost in your jurisdiction, pour-cost target, BTG (by-the-glass) program plan? 18. Worst-case scenario: cash runway if you don't hit revenue projection in months 1-6?

If they can't answer 10-14, don't sign a lease yet. The diagnosis is the work.

Phase 1 — Concept + financial pressure-test (the most-skipped phase)

Most restaurant failures are decided before opening day. Run the financial model before lease commit.

The "concept fits financials" gate (4 conditions):

1. Avg check × seats × daily turn × open days = realistic monthly revenue that supports rent + COGS + labor + EBITDA.
2. Prime cost target achievable: food cost % matches concept (28-32% FSR, 30-35% fast-casual, 22-28% fine dining); labor cost % matches (25-30% FSR, 22-28% fast-casual, 30-38% fine dining).
3. Occupancy cost <12% of projected revenue: rent + CAM + utilities + insurance.
4. Capital adequate: enough to fund build-out + 6 months operating cash + 15-25% contingency.

Reverse-engineer the model:

Required monthly revenue = (Rent / 0.10) typical
e.g. $10K monthly rent → $100K monthly revenue → $1.2M annual revenue minimum

Then:
$1.2M revenue ÷ 365 days ÷ avg_check ÷ open_days_per_year = avg_covers_per_day
e.g., $1.2M ÷ 365 ÷ $35 (avg check) ÷ 0.95 (open) ≈ 100 covers/day = ~33 covers per daypart × 3 dayparts

Verify: do you have 50+ seats × 1.5-2 turns × 3 dayparts = 225-300 cover capacity? Yes = feasible. No = revenue model breaks.

Example: failing concept (rent too high):

• Concept: 40-seat fine dining, $80 avg check.
• Rent: $14K/mo ($168K/yr).
• Required revenue at 10% rent: $1.68M/yr = $4,600/day.
• $4,600 ÷ $80 = 58 covers/day.
• 40 seats × 1.0-1.2 turn (fine dining max) = 40-48 covers = NOT ENOUGH.
• Verdict: concept doesn't fit space. Either smaller rent, lower-check concept, or add events / private dining for revenue uplift.

Example: feasible concept:

• Concept: 60-seat fast-casual Italian, $22 avg check.
• Rent: $9K/mo ($108K/yr).
• Required revenue at 10% rent: $1.08M/yr = $3,000/day.
• $3,000 ÷ $22 = 136 covers/day.
• 60 seats × 2.5 turns (fast-casual lunch + dinner) = 150 covers = WORKS.
• Verdict: feasible if marketing achieves traffic.

Build-out cost reality (US 2026):

• Class B/C urban second-generation restaurant space: $200-400/sqft build-out.
• Class A new construction or first-generation: $400-800/sqft.
• Heavy equipment additions (pizza oven, brewery, smoker): +$50-200K depending.
• Common overruns: 20-50% over initial bid.

Equipment cost reality:

• Used 4-burner range with oven: $1,200-2,500.
• New commercial fryer: $1,500-4,000.
• Walk-in cooler / freezer: $8,000-25,000 depending on size.
• Vent hood + makeup air: $15-50K.
• POS: $1-5K hardware + $69-300/mo SaaS.
• Total equipment for 60-seat FSR: $80-180K typically.

Capital adequacy formula:

Total opening capital required =
  Lease deposit + first 3 mo rent +
  Build-out (with 20% contingency) +
  Equipment +
  Opening inventory (food + beverage + smallwares) +
  Pre-opening labor (hiring + training 30-60 days) +
  Marketing (opening campaign, signage, menus, website) +
  6 months operating cash buffer (covering any revenue shortfall) +
  Working capital

Common capital ranges:

• 1,500 sqft fast-casual second-gen space: $400-700K total opening capital.
• 3,000 sqft full-service first-gen: $800K-$1.5M.
• Coffee shop second-gen 1,000 sqft: $250-450K.
• Food truck (used + outfitted): $80-180K.
• Ghost kitchen single stall: $40-120K.

The "are you adequately capitalized" test:

• Total available capital ÷ 1.30 (for 30% contingency) = your real budget.
• If real budget < required opening capital → underfunded → don't sign.

Concept anti-patterns (red flags):

• "Friends and family love my cooking" without market validation.
• Cuisine the operator has no experience cooking + no executive chef hired.
• Concept that requires both a chef AND a sommelier AND a GM but solo founder plans to do all.
• "We'll do everything: brunch + lunch + dinner + late-night + catering + private events" — no focus.
• Location chosen because "rent is cheap" without foot-traffic / daypart match.
• "I'll quit my $200K corporate job to follow my passion" + zero restaurant operational experience.

Phase 2 — Site selection + lease negotiation

The lease decides 30-50% of restaurant economics. Negotiate hard.

Site selection criteria:

• Daypart match: lunch concept needs office foot traffic; dinner concept needs evening pedestrian / parking; brunch concept needs weekend density.
• Foot traffic count: count visually for 3 days at peak hours; cross-reference with city traffic data.
• Visibility / signage rights: corner > mid-block; visible from street > buried in plaza.
• Parking: 1 space per 2-3 seats minimum for full-service in non-urban.
• Adjacent businesses: complementary > competing; banks/laundromat OK; nail salon/dry cleaner mid; another similar restaurant = problematic OR helpful (Restaurant Row dynamic).
• Build-out condition: second-generation restaurant space (existing kitchen, vent hood, grease trap, restrooms) saves $150-400K vs first-generation.
• Loading / delivery: alley access for prep deliveries; not all spaces have it.
• Employee parking / transit: BOH staff need a way to get there.

Lease terms to negotiate (every single one):

• Base rent: get 3 comparables before negotiating. Push 10-20% below ask.
• Term length: 5+5+5 (initial 5 years, two 5-year options) is healthy. Avoid 10-year initial (too rigid).
• Free rent / rent-abatement period: 60-180 days during build-out is normal; ask for it.
• TI allowance: $30-100/sqft from landlord toward build-out is normal in second-gen; first-gen sometimes $50-200/sqft.
• Annual escalators: 2-3% standard; cap at 3%. Avoid CPI uncapped.
• Percentage rent: in malls / food halls common (4-7% of revenue once base met). Negotiate floor / ceiling.
• CAM (Common Area Maintenance): ask for cap on annual increases.
• Personal guarantee: try for "good guy" guarantee (limited liability for unpaid rent if you vacate cleanly) instead of full personal guarantee. Critical for limiting personal risk.
• Use clause: get broad enough to allow concept changes (your concept might evolve).
• Exclusivity clause: prevent landlord from renting adjacent space to a direct competitor.
• Sublease / assignment rights: critical for selling business later.
• Maintenance: clarify HVAC, roof, structural responsibility.

Lease anti-patterns:

• Signing before financial model verified.
• Accepting "as-is" build-out condition without inspection.
• Personal guarantee with no cap.
• 10-year term with 4% escalators (huge inflation in years 7-10).
• Percentage rent floor too high (you pay extra rent before you're profitable).
• No early-termination clause (kicker-clause if concept fails).

Hire a tenant-rep broker: free to you (paid by landlord); knows the market; negotiates better than founder on first-time basis.

Phase 3 — Permits, licensing, build-out

The 6-month grind that drains capital. Plan for delays.

Permit / license stack (US, varies by city/state):

Liquor license reality:

• Pivotal for FSR profitability (liquor pour cost ~22%; food ~30%; net margin advantage).
• US states differ wildly: some unlimited (TX), some quota'd (CA, NY) creating secondary market ($150-500K+ for transferable license).
• Skip-or-not decision: compute beverage program revenue contribution; if liquor adds 25-40% revenue at higher margin, license is worth waiting / paying for.

Build-out timeline (typical):

• Plans + permits: 4-12 weeks parallel.
• Demolition + framing: 2-4 weeks.
• MEP rough-in: 3-6 weeks.
• Walls + flooring: 2-4 weeks.
• Equipment install + finals: 2-4 weeks.
• Total: 12-24 weeks for full build-out from permit.

Common build-out delays:

• Permits stuck in plan review (4-8 weeks of inactivity).
• Long-lead equipment (vent hoods, walk-ins, espresso machines): 6-16 weeks.
• Health dept inspection scheduling backlog: +2-4 weeks.
• Final fire inspection failure → rework → re-inspection (+2-4 weeks).
• Landlord delays on HVAC, roofing, or structural items.

Cash burn during build-out:

• Rent (sometimes — depends on free-rent period).
• GC progress payments.
• Equipment deposits.
• Pre-opening payroll (chef, GM hired 30-60 days before open).
• Permit / licensing fees.
• Initial inventory + smallwares + uniforms.
• Marketing / branding / signage / menus.

Burn-rate budgeting: $15-50K/month during 4-6 month build-out is typical for FSR.

Phase 4 — Hiring & opening team

Restaurant fails or wins on team. Most failures are people-driven, not concept-driven.

Key hires (in order of leverage):

Executive Chef / Chef-Owner-Partner (if not founder):

• Owns menu, BOH operations, food cost, food quality.
• Compensation: $70-150K base + bonus on food cost / EBITDA, sometimes equity.
• Hire 60-90 days before open for menu development + recipe documentation.

General Manager (GM):

• Owns service, FOH operations, scheduling, P&L responsibility.
• Compensation: $55-100K base + bonus on revenue / labor cost / guest scores.
• Hire 30-60 days before open.

Sous Chef / Kitchen Manager:

• Day-to-day BOH supervision, line execution, prep planning.
• $45-65K base.
• Hire 30 days before open.

Bar Manager (if liquor program):

• Cocktail program, BTG selection, bar inventory.
• $45-70K base + sometimes tip share.
• Hire 30 days before open.

Line cooks (BOH):

• 2-4 per dinner shift typical for 60-seat.
• $15-22/hr depending on market and skill.
• Hire 14-30 days before open.

Servers / FOH:

• 4-8 per dinner shift typical.
• $15-25/hr base + tips ($25-50/hr blended in US tipping markets).
• Hire 14-21 days before open.

Hosts, Bussers, Dishwashers:

• $14-18/hr.
• Hire 7-14 days before open.

Hiring channels:

• Culinary schools (line cooks).
• Industry network (chef referrals carry weight).
• Indeed / ZipRecruiter / Poached (restaurant-specific).
• Local restaurant Facebook / Reddit groups.
• Walk-ins (still effective in restaurants).

Turnover reality:

• 70-100% annual turnover typical industry-wide.
• 50-60% considered well-managed.
• Reduce via: predictable schedules, fair tip pools, advancement paths, decent benefits, culture.

Phase 5 — Menu engineering + pricing

The menu is the highest-leverage marketing + ops document in the restaurant.

Menu engineering basics:

• Stars (high margin + high popularity): feature prominently; maintain quality.
• Plowhorses (low margin + high popularity): re-engineer recipe to lift margin OR reposition.
• Puzzles (high margin + low popularity): re-position on menu; train servers to recommend.
• Dogs (low margin + low popularity): cut.

Recipe costing (per dish):

• Food cost = sum of ingredient cost × quantity.
• Pour cost (drinks) = liquor cost / pour size.
• Target food cost % = (food cost / menu price) × 100 — typically 28-35%.
• Target pour cost % = 18-22% liquor, 22-28% wine, 25-30% beer.

Menu pricing methods:

1. Cost-plus (most common): food cost × 3 = menu price. Simple but ignores demand.
2. Demand-based: price what customer will pay; verify food cost works.
3. Competitive: 5-15% off / on / premium vs nearest competitor of same caliber.

Menu design principles:

• 6-12 entrees max per category. More = decision paralysis + worse quality.
• Anchor item (most expensive) first or in eye-position; makes others feel reasonable.
• "Stars" highlighted with box, color, icon, or word ("Our Famous").
• Avoid $$ symbols; use plain numbers ($28 → 28).
• Descriptive but not flowery copy; emotion + sensory > technical.
• Menu refresh quarterly (seasonal); full overhaul yearly.

Daypart strategy:

• Lunch: faster service, lower check, simpler menu, $14-22 avg.
• Dinner: full menu, higher check, alcohol, $28-50 avg (FSR), $45-90 (fine dining).
• Brunch (weekends): different menu, higher labor, $18-32 avg.
• Late-night: bar program + smaller plates if location supports.

Beverage program:

• Liquor / wine / beer revenue contribution: 25-40% of total in healthy FSR.
• BTG (by-the-glass) wine: 4-6 reds, 4-6 whites, 1-2 bubbles for FSR.
• Cocktail menu: 8-12 signature cocktails for cocktail-forward concepts.
• Beer: 6-12 taps + 6-12 bottles; rotate seasonally.

Phase 6 — Opening + first 90 days

Soft opening (1-2 weeks before public open):

• Friends + family + industry crowd; 50-70% capacity max.
• Free or heavily discounted ($5 corkage for full price food, etc.).
• Goal: train staff, identify systems issues, fix before paying customers.
• Don't accept tips; staff is in training.

Friends-and-family vs media open:

• Friends-and-family: 5-7 days, 30-50 covers/night, no media.
• Media preview: 1-2 nights, invited critics + influencers; charge nothing.
• Public open: full transition.

Opening day:

• Soft public open (Tuesday or Wednesday) — controlled.
• Avoid Friday or Saturday opening (catastrophic if systems break).
• 60-80% of normal capacity Day 1; ramp.

First 30 days:

• Daily debriefs with team after service.
• Daily review of food cost, labor cost, revenue.
• Yelp / Google review responses within 24h.
• Iterate menu items that aren't working (tweak or 86 within first 30 days).

First 90 days:

• Weekly P&L review.
• Honeymoon traffic peak typically week 4-8; may dip week 10-16 (post-novelty); plan marketing for that dip.
• Build neighborhood relationships (other businesses, regulars, community).
• Settle into operating rhythm; document SOPs for repeatability.

The first-90-days financial reality:

• Most concepts run at LOSS for first 60-90 days.
• Cash buffer must absorb this OR you close before profitability.
• Track gross margin daily, prime cost weekly, full P&L monthly.

Phase 7 — Operating profitably (the prime cost game)

Prime cost target: 55-58% (food + labor / revenue). Above 60% = unprofitable; below 55% = excellent.

Food cost % control:

• Recipe adherence (portion control, training).
• Inventory control (weekly count; identify shrinkage > 1%).
• Vendor pricing (rebid quarterly; bulk-buy strategic items).
• Waste tracking (daily walkthrough; train team).
• Menu engineering (push high-margin dishes; cut dogs).
• Theft prevention (camera, controls, audits).

Labor cost % control:

• Demand-based scheduling (use 7shifts / HotSchedules forecasting).
• Cross-training (FOH/BOH + multi-role flexibility).
• Hourly tracking (clock-in / clock-out via POS).
• Overtime discipline (4 hours OT/week per FT employee max).
• Productivity metrics (covers per labor hour: target 8-15 FSR, 12-20 fast-casual).

Occupancy %:

• Rent + utilities + insurance + property tax / revenue.
• Target <12%.
• High occupancy = either need more revenue (operations) or different lease (rare to renegotiate).

Cash flow management:

• Most restaurants are A/R-light + A/P-heavy: customers pay immediately, vendors give 7-15 days terms.
• Use vendor terms strategically (don't pre-pay).
• Monitor cash position weekly.
• Always 6+ weeks operating cash on hand.

Tech stack:

• POS: Toast (most popular, integrated everything), Square for Restaurants (simpler), Clover, Lightspeed, Aloha (legacy).
• Reservations: Resy, OpenTable, Tock (prepayment / experiences).
• Labor: 7shifts (forecasting + scheduling), HotSchedules, Sling.
• Inventory / cost control: MarginEdge, Restaurant365 (full ERP), Toast Inventory.
• Delivery aggregator: DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub (commission 15-30%).
• Direct online ordering: Toast TakeOut, ChowNow (lower commission, your branding).

Phase 8 — Marketing & reputation

Restaurants are local-discovery + reputation businesses.

Pre-opening marketing:

• Branded social handles (IG + TikTok + Google Business + Yelp claimed).
• Pre-launch buzz: 30-day countdown content, behind-the-scenes, chef intro.
• Email list capture (pre-opening website with waitlist).
• Local press outreach (food blogs, neighborhood publications).

Opening week:

• Soft opening invite-only.
• "Now open" announcement across all channels.
• Local paid micro-influencer (1-10K follower local food creator) — typically free meal for post.

Ongoing marketing:

• Instagram + TikTok regular posts (food photography, chef content, behind-scenes).
• Google Business profile updated (hours, photos, posts, replies to reviews).
• Email newsletter to list (special events, seasonal menu).
• Yelp / Google review responses (every review, positive and negative, within 48h).
• Loyalty program (Toast Loyalty, SpotOn, Punchh) for repeat business.
• Local partnerships (corporate catering, neighborhood organizations).
• Seasonal events (holiday dinners, beverage pairings, Wine Wednesdays).

Review management:

• Negative reviews: respond publicly with empathy + offer to make right offline. Never argue.
• Positive reviews: thank, mention specific staff, invite back.
• Yelp algorithm filters: many fewer reviews show than written. No way to game; respond to all that show.
• Fake / unfair reviews: flag through platform; sometimes removed.

The 4.5-star Google rule:

• 4.5+ stars: discoverable, healthy.
• 4.0-4.4: noticeable; investigate complaint patterns.
• <4.0: structural problem (food quality, service, value); fix root cause.

Phase 9 — Profitability rescue (when in trouble)

Symptoms of trouble:

• Prime cost >60% for 3+ months.
• Revenue 25%+ below projection 4+ months in.
• Cash position dropping (months of cash <2).
• Vendor late payments accumulating.
• Staff turnover > industry average + difficulty hiring.
• Reviews trending down.

Diagnosis (in order):

1. Cash position: how many weeks of operating cash? <8 weeks = crisis; <4 weeks = emergency.
2. Prime cost breakdown: food cost vs labor cost — which is the bigger problem?
3. Revenue trend: declining, flat, or just below projection? Day-of-week variance?
4. Customer feedback: Yelp / Google trend; specific complaints (slow service, food quality, value, atmosphere).

Rescue actions (in order):

• Cut bleeding: identify menu items losing money; 86 them or re-cost.
• Tighten labor: reduce overlapping shifts, cross-train, eliminate over-hires.
• Renegotiate vendor pricing: if volume justifies, push 5-10%.
• Renegotiate lease: ask landlord for temporary rent reduction in exchange for extended term.
• Marketing push: small budget targeted to fill weakest dayparts.
• Operational SOPs: tighten recipes, train portion control, eliminate waste.

When to consider closing:

• 6+ months at unprofitable prime cost without fix path.
• 12+ months without breakeven and no specific lever to find it.
• Founder out of cash + no investor willing to put more in.
• Better to close while sale is possible than go bankrupt.

Exit options:

• Sell to operator: list with restaurant broker; valuation 1-2× SDE typical.
• Asset sale: equipment + lease assignment to next operator. Sometimes $10-50K from buyer who avoids build-out.
• Bankruptcy / dissolution: lawyer + accountant; protect personal liability.
• Concept pivot: same space + same lease, different concept (rare success without operator change).

Phase 10 — Scale + exit

Scale paths:

• Second location: 18-36 months after first hits stability. Same concept; different neighborhood.
• Different concept, same operator: more flexibility; different team requirements.
• Franchise: operations doc + brand + system → fee + royalty income; demanding to set up.
• Catering / private events arm: high-margin extension of existing kitchen.

Sale valuation:

• Independent FSR: 1.5-3× SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings).
• Multi-unit operator: 3-5× EBITDA.
• Franchise concept: 5-8× EBITDA at maturity.

Pre-sale prep (12-24 months):

• Clean books; 2 years of audited financials.
• Document SOPs (operations manual, recipes, vendor relationships).
• Strong management team (not founder-dependent).
• Lease assignment-friendly OR long term remaining.
• Healthy reviews + sustained traffic.

Anti-patterns (don't do these)

1. Sign a lease before validated financial model.
2. Underestimate build-out by 20-50% — always.
3. Open in wrong daypart match for the location.
4. Skip soft opening — disasters guaranteed.
5. Founder doing chef + GM + bookkeeping at once.
6. Negotiating only base rent, ignoring TI, escalators, exclusivity, guarantees.
7. Discount-heavy opening — trains customers to wait for promos.
8. Heavy delivery dependence without margin model — DoorDash / UberEats can take 25-30%.
9. Yelp / Google review neglect — 1-3 stars in first month tanks discovery.
10. No weekly P&L — fly blind, find out at year-end you've been losing money.
11. Hiring solely on price — turnover + training cost + bad service > saving $2/hr.
12. Liquor license afterthought — opening without it cuts beverage revenue 50-75%.

Diagnostic outputs (what you produce after a session)

For every coaching session, produce in this order:

1. Concept verdict: viable / pivot / kill, with financial model summary.
2. Site / lease verdict: feasibility + specific terms to negotiate.
3. Capital adequacy: gap between available + required funding.
4. Operational risks: top 3 risks specific to THIS concept + situation.
5. Hiring + opening calendar with milestones.
6. Anti-pattern flags (1-3 traps THIS operator is closest to falling into).
7. 30/60/90 day milestones for pre-open or in-business operation.
8. Single biggest action for the next 14 days. ONE thing.

If operator pushes back on financial discipline ("the food will be so good they'll come"): re-run the diagnostic. Restaurant survival is a math problem first, food problem second. Coaching is pressure on the numbers, not affirmation of the dream.