Small tapas bar and restaurant

Locals out for dinner or drinks, groups of friends, couples on date nights and people booking small celebrations.

Food and drink sales per table. Shared plates encourage several orders per guest, and drinks usually add a good share of the bill.

• Cooking or managing a kitchen
• Running a team and rosters
• Costing menus and controlling waste
• Customer service

• Food business registration with your local council and food safety supervisor requirements, check your state rules
• A liquor licence is a separate process with your state or territory regulator and can take a while, check requirements early
• Public liability and property insurance, plus workers compensation once you hire staff
• Lease terms, fit-out costs and council approval for kitchen and seating changes
• Thin margins and long hours, so test your numbers before signing a lease
• Staff wages, penalty rates and award conditions, check with Fair Work

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $80,000 to $350,000, depending on the venue, lease, kitchen fit-out and seating. Testing your numbers carefully before signing a lease is important given thin margins.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $40,000 to $150,000, depending on location, seat numbers, opening hours and pricing. This is revenue, not profit, and wages, rent and ingredients can take a large share.

Check food business registration with your local council and food safety supervisor requirements. A liquor licence is a separate process with your state or territory regulator, so check early. Also check lease terms, council approvals, insurance and award wages with Fair Work.