Free restaurant tool · Planning a restaurant?

Startup Cost Calculator

How much capital do I need?

Estimate one-time setup, opening inventory, monthly fixed costs and working capital — labelled as estimates you can edit.

Figures below are a starting cafe-style estimate for a busy Indian city. Change every line. They are estimates, not a quote from a contractor or a bank.

City / locationOptional

A label for your estimate — we do not look up local prices

Restaurant typeOptional

Seating capacityOptional

Helps you remember the size you modelled — it does not auto-scale costs

Estimated monthly rentOptional

₹

Shop / kitchen rent · monthly

Security depositOptional

₹

Typically a few months of rent · one-time

InteriorsOptional

₹

Civil, furniture fit-out, lighting · one-time

Kitchen equipmentOptional

₹

Cooking line, refrigeration, exhaust · one-time

FurnitureOptional

₹

Tables, chairs, counters · one-time

POS / software / hardwareOptional

₹

Terminals, printers, first year of software · one-time

Licences / complianceOptional

₹

Varies by city — treat as a placeholder · one-time

Initial inventoryOptional

₹

First stock of food, beverage, packaging · opening stock

Staff hiring / trainingOptional

₹

Recruitment and opening training · one-time

Branding / signageOptional

₹

Board, menus, uniforms · one-time

Launch marketingOptional

₹

Opening offers, listing fees · one-time

Utilities / depositsOptional

₹

Electricity, gas, internet deposits · one-time

Monthly salaries (opening roster)Optional

₹

Steady monthly payroll · monthly

Other monthly fixed costsOptional

₹

Maintenance, accounting, software subscriptions · monthly

ContingencyOptional

₹

Buffer for overruns · one-time

Working capital (months of fixed costs)

Cash buffer after opening — often 2–4 months

Estimated capital requirement

₹28,05,000

Estimate for a cafe with about 32 seats. Change any line.

One-time setup: ₹18,30,000
Opening inventory: ₹1,20,000
Monthly fixed expenses: ₹2,85,000
Working capital (3 mo): ₹8,55,000

These figures are planning estimates, not accounting, tax or legal advice.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Is this what I should actually spend?

No. It is a structured estimate. Rent, interiors and licences vary by city, building and concept. Change every line to match quotes you have.

Does choosing a city change the maths?

City, type and seating are labels for your assumptions. They do not look up a hidden price table. You still enter rent and equipment yourself.

Also see the original calculator hub for GST, labour, delivery commission and more.