mission in business plan food

Best Mission Statements Examples [for Food & Beverage Industry]

A mission statement is vital for any business as it serves as a compass which guides the company’s operations and decisions. In this article you will find vision and mission statements examples for companies that fall into the following industries:

Food and Beverage

A food and beverage company is an organization that produces, distributes, and sells food and beverages. These companies are responsible for the production, packaging, marketing, distribution and sale of all products related to food and beverage. They are often involved in research and development to create new recipes as well as explore new markets for their products. Food and beverage companies provide a wide range of services from catering to manufacturing of processed foods. They may provide a wide range of products, from grocery items to restaurant-style meals. Some food and beverage companies provide catering services for large events or special occasions. The goal of a food and beverage company is to offer their customers the best quality products at competitive prices. In order to do this, they must have access to the highest quality ingredients and the latest technology. They also often have a team of managers, chefs, and servers who can ensure that their customers receive an enjoyable experience with every meal. Food and beverage companies are responsible for ensuring that their products meet all safety standards and regulations set by the government. To ensure that their customers are satisfied with their experience, these businesses must be focused on customers and stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry.

Having a clear mission statement is essential for any food and beverage company. It outlines the company’s purpose and provides the team with a sense of direction. For example, if a food and beverage company’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable products to its customers, this helps employees understand that their focus should be on customer satisfaction. A mission statement is also an excellent way to communicate your company’s values to customers and stakeholders. It can also help suppliers and other partners understand why the company has chosen them to partner with. It can also help the company stand out from competitors by providing customers with a unique sense of identity and purpose.

A good mission statement for a food and beverage company is inspiring and focused on the customer. A strong mission statement should be meaningful to the company’s employees, customers, and shareholders; it should reflect the company’s core values, such as quality products, customer service, sustainability, innovation, community involvement.

Learn more: How to Create a Perfect Company Mission, Vision, Values Statement? (Awesome Template) See also: 30+ Best Core Values: Examples for Food and Beverage Companies

Samples of Vision and Mission Statements: Finance and Investment Companies

To provide an exceptional dining experience that satisfies our guests’ grown-up tastes by being a “ Cut-Above ” in everything we do.

Archer Daniels Midland Co.

Our mission is to unlock the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. It’s something we do with every new product we develop, and we couldn’t do it if we weren’t Resourceful By Nature™ .

B&G Foods Inc.

To manufacture, sell and distribute a diversified portfolio of high-quality, shelf-stable foods across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico .

Brannigans Restaurant

To ensure that each guest receives prompt, professional, friendly and courteous service . To maintain a clean, comfortable and well maintained premises for our guests and staff. To provide at a fair price – nutritional, well-prepared meals – using only quality ingredients. To ensure that all guests and staff are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. To thank each guest for the opportunity to serve them. By maintaining these objectives we shall be assured of a fair profit that will allow us to contribute to the community we serve.

BRF-Brazil Foods S/A

BRF cultivates ties. The culture of our company is committed to the long-term relationships and the entire chain around us: producers, consumers, employees, investors, customers and partners .

Campbell Soup Co.

Our mission is to nourish people’s lives by offering a wide variety of convenient, delicious, and affordable food choices that can help everyone enjoy a balanced, healthful diet.

Chiquita Brands International Inc.

Our mission at Chiquita is to improve world nutrition .

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.

Our commitment is to provide products and services that meet the beverage and business needs of our customers and consumers. In doing so, we provide sound and rewarding business opportunities and benefits for customers, suppliers, distributors and communities.

Coca-Cola Femsa S.A.B. de C.V.

Our goal is to continue to build on our compelling track record of growth , focusing on the disciplined execution of the pillars of our strategic framework to improve our position in the global beverage industry.

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Co. S.A.

Our mission is to : refresh our consumers partner with our customers reward our stakeholders and enrich the lives of our local communities.

ConAgra Foods Inc.

We are a company committed to making everyday foods in extraordinary ways .

Providing more clean, renewable energy to improve quality of life is Cosan’s mission and reason for existence .

To be the lowest cost, preferred supplier of a broad range of attractive and innovative private label soft drinks to aligned retailer partners.T

Every guest who chooses Culver ’s leaves happy.

Dean Foods Co.

The Company’s primary objective is to maximize long-term stockholder value, while adhering to the laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates and at all times observing the highest ethical standards.

Delhaize Group

Delhaize Group will achieve leading positions in food retailing in key mature and emerging markets. We accomplish our goal by developing strong regional companies benefiting from and contributing to the Group’s strength, expertise and successful practices . Delhaize Group goes to market with a variety of food store formats. The Group is committed to offer a locally differentiated shopping experience to its customers in each of its markets, to deliver superior value and to maintain high social, environmental and ethical standards.

Our Mission at Denny’s is to establish beneficial business relationships with diverse suppliers who share our commitment to customer service, quality and competitive pricing .

Dole Food Co. Inc.

Dole Food Company, Inc. is committed to supplying the consumer and our customers with the finest, high-quality products and to leading the industry in nutrition research and education. Dole supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc.

At Dr Pepper Snapple Group , it is our vision to be the best beverage business in the Americas. Our brands have been synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor for generations, and our sales are poised to keep growing in the future.

Flowers Foods Inc.

As a team, our mission is to drive sustainable growth that enhances value for our shareholders, associates, distributors, customers, consumers, and communities .

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.

We are dedicated to meeting the current and future needs of consumers worldwide . Our long-range vision is to become the leading global supplier of healthful, wholesome, and nutritious fresh and prepared foods, and beverages to consumers of all ages.

General Mills Inc.

Our mission is to make lives healthier, easier and richer . General Mills is Nourishing Lives.

GNC Holdings Inc. Cl ASupervalu Inc.

To continue to be the leading provider of products, services and information in the self-care and personal health enhancement market.

To provide a shopping experience that exceeds our customers’ expectations .

Gruma S.A.B. de C.V.

To contribute to the quality of life of our customers and consumers in all of the operations in which we participate, offering high-quality products and services suited to their different needs, lifestyles, and cultures, and generating dynamic and profitable long-term growth to create the greatest possible value for our shareholders. Through a primary focus on our key business areas: corn flour, tortillas, wheat flour, and flatbreads .

H.J. Heinz Co.

Our mission is simple: As the trusted leader in nutrition and wellness, Heinz – the original Pure Food Company – is dedicated to the sustainable health of people, the planet and our Company .

Heart and Soul

Our aim is to provide happiness and joy through, food, music and art.

Herbalife Ltd.

Herbalife’s mission is to change people’s lives . We provide the best nutrition and weight-management products in the world to help people pursue a healthy, active life.

Hershey Co.

Bringing sweet moments of Hershey happiness to the world everyday.

To create and promote great-tasting, truly healthy, organic beverages .

Hormel Foods Corp.

At Hormel Foods, we are committed to providing consumers with high-quality, high-value branded products that are flavorful, nutritious and convenient. Guided by Our Way – our internal principles platform – we strive to set industry standards for product quality, work environment and community engagement.

J.M. Smucker Co.

Bringing Beyond Ordinary™ snacking to consumers’ daily lives.

Kellogg Co.

To drive sustainable growth through the power of our people and brands by better serving the needs of our consumers, customers and communitie.

Kellogg Company

To enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter.

Kraft Foods, Inc.

Our mission is to be THE best investment in the industry .

Our mission is to be a leader in the distribution and merchandising of food, pharmacy, health and personal care items, seasonal merchandise, and related products and services. We place considerable importance on forging strong supplier partnerships. Our suppliers, large or small, local or global, are essential components in accomplishing our mission.

Les Fougères Restaurant

1. To achieve and maintain such distinction in food and wine, service, atmosphere and setting that the restaurant gains a first class reputation for gastronomy, gracious and informed hospitality, comfort and beauty which draws new and repeat customers year after year.

2. To achieve the above whilst upholding staff policies and practices which promote a fair and positive working environment.

3. To be aware of and act on our responsibilities as a good corporate citizen to:

* provide a safe, clean and attractive place for guests to enjoy and for employees to work in; * ensure ecologically sound management practices at the restaurant and in our surrounding gardens and woods; * undertake meaningful involvement of Restaurant Les Fougères in selected charitable activities in our community and region.

Maxie’s Supper Club and Oyster Bar

To sell delicious and remarkable food and drinks . That the food and drink we sell meets the highest standards of quality, freshness and seasonality and combines both modern-creative and traditional southern styles of cooking. To consistently provide our customers with impeccable service by demonstrating warmth, graciousness, efficiency, knowledge, professionalism and integrity in our work. To have every customer who comes through our doors leave impressed by Maxie’s and excited to come back again. To create and maintain a restaurant that is comprehensive and exceptional in its attention to every detail of operation. To provide all who work with us a friendly, cooperative and rewarding environment which encourages long-term, satisfying, growth employment. To keep our concept fresh, exciting and on the cutting edge of the hospitality and entertainment industry. To be a giving member of the Ithaca community and to use our restaurant to improve the quality of life in the Finger Lakes region.

McCormick & Co. Inc.

The primary mission of McCormick & Company, Incorporated is to profitably expand its worldwide leadership position in the spice, seasoning and flavoring markets.

Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.

To nourish the world’s children for the best start in life.

Medifast Inc.

Medifast is on a mission to enrich lives by providing innovative choices for lasting health.

When you choose Medifast, you get a powerful product along with the support of an unusually committed company. We are passionate about offering hope to those who want freedom from obesity .

Naked Juice

Making the whole planet feel better. One bottle at a time .

Nash Finch Company

We are a performance driven culture that uses metrics to ensure continuous improvement. Through our distribution and marketing competencies, we provide creative, customized, solutions for our customers . As a result, we achieve superior profit growth as the grocery distribution company of choice .

Ninety Nine Restaurant

A Passion to Serve.

PepsiCo Inc.

Our mission is to be the world’s premier consumer products company focused on convenient foods and beverages. We seek to produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate. And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity .

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.

To be the best in what we set out to do , totally focused on our business, ensuring the best products and services to our customers, solidity to suppliers, satisfactory profitability for shareholders and the certainty of a better future for all employees.

Post Holdings Inc.

Enriching the lives of our customers by bringing quality food to the kitchen table .

Helping pets live longer, happier and healthier lives through proper nutrition and care .

Ralcorp Holdings Inc.

One company. One goal. Making the food you love .

Roundy’s Inc.

Roundy’s understands the lifestyle needs of consumers better than anyone. We deliver products and services in neighborhood stores that offer an engaging, interactive shopping experience on all levels, especially sight, smell and taste . We are an innovative company that: Takes care of the customer, whatever it takes. Values our employees’ talents and skills. Is known for integrity in all of our work. Wins the hearts and minds of customers, employees, suppliers and partners . Involves and inspires all stakeholders to do their very best.

Safeway Inc.

We earn the loyalty of the people we serve by first anticipating, then fulfilling their needs with our superior-quality products, a unique shopping experience, customer-focused service and continuous innovation, while generating long-term profitable growth for our shareholders.

Smithfield Foods Inc.

Smithfield Foods is determined to be an ethical food industry leader that excels every day at bringing delicious and nutritious meat products to millions of people around the world in a manner that sets industry benchmarks for sustainability.

Supervalu Inc.

SVI’s mission is to deliver quality products at affordable prices to our independent retailers, wholesalers and food service partners around the world by providing international procurement, distribution, marketing and supply chain management.

Sysco Corp.

To market and deliver great products to our customers with exceptional service.

The Hershey Company

Undisputed Marketplace Leadership

Tomasso’s Pizza & Subs

We are Committed to using the finest ingredients in our recipes. No food leaves our kitchen that we ourselves would not eat .

TreeHouse Foods Inc.

In order to optimize THS shareholder value, we will:

Become the recognized industry leader in private label, customer brands and custom products Grow tall via product innovation, consumer insight, customer partnerships and strategic acquisitions Grow strong through strategic vision, operational excellence, structural consolidation and collaborative teamwork Build competitive advantage through the relentless pursuit of our customers’ needs, lowest cost operations and shareholder returns Live by our values, true to our beliefs, respecting our legacy heritages and uniting them under one roof and culture, while building the TreeHouse of the future Exceed the expectations of our customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders alike.

Tyson Foods Inc. Cl A

Making great Food. Making a Difference.

Unilever N.V.

Unilever’s corporate vision – helping people to look good, feel good and get more out of life – shows how clearly the business understands 21st century-consumers and their lives. But the spirit of this mission forms a thread that runs throughout our history.

Usana Health Sciences Inc.

To develop and provide the highest quality, science-based health products , distributed internationally through network marketing, creating a rewarding financial opportunity for our independent Associates, shareholders, and employees.

Vitamin Shoppe Inc.

Our mission has been to help people achieve their health and wellness goals . though we’ve changed over the years, our values have remained the same.

Weis Markets Inc.

To deliver an exceptional shopping experience by offering the best service, value, quality, and freshest products while being good stewards of our environment and giving back to the communities we serve.

Yoshinoya is in business to create the structure and systems needed to allow our customers access to the majority of their away-from-home daily meal requirements on a one-stop-shop basis . All our products shall be of the highest quality and value, be healthy, nutritious and provided with outstanding personal services at the lowest possible prices consistent with a fair return on investment for our shareholders, job enhancement/security for our employees and a level of community involvement by everyone connected with our business. All of our products and services shall be delivered consistently and measured one satisfied customer at a time, whether by company-owned or franchised operations, in superior, clean, convenient, fun and friendly neighborhood environments. We pledge to make Yoshinoya the best place to eat and the best place to work.

See also: 1500+ Best Company Vision and Mission Statements by Industry 250+ Best Inspirational Company Core Values See also: 30+ Best Core Values: Examples for Food and Beverage Companies

• Best Mission Statements Examples [Energy and Chemicals]
• Best Mission Statements Examples [for Travel & Accommodation]
• 30+ Best Core Values: Examples for Food and Beverage Companies
• Best Mission Statements Examples [Construction & Production]
• Best Mission Statements Examples [for Real Estate Companies]
• Are Mission and Vision Statements Still Relevant?

• Try it out »

How to Write Restaurant Mission and Vision Statements in 2021

On the surface, restaurant mission and vision statements are just a sentence or two about why a business exists. They can seem insignificant compared to the daily grind of attracting customers , serving delicious food, and growing your restaurant.

However, these mission statements are important. Defining your restaurant’s mission, vision and values will help guide strategic decisions and can add significant value to your business.

A restaurant mission statement shouldn’t be something you create on a whim. Instead, dedicate some time to thinking about why you are starting—or have already started—your restaurant.

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know to create a mission and a vision statement for your restaurant, as well as show you 21 examples of them in action.

Table of Contents

• 1 What Is a Good Restaurant Mission Statement?
• 2 Don’t Forget Your Vision Statement
• 3 How Do You Write a Mission and Vision for a Restaurant?
• 4 What Are Some Mission Statement Examples?
• 5 What Are the Core Vision and Values of a Restaurant?
• 6 Why You Need a Mission and a Vision Statement
• 7 General Tips on Crafting a Statement for Your Restaurant
• 8 21 Restaurant Mission Statement Examples 

Let’s get started on your restaurant’s mission statement and outline your vision and goals.

What Is a Good Restaurant Mission Statement?

A good restaurant mission statement clearly defines your restaurant’s goals. It also explains why your restaurant exists, and what makes it different.

This will typically relate to the dining experience, how you will ensure absolute guest satisfaction or broader issues like the environment, for example. If you choose to make your mission statement about a broader problem, it works best when it is something that appeals to your target customer.

Here are three mission statement examples:

• Dining experience: Create the best donuts in the world—Krispy Kreme
• Guest satisfaction: Create memorable experiences for everyone—Nando’s
• Broader issues: We believe it’s our responsibility to protect and preserve our oceans and marine life for generations to come—Red Lobster

Don’t Forget Your Vision Statement

Your restaurant vision is similar to your mission statement. It defines where you want your restaurant to be in the future.

When creating your vision, think about what the ultimate goal of your restaurant is. It could be something small like consistently providing exceptional fine dining experiences to guests or something more ambitious like global restaurant expansion.

To write a restaurant mission and vision statement, be specific and unique to your restaurant. They will strike the balance between being optimistic and matching the reality of your restaurant.

How Do You Write a Mission and Vision for a Restaurant?

All restaurateurs have a reason why they opened their restaurant and choose to serve a specific type of cuisine. They should also know what success means to them.

Creating a mission and a vision statement is simply a case of communicating this information clearly and concisely to your restaurant customers.

If your reasons aren’t clear, you’ll have to focus on gathering your thoughts first. To help, The Balance SMB recommends answering these three questions:

• What does your restaurant do?
• How does your restaurant do it?
• Why does your restaurant do it?

These questions will help you clarify why you are in the restaurant business and ultimately, help you write your mission and vision statement.

Creating a vision statement for your restaurant is a similar process to creating a mission statement. Use the content of your mission to consider what success looks like to you. For example, how will your restaurant look in three or five years once you have achieved your goals?

Your mission and vision statements should be linked.

If your mission statement is: “Bring authentic deep-dish pizza to the local area,” your vision statement should be something like: “Be a recognized brand in the local area and the number one place people choose to fill their pizza cravings.”

The final step is to take this information and write it in a way that is likely to resonate with those that read it. Instead of just stating the answers to the questions, spend some time crafting a sentence or paragraph that you are happy with. Ensure you avoid buzzwords in your writing.

You could even consider hiring a professional copywriter to help you with the task. This is especially important if you plan to publish your statements online.

What Are Some Mission Statement Examples?

Here is how the above steps could work in practice. Imagine we’re creating a restaurant mission statement for the owner of the fictional deep-dish pizza restaurant mentioned above.

• What does your restaurant do? We sell the best deep-dish pizza in the area and provide a fun experience for families.
• How does your restaurant do it? Our food tastes great because we use a special tomato sauce recipe that has been passed down over generations and we always buy fresh ingredients. We provide a great experience by focusing on the needs of each customer.
• Why does your restaurant do it? We hope to provide a new and unique dining experience for locals.

This could become the following restaurant mission statement:

At [restaurant name], we create good memories by serving original-style deep-dish pizza using a recipe that has been passed down over generations. Our restaurant provides an authentic dining experience that is unique to the area.

What Are the Core Vision and Values of a Restaurant?

The core values of your restaurant are the beliefs that dictate how you and your team behave. They are beliefs that your business won’t compromise, even if it means a boost in short-term (or long-term) profits.

Core values typically relate to how you interact with restaurant customers, employees, and suppliers. They are different from your mission statement, although they will influence it.

Some typical values include teamwork, service, quality, measurable customer satisfaction , and sourcing sustainable ingredients.

While these are all positive beliefs to have, they sound very generic. When writing your core values, think about how you can make each one unique to your restaurant.

Here are examples:

• Customer satisfaction becomes: Our restaurant strives to become our customers’ favorite place to eat and drink.
• Teamwork and trust become: We provide support for our employees and encourage them to make their own decisions. 
• Sustainability becomes: We always source ingredients from sustainable, local suppliers. 

Be careful not to confuse core values with aspirational values. These are values you would like to have at your company but don’t currently exist there.

For example, you might value sustainability but if your restaurant doesn’t already source its ingredients from sustainable producers, it is an aspirational value rather than a core one.

You shouldn’t necessarily give up on aspirational values. If you take steps to implement them throughout your business, they can become part of its core vision and values.

Why You Need a Mission and a Vision Statement

Mission and vision statements have different uses depending on who reads them. However, they mainly affect owners, employees, and customers.

The owner and other decision-makers benefit from a mission statement as it helps guide their strategic thinking. When they need to make a choice, they can consider the mission statement and make the choice that fits best. Likewise, they can look at the vision and ensure that any decisions are pushing them towards it.

A mission and a vision statement can help team members find meaning in their work. According to the Harvard Business Review this can result in staff feeling a sense of ownership for their work, which can make them more motivated, engaged, and ultimately perform better.

It also gives customers a reason to eat at your restaurant beyond just delicious food. Consider the Shake Shack mission statement below and its focus on “carefully sourced premium ingredients.” This could be a powerful motivator for people who are conscientious about where the food they eat comes from.

Ultimately, having clearly defined values can affect whether a consumer eats at your restaurant. An Edelman report found that one in two people are belief-driven buyers and that 67% of people have made a first-time purchase due to a company’s position on an issue.

General Tips on Crafting a Statement for Your Restaurant

When crafting your restaurant’s mission statement there are several things you should do. The first step is to read the 21 example mission statements in the next section. This will provide you with a better idea of the type of mission statements you should be aiming for.

Beyond that, try these tips:

• Keep it short. Most mission statements range from a single sentence to a short paragraph.
• Be specific. Don’t waffle about vague goals. Keep your mission statement specific to your restaurant and to the point.
• Keep it grounded in reality. Your mission statement should reflect the service you plan to offer. A fast-food restaurant that offers burgers and pizza shouldn’t talk about trying to help customers lead healthier lives, for example.
• Consider customer expectations. If you are already open, thinking about why guests come to your restaurant could help guide your statement.
• Don’t limit yourself. If your statement talks about providing the best tacos in the area, be sure you aren’t planning to expand to new locations or serve different types of food.
• Consult employees. When creating your statement, get a second opinion from employees or business partners. Ask if the statement resonates with them.
• Don’t be afraid to change. If your company goals do change, you can always adjust your statement.

21 Restaurant Mission Statement Examples 

This next section includes 21 restaurant mission statement examples, as well as some value and vision statements.

Many of the restaurant mission statements are part of a larger ‘About Us’ or story page that delves deeper into the company’s background.

Click the link on each restaurant to find out more about each restaurant mission statement example.

Panda Express

Mission: To deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.

Values: Proactive, Respect/Win-Win, Growth, Great Operations, Giving (the company goes into more detail about each of these on its website).

Shake Shack

Mission: We Stand For Something Good in everything we do: This means carefully sourced premium ingredients from like-minded purveyors we admire and love; thoughtful, well-crafted and responsible design for its place; and deep community support through donations, events and volunteering.

Mission: Our aim is to provide a fun and safe environment where our customers can enjoy good food made with quality ingredients at affordable prices.

Mission: We create food we’re proud to serve and deliver it fast, with a smile.

TGI Fridays

Mission: In Here, It’s Always Friday. Each of us bases every decision on what is best for our Guest. We operate as One brand with uncompromising Standards of Excellence around our Credo, our guiding principles, and our Culture of Fun. We deliver on our financial commitments, but never at the expense of the safety and security of our Guest, Team Members, and the brand.

Whatever you do, do with Integrity.

Wherever you go, go as a Leader.

Whomever you serve, serve with Caring.

Whenever you dream, dream with your All.

And never, ever give up.

Mission: Domino’s is a company of exceptional people on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world.

Pret a Manger

Mission: To serve freshly made food and good organic coffee, while also trying to do the right thing.

Pizza Express

Mission: Ever since 1965 when our founder, Peter Boizot, opened our first restaurant in Soho, the same Pizza Express values of great food, evocative music, and distinctive design have remained in our DNA. This is one recipe we’ve never changed, and today we take the same pride in offering great hospitality and unforgettable experiences.

Cheesecake Factory

Mission: To create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority.

Vision: Through a shared commitment to excellence, we are dedicated to the uncompromising quality of our food, service, people and profit, while taking exceptional care of our guests and staff. We will continuously strive to surpass our own accomplishments and be recognized as a leader in our industry.

In-N-Out Burger

Mission: Serve only the highest quality product, prepare it in a clean and sparkling environment, and serve it in a warm and friendly manner.

Krispy Kreme

Mission: To make the most awesome doughnuts on the planet every single day.

Mission: Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences.

Mission: Our goal is to showcase the quality and diversity of the ingredients and the wonderful people who raise, grow and produce them.

Logan’s Roadhouse

Mission: We deliver the best guest service experience with a sense of warmth, friendliness and individual pride so that each guest leaves highly satisfied with our great value, convinced that we are the best choice for their everyday authentic Roadhouse, serving quality steaks, a kickin’ bar and upbeat dining experience.

Mission: To inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Values: With our partners, our coffee and our customers at our core, we live these values:

• Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.
• Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other.
• Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect.
• Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.

We are performance-driven, through the lens of humanity.

Dairy Queen

Mission: To create positive memories for all who touch Dairy Queen.

Vision: To be the world’s favorite quick-service restaurant.

Papa John’s

Mission: Better ingredients. Better pizza.

Mission: To serve the best cup of coffee, make the best donuts, give the best service, offer the best value and stay open 24 hours a day.

Red Lobster

Values: Traceable. Sustainable. Responsible. These are more than just words on our menu—it’s our promise that all of the seafood we serve is sourced to the highest standards. Because, as one of the world’s largest seafood purchasers, we believe it’s our responsibility to protect and preserve our oceans and marine life for generations to come.

Waffle House

Mission: To deliver a unique experience to our customers through delivering great food, friendly, attentive service, excellent price and a welcoming presence.

These restaurant mission statement examples should give you a better idea of how to write an inspired restaurant mission statement, and outline your vision for your business.

If you’re interested in restaurant marketing check out our article Restaurant Marketing Ideas: The Top 31 Ideas to Grow in 2020 . Want to get your own online ordering system? Click here .

Click To Tweet

One thought on “ How to Write Restaurant Mission and Vision Statements in 2021 ”

17 Truly Inspiring Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

Jan Lundvik

April 28, 2021

In this article, we’ll see how you can write your restaurant’s mission statement, and you’ll learn from other restaurants with examples of their mission statements.

Here are some essential points to keep in mind as we go through this article:

• How did you decide to start your restaurant business?
• What was your vision of success?
• How did you know that you were ready for the challenges of the restaurant industry?
• What kept you going through lack of growth and challenging times?
• What are your long-term goals?

All successful restaurant owners have a shared vision and mission: They know what they want, understand that they need to work hard for it, and learn how to achieve their goals.

Now, let’s get into it.

What Is a Restaurant Mission Statement?

A mission statement is a statement of purpose that explains why a restaurant exists and what it hopes to accomplish. Restaurant mission statements are usually paired with company values, vision, and goals. Together, they serve as a guidepost for the restaurant’s purpose of being and how it hopes to accomplish this mission.

These values are what inspire customers to visit your restaurant and employees to work hard for it. Crafting a mission or vision statement is an essential tool for brands to use when strategically planning their business.

A great mission statement states all of the essential characteristics, core values or features that stand out in your restaurant.

Why Your Restaurant Needs a Mission Statement

When you’re a restaurant owner of a busy establishment, it can be easy to let other tasks get in the way of your mission statement.

But taking the time to develop a mission statement that describes how you want to run your business can save time in your daily tasks and guide business decisions.

A mission statement is a critical part of creating an effective business.

1. When your restaurant has a clear mission, every decision you make should support your more significant purpose.

When faced with a business challenge, it’s essential to know how and why you’re making decisions. A mission statement helps everyone at your restaurant – staff, management, and guests alike – understand your business’s fundamental values and objectives.

2. A mission statement is a crucial component of restaurant marketing.

It tells customers why they should choose your restaurant over any other in the area. Your mission statement gives customers something to stand behind and makes them want to come back.

3. A restaurant’s mission statement sends an essential message to the employees that work there.

It’s a public statement of what your restaurant stands for and what it hopes to be in the future. A restaurant’s mission statement is more than just a few words strung together. It’s a way to articulate what the employee is supposed to do and how they should treat their customers. Having a clear mission statement will help your employees work together to achieve their goals and fulfill your restaurant’s mission.

4. Public mission statements help brands attract the best employees.

A restaurant mission statement is an excellent place to start when hiring employees. When your mission statement is public, you can attract the type of people who will thrive at a unique and special home like your restaurant. However, having an internal strong mission statement can help you hire employees that share your business philosophy. Your mission statement can help you hire employees that are already committed to your mission.

How to write a powerful restaurant mission statement

On your mission statement, you want to make sure that customers can easily understand what you want to achieve in a sentence or a couple of paragraphs.

Let us explain how you can do that.

1. What kind of restaurant are we? Please keep it simple in this section and avoid business cliches and the temptation to embellish with too many words.

2. What are our goals? Some examples:

• We want to work with the most outstanding chefs to provide the best food.
• We want to be the most customer-service-oriented restaurant possible.
• We want to be the most environmentally friendly restaurant.
• We want to give a healthy, affordable meal and promote healthier communities.

Now freely brainstorm your own goals; you can always edit them down later.

3. What are our values? Every restaurant has its collection of values that help to differentiate it from competitors and a mission statement that represents a common purpose for everyone who works there. Some restaurants live by the mantra that good food, good service, and good value are enough to keep customers returning. Still, lately, there’s been a trend towards restaurants sharing their passion and delivering an experience that goes beyond just quality food.

4. Who are our customers? Your target audience should be clear to you. After all, you’re in the business of serving your customers. What kind of person do you want to attract? Who do you like to welcome into your restaurant? The answer will help you define your restaurant’s brand.

5. How do we serve them? Good restaurants go way beyond the simple process of taking an order and delivering it. They know that people don’t eat only with their stomachs. The more senses you can engage – whether it’s through visually appealing dishes, scents, sounds, or even textures – the more involved your customers.

Now let’s get into some restaurant mission examples that you can get inspired by and perhaps combine with your ideas.

17 Examples of Restaurant Mission & Vision Statements

This next section includes real examples of restaurant mission statements as well as value and vision statements. Most of these are found in the About Us pages which have become increasingly popular as a way to detail the history and value of a business.

If you click the name of each restaurant, you’ll find more information about each one.

Ristorante Il Buco

The ingredients are ready on the counter, waiting for expert hands to shape them. It is not just a matter of raw materials, timing and ability. The real marvel is instilling one’s soul, to give character. Including the guests in the creative process which is an art form, like the colours of a palette, the plasticity of a sculpture, the harmony of a song, and the taste of passion. And so begins the journey to the discovery of flavours that convey the knowledge of a precious culture and population.

Restaurant Jordnaer

A former gang enforcer found the right path in life through unconditional love toward his wife and gastronomy and created a two Michelin-starred restaurant within 2 1/2 years. This at a humble 3-starred hotel with 6 kids to look after. It’s pure talent and dedication. It’s a drama and a fairytale. It’s a love story.

The young avant-gardes at KOKS use Faroese produce, both coarse and fine, ancient and modern, always keeping an eye on sustainability, leaving the hills that bring forth the good fruit to flourish. Rather than chasing the novel for its own sake, every effort is put into exploring the ancient practices – drying, fermenting, salting and smoking. KOKS follows the seasons and what they bring forth, transforming ancient culinary tradition into modern delicacies.

The Lasai Restaurant

Lasai, the cosmopolitan restaurant of chef Rafa Costa e Silva and his wife Malena Cardiel, has a footprint: its gastronomy is at the same time unprecedented, vibrant, light, mature and sensual. Using modern techniques and Brazilian inputs grown in his own gardens and that of small farmers in Rio de Janeiro, Rafa creates dishes with an emphasis on vegetables without sacrificing the use of the freshest products from the sea and the best meats.

Meet the Greek

The Greeks have mastered the art of enjoying life, better perhaps than any other people on earth… even at their own demise. To be Greek is to love and understand song and dance – and food and drink. Greece has given the world many great things: the Olympic Games, democracy, timeless myths and legends, fabulous food and wine, a sense of humour and, of course, this wonderful restaurant. Wherever you are in the world, you will… Meet The Greek.

Flippin’ Burgers

At Flippin’ we like simple burgers made from scratch without fuss. For real. That’s why we only work with small meat producers who care about animal husbandry and farm animals that are kept outdoors in summer and graze, since this is simply what’s good for them. This makes the meat nice and tasty. We of course only use fresh, dry aged meat.

Mellow Mushroom

Mellow is a State of mind, a culture, a way of being. Our mission is to provide delicious food in a fun and creative environment. We are the originators of hand tossed, stone baked classic southern pizza. Our spring water crust is unique and flavorful, and all our pies are made with high quality, fresh ingredients. Our philosophy is to elevate the dining experience with a higher order of pizza. Mellow out.

From the outside, Diner might have been mistaken a modest endeavor. But Diner, open summer, spring, or snowstorm, has become, with the help of the all the people, staff as well as guests, who continue to return to it, a room that glows from within. Twenty years later Diner has carried on the traditions of its early days. A place of occasion. A touchstone for a neighborhood.

Through a longstanding commitment to sustainability, Roman’s has forged lasting partnerships with local farmers. We strive to serve reverent Italian-influenced food highlighting these connections and ingredients. Above all, we are committed to making our industry a more equitable and sustainable home for all who work in it.

At Credo you will experience food cooked from the raw goods grown in the Trøndelag region, fished from the waters surrounding it, and dairy and local speciality products cultivated with a focus on flavors and sustainability. Credo’s great wish is to take you through a multi-faceted experience of tastes, textures and experiences when you dine with us. We want to show you our gardens, our animals and all that we get from land and sea. We dedicate our time to finding raw ingredients that exemplify the best qualities of the time and place we are in.

Restaurant Domestic

We have a deep love for nature, hence we let the seasons direct our choice of produce. In other words it’s the changing cycle of the seasons that dictates our menu. In our kitchen we use 100 % locally sourced produce from small suppliers working and cultivating the land of our region. This gives us the freshest and most seasonal produce – which in turn creates the best ‘farm to table’ experience as possible.

Restaurant Rest

In Norwegian, “Rest.” is not only an abbreviation for Restaurant or referring to a nice break. “Rest.”means what is left. Food waste is recognized as a major challenge in western food industry and consumerism. It raises grave moral and environmental issues. It insults common sense. And it robbes us of potentially brilliant tastes and experiences. Our ambition is to bring such experiences to you in our restaurant.

The Neolokal team aims to serve its guests genuine food that is inspired by mother earth and modelled and designed from traditions. and while doing so, they are examining traditional recipes to the finest details, blending in endangered heritage foods. chef maksut aşkar, who is heading the young and curious team says “if we do not protect our food, next generations to come will not have anything left in their hands”. by combining modern techniques and innovative perspective with local cuisine they are presenting a new and refined perception.

JL Studio is a platform curated by Singaporean Chef Jimmy Lim Tyan Yaw, with a deep desire and mission to elevate, innovate and share the culture, traditions, flavors and cuisine of Singapore to the world.

Agrikultur is a place that reaches beyond the boundaries of culinary tradition, while honoring food, flavour, sustainability and community. We welcome our guests to enjoy the seasonal swedish produce in a warm, social, open-kitchen atmosphere.

Our philosophy at LYST is about local raw materials, the ever changing nature and the overall artwork of Fjordenhus, and aims to create one magical, inclusive and sustainable dining experience. To achieve this we strive to source everything we serve from within a 100 mile radius and utilise everything to the fullest. Without being dogmatic, this is one of our efforts to create a more sustainable restaurant.

In collaboration with Snøhetta and several experienced local partners, we have developed a restaurant with an equal focus on marine research, architecture, and gastronomy. By focusing on the coexistence of life on land and in the sea, Under proposes a new way of understanding our relationship to our surroundings – above the surface, under the water, and alongside the life of the sea. With this as a backdrop, you will gain a better understanding of the food you eat.

Your restaurant’s mission statement is your guiding star.

It’s the reason you work so hard for a living, why you’re opening one of the most unique restaurants in the country, and why you’re proud to call yourself a restaurateur.

Your mission statement sets a defining course for your business, so make sure it’s something that inspires everyone on your team to roll up their sleeves and get to work every day.

For more information about restaurant slogans and the difference between a mission statement and a slogan check out this post: 250+ Catchy Restaurant Slogans & Taglines (2021)

Finally, if you liked this article you might also be interested in the following:

• 5 Best Restaurant POS Systems
• How to Find Restaurant Staff During the Worker Shortage and Beyond

Related Posts:

• How to Open a Coffee Shop: The Complete Guide
• How to Open a Pizza Shop: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Types of Restaurants: 21 Popular Concepts You Can Start

Jan is a writer and content creator at KitchenBusiness.com with a focus on the restaurant and food service industry. Drawing from his background in tech and UX design, Jan breaks down complex systems into digestible, actionable insights.

We Help Restaurants Build A Thriving Business .  Our free online education guides restaurants through practical technology upgrades, marketing strategies, and business operations fine-tuned for 2024 and beyond.

Content Brand AB Norrbackagatan 14. SE-11341 Stockholm

About Us Review Guidelines

POS Reviews Articles Marketing Guides Sitemap

• Restaurant Type

• Reports & Guides
• Tools & Templates
• Case Studies
• BentoBox vs. Competitors
• Become a Partner

Design Inspiration

• Diner Relationships

New Openings

• Product Updates

10 Strong Restaurant Mission Statements & Why They Work

March 29, 2024

Find out the key to an effective mission statement, plus read an analysis of standout examples from real restaurants.

Why did you decide to open your restaurant? What gets you up in the morning? These are foundational questions that guide you towards crafting your mission statement. 

Even though it can take time to determine a mission that feels like the right fit, clearly defining it is crucial for your restaurant to be successful. A mission statement is your north star — your guiding light — and without one, it becomes difficult to make certain business decisions. 

Read on for insight from hospitality experts on the importance of deciding your mission, ten examples of mission statements to inspire you, and a simple exercise to try.

A Guide to Restaurant Branding

Find p rompts and questions to help you define your brand , and discover how to bring it to life.

Why Your Restaurant Needs a Mission Statement

“A well-crafted mission statement serves as the guardrails for the brand,” said Chris Patterson, Co-Founder of Navigator Consulting . “It sets the direction for management and leadership decisions. It tells the chef what the feel of the menu should be, and it sets the tone for how employees treat each other and how everyone treats the guest. It holds everyone accountable (including ownership) to the goal.”

Ultimately, you’re sharing what’s important to you, and that can guide how you interact with three main stakeholders: diners, staff, and your community. 

A good mission statement lets diners know what to expect from your restaurant and ideally attracts customers that share similar values. Creating that emotional connection helps build loyalty too. Your mission statement should live on your website so that it’s easy for potential diners and return customers to find. Pages like Our Story or About Us are good spots to place the statement, or you can have a dedicated page that covers your mission, vision, and core values. Field & Main in Marshall, VA places theirs at the bottom of their Our Team page.

Mission statements also support employee alignment and give your team a sense of purpose and direction. It’s a guide on how they should be conducting themselves each day.  An article from Nation’s Restaurant News makes the case that a clear mission statement can improve staff retention, too. When staff members understand the restaurant's mission, they are more likely to work towards common goals and deliver consistent hospitality experiences to customers. 

“Once you have a good statement, it needs to become a living part of your company culture and regularly deployed in the actions of the team,” added Patterson of Navigator Consulting.

One tip is to include your mission statement in your employee handbook to make it easily accessible. 

For Community

Centering community is important to many restaurants, whether that looks like sourcing local ingredients, supporting charitable causes, or providing employment opportunities to traditionally under-resourced demographics.  

Your mission statement can outline the commitments you’re making to your community and provide details on how social responsibility is integrated into your business. It can also be a guidepost for how your restaurant responds to local, national, and global events. 

For example, there’s a line in the Aplós mission statement that reads, “Our dedication to sustainability and community engagement reflects our desire to contribute positively to the neighborhoods we call home.” 

Because Aplós states that community engagement is a core part of its mission, it makes sense for the restaurant to raise funds for a local organization and post about it on their social media .

10 Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

As a general guideline, mission statements should range from one sentence to a full paragraph. The best ones are specific and don’t use generic or overused phrases. They should also be motivating — you want to inspire the three key groups outlined above and anyone who interacts with your restaurant. But above all, your mission statement must be true to your brand. Here are ten examples of restaurants that stand out.

1. the girl & the fig

thegirlandthefig.com

Mission Statement

To sell delicious food & drink that meets the highest standards of quality, freshness and seasonality and also combines innovative styles of cooking. To consistently provide our customers with impeccable service by demonstrating warmth, graciousness, efficiency, knowledge, professionalism, and integrity in our work.

To have every customer who comes through our doors leave impressed by our restaurants and excited to come back again. To create and maintain a restaurant that is comprehensive and exceptional in its attention to every detail of operation.

To provide all who work with us a friendly, cooperative and rewarding environment that encourages long-term, satisfying growth. To encourage a caring environment in which every staff member feels respected by each other and treats each other the way they want to be treated.

To keep our concept fresh, exciting and on the cutting edge of the hospitality and entertainment industry. To be a giving member of Sonoma County and to use our restaurants to improve the quality of life in the Wine Country. Do our work with love and a smile, it will show!

Why It Works

This mission statement speaks to all of the important stakeholders for a restaurant: customers, staff, and community. The language makes it clear that the restaurant follows a customer-centric approach and references how their team works to support guests.

Additionally, the environment and culture that the restaurant is aiming to create is outlined in detail as well as how the restaurant plans to show up in their local community. Ending the statement with the encouragement to do work with love and a smile reinforces a positive attitude and suggests that the restaurant values joy, passion, and enthusiasm.

2. Mighty Quinn's Barbeque

mightyquinnsbbq.com

The approach is simple: source the best quality ingredients we can and donʼt fuss with them too much. We cook our barbeque the old school way with plenty of wood and time, adding just the right amount of salt and spice to let that lovely marriage of process and product evolve into something transcendent.

This statement conveys the restaurant’s philosophy on cooking method and ingredient sourcing, giving insight into what they value. The language is straightforward and easy to understand — like “don’t fuss with them too much” — and there’s no jargon. 

Phrases like "lovely marriage of process and product" and "something transcendent" add a touch of evocative language to the mission statement, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement about the dining experience.

eataplos.com

We embrace a mission of inclusivity, celebrating diversity in both our workforce and the flavors we bring to the table. Our dedication to sustainability and community engagement reflects our desire to contribute positively to the neighborhoods we call home. 

At Aplós Simple Mediterranean, we don't just serve meals; we cultivate memories, foster connections, and ignite a sense of shared joy in every bite. Join us in this culinary journey where the fast, the fresh, and the fun coalesce to create an experience that is uniquely ours, yet belongs to everyone who walks through our doors.

It’s clear that Aplós values equality, and there’s multiple mentions of how that takes shape in both their team and their food. The use of inclusive language, such as "join us" and "belongs to everyone who walks through our doors," reiterates a welcoming atmosphere and further illustrates the interest in customers to be part of the restaurant's community.

eatnaya.com

We seek to provide authentic, fresh, and nutritious Middle Eastern meals that look great and taste amazing. 

Consistency is key to our success; we commit to delivering excellent service and quality to our customers in all of our branches, all day. 

Our team is at the core of our success and the key to our growth. We promote a healthy work environment where each individual feels invested and happy to give their best.

A short and simple sentence kicks off this mission statement and sets clear expectations about the type and quality of food the restaurant serves. The second sentence is all about values — specifically consistency and quality — and how high standards will differentiate the restaurant from other establishments playing in the same space. Lastly, the final paragraph centers their team in the mission and demonstrates a commitment to employee satisfaction and well-being.

5. Fire by Forge

firebyforge.com

We provide job training and food access through sustainable social enterprises, empowering people to improve their lives.

The statement is clear and concise, articulating the purpose in a way that’s easy to remember. In just one sentence, you can understand why the restaurant exists and also the core values: social impact, sustainability, and economic empowerment.

Websites for Restaurants

Get a beautifully designed website with tools to grow your business.

6. Bluewater Grill

bluewatergrill.com

To serve great food in a casual, relaxed environment by friendly and knowledgeable people at a fair price.

The restaurant’s value proposition — what they’re promising to deliver to their customers — is the focus in this succinct and direct mission statement: offering great food at a fair price. In less than 20 words, Bluewater Grill establishes standards about their ingredients, service, and cost.

7. Smitten Ice Cream

smittenicecream.com

Craft the freshest ice cream experiences to spread JOY.

Here, Smitten Ice Cream has distilled their mission statement down into one super clear sentence. It follows a formula of: verb (craft) + descriptive noun (the freshest ice cream experiences) + to + verb (spread JOY). The simplicity of the statement is what makes it work so well — there’s no fluff or filler, just easy to understand language with an emotional appeal.

8. fresh&co

freshandco.com

our mission is to create fresh, creative and healthy meals that excite the mind, heart and palate. our menu, farm, local partners and community roots are what make us different and with locations all over new york city, we are committed to connecting people to real food.

fresh&co spells out their competitive advantage in their mission statement (“our menu, farm, local partners and community roots are what make us different”). Additionally, the restaurant’s intent is well-defined (“to create fresh, creative and healthy meals”), and the objective is clarified one step further with the descriptive phrase “excite the mind, heart and palate.”

9. Honest Mary’s

honestmarys.com

Honest Mary’s exists to improve our community through life-giving fast food. Our ambition is to help our guests and team become the best version of themselves through nourishing food, authentic kindness, and genuine care for their well-being. We want to set a new standard for restaurants by making healthy food enjoyable and accessible, and genuinely helping people grow. In other words, we're so much more than a meal. Join us on our journey to provide healthy, delicious, and convenient food options to communities everywhere.

Honest Mary’s values-driven mission statement starts off with their purpose — “improve our community through life-giving fast food.” The phrase “life-giving fast food” is particularly interesting because diners can immediately understand and picture what to expect from this restaurant: quick yet nourishing food where convenience is prioritized without sacrificing quality. 

10. Tartinery

tartinery.com

QUALITY AT HEART

We are committed to provide New Yorkers with the best. From local ingredients to attentive service, quality is at the heart of everything we offer. For us, casual does not equate to lower standards.

FRENCH-ISH LIFESTYLE

We want New York to discover a French way of living through food and drink by way of tartine as our main dish, and a wine list paying homage to French craftsmanship.

RENDEZVOUS DAY-TO-NIGHT

Our menu and space bring people together from breakfast through dinner, with sharable dishes, and a qualitative wine & spirits list offered in a welcoming, unhurried ambiance.

Tartinery’s mission statement is broken down into three sections, which makes it easier to remember for both staff and diners. The section headers are uniquely phrased and feel specific to the concept. The larger descriptions underneath each section expand on the key points and provide additional context. New York/New Yorkers are mentioned throughout, so it’s clear who the target audience is. Overall, this mission does a good job of stating what they aim to do (“provide New Yorkers with the best,” “bring people together,”) and how the restaurant will do that (“by way of tartine as our main dish,” “with sharable dishes, and a qualitative wine & spirits list offered in a welcoming, unhurried ambiance”).

How To Write Your Restaurant Mission Statement

When it comes time to writing your own mission statement, it might feel intimidating to get started. Take inspiration from the examples above, then follow the exercise below. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to kick off your brainstorming:

Who is your ideal customer?

How is your restaurant different from your competitors?

What are the five core values of your restaurant?

How do you see your restaurant within your community?

What are the goals of your restaurant?

Once you’ve answered these prompts, you’ll have a better sense of your restaurant’s direction, core values, and goals, all of which guide your mission statement.

BentoBox Marketing & Commerce Platform

Deliver Smarter Hospitality

Want to stand out online, bring in more money, engage your diners, and streamline operations?

Recommended

Website Inspiration: 20 Great Restaurant Description Examples

January 6, 2022

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Now more than ever, it happens on your restaurant's website.

Restaurant Branding: From Dish Names to Interior Design

July 6, 2023

A guide to creating a strong restaurant brand that attracts and retains diners.

14 Types of Restaurants to Consider Opening

October 5, 2023

An overview of different restaurant concepts and what to know about them.

7shifts Blog Search

10 mission statements for restaurants (with examples & templates).

By Nick Darlington

Spend 80% less time on restaurant scheduling.

Learn how to write a killer restaurant mission statement to be among the select few that can.

Restaurant mission statements matter whether you're opening a restaurant or refreshing your brand. They provide insights into business strategy, guide business decisions, and are a reminder of why you started.

If mission statements are that important, you'd think more restaurateurs would spend time creating theirs. Unfortunately, not all restaurateurs recognize the value of a well-thought-through mission statement. Some don't know what mission statements are. And others have no clue how to write one.

Your mission statement is the “why” of your business strategy and captures why your restaurant exists. It articulates what you do for customers, employees, and owners (your goals) and clarifies what you offer a specific market segment (your strategy).

The result? Poorly written mission statements, littered with cliches, buzzwords, and business jargon.

Indeed, according to mission statement expert and Entrepreneur contributor Tim Berry, 90% of mission statements in business plans fit this description and are, in his words “wastes of time, paper or digital space.”

The good news? You can learn how to write a restaurant mission statement that will get your restaurant noticed and place it in the top 10%. Here's how.

Table of Contents

• Understand What You’re Creating (And Why)
• Mission vs. Vision Statements

What Makes a Strong Mission Statement?

What are the benefits of mission statements, how to write an effective mission statement for your restaurant.

• 5 Questions to Help You Write a Killer Mission Statement

10 Mission Statement Examples

Understand what you're creating (and why).

As humans, we connect well with what we understand. We connect even better when we know the “why” behind the “what.” So, writing a strong mission statement starts with understanding what they are and why they're beneficial.

Restaurant Mission vs. Restaurant Vision Statements

Mission statements are often misunderstood. They're not slogans which are designed to grab attention. They're also not value statements which describe what you believe in. And they're certainly not vision statements which define where you're going.

Rather, mission statements are strategic and precise. They're the “why” of your business strategy and capture why your restaurant exists. They describe what you do for customers, employees, and owners (your goals) and clarify what you offer for a specific market segment (your strategy).

Besides either defining goals or strategy—or better yet, doing both—strong mission statements embody the following six characteristics:

• Brief. They should be brief but comprehensive, and no more than four sentences.
• Transparent. The best statements avoid business jargon and clichés. When writing one, write it as if you were writing for a close friend.
• Accurate. They include realistic goals and are an honest reflection of what you do.
• Achievable. We've all heard companies claiming to offer the best service, the most delicious food, or the highest quality products. How often is this the case?
• Unique. What makes you different from your competition? If your mission statement sounds like it could be written by any company, revise it.
• Actionable. Strong statements don't just list goals but define how to achieve them.

Well-written mission statements:

Act as a useful reminder of your core strategy, long-term goals and reasons for starting

Provide direction for your restaurant and inform decisions. Have a grand idea or plan for your restaurant? Not sure if this plan is a fit? Consult your mission statement to see if the plan or idea aligns. If not, “can” it

Ensure all the elements of running and growing your restaurant — marketing , customer service , sourcing suppliers—align under one, coherent message

Give investors a useful summary of the goals and strategies of your business (applicable when writing a restaurant business plan to get outside funding for your restaurant)

Now that you understand what mission statements are and why you need them, it's time to learn how to write yours by answering five simple questions. Answering these questions and writing your mission statement may be hard at first—that's perfectly normal.

After all, writing any mission statement requires brutal honesty and concision that is often difficult to achieve the first time around, especially if you've never heard of a mission statement before or even taken the time to ask yourself the big “why” behind your restaurant's purpose.

But know this: Most restaurant owners don't have it all figured out. By simply thinking about what your mission is and working on it, you'll be miles ahead of other restaurant owners.

Now, let's get to it.

5 Questions to Help You Write a Killer Restaurant Mission Statement

As you work your way through this section take note of the examples of mission statements. Each example aims to demonstrate what certain companies and restaurants do for their employees, customers, and owners.

You'll notice that the examples don't always meet all the criteria of a strong mission statement. This demonstrates how hard they are to write, that it's okay to bend the rules, and that you should view your mission as a work in progress.

Question 1: What Is Your Market-Defining Story?

This first step is not directly part of your mission statement but will help you craft one. View this step as the building blocks, where you begin to think about what your restaurant does, who your target market is, what their needs are, and how you're filling that need.

Tim Berry refers to this as your market-defining story and explains: “A really good market-defining story explains the need, or the want, or—if you like jargon—the so-called “why to buy.” It defines the target customer, or “buyer persona.” And it defines how your business is different from most others, or even unique. It simplifies thinking about what a business isn't, what it doesn't do.”

Here's an example of a fictitious market defining-story for a coffee shop called Sublime Brew:

Jane is a young go-getter who runs her own business. She loves coffee and not a day goes by without her grabbing a cup. Because Jane is acutely aware of supporting local businesses, she chooses to avoid large chains. She also supports coffee shops that value sustainability and partner with suppliers that use organic farming methods. While the local coffee shops satisfy her craving for a tasty cup of coffee, Jane craves something new. She wants to learn more about coffee—the different types of brewing methods, how this affect flavor profiles, what makes the perfect cup— and longs for a coffee experience.

Enter Sublime Brew. Sublime Brew serves quality coffee, made from the finest quality beans sourced locally, and works with suppliers that support sustainability. Sublime Brew offers genuine coffee experiences by providing guided tours of their roastery and an online resource, in the form of ebooks and blog posts about coffee, to satisfy Jane's desire (and people like Jane) to learn more about coffee. Sublime Brew is more than just a coffee shop offering tasty coffee. It's an experience.

See how we've researched the market and identified the need above? And how we've explained what Sublime Brew does and how they're filling that need. Is it perfect? No. Is it a start? Yes! If you're struggling with this first step, write down what your restaurant does and doesn't do. Then, keep this information in the back of your mind as you move on to the next steps.

Question 2: What Does Your Restaurant Do for Customers?

Now, write down what good you do for your customers. It can basically be the type of restaurant you run. It doesn't have to be something world-changing. It can be something as basic as delivering dependable service or offering locally sourced food from sustainable suppliers. But remember that what you write should be unique and accurately represent what you do for customers. Be honest.

Fast casual chain Sweetgreen's missions statement has helped it exapnd to 75 locations since it's founding in 2007.

Sweetgreen's restaurant mission statement is a great example of understanding customer needs:

"Our mission is to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We know that Sweetgreen is a critical link between growers and consumers, and we feel a responsibility to protect the future of real food. To that end, we're committed to supporting small and mid-size growers who are farming sustainably, to creating transparency around what's in your food and where it came from, and to creating more accessibility to healthy, real food for more people.

Because here at Sweetgreen, impact is not an arm of our business, it is our business, and it permeates everything we do, from what we source to who we hire and how we support local communities. We want to make an impact and leave people better than we found them, and we tailor our approach in each market to reflect the needs of the community.”

Notice how Sweetgreen also spoke about what they do for the community and the world? These are two extra elements you can infuse into your mission.

Question 3: What Does Your Restaurant Do for Employees?

Articulating what you do for employees and living by it is essential. It helps attract the best talent and reduces staff turnover—all of which have a direct impact on your bottom line.

When crafting this part of your mission, it's easy to write something every restaurant claims to do. “Empowerment,” “encouraging diversity” and “training” are among the many initiatives that most restaurants claim to care about.

So, try to find a differentiator that makes you unique and explain what and how you do it. If what you do is similar to what other restaurants, then so be it. In the end, it's more important that you do what you say you do.

Shearwater Restaurant in Australia has a mission statement that does an excellent job capturing what they do for their employees:

“To sell remarkable food and beverage to match our world class location, to consistently provide our customers with impeccable service by demonstrating warmth, graciousness, efficiency, knowledge, professionalism and integrity to our work. To provide all who work with us the tools to be their best in a friendly, co-operative, and rewarding environment. To keep our concept fresh, exciting and on the cutting edge of the hospitality industry. To be a giving member of the Coffs Harbour region and use our Restaurant and to improve the quality of life on the Coffs Coast.”

Shearwater also manages to capture what they do for their customers, community, and owners (discussed below). And while delivering “impeccable service” is not unique, they manage to differentiate themselves by explaining how they do it through efficiency, knowledge, and professionalism.

The statement could do with some refinement—cutting use of jargon like 'world-class' and 'cutting-edge'—but this is an example of a mission statement that has all the right ingredients.

Question 4: What Does Your Restaurant Do for Owners?

Not many missions statements mention what they do for their owners. Instead, they focus on the customer, employees, and the community. However, some good ones do. Take global fast food behemoth McDonald's brand mission, for example:

“McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience - People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience.”

But the massive, old corporations aren't the only ones responding to owners needs with their mission statements. Check out the online retailer Warby Parker's mission statement from 2010:

“Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially-conscious business.”

Both are perfect examples of mission statements that manage to speak to employees, customers, and owners.

Question 5: Is This the Best Restaurant Mission Statement Possible?

Once you've written down your responses to the above questions, formulate and review your mission statement draft to see what you can improve to make it the best it can be. Use the core elements of any strong statement as your guide:

• Cut unnecessary words for conciseness
• Remove superlatives and business jargon
• Use simple words instead of complex ones
• Check that your statement accurately reflects what you do
• Ask yourself: Is this unique compared to my competition?

To help you during the review and editing process show your first draft to your family, friends, and colleagues for feedback before doing final edits. You can also conduct a simple test to see if your mission statement is useful. Give your mission statement to a total stranger who's likely never heard of your restaurant and ask them if they can infer from the words alone what you do, for whom, and what makes you unique. If they can't by reading those few sentences, your statement likely needs work.

• Full Service

1. Union Square Hospitality Group

“At Union Square Hospitality Group, our mission is to enrich lives through the power of Enlightened Hospitality. This unique approach puts our employees first because we believe that attracting, hiring, and nurturing the right people is what sets our businesses apart.”

2. Fox Restaurant Concepts

We create spaces that evoke emotion , because we believe food is all about the experience and being able to connect with those who matter most. We challenge ourselves to find ways to make our best ideas even better. Every day.

Sports Bars/Pubs

3. Yard House

At Yard House, our passion for great beer, great food and great music runs deep. You'll find the world's largest selection of craft beeralong witha diverse menu inspired by our California roots.

4. Buffalo Wild Wings

Our mission is to WOW people every day! We will WOW our guests every day by achieving the highest level of satisfaction with an extraordinary focus on friendly service, food, fun and value.

5. Cafes & Coffee Houses

5. Starbucks

Our Mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.

Our purpose is the pursuit of better coffee. Our mission is to help people fall in love with great coffee .

Pizza Restaurants

7. Andolini's

“Driven By Virtue. Crafted By Taste.”

8. California Pizza Kitchen

At California Pizza Kitchen we strive to provide all employees with a work environment where Respect, Opportunity, Communication and Kindness prevail. These ideals are combined to create our R.O.C.K.

Fast Food & Fast Casual

9. McDonalds

“Our aim is to provide a fun and safe environment where our customers can enjoy good food made with quality ingredients at affordable prices.”

10. Chipotle

“Food with integrity”

Wrapping it up

Many restaurant owners don't fully understand how mission statements can help them. Some have never heard of them. And those that have, often struggle to create ones that have any tactical business value.

But you don't have to struggle in the same way. The key is to get started: Create your market-defining story, define what you do for employees, customers, and owners, and review ruthlessly. We can't promise that it will be easy—writing a mission statement is hard especially if you've never thought about the big questions.

What we can promise you is that if you take just a little time to answer these questions and craft your mission statement, you'll be ahead of so many others. And remember: The final statement you produce is not set in stone. Your goals and restaurant will change. And your mission statement should too.

Source Brown, Douglas Robert. The Restaurant Manager's Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate and Manage a Financially Successful Food Service Operation

Reinventing the way restaurant teams work

Simple to set up, easy to use. Give your restaurant the team management tools they need to be successful. Start your free trial today.

Start free trial

Nick Darlington (www.nickdarlington.com) is a B2B writer who conceives, writes and produces engaging website copy, blog posts and lead magnets for technology companies.

• Restaurant Scheduling
• Team Communication
• Manager Log Book
• Time Clocking
• Workforce Management
• Employee Engagement
• Integrations
• Task Management
• Auto-Scheduler
• Labor Compliance
• Operations Overview
• Document Storage
• Performance Management
• Employee Onboarding
• Tip Payouts
• For Education
• Restaurant Job Board
• Resource Center
• Restaurant Guides
• Restaurant Data
• Labor Savings Calculator
• POS Integrations
• Coffee Shops
• Quick Service
• Help Centre
• Partner API
• 1-888-979-5877
• [email protected]

© 7shifts • Restaurant Scheduling Software.

50+ Restaurant Mission Statement Examples To Inspire Your Restaurant Mission

Table of contents.

A restaurant mission statement is a crucial component of a restaurant’s brand identity. A mission statement is a reflection of you and the values you instill in your work, which are then communicated to both customers and employees. 

Whether you’re working on starting up a new restaurant or you’re looking to update your current branding and promotional materials, it helps to have inspiration for mission creation. Many restaurants have a mission statement, but not many restaurants have an excellent mission statement. We’ve compiled an extensive list of mission statements from across the country so you can get the inspiration you need to build something better. Once you have your mission, you can build it into your restaurant products with custom printed disposables from Budget Branders. Budget Branders can help you create custom plastic cups , custom paper cups , custom paper bowls , custom coffee sleeves , and more with designs that reflect your restaurant’s mission. 

What is a Restaurant Mission Statement? 

A restaurant mission statement conveys your raison d’être (reason for being). In other words, a mission statement identifies the purpose your restaurant will serve; the reason why your restaurant exists. 

Mission statements are usually paired with company values and/or a vision. Together, these components collectively serve as a guide post for what you hope to achieve for your restaurant and how you hope to achieve it. 

Why Your Restaurant Needs a Mission Statement

Unfortunately, not all restaurateurs recognize the benefits associated with a well-written mission statement. Just pull up the websites of some of your favorite local restaurants and you’ll likely be hard-pressed to find an articulated mission statement. While the development of a mission statement may seem like a trivial task, mission statements are an invaluable component of your brand and business strategy. 

By taking the time to develop a mission statement, you can better guide decision making for your restaurant and save time on daily tasks to focus on what really matters for your core business. Mission statements also:

• Serve as a constant reminder for why you started your restaurant in the first place; 
• Align the many moving parts of your restaurant with one overarching message; 
• Communicate who you are and what differentiates you from your competitors; 
• Help attract great talent to the business;

Simply having a mission statement is not enough. Many mission statements are littered with buzzwords, clichés, and business jargon. If you fail to put time and effort into developing your mission, then it will not be very effective at helping to accomplish much of anything. Your mission statement needs to mean something to you. 

The Difference Between Restaurant Missions, Visions, & Values

As previously mentioned, mission statements are often paired with a vision and/or values. For this reason, the three terms often get mixed up and are sometimes used interchangeably. Mission, vision, and values are three distinct components and should be treated as such.  

Restaurant Mission Statement

A mission statement describes the why of your business. For example: 

“We exist to connect local Bostonians to each other through great tasting pizza while also supporting local farmers and utilizing the freshest ingredients.” 

Restaurant Vision Statement

Your restaurant mission and vision can work together synergistically. Your restaurant’s mission statement explains the why while a restaurant vision is what you want the future to look like when you accomplish your mission. For example: 

“We imagine a world where there are no barriers between Boston residents, sloppily produced pizza doesn’t exist, and local farmers are able to live prosperously.” 

Restaurant Value Statement

Finally, a restaurant’s values outline what you believe in and what your restaurant will stand for. For example: 

“We value teamwork, honesty, community involvement, dedication to the culinary arts, and transparency.” 

Some restaurants will go the extra mile and develop all three message components (mission, vision, and values). While defining all of these components for your restaurant is helpful, you can get by without developing all three. Even having just one statement will provide more clarity and purpose for your work. 

How to Write a Powerful Restaurant Mission Statement

Now that you understand what a mission statement is and why it matters, it’s time to start thinking about how you can develop your own mission statement that will effectively guide your restaurant to success. The creation of your mission statement will take some soul searching and reflection. Your mission should be unique to you and isn’t something we can develop for you. Nevertheless, there are some important principles and tactics you can use to help write an effective statement. 

Components of a Strong Mission Statement

 While there is no one correct way to write a mission statement, there are characteristics that every strong mission statement embodies. As you work to write your mission statement, you should reflect on the following six characteristics. 

• Accurate: Your mission statement should be an honest reflection of what your restaurant will do. If your mission statement doesn’t accurately reflect your restaurant, it may be time to either revise your statement or revise some of your operations policies. 
• Achievable: It’s good to set lofty goals, but your goals should be measurable and achievable. Many restaurants seek to provide the world’s most delicious food or the best service, but those goals aren’t easy to measure and not every restaurant can be “the best”.  
• Actionable: The strongest mission statements both define goals and articulate how those goals will be achieved. 
• Concise: Your mission statement shouldn’t be three pages long. You want a concise statement that is easily digestible and understood. As a general guide, you should try to keep your mission statement under five sentences. 
• Transparent: The best mission statements avoid business jargon and clichés that sound impersonal. Your mission statement should be an accurate, honest reflection of what you want the restaurant to be.  
• Unique: Your mission statement should help differentiate you from your competition. If your mission sounds like that of your competitors, then the statement doesn’t effectively accomplish that goal. 

As you review the mission statement examples further down in this post, you’ll find that not every mission statement encompasses every one of the characteristics above. It is a testament to just how difficult it is to write a compelling mission statement. 

Questions to Consider

During the brainstorming stage of mission statement development, it can help to frame your mission within the context of questions. Answering key business questions can help you extract the root reason for your restaurant’s existence. Below are some important questions you should ask yourself while developing your mission: 

• Why are you in business?
• What is the image you want your restaurant to convey?
• Who is your target market? 
• What are the needs of your target market and how will you fill those needs? 
• What does/will your restaurant do for employees? 
• How is your restaurant differentiated from your competitors? 
• What underlying philosophies or values contributed to the founding of your restaurant? 

Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

To get the development process kicked off for your mission statement, it can help to review what other restaurants have communicated as their mission. We’ve compiled over 50 mission statements from restaurants across the country and the world. We’ve included mission statements from large, well-known chains, as well as, smaller local restaurants to provide you with a well-balanced mix of inspiration. 

It’s important to remember that your mission statement should be unique to your restaurant. It’s valuable to study how others have approached mission development, but it’s important to draw upon your own goals when developing your unique statement. 

Family Style Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

Avanti’s italian restaurant.

“We prepare and serve high quality, simple food, at a great value, in a home-like environment.”

P.F. Chang’s

“To HONOR Life. Family. Food.”

Ruby Tuesday

“Quality. Passion. Pride.”

Bamboo Sushi 

“To change the way people eat, inspiring a shift within the restaurant industry and beyond.”

The Cheesecake Factory

“To create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority.”

Darden Restaurants

“To be financially successful through great people consistently delivering outstanding food, drinks and service in an inviting atmosphere, making every guest loyal.”

“Going back to basics. Connecting flavors of Asia with the community through culinary traditions and culture.”

Pachamanka Restaurant

“To exceed each and every one of our customer’s expectations.”

Plaza Tapatia

“To serve exquisite and authentic Mexican Cuisine representing our cultures and legendary culinary gastronomy with typical dishes with a creative and talented touch, delivering a distinctly unique dining experience to fulfill our guest expectations.”

Provision Community Restaurant

“To foster creative, community-based solutions to overcome food insecurity, isolation and hardships in the lives of our neighbors.” 

Smoke BBQ Restaurant & Catering

“To share our love of authentic BBQ, inspired by regional classics throughout the US, prepared and smoked daily in our smokers.”

Applebee’s

“To make sure you’re eatin’ good whenever you step into an Applebee’s.”

Studio Movie Grill

“To open hearts and minds, one story at a time.”

The Table Cafe

“To provide a restaurant that serves locally grown food with amazing taste, at an affordable price, where all can enjoy the flavor of community.”

Bar, Brewery, & Pub Mission Statement Examples

Buffalo wild wings.

“ Our mission is to WOW people every day!”

Celebrations Restaurant & Bar

“To capture the character of our community, boiling down its stocks, foraging its plants, and showcasing its produce; all in an attempt to capture a time and a space in the confines of a plate, but more often in a series of plates.”

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

“Inspire Loyalty in both our guests and in our staff.”

Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub

“A passion to serve”

Founders Brewing Company

“make uncompromising craft beer that we love”, fine dining restaurant mission statement examples, mccormick & schmicks.

“Absolute guest satisfaction” 

“To provide our guests with the most authentic Italian experience outside of Italy.”

Little Fish Grill

“To provide the community with fresh, locally sourced, top quality food and service in a friendly casual environment to remind you the little fish eats like a shark too!”

Cadre Restaurant

“To provide our guests with a comfortable, quality, and satisfying dining experience using local, seasonal ingredients in classic dishes paired with select wine.”

Novo Restaurant & Lounge

“To delight every guest with remarkable dining & hospitality experiences that keep them returning.”

Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group

“Do right and far exceed expectations daily.”

Gracie’s 

“Enhance and educate the palate with the freshest ingredients and flavors, while surprising and exciting each guest with personal care and service.”

P.S. Kitchen

“To leverage the power of good food and an open heart to lovingly serve our clients, employees, society and the earth.”

Hearth Restaurant 

“Serve REAL food that tastes, looks, and smells delicious.” 

Fast Food Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

“To become America’s most loved restaurant brand.”

Panda Restaurant Group 

“To deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.” 

“Serve only the highest quality product, prepare it in a clean and sparkling environment, and serve it in a warm and friendly manner.”

Domino’s 

“To break down the barriers between our customers, and the food they love to share.”

Culver’s 

“That every guest who chooses Culver’s leaves happy.”

McDonald’s 

“To provide a fun and safe environment where our customers can enjoy good food made with quality ingredients at affordable prices.”

Krispy Kreme

“To make the most awesome doughnuts on the planet every single day.”

Frugals 

“To provide the highest quality product at the lowest possible price, the best consumer experience in the industry, and respect for our employees, business partners, and community.”

Tasty Burger

“To serve a fresh, flavorful, flat patty burger made from the finest American beef, while becoming a real part of every neighborhood in which we open.”

Fast Casual Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

“Some want to make superior sandwiches. Some want to make the world a better place. We want to do both!”

Zaxby’s 

“Consistently create encore experiences that enrich lives, one person at a time.”

Panera Bread

“Food as it should be. Food should taste good. It should feel good. It should do good things for you and the world around you.”

Firehouse Subs

“To carry on our commitment to and passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service, and public safety.”

“To help citizens of the world live better by making healthy food convenient & affordable.”

Boloco 

“To better the lives and futures of our people. We use ridiculously delicious burritos to do it.”

“To serve the world flavor.”

“From sprout to plate, we obsess over the details to bring better eating to everyone.”

Flour Bakery

“Make amazing food – offer warm welcoming service – give back to the neighborhood – run an efficient, profitable business – make flour a better place for both our customers and ourselves”

Hannah’s Bretzel

“Make insanely tasty food, provide healthier nutrition on the go, and do it with the smallest environmental footprint possible.”

“We believe the choices we make about what we eat, where it comes from and how it’s prepared have a direct and powerful impact on the health of individuals, communities and the environment.”

Cafe & Coffee Shop Mission Statement Examples

Starbucks .

“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

CC’s Coffee House

“To serve everyone better than anyone else .”

Philz Coffee 

“To better the days of everyone who walks in.”

Dunkin’ Donuts

“ We prioritize what you need to get you on your way. We strive to keep you at your best, and we remain loyal to you, your tastes and your time.”

Again, there’s no right or wrong way to develop a mission statement. Take your time and piece together a message that you can stand behind and others can believe in. 

Further Developing Your Restaurant Brand

Developing a restaurant mission statement is a component in further developing your restaurant’s brand. As you refine your brand you’ll also want to consider where it’s being placed. Some of the biggest brands in food service put their logo on everything and you may want to as well. You might even want to print your restaurant mission on your disposable promotional items.

Budget Branders is a market leader in affordable custom disposable restaurant products. Our branding consultants can help you design and develop custom printed cups and bags that will allow your brand to really stand out at an affordable rate. Print your restaurant logo or restaurant mission on our custom stadium cups , custom coffee cups , custom dessert bowls , custom deli bowls , custom napkins , custom sandwich bags , custom paper bags , and more. Call (888) 373-4880 or fill out a contact form to speak to a brand consultant today.

David Kranker

Contact our team.

Have questions? Interested in getting a FREE quote? Reach out to us via the form below and we’ll respond as soon as possible.

Your message (optional)

Our custom products

Clear Plastic Cups

Single Wall Paper Cups

Double Wall Paper Cups

Coffee Sleeves

Dessert Cups

Stadium Cups

Ripple Cups

Biodegradable Cups

Cup Sealing Film

Wax Deli Paper

Plastic Deli Containers

Foil Sandwich Bags

Related Posts

200+ Creative Bar Names

Bars can be a great investment. With a liquor license and location, you can open up a brew pub, wine bar, trendy lounge, or an

How Much Do Food Trucks Make?

If you want to get involved in the restaurant business but don’t want to be tied to a physical location, a food truck may be

Creative Bubble Tea Shop Names

Bubble tea has become incredibly popular across the United States. Once limited to big cities, you can now find boba tea stores in small towns

Creative Ice Cream Shop Name Ideas

Ice cream is a classic treat for a reason. Who doesn’t love two scoops on a waffle cone on a summer day – or an

GOOGLE REVIEWS

[email protected]

Call 888-373-4880

72 W. 64th St. STE 200 Holland, MI 49426

Privacy Policy | Refund & Return Policy

Support Hours

Chat Hours: 10AM-8PM EST (Monday-Friday)

Phone Hours: 10AM-8PM EST (Monday-Friday)

From The Blog

© 2024. Budget Branders. All Rights Reserved

It looks like you're in the United States of America

Would you like to switch to our Global site? You can switch region anytime from the footer.

Popular searches

• Online Bookings
• Table Management
• POS integration

25 Inspiring Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

Your restaurant's mission statement explains the values you have for both your internal and external customers (employees, stakeholders and diners). It is a crucial element of your brand identity and will have a direct and powerful impact on how you implement it into your management.

Most restaurant mission statements are basic and do the job, but not many are impressive. If you are starting a new restaurant or refreshing an existing business, knowing why and how to write an outstanding mission statement is beneficial.

In this article, we will cover:

What Is a Restaurant Mission Statement?

• When to Write Your Restaurant Mission Statement
• Why do you need a Mission Statement for your Restaurant?

What's the Difference Between Your Mission, Vision, and Values?

• How to Write a Restaurant Mission Statement
• Where to publish your Restaurant Mission Statement
• 25 Restaurant Mission Statement Examples to Inspire you
• What to do after you have completed your Restaurant Mission Statement

To put it simply, a restaurant mission statement is a short description that defines the reason your restaurant exists. It communicates, to both employees and customers, your whole purpose for being and it can identify why you are different from the competition.

Mission statements are paired with a restaurant value statement and/or vision statement. Combined, they promote your brand's identity and establishes how you will run your business to achieve them.

When to Write a Restaurant Mission Statement

If you are starting a new restaurant business then the mission statement draft should be completed after the SWOT analysis . The analysis of the 4 categories - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, will inform the purpose you have for your restaurant and what will need to go in your mission statement. After your mission statement is written, you can complete your business plan.

With an existing restaurant, a SWOT analysis should be done for any brand refresh, new location or new processes. Always revisit your mission statement for your restaurant after any changes to ensure it is still aligned with your purpose.

Why Do You Need a Mission Statement for Your Restaurant?

Restaurant mission statements make you think of your business beyond just serving delicious food. Diners are looking for a full experience and employees like to get behind a business with a purpose. A mission statement shows the public you have ambition and your business exists for a reason.

Developing a mission statement early will set you up with a mindset that is intentional, motivational and determined. It will influence how you approach your business strategy and guide you in your management.

It is the core of your brand and will:

• Differentiate you from the high competition in the restaurant industry - Nearly every restaurant is delivering great food, but not everyone has a unique purpose. Customers are looking to get behind a goal and like to spend their money consciously.
• Hire excellent talent - Being specific about your mission, values and culture will attract candidates that align with you and will support your purpose beyond looking for "any" job.
• Align all departments and processes - Every element of your business will come back to one overarching goal. Writing a mission statement will make your business plan, decisions and motivating everyone simple and straightforward.

Mission, vision and values are often used interchangeably and sometimes combined but there are some key differences:

• A mission statement is about today. Your current reason for being and the impact you want to have.
• A vision statement is about the future. Your reason for existing going forward and the future you envision.
• Your values tie both the mission and vision statements together. How do you create your reason for being and achieve your future goals through your business decisions, behaviours and actions?

How to Write a Striking Restaurant Mission Statement

To write a strong mission statement, you will need to dig deep and find the reason why you exist, beyond just delicious food. A good mission statement should add value to both customers and employees, and be specific to your business.

On the other hand, a bad mission statement will describe objectives at a very basic level and can be rebranded for any business. For example:

"We want to provide the best service" and

"We want to be leaders in the restaurant industry"

Since these are the goals of just about any restaurant, they do little to identify any unique purpose or value the public can get behind.

Now that you are ready to write, there are some key elements you can focus on in order to give your restaurant the best mission and chance of success.

Key Elements of a Mission Statement

In order to write a successful mission statement, you should be able to answer the following 6 questions:

• Why do we exist? - What is the purpose of the restaurant today, in the here and now?
• What is our value? – What is the value of the restaurant to both customers and employees?
• How do we inspire? – Why should people want to work for the company?
• Can we achieve it? – Is it plausible? Make it sound reasonable.
• How is it specific to our business? – Make it unique to you.
• What will our legacy be? - Even though a mission statement is about the present, it should imply what you want to be remembered for.

Once you have your answers, it will be easier to summarise them into a succinct and powerful statement. Avoid jargon or specialist terms, if you are adding value to everyday people then ensure it is readable and relatable to them.

How Long Should a Mission Statement Be?

The majority of mission statements are between one and three sentences and never exceed 100 words. Some of the most inspirational and striking mission statements are a single sentence, so the more you can revise and polish your draft statement, the better it will be.

 "To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time." - Starbucks, Worldwide.

This is a great example of communicating a mission within one, simple sentence. It hints at the future society they want and their purpose, it communicates directly with the public and it ties back into their business of serving coffee. 

Should a Mission Statement Be in First or Third Person?

A lot of standard mission statements are written in the first person, using "We" and "our". However, a mission statement is not about you, it is about what you do for others. A powerful mission statement is written in the third person and speaks directly to your customers or employees.

"To purchase and serve responsibly sourced seafood without compromising the future of our oceans." - Le Bernardin, New York.

This statement, written in the third person, lets everyone know what they will do for the planet and gives customers and employees a mission to get behind. 

Where to Publish Your Restaurant Mission Statement

Some businesses may decide to keep their mission statement internal only. However, it can be an incredible marketing tool to attract the right talent for your restaurant and encourage diners to spend with you.

Consider keeping your Mission Statement in the following places:

1. Include Your Mission Statement in Your Business Plan

Your restaurant business plan is a roadmap of where you are going and how you will get there. A mission statement is your whole reason for being so should be an important part of your plan. It will inform you and your business partners of the vision you have, the values you want and how to achieve them.

2. Publish Your Statement on Your Restaurant Website

You should publish your mission statement on your restaurant website for visibility, marketing and brand awareness. The best page to place it would be either on the "About Us" section or as a sub-section under this page. You could combine your mission and vision under the same page to give visitors a full overview of what your restaurant is about.

3. Insert Your Mission Statement Into Staff Handbooks

Your mission statement is your restaurant's purpose and should empower your employees. Putting it in a staff handbook promotes a culture to think about the business as more than just serving good food, drinks and making money.

25 Restaurant Mission Statements to Inspire You

Casual restaurant mission statement examples.

• Riceboi Sunshine Coast, Australia. "Always fresh, always local, Rice Boi is your go-to Japanese Izakaya feel dive bar."
• Chipotle, Worldwide. "Real ingredients, real purpose, real flavor."
• Nando’s, Worldwide. "Our main aim is to simply create memorable experiences for everyone who has a bit (or a lot) of Nando’s in their life – our customers, communities, founders and suppliers."
• Honest Burger, London. "‘Honest’ stands for a way of doing things; no tricks, no frills, no hidden costs, just quality dry aged meat, homemade chips with every burger as standard, friendly service, and open kitchens. We aim to deliver on one promise, to do one thing, and do it well."
• Dishoom, London. "Be authentic, not clichéd, modern but connected to Indian roots, and honest but not wedded to the usual conventions."
• Hard Rock Cafe, Worldwide. "To spread the spirit of Rock 'n Roll by delivering an exceptional entertainment and dining experience."

Fine Dining Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

• Le Bernardin, New York. "To purchase and serve responsibly sourced seafood without compromising the future of our oceans."
• The Fat Duck, Berkshire. "The Fat Duck is a restaurant unlike any other, a place where food is not what it seems. We focus on providing a high quality gastronomical and multi sensory experience focused on innovation and consistency."
• Bennelong, Sydney Opera House. "Bennelong serves to celebrate the Sydney Opera House and its extraordinary architecture by offering a culturally significant and inspiring menu showcasing a most magnificent production of Australian food and wine."
• Saint Peter, Sydney. "Our mission is to showcase Australian sustainably sourced seafood, prepare it expertly and serve it simply."

Fast Food Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

• Pizza Hut, Worldwide. “We take pride in making a perfect pizza and providing courteous and helpful service on time all the time. Every customer says, “I’ll be back!”
• KFC, Worldwide. “To serve finger lickin’ good food to all our customers!”
• Five Guys, Worldwide. “Is to sell the best quality burgers possible. To sell the best burger possible, we focus on Quality, Service, and Cleanliness.”
• In-N-Out Burger, USA. “Providing the freshest, highest quality foods and services for a profit, and a spotless, sparkling environment whereby the customer is our most important asset.”
• Krispy Kreme, Worldwide. “To make the most awesome doughnuts on the planet every single day.”

Vegan Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

• Eden, Sydney. "At Eden Foods, we deliver a whole world of freshness—no matter who, or where you are."
• Daigo, Tokyo. "Nomura's mission is to pass Shojinryori Daigo on to the next generation, protecting the creation of his ancestors and seeing it through to one hundred years."
• Lotus Seed, Vancouver. "To be a catalyst for positive action by serving healthy meals . Offering high quality vegetarian food without compromising the taste & reasonable pricing is the perfect answer to our healthy & conscious customers."
• Smith & Daughters, Melbourne. "Smith and Daughters' mission is to never cater only to hardcore vegans but to give everyone the occasional meat circuit-breaker through clever sleights of hand."

Cafe Mission Statement Examples

• Starbucks, Worldwide. "To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time."
• Milligram, NSW . "To nurture body, mind and soul by retreating customers with freshly brewed organic coffee and organic meals."
• Blackstar Coffee Roasters, Brisbane. "Blackstar’s Vision is to stimulate the transition to sustainability. To caffeinate the movement towards a sustainable economy."

Pub Mission Statement Examples

• Stalwart Brewery, Sunshine Coast. " The Stalwart Brewing Company dream is to provide a consistent, high quality range of ales to the community using great tasting Sunshine Coast hinterland water, fresh grain, hops and yeast in every batch. No preservatives or additives. Just love and dedication in every hand crafted brew."
• The Half Moon, Herne Hill UK . "We take pride in offering some of the finest food in Herne Hill. Our superb dishes throughout the week are prepared using the finest seasonal ingredients, which we source locally wherever possible."
• The Fat Duck Gastropub, Te Anau NZ. "We strive to be Te Anau’s favourite restaurant by creating a workplace where our team is committed to providing the best guest experience in Southland. We believe everyday is an opportunity to improve and to give back."

What to Do After You Have Completed Your Restaurant Mission Statement?

Now you have crafted a well written mission statement, it is time to plan how you will achieve it. Formulate your vision statement, get clear on your values and bring it all together in your business plan . Whether you are starting a new restaurant or revamping your existing business, your business plan should always be updated to match your overarching purpose.

Related Blog

Finding Hospitality Staff: Tips For Writing a Job Ad

Preparing for the festive season: A step-by-step guide to success

It’s time to deck the halls: quick tips for a joyous Christmas in July

Creating Your Restaurant Mission Statement

A mission statement declares your restaurant’s reason for existing.

Mission statements can vary in length, but they are usually anywhere from one to three sentences and approximately 50 words.

There is, however, no hard and fast rule for length. Some are simple, one sentence statements.

Some restaurant mission statements can be created for different audiences, including customers, investors, employees, and franchisees.

The most effective mission statements are ones you can easily remember.

As a general rule, your mission statements should follow these principles:

Describe value

Describe how you fill diners’ needs and what you add to the restaurant industry.

Inspire your audience

The statement should encourage and inspire your staff and customers.

Be realistic

Your mission should make reasonable promises.

Be specific

Only express what’s necessary to describe your mission.

Chang Thai Restaurant

“To provide our customers with an authentic Thai dining experience, which is enjoyable, delicious, and represents the best quality of service. Our customers will experience Thai culture and Thai dishes which are the same as those found in all four regions of Thailand. Chang Thai is the ‘High Class restaurant at Middle Class prices’.”

Chang Thai Restaurant expresses their value by stating, “an authentic Thai dining experience” and “Our customers will experience Thai culture and Thai dishes which are the same as those found in all four regions of Thailand.”

Inspiration

Chang Thai Restaurant inspires their customers by promising an “authentic Thai dining experience, which is enjoyable, delicious, and represents the best quality of service.”

The mission statement doesn’t make any outlandish promises. They don’t claim to be the best Thai food in the world. Instead they express the basics: customers can expect authentic Thai food and good customer service.

The mission statement touches on:

• the food customers can expect
• their target market (a middle-class income level)
• the quality of the food
• the quality of service and affordability

Why Should I Have a Mission Statement?

Defining your restaurant’s mission statement is important for many reasons. If someone asks you about your restaurant’s main focus and business goals, a mission statement is a great way to let them know what you’re all about.

You’re going to need to get used to talking about your restaurant. A lot.

Here are a few reasons why it’s so important to define a sound mission statement for your restaurant.

To clearly define your restaurant’s purpose to customers and stakeholders.

You customers need to know what to expect. Will they find home-made comfort food at your restaurant? Or will they be getting an authentic cultural experience?

You’ll want to describe what you do at a very high level. Your mission statement should remain the same even when your menu or operations are revised.

To narrow your focus when you’re completing your business plan.

Your mission statement is your foundation for all activities defined in your business plan . Come back to your mission statement when you select menu items , determine customer service standards, and set your marketing strategy .

To tell customers and stakeholders how you’re different.

While there may be ten burger joints in your neighbourhood, there’s something that sets you apart from the herd. That something should be clear in your mission statement.

To help customers remember you.

A well-written mission statement can shape a customer’s experience before and after they visit your restaurant. You goal is to ensure their experience matches your mission.

What Makes a Good Mission Statement?

You might be asking yourself: what makes a good mission statement? A good mission statement describes:

• What your restaurant does
• How you deliver your customer experience
• Why you opened your restaurant
• What your customer can expect
• The value you provide customers, employees, and stakeholders

When your mission statement is effective, it:

• Uses succinct language
• Sets expectations
• Addresses customer needs
• Provides direction to your restaurant’s activities
• Declares your competitive advantage
• Describes your value in simple terms
• Drives all decisions

Lotus Seed Mission Statement

“To be catalyst for positive action by serving healthy meals. Offering high quality vegetarian food without compromising the taste and reasonable pricing is the perfect answer to our healthy and conscious customers.”

Lotus Seed’s mission statement expresses:

• What their customer can expect: “high quality vegetarian food”
• Their price point and customer needs: “reasonable pricing”
• Their target customer: “healthy and conscious customers”
• Their differentiating value: “to be catalyst for positive action by serving healthy meals”

Lotus Seed avoids excessive marketing jargon that would add bulk to their statement. Instead they describe their value concisely in under three sentences.

What Makes a Bad Mission Statement?

You can recognise what makes a bad mission statement when it:

• Beats around the bush
• Could apply to any restaurant
• Uses complex language
• Is too long
• Combines mission and vision into one statement

McDonald’s Mission Statement

“McDonald’s brand mission is to be our customers’ favourite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which centre on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers’ experience.”

While McDonald’s mission statement starts out strong, it fails to announce what they offer, uses internal jargon with little explanation (Plan to Win), and is very vague.

How to Write a Mission Statement for a Restaurant

Now that you know what a mission statement looks like and why you should have one, here’s how to write a mission statement for a restaurant.

Step 1: Determine your audience.

You can write your mission statement for customers, investors, employees, or all of the above. Before you start, make sure you’re clear on which audience you’re speaking to.

Step 2: Perform a quick brainstorm.

Answer the following questions:

• What does your restaurant offer?
• What kind of environment does your restaurant create?
• How does your restaurant achieve its goals?
• Who does your restaurant cater to?
• What are your restaurant’s values? List five.
• What separates you from the competition?
• Why does your restaurant do what it does?
• How do you treat your guests and employees?
• What does your restaurant promise?

Step 3: Write your mission statement in long form

Using your initial brainstorm as your point of reference, write out your answers in long form. Don’t worry about length or word count at this point. The purpose of this exercise is to put together the building blocks of your mission statement.

At BeefLess VegMore Burgers:

• We offer gourmet burgers without meat.
• We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience.
• We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience by offering exceptional. service, a laidback atmosphere, and quality food.
• Our restaurant caters to vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters alike.
• Our restaurant values sustainable, meat-free meals that don’t taste like they’re vegetarian and exceptional service that caters to every dietary restriction.
• Our restaurant is different from the competition because our recipes are 100% vegetarian and make meat-eaters forget that they’re missing the meat.
• We do this to promote a more sustainable world and prove that food can be delicious without meat.
• We treat guests and employees like family.
• Our restaurant promises vegetarian burgers, exceptional service, and sustainable ingredients that meat-eaters will love, too.

Step 4: Distill your long-form answers into a single paragraph.

Once you’ve listed out the answers to your initial brainstorm, put them together into one large statement. This might look something like this:

“At BeefLess VegMore Burgers we offer gourmet burgers without meat. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience by offering exceptional. service, a laidback atmosphere, and quality food. Our restaurant caters to vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters alike. Our restaurant values sustainable, meat-free meals that don’t taste like they’re meat free and exceptional service. Our restaurant is different from the competition because our recipes are purely vegetarian and make meat-eaters forget that they’re missing the meat. We do this to promote a more sustainable world and prove that food can be delicious without meat. We treat guests and employees like family. Our restaurant promises vegetarian burgers, exceptional service, and sustainable ingredients that meat eaters will love, too.”

Step 5: Edit, edit, edit.

Cut all the fluff. You’ll notice that the answers you’re working with overlap. Your task here is to convey essential information without repeating it.

Tips for editing

Identify recurring themes.

Identify parts of your brainstorm that you’ve repeated more than once. They are important to your mission! These themes will be the base of your mission statement.

Delete redundancies.

You only need to say you’re a vegetarian restaurant once. Once you’ve identified trends, cut parts that you’ve repeated more than once.

Write in an active voice.

“We hope to offer” is wordier and less direct than “we offer.” Always use direct language.

Be positive.

Using negative language makes your copy longer and weaker.

Don’t use two words when one will do.

Be concise in your language. “We always promise,” says the same thing as, “We promise.”

Use strong adjectives or none at all.

When used incorrectly, adjectives can make your mission statement longer. Adjectives add fluff and you want to be direct. Instead of saying, “world-class dining experience” or “delectable, mouth watering food”, get to the point.

“We offer gourmet burgers without meat. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience by offering exceptional service, a laid back atmosphere, and quality food. Our restaurant caters to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Our restaurant values sustainable, meat-free meals that don’t taste like they’re meat free and exceptional service. Our restaurant is different from the competition because our recipes are purely vegetarian and make meat-eaters forget that they’re missing the meat. We do this to promote a more sustainable world and prove that food can be delicious without meat. We treat guests and employees like family. Our restaurant promises vegetarian burgers, exceptional service and sustainable ingredients that meat eaters will love, too.”

Step 6: Refine your draft.

Once you’ve axed redundant information, the next step is to reduce your first draft to three sentences.

When you’re merging ideas together, don’t complicate them. Too many concepts in a single sentence can confuse your future readers. At the same time, be careful you don’t lose key parts of your mission by cutting statements that are actually important.

It’s good to note that creating multiple drafts is a good thing! Your first draft will never be your final draft.

Our mission…

Gourmet vegetarian burgers so decadent that vegetarians and carnivores alike will forget they’re meat-free. Our guests experience a relaxed dining experience, with dishes created from sustainable ingredients and service that make all customers feel at home. We operate under the belief that a meat-free, sustainable world can still be delicious.

Step 7: Check your mission statement draft against essential criteria.

Check your mission statement against the following questions:

Who: Does your mission statement identify your customer?

Yes: Vegetarians and meat-eaters.

What: Does your mission statement describe what your restaurant offers?

Yes: Vegetarian burgers and a relaxed dining experience.

How: Does your mission statement describe how your restaurant satisfies customer needs?

Yes: Vegetarian food, accommodates all dietary restrictions, fulfils tastes of meat-eaters.

Why: Does your mission statement describe why your restaurant exists?

Yes: To create a meat-free, sustainable world that is still delicious.

Is your mission statement to the point?

Yes: No fluffy language. Present tense.

Is your mission statement based on your competitive differentiator?

Yes: Sustainable ingredients and decadent vegetarian food that will satisfy meat-eaters.

Can your mission statement serve to motivate customers and employees alike?

Yes: Delicious vegetarian, sustainable food is better for the world but still leaves customers satisfied. Customers, employees, and stakeholders are all invited to join in.

Step 8: Get feedback.

Make your mission statement a joint effort. Solicit input from your advisors, whether those are your business partners, friends, prospective customers, or an industry expert. Even better, have your mission statement vetted by a marketing professional.

Your advisors will be able to identify the blind spots, grammatical errors, and redundancies you may not see. Remember: you’re very close to your mission statement. Distance and perspective are your best friends. (If you have a friend who’s an editor, even better!)

A clear, concise, focused mission statement will make appearances beyond your business plan.

Showcase your mission statement on your future website and in your employee handbook . If you decide to franchise one day, highlight it as your corporate mandate. Include it in your job descriptions when you hire staff .

Your mission statement helps you attract customers and staff who believe in your purpose and want to be a part of it. A great mission statement will set you on course from the beginning.

Famous Restaurant Mission Statements

McDonald’s brand mission is to be our customers’ favourite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which centre on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers’ experience.

Dunkin’ Donuts Mission Statement

To be the leading provider of the wide range delicious beverages & baked product around the kingdom in a convenient, relaxed, friendly environment, that insures the highest level of quality product and best value for money. We provide our guests the elegant service and unforgettable experience to meet their expectations in every single visit.

Buffalo Wild Wings Mission Statement

Our mission is to WOW people every day! We are guest-driven: We will WOW our guests every day by achieving the highest level of satisfaction with an extraordinary focus on friendly service, food, fun and value.

We are team-focused: We will WOW our team members by providing the same respect, positive encouragement and fair treatment within the organisation that we expect Team Members to share externally with every guest.

We are community-connected: We will WOW the communities where we do business by practising good citizenship and helping to make these communities better places to live, work and grow.

We are dedicated to excellence: We will WOW our stakeholders with outstanding, industry-leading financial results and operational performance.

Panda Express Mission Statement

To deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organisation where people are inspired to better their lives.

Applebee’s Mission Statement

To contribute to the growth, joy and enrichment of all the lives we touch.

Wendy’s Mission Statement

To deliver superior quality products and services for our customers and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships.

Cheesecake Factory Mission Statement

To create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority.

Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

Here a number of restaurant mission statement examples:

We are here to share our knowledge of health and healing, making a difference in every life we touch through education and great food.

Coffee shop

Our mission is to provide superior products at competitive prices, while keeping charitable giving at the forefront of all we do.

Fine dining

As the leader in the foodservice industry, we will strive to provide the highest level of consistency in the quality and delivery of our products, services and knowledge.

The COBS Bread brand has been built on our commitment to the quality of our product, the development of our people and the delight the combination of these two elements brings to our customers.

Vegan restaurant

Bliss Raw Cafe and Elixir Bar

Eat clean. Eat raw. Live well.

Vegetarian restaurant

To be catalyst for positive action by serving healthy meals. Offering high quality vegetarian food without compromising the taste and reasonable pricing is the perfect answer to our healthy and conscious customers.

Breakfast restaurant

Sunset Grill

We strive to be the best breakfast restaurant in town. We take pride in providing a warm, friendly and clean atmosphere for our customer’s enjoyment and satisfaction. We serve only the highest quality fresh foods and use the healthiest cooking methods.

Sushi restaurant

To bring the spirit of Japan to your dining table in the ultimate, authentic dining experience.

Pizza restaurant

Boston Pizza

To be a world class franchisor through selecting and training people to profitably manage an outstanding food service business. To achieve this goal we are innovative and responsive in our approach in business. We work as a team providing attention to detail but never losing sight of the larger picture. We recognise the need to provide leadership in all areas of operations, marketing and restaurant development.

Japanese ramen restaurant

Kimura Ramen Restaurant

We are committed to a traditional execution of Japanese food and culture.

Mexican restaurant

Zia Taqueria

To operate a community-minded & efficient fast-service, fresh-mex restaurant with a safe, clean, comfortable environment.

Better food accessible to everyone.

Greek restaurant

Blending Family, Fun & Drinks with authentic Greek cuisine giving you an unforgettable experience to eat and drink like a Greek once a week!

Thai Restaurant

To provide our customers with an authentic Thai dining experience, which is enjoyable, delicious, and represents the best quality of service. Our customers will experience Thai culture and Thai dishes which are the same as those found in all four regions of Thailand. Chang Thai is the ‘High Class restaurant at Middle Class prices’.

More in Operations

Restaurant menu design, menu layout & menu size.

How to curate your restaurant menu design, layout and size

How to Evaluate Restaurant Space Requirements

Avoid potential headaches by properly evaluating restaurant space requirements

Using Restaurant Analytics to Increase Profits

Maximise the tools at your disposal to make sense of your restaurant analytics

Most Popular

How Much Does it Cost to Open a Restaurant?

Guide to Buying Restaurant Equipment

Choosing a Restaurant Location

Eat App for

How it works

How to Write a Restaurant Mission Statement (Tips and Examples)

Your restaurant’s mission statement is a pillar of your identity. It tells the world who you are and what you stand for while helping to guide your decisions, marketing strategy, food, and well basically everything, as a company.

That’s why writing a restaurant mission statement is a personal affair. To make it meaningful , you’ll need to dig into some pressing questions about your values, vision, and goals. What makes you stand out from the rest? Why should your customers, employees, investors, the media, and other entities favor you?

How to write your restaurant’s mission statement

Mission statements come in all shapes and sizes. Yours can be as short as a sentence or two, or you can use it as an opportunity to tell a story about your brand and the impact it strives to have in the local, national, or global community.

Regardless of the format, it’s critical that you deep-dive into what really makes you tick, and how your internal aspirations and values translate into your interactions with others.

It’s shockingly easy to create a bland, generic, and downright boring mission statement that fails to differentiate you from your competitors. To avoid doing so, dig deep into a few important points in the process:

Your values

It’s important to define what your restaurant’s core values and beliefs are in order to write a mission statement that represents your restaurant personally. 

Your Vision Statement

A vision statement gives an insight into your restaurant’s future aspirations and goals. It gives direction to your team, helps them stay focused, and provides clarity about your long-term vision.

Your Culture

A company’s culture determines how people communicate within the company, what values they hold, and how the overall internal organization works. It’s important to take it into account so that the final mission statement reflects the true spirit of your team.

What is the main purpose of your restaurant? Is it to create a sense of community, or to spread awareness about your local cuisine? Taking a look back at your goals can help you in crafting your mission statement.

Now that you have a general checklist for writing your restaurant mission statement, let’s look at some examples from other restaurants.

Once you’ve gathered these important insights, answer the following questions to get a full picture of your restaurant operations before you write the final mission statement

What does your restaurant do for its customers? Do you provide fresh and organic food, or serve family-style meals? Your mission statement should reflect what makes you different from all the other restaurants. 

Why do you do what you do? Here, you’re defining the purpose behind your restaurant’s “what”. For instance, a restaurant may provide fresh and healthy meals made with organic produce to promote a healthy lifestyle in society - this is the reason behind what they do. Take a look back at your goals to determine your restaurant’s “why”

Your customers are the most important part of your business, make sure to reflect on who you want to serve at your restaurant so that you can create a mission statement that is catered especially to them. If your customers are the younger generation, for instance, the mission statement will be much different from one that focuses on creating a family-friendly atmosphere.

How do you make your mission successful? Think about your restaurant’s culture and beliefs, the values your team holds, and how they bring your restaurant’s goals to life.  

Tips on how to write a restaurant mission statement

Keep it short and sweet so that it’s easy to remember and recall. Remember, it’s not an investment pitch, you just want to give customers a brief overview of your restaurant. Make sure it’s never more than three or four sentences.

Keep it clear and concise, don’t use technical industry jargon. People should be able to understand it in one read.

Be humble, don’t go overboard in praise of your restaurant by using big words like ‘fantastic food’, ‘unmatched service’ etc. Keep it simple and straightforward.

Keep your audience’s choice and preferences in mind so that you can create a mission statement that is attractive to them.

Take a look at your competition and what’s working for them. Looking at examples can be helpful, but make sure to only take it as inspiration and add your own personal touch to it.

Ask yourself -  can any of my competitors use this exact same mission statement? If the answer is yes, it’s time to dig a bit deeper into why your company exists.

Examples of restaurant mission statements

Upscale and fine dining examples

Union Square Cafe

Union Square Cafe is committed to extending hospitality beyond the walls of our restaurant and into the community.

  Lincoln Ristorante

Our philosophy is simple: to source the best local ingredients and prepare them with authentic Italian methods and spirit. A focus and commitment to freshness and respect for every ingredient is paramount in our daily life.

  ABC Cocina

  We are passionately committed to offering the freshest, safest ingredients, presenting a seasonal menu that is locally focused and globally artistic, and cultivating a healthy relationship on our tables and for the planet. 

At Gracie's, our mission is simple: enhance and educate the palate with the freshest ingredients and flavors, while surprising and exciting each guest with personal care and service.

No presumptions. No pretensions. Ask questions. Feel comfortable.

Never bending to industry trends, the dishes and service at Oriole give guests a thought-provoking and interactive experience, where the diner is the true focus of the meal.

Corporate and chain restaurant examples

McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience.

Delight every customer, so they want to tell their friends – with great value through fresh, delicious, made-to-order sandwiches, and an exceptional experience.

To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time . 

Krispy Kreme

To make the most awesome doughnuts on the planet every single day.

Tim Horton’s  

Our guiding mission is to deliver superior quality products and services for our guests and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships.

The Cheesecake Factory  

To create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority.

We take pride in making the best Mexican style fast food providing fast, friendly, & accurate service.

Apple Bee’s

To contribute to the growth, joy and enrichment of all the lives we touch.

Moe’s Southwest Grill

To provide a one-of-a-kind experience that energizes everyone with an enthusiastic welcome, exceptional service, awesome food, killer tunes, and an unforgettable time.

Dunkin Donuts

To be the leading provider of the wide range delicious beverages & baked product around the kingdom in a convenient, relaxed, friendly environment, that insures the highest level of quality product and best value for money.

 Whether you’re building a restaurant business plan from scratch or revamping your restaurant’s branding and direction, a mission statement can help to paint a better picture of your company.

It can help to establish and build trust for your brand in the eyes of key people and entities like customers, employees, stakeholders, and the media.

 When writing your restaurant mission statement, make sure that you’re clear about your values, vision, and purpose, and how your company creates this impact. Ultimately, your mission should set you apart in a unique way that showcases what you’re all about.

Ready to write your mission statement? Download our free template to get started now.

Read more about restaurant marketing on the Eat App blog

• How to do a restaurant SWOT analysis
• Instagram post ideas for your restaurant
• Email marketing for restaurants
• KPI's every restaurant should measure
• The best digital marketing strategies for restaurants
• Restaurant event ideas
• Restaurant advertising examples
• Grand opening ideas for restaurants
• Top restaurant influencers for inspiration
• Supercharge your marketing with automation 
• How to get more reservations from Instagram
• SEO for restaurants: the complete guide

Director of Marketing at Eat App

For the past 7+ years Ryan has been focused on helping restaurants succeed with digital marketing and front-of-house operations. He is Director Marketing at Eat App.

Reviewed by

Nezar Kadhem

Co-founder and CEO of Eat App

He is a regular speaker and panelist at industry events, contributing on topics such as digital transformation in the hospitality industry, revenue channel optimization and dine-in experience.

Share this article!

Related articles

How to Write a Restaurant:...

A restaurant business plan is a framework that...

SWOT Analysis for:...

Your restaurant may have the best ambiance or...

How to Calculate Food Cost in:...

Whether you're putting together a menu for your...

An executive summary for a restaurant is a...

Join restaurants in 70+ countries using Eat App

Empowering restaurants, one table at a time Discover seamless dining with Eat App

• Reservation system
• Table management
• CRM and guest profiles
• Reports & trends
• WhatsApp messaging
• Integrations
• Privacy policy
• Terms of service
• The 16 Best Reservation Systems
• Guide to Restaurant Marketing
• Guide to Customer Service
• Guide to Making a Restaurant Website
• All articles

"> "> Compare us

• Compare All

© Eat App. All rights reserved.

How to Create a Strong Restaurant Mission Statement (with 20 Examples)

Why worry when you can Coast?

Building a successful business in any industry requires a focus on one particular component of your establishment: the mission statement.

In this article, you’ll learn the importance of a restaurant mission statement, how to create a strong mission statement for your restaurant, and see examples of mission statements from famous and successful restaurants.

What is a Restaurant Mission Statement?

Simply, a mission statement is a statement that explains your restaurant’s goals, focus, and story. In some cases, a strong mission statement even goes a step further to emphasize what your work does or aims to do for others, and for the community.

The Importance of a Strong Restaurant Mission Statement

While you may be tempted to skip past the necessary time it takes to develop a good mission statement — one that’s reflective of the soul of your company — it’s critical that you create a powerful statement that encapsulates what your business is about, and why people should care. The majority of restaurants don’t have a clear mission statement or purpose, so if you develop yours in a meaningful way, you’ll already have a leg up on other restaurant owners.

Below, we’ll delve into what makes a strong mission statement, how you can create your ideal mission statement, and the mission statements of well-known restaurants, so that you can get a better feel for how to create or strengthen your own restaurant’s mission statement!

Mission Statement vs. Vision Statement

Before we launch into the mission statement creation process, it’s important that you understand the difference between a mission statement and vision statement, which are often incorrectly used interchangeably.

While a mission statement acts as clear branding that conveys your business’s goals, achievements, and focus to the world, a vision statement looks to the future, and clarifies the direction that your restaurant is headed. It shares what you hope to achieve, rather than focusing on what you’ve already accomplished.

Keep the difference between these two in mind when developing or refining your mission statement, and ensure you stick only to the concrete reality of what your restaurant currently stands for.

The Vision Statement vs. the Value Statement

Different yet again from the mission statement and the vision statement, a restaurant’s value statement describes the core values of a business, and emphasizes the principles and priorities that the company holds dear.

In your case, a value statement should reveal the “soul” of your restaurant, and should be used to inform customers and employees alike of what matters most to your establishment. The value statement can be used internally as well as externally as a kind of “north star” to ensure your restaurant is on the right track, aligning to the services, values, and paradigms on which your establishment was founded.

Now that we’ve gone over the key differences among mission statements, vision statements, and value statements, let’s redirect our focus to developing your restaurant’s mission statement!

5 Elements that Make an Effective Mission Statement

1. restaurant story.

Every successful restaurant has a story. The key is pinpointing it, and presenting it to customers in a way that’s appealing, inspiring, and even moving. Part of your brand story should also be succinct enough to include somewhere in your mission statement.

While a beautiful menu and a cohesive, attractive aesthetic are extremely important for your restaurant’s success, customers are also interested in why you wanted to open your restaurant, what or who your inspirations were, what matters to you (and how you tie it into your business), and how your restaurant connects to customers and the community. Knowing and addressing your audience is everything when it comes to successful marketing !

A few places to present your restaurant story, in addition to reflecting it in your mission statement, include your website “About Us” page, social media, and even the back of the menu, which is probably your best (free) advertising space!

2. Customer focus

A strong business has a clear role in its community, and provides a valuable service for customers.

Your mission statement should touch on how your restaurant is valuable to its customers, and to the community at large. Your services don’t have to be groundbreaking or cutting-edge to make your mission statement impactful — rather, your statement should simply be authentic and accurate. The “what we do” of your mission statement can be something as straightforward as, “We provide high-quality, healthy fast-food options for busy families on-the-go.” Short, sweet, and to the point.

Ultimately, your mission statement doesn’t have to portray your restaurant as something it’s not to get attention. You’ll attract your strongest, most loyal customer base by reflecting what your restaurant does as honestly as possible.

3. Employee dedication

Part of “making it” in the restaurant business is treating the people you work for and with well, and this includes your employees.

How you present your restaurant to prospective employees can greatly affect your staffing success, and what better way to make a good first impression than in your mission statement? Craft this part of your mission statement in such a way that attracts strong employees, but do aim to select different key-words than other restaurants and businesses, which tend to focus on buzz-words like “diversity,” “empowerment,” and “training.” Instead, you might consider emphasizing specific qualities that your restaurant environment exudes, such as “conscientious,” “warmth,” “generosity,” etc. These words appeal to the emotions without coming across as stale or overused. This will help you and your managers determine what are good answer to common restaurant interview questions to find staff that are aligned to your restaurant’s mission statement and values.

4. Focus on owners

While most mission statements focus on the customer and the employee, there are quite a few good mission statements that also target how the owner benefits and plays a role in the success of the business. For example, check out the McDonald’s mission statement:

“McDonald’s brand mission is to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers’ experience.”

Remember: the more groups you address in your mission statement (within reason), the more it will appeal to a wider variety of people.

5. Specificity and pragmatism

A specific mission statement will pinpoint your target audience, so to decide how you should tailor your key messaging, you should first determine who your audience is. Once you’re familiar with your audience, you’ll understand how to create a successful mission statement that acknowledges them and captures their attention.

Equally important is creating a mission statement that is realistic, and accurately reflects the goals and concrete achievements of your restaurant thus far. Don’t invent, assume, or fabricate any part of your mission statement — save that projection for your vision statement.

5 Ways to Create a Strong Restaurant Mission Statement

Now that we’ve discussed some of the key elements to include in your mission statement, let’s talk a bit about the actual creation process!

1. Reflect on the core of your restaurant

What’s at your restaurant’s core? Perhaps that’s an easier question to pose than it is to answer, but to create a mission statement that really shines, you need to have some core values at the center of your business. What do you value most in the daily operations of your business? What needs do you aim to fill in the community, and for your customers?

A few good examples of “core values” of businesses include efficiency, integrity, quality, passion, customer commitment, and trust, to name only a few. Start with a list of such values that may apply to your restaurant, and narrow them down to two or three that really encapsulate the message and services of your establishment.

2. Touch upon what really matters to you (and your restaurant)

Similar to the above step of defining core values, your mission statement should clearly reflect what your restaurant strives to accomplish each and every day. What do you aim to provide for your customers? What sets your restaurant apart from others? What cause are its services dedicated to?

Your “what matters” messaging needs to be different from your core values, as your values will only account for a few words in your mission statement, while this step will likely account for one full phrase or sentence in your mission statement. Indeed, this step might even account for the full mission statement, such as the Panera Bread example: “A loaf of bread in every arm.”

3. Keep it short and sweet

Don’t assume that a longer mission statement will necessarily be more successful. Sometimes, a shorter but punchy mission statement results in a longer-lasting impression, and can be more memorable to customers who really appreciate what your restaurant offers to the community.

Most strong mission statements fall between two and four sentences, and are not longer than 100 words — so, while you will need to spend an adequate amount of time deciding on the best messaging, know that it doesn’t need to be (nor should it be) a novel!

4. Consider why your restaurant exists

Why did you start your restaurant in the first place? What vision did you have for it, and what needs did you anticipate it would meet for your customers?

This is important messaging to focus on in creating an ideal mission statement for your establishment. While you shouldn’t incorporate your future hopes for the business into the mission statement (again — save it for the vision statement), you can mention any inspirations you had, or catalysts that led to the development of your restaurant. This goes back to infusing your mission statement with your “brand story,” even if it means including only a few words that allude to that story.

5. Emphasize the value you create

There’s something your restaurant does, or a service it provides, better than any other existing restaurant. In most cases, there has to be, in order for your establishment to stand out from the thousands of other options out there.

Whether it’s reduced wait time, the highest-quality customer service, the most romantic or swanky ambiance, or colorful plates with delectable food, there is something inherently unique about your business. Pinpoint that thing, and highlight it as one of the main attributes of your restaurant.

20 Examples of Mission Statements from Famous (and Successful) Restaurants

For further inspiration, scroll through these outstanding mission statements of other restaurants who are crushing it in the industry!

1. Chipotle

“ With every burrito we roll or bowl we fill, we’re working to cultivate a better world.”

2. Outback Steakhouse

“ We’re the leader of the pack by emphasizing consistently high quality delicious food delivering a warm, welcoming environment. Our generous portions are moderately priced.”

3. Applebee’s

“To contribute to the growth, joy and enrichment of all the lives we touch.”

4. Domino’s

“Sell more pizza, have more fun!”

5. Dunkin’ Donuts

“ Make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores.”

6. Cheesecake Factory

“To create an environment where guest satisfaction is our highest priority.”

7. Starbucks

“ To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

8. Ruby Tuesday’s

“ It’s applewood smoked bacon and premium cheeses and an uncompromising commitment to providing you the best. Passion is people. People who love what they do and take your enjoyment personally.”

9. P.F. Chang’s

“Farm to Wok® is our philosophy for making food from scratch every day, in each restaurant. We use the simple, time-honored tradition of wok cooking to ensure all recipes are made from scratch.”

10. Panera Bread

“ A loaf of bread in every arm.”

11. Sweetgreen

“Our mission is to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We know that sweetgreen is a critical link between growers and consumers, and we feel a responsibility to protect the future of real food. “

12. Shake Shack

“Stand for Something Good “

13. Chic-Fil-A

“ To be American’s best quick-service restaurant at winning and keeping customers ”

14. Whataburger

“ Win Our Customers’ Hearts Every Time ”

15. Mastro’s Restaurants

“W e aspire to create the finest experience for our guests by combining the highest quality steaks and seafood, with exceptional service in a cosmopolitan and entertaining atmosphere. ”

16. Red Lobster

“ We’ve been committed to bringing you a seafood experience you won’t find anywhere else. That’s how we Sea Food Differently® ”

17. Morton’s Steakhouse

“ Our mission at Morton’s The Steakhouse is to always exceed our guests’ expectations. As we succeed, we expand our reputation as the World’s Best Steakhouse. ”

18. In-N-Out Burger

“ Since 1948, we have maintained a simple philosophy — serve only the highest quality product, prepare it in a clean and sparkling environment, and serve it in a warm and friendly manner. ”

19. Del Frisco’s Steak House

“ Celebrating life in restaurants through great food, wine and hospitality, allowing us to create truly memorable experiences for our guests, empowering our team members ”

20. The Cheesecake Factory

“ To create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority.”

Warren is an implementation lead at Coast, specializing in guiding companies across various industries in adopting maintenance software solutions. Based in San Francisco, Warren is passionate about ensuring smooth transition for his clients. When he's not assisting customers, you can find him exploring new recipes and discovering the latest restaurants in the city.

Found this post helpful? Share it:

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on Other

Related Articles

Ready to test the waters?

Create your free account. No credit card required.

• How to Craft an Effective Restaurant Mission Statement: A Step-by-Step Guide

Your restaurant's mission statement outlines your values for internal and external customers (workers, stakeholders, and diners). It is an important component of your brand identity and will have a direct and significant impact on how you implement it in management. 

Most restaurant mission statements are basic and effective, but few are spectacular. Knowing why and how to construct an amazing mission statement is useful whether starting a new restaurant or updating an existing one. 

Discover why restaurants should have a mission statement, what makes it good, and when and how to write a mission statement for a restaurant in this blog post. 

Table of Contents

What is a Restaurant's Mission Statement?

A restaurant's mission statement is a brief summary of the company's purpose and goal. Restaurant managers usually develop mission statements for their businesses to promote the brand's image and provide the public with an understanding of its values. Mission statements can also help describe how a business differs from its competitors. They can be displayed on restaurants' premises or used in advertisements, advertisements, and promotional materials. 

Why Should You Have a Mission Statement?

Determining your restaurant's mission statement is important for a variety of reasons. If someone asks you about your restaurant's primary focus and business goals, a mission statement is an excellent approach to explain what you're about.  

Here are a few reasons why it's important to develop a strong mission statement for your restaurant.  

To clearly describe your restaurant's purpose for customers and stakeholders.  

Your customers should be aware of what to expect. Will they find homemade comfort food in your restaurant? Or will they get a true cultural experience?  

You should describe what you do at a very high level. Even if your menu or operations change, your goal statement should not change. 

To focus your attention when working on your business plan.  

Your mission statement serves as the foundation for all the activities outlined in your business plan. When choosing menu items , establishing customer service standards, and developing your marketing plan , keep your goal statement in mind. 

Tell customers and stakeholders how you're different.  

There may be ten burger joints in your neighborhood, but there is something that distinguishes you from the crowd. That something should be clearly stated in your mission statement.  

To help customers remember you.  

A well-written mission statement can influence a customer's experience before and after they visit your restaurant. Your goal is to ensure that their experience aligns with your mission.  

What Makes a Good Mission Statement?

You might be wondering, “What makes a good mission statement?" An effective mission statement describes: 

• What does your restaurant do?  
• How do you deliver your customer experience ?  
• Why did you open your restaurant ?  
• What Your Customer Can Expect
• The value you bring to consumers, employees, and stakeholders

When a mission statement is effective, it

• Uses concise language.
• Sets expectations.
• Addresses customer needs.
• Provides direction for your restaurant's activities
• Declares your competitive advantages.
• Describe your value in simple words.
• Drives all decisions.

When to Write a Restaurant Mission Statement?

If you are launching a new restaurant business, you should finish the mission statement draft following the SWOT analysis. The four areas – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats – can help you determine the purpose of your restaurant and what should be included in your mission statement. After you've established your mission statement, you can go on to your company plan.  

A SWOT analysis should be performed on any brand refresh, new location, or new processes in an existing restaurant. Always double-check your restaurant's mission statement after any changes to ensure it remains true to its goal.  

Create Your Restaurant Mission Statement

To get started, learn how other restaurants convey their goal and vision. Some restaurants have long stories, while others have short, simple lines. Create a goal statement that reflects you while being true to your identity.  

Strong value, vision, mission, and culture statements are critical for restaurants to maintain business integrity.   

Continue reading to find out how these four key claims differ.  

1. Value Statement  

Your values shape the decisions you make and the people you collaborate with. As a result, your value statement should be defined before moving to the next statement or idea.  

When starting off on your value statement, it may be helpful to highlight a couple of your competitive traits.  

Try not to discuss what your restaurant does or what you have planned in this statement, as this will be covered in your vision and goal. Instead, your value statement should be a concise, compelling explanation of your company's beliefs.  

2. Vision Statement  

After you've defined your value statement, you can go on to your vision statement. It is all about why your restaurant concept is important and how it can impact the community. 

One way to focus on your vision statement is to see it as the “what" component of your restaurant's objectives. What are your goals? How does this vision distinguish you from your competitors? It might assist in recalling your original reasons for launching the restaurant . Consider what you imagined for your concept and what it would represent to others.   

3. Mission Statement  

If your restaurant's vision statement is the how then its purpose is the what. Your mission outlines how you want to make your objectives and desires come true.   

Restaurant mission statements can be a few phrases long, but they are often brief and to the point. Some of the most well-known restaurant mission statements only contain a few words. The finest restaurant mission statements cater to the audience's desires while remaining honest about what the restaurant is striving to achieve.  

4. Cultural statement  

It can be difficult to tell the difference between a culture statement and a mission statement. Consider your mission statement to be an external force and your cultural statement to be an internal force. 

After all, your culture is entirely internal, and it governs how people engage with customers, what employees value, and what your workforce stands for. Having said that, your cultural statement should include all of the above.  

Now that you know what you're making, you must be inspired.   

How to Write a Restaurant Mission Statement

1. get inspired by competition.

When looking for good restaurant mission statements, look for companies with similar missions to yours.

Next, consider drawing inspiration from well-known restaurant goal statements. Because well-known restaurants are profitable, there may be something special hidden in their mission statement that sustains and propels the business ahead. Just make sure you're inspired by these statements rather than taking them!

2. Look at your idols

To find a successful example of a restaurant or bar's mission and vision statement, look to establishments you admire. These can be either local or global businesses, and it makes no difference what kind of drinks or food they serve.

The most important thing is to take note of what you value when looking at various restaurant and bar mission statement examples. Perhaps you enjoy the length, perhaps you want to replicate the language. Being specific in your research will allow you to build an inspired and focused mission.

3. Consider your customers

Another important aspect to keep in mind when creating your restaurant mission statement is the needs of your guests. What sub-populations live in your community? What other area establishments already serve the groups you're looking for, and where is there room for expansion? Consider what people value in their lives and in the businesses, they patronize, and consider how a mission statement can connect to those values to provoke an emotional response.   

Whether you're targeting military families, college students, or retired seniors, your restaurant's mission statement should represent their interests. 

4. Keep it fresh and unique

If you're tempted to steal a restaurant mission statement sample from the internet, try to resist. You don't want to convey the idea that your restaurant is just like everyone else when it first menus since if you do, customers will have no reason to visit.  

Furthermore, the top restaurant mission statements take a stand on something new and different. They encourage people to think beyond food and explore culture, ideas, and people. Instead of following in someone else's footsteps, craft your goal on what you're trying to accomplish and why customers should support it.  

You can also read our latest blog on branding your restaurant expert tips and tricks.   

Restaurant Mission Statement Examples to Help You Get Started

1) mcdonald's mission statement.

The McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our global operations are unified with a global strategy known as the Plan to Win, which focuses on providing a great customer experience through People, Products, Place, Price, and Promotion. We are dedicated to continuously improving our operations and our customer experience.  

2 ) Dunkin' Donuts' Mission Statement  

To be the premier provider of a diverse choice of delicious beverages and baked goods throughout the kingdom in a convenient, relaxing, and welcoming environment that ensures the highest level of product quality and value for money. We provide our guests with exceptional service and an amazing experience on every visit.  

3) Buffalo Wild Wings' Mission Statement  

Every day, we strive to impress others! We are guest-driven: Every day, we will WOW our visitors by providing the highest level of satisfaction with an unparalleled focus on friendly service, food, fun, and value.  

We are team-oriented: We will WOW our team members by treating them with the same respect, positive encouragement, and fair treatment that we want Team Members to share externally with every guest.  

We are community-connected: We will WOW the communities where we do business by demonstrating good citizenship and contributing to their improvement as places to live, work, and thrive. 

We are committed to excellence: we will wow our stakeholders with great, industry-leading financial and operational results.  

4) Panda Express's Mission Statement  

To provide great Asian dining experiences by creating an organization that inspires people to better themselves.  

5) Applebee's Mission Statement  

To contribute to the development, joy, and enrichment of all the lives we touch.  

6) Wendy’s Mission Statement  

To provide high-quality products and services to our customers and communities through leadership, innovation, and collaboration.  

7)  Cheesecake Factory's Mission Statement  

To create an environment where complete visitor happiness is our top goal. 

What Should You Do After You've Completed Your Restaurant Mission Statement?

Now that you've created a well-written restaurant mission statement, it's time to strategize how you'll achieve it. Create your vision statement, define your beliefs, and tie it all together in the business plan. Whether you're starting a new restaurant or revamping an old one, your business plan should constantly be updated to reflect your overall goal. 

You can also get your hands on the top things you should know about service charges vs. Tips. 

Recent Posts

• A Guide to Craft the Perfect Fast-food Slogans and Taglines
• Best Appetizers at Restaurants
• What is A Ghost Kitchen
• Doordash vs UberEats vs Grubhub
• A Comprehensive Guide to 10 Different Types of Restaurants
• What Is Happy Hour? 10 Foolproof Ways to Make Your Happy Hour Successful
• What does a hostess do at a restaurant? Duties And Responsibilities
• 200 + Cafe Name Ideas That Will Make Your Business Stand Out
• How to Create Food Truck Business Plan? Complete Guide

Create your FREE restaurant website in 5 minutes!

Register for free live webinar.

Live Webinar On Tuesday Jun 6th, 3:00 PM ET

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Writing a Restaurant Mission Statement? Get Inspired With 10 Examples

• by Lightspeed

minute read

Whether you’re opening a new restaurant, updating your website, or giving your promotional materials a facelift, it’s important to include a restaurant mission statement. Your restaurant is an extension of yourself and the values that you live by, and communicating that to your guests can help them understand your restaurant and turn them into loyal, repeat customers which you can then save in your restaurant point of sale .  

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Brainstorming your restaurant mission statement
• How to write your restaurant mission statement
• Ten restaurant mission statements to inspire you

5 ways to improve restaurant profitability

Learn how to improve your restaurant’s profits by reducing turnover, optimizing your space and more.

Brainstorm your restaurant mission statement

To start, take time to brainstorm what your restaurant means to you. Why did you open it? What are the core beliefs that impact your decision making?

To get started, research how other restaurants communicate their mission and vision. You’ll see that some restaurants have long stories, while some are short and concise sentences. As you write yours, craft a mission statement that reflects you and stays true to your branding.

For restaurants, having strong value, vision, mission and culture statements is essential for ensuring strong business integrity. 

Read on to learn the difference between these four core statements.

1. Value statement

Your values define the decisions you make and the people you work with. For that reason, your value statement should be defined before moving onto any other statement or idea.

When getting started on your value statement, it might help to list out a few of your competitive traits. What sets you apart? Why should people buy from you?

Try not to explain what your restaurant does or what you’re planning for the future in this statement, as that will be explored in your vision and mission. Instead, your value statement should be a succinct, powerful explanation of what your company believes in.

2. Vision statement

Once you’ve defined your value statement, you can move on to your vision statement. Your vision is all about why your restaurant concept matters, and how it can influence people and the larger community around it.

One way to hone in on your vision statement is to think about it as the “what” portion of your restaurant’s goals. What are you aspiring to do? How does this vision set you apart from your competitors? It might help to think back to your original motivations for opening the restaurant. Think about what you imagined for your concept, and what that might mean to other people.

3. Mission statement

If your vision statement is the how behind your restaurant, then your mission is the what. Essentially, your mission details how you’re going to make your goals and dreams a reality. Perhaps your vision is to bring authentic French food to rural Ohio—but your mission details how you’ll achieve that vision through affordable prices and a traveling food truck. 

Mission statements for a restaurant can span a few sentences, but they are usually short and sweet. In fact, some of the most famous restaurant mission statements are just a few words. The best restaurant mission statements cater to the desires of the audience, yet are honest about what the restaurant is trying to accomplish.

4. Culture statement

It might seem challenging to differentiate a culture statement from a mission statement. However, it’s easy to think about if you consider your mission statement as an external force and your culture statement as an internal force .

After all, your culture is something that’s purely internal, and it determines how people interact with customers, what employees value and what your workforce stands for. That being said, your culture statement should reflect all of these things.

Think about it this way: a sushi restaurant’s mission statement might actually look similar to mission statements for Mexican restaurants. However, chances are these restaurants will have different culture statements.

Now that you know what you are creating, you have to get inspired. 

From an upscale cocktail lounge to a burger and fries dive, there are many different personalities your new restaurant or bar can assume. Defining your mission statement is an important way that you can attract the right customers and reinforce your goals, which can set you up for long-term success.

How to write a restaurant mission statement 

1. get inspired by competition.

When looking for examples of good restaurant mission statements, keep your eye out for companies that share a mission close to yours.

Next, you might also draw inspiration from famous restaurant mission statements. Since famous restaurants are clearly successful, there might be something special hiding in their mission statement that supports and drives the company forward. Just be sure you are being inspired by these statements and not stealing from them!

2. Look to your idols

To find a successful example of mission and vision statements for a restaurant or bar, you might start by looking at establishments you admire. These can be either local or global restaurants, and it doesn’t matter what type of drinks or food they serve.

The most important thing is that when you start looking into other restaurant and bar mission statement examples, you take note of the things you like. Perhaps it’s the length you’re a fan of, or maybe you wish to emulate the same language. Being specific in this research will help you create a mission that’s both inspired and intentional.

3. Consider your customers

Your guests’ needs are another important aspect to keep in mind when crafting your restaurant mission statement. What sub-populations exist within your community? And what other local establishments already serve the groups you are targeting and where is there an opportunity for growth? Think about what people value in their lives and in the establishments they spend money on and think about how a mission statement can connect to those values to create an emotional response.

Whether it’s military families, college students or retired seniors, your restaurant mission statement should reflect the desires of the people you’re trying to attract .

4. Keep it fresh and unique

When you’re tempted to copy a restaurant mission statement sample from the internet, try to resist. You don’t want to give an impression that your restaurant is just like everyone else as soon as it opens because if you do give off this vibe, people won’t really have any incentive to come to your restaurant.

Plus, the best restaurant mission statements take a stand on something fresh and unique. They get people thinking beyond food to consider culture, ideas and people. So instead of following in someone else’s footsteps, craft your mission around what it is you’re trying to do, and why that’s something customers should buy into.

10 restaurant mission statements to inspire you

1. root down , colorado, usa.

Root Down aims to connect the neighborhood to a dining experience in the same way ingredients are connected to food.

2. Gracie’s , Rhode Island

At Gracie’s, our mission is simple: enhance and educate the palate with the freshest ingredients and flavors, while surprising and exciting each guest with personal care and service.

3. Founding Farmers , multiple locations in the US

For us, sustainability is not a lofty idea but a fundamental, and necessary, endeavor. Our concept is about the food and drink of course, but it’s also about our team, our facilities, our practices, and the hundreds of decisions we make each day that affect the world around us. We believe it’s about finding a balance, which allows us to sustain our quest of making quality, accessible food, while also giving back to our community and the environment.

4. Chipotle , multiple locations globally

Chipotle was born of the radical belief that there is a connection between how food is raised and prepared, and how it tastes. Real is better. Better for You, Better for People, Better for Our Planet. It may be the hard way to do things, but it’s the right way.

5. Matunuck Oyster Bar , Rhode Island

We are committed to uniting fresh, locally grown produce with farm-raised and wild-caught seafood to make the freshest dishes you’ll find anywhere. Our signature raw bar offers a variety of Rhode Island oysters, crisp cherrystones, littleneck clams, and jumbo shrimp. Our Matunuck Oysters are grown in Potter Pond right off our waterfront patio and many of our herbs and vegetables are grown in our vegetable farm on the north end of the pond.

6. Mixt , multiple locations in California

From sprout to plate, we’re all about offering smart, healthy, on-the-go people, smart, healthy, on-the-go food.

7. Sweetgreen , multiple locations in the US

We believe the choices we make about what we eat, where it comes from and how it’s prepared have a direct and powerful impact on the health of individuals, communities and the environment.

8. McCormick’s and Schmick’s , multiple locations in the US

Absolute Guest Satisfaction.

9. Starbucks , multiple locations globally

To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

10. Panera Bread , multiple locations globally

Food as it should be. Food should taste good. It should feel good. It should do good things for you and the world around you.

Now that you’ve got all the tools to craft your mission statement, it’s time to get to work. Creating a restaurant mission statement will be a guiding light to remind you and your staff of your ultimate goal and it helps strengthen your brand in the minds of your guests.

Looking for a technology partner to take your hospitality business to the next level? Talk to one of our experts today to find out how Lightspeed can help.

News you care about. Tips you can use.

Everything your business needs to grow, delivered straight to your inbox.

Sorry, there was an error with your submission.

Success! You are now signed up to our blog content updates.

Lightspeed is a cloud-based commerce platform powering small and medium-sized businesses in over 100 countries around the world. With smart, scalable and dependable point of sale systems, it's an all-in-one solution that helps restaurants and retailers sell across channels, manage operations, engage with consumers, accept payments and grow their business.

Related articles

How to Supercharge Your Restaurant's Online Reservations

• by Catherine Schwartz

How to Build an Equitable Restaurant Tip Out Structure

Table Talks | Elevating Restaurant Operations Through Strategic Partnerships

• by Jody Hewitt

Browse more topics

Sling is now Sling by Toast! Learn more

More Features

• Restaurants
• Get Started

Restaurant Business Plan: What To Include, Plus 8 Examples

• Business Growth & Management , Templates & Guides

Do you want to ensure the success of your new foodservice endeavor? Write a restaurant business plan.

In this article, the experts at Sling tell you why a business plan is vital for both new and existing businesses and give you tips on what to include.

Table Of Contents

What Is A Restaurant Business Plan?

Why is a restaurant business plan important, questions to ask first, what to include in an effective restaurant business plan, how to format a restaurant business plan, efficient workforce management is essential for success.

At its most basic, a restaurant business plan is a written document that describes your restaurant’s goals and the steps you will take to make those goals a reality.

This business plan also describes the nature of the business itself, financial projections, background information, and organizational strategies  that govern the day-to-day activity of your restaurant.

A restaurant business plan is vital for the success of your endeavor because, without one, it is very difficult — sometimes even impossible — to obtain funding from an investor or a bank.

Without that all-important starting or operational capital, you may not be able to keep your doors open for long, if at all.

Even if funding isn’t a primary concern, a business plan provides you — the business owner or manager — with clear direction on how to translate general strategies into actionable plans  for reaching your goals.

The plan can help solidify everything from the boots-on-the-ground functional strategy  to the mid-level business strategy  all the way up to the driving-force corporate strategy .

Think of this plan as a roadmap that guides your way when things are going smoothly and, more importantly, when they aren’t.

If you want to give your restaurant the best chance for success, start by writing a business plan.

Sitting down to write a restaurant business plan can be a daunting task.

As you’ll see in the What To Include In An Effective Restaurant Business Plan section below, you’ll need a lot of information and detail to ensure that the final document is both complete and effective.

Instead of starting with word one, it is hugely beneficial to answer a number of general questions first.

These questions will help you narrow down the information to include in your plan so the composition process feels less difficult.

The questions are:

• What problem does the business’s product or service solve?
• What niche will the business fill?
• What is the business’s solution to the problem?
• Who are the business’s customers?
• How will the business market and sell its products to them?
• What is the size of the market for this solution?
• What is the business model for the business?
• How will the business make money?
• Who are the competitors?
• How will the business maintain a competitive advantage?
• How does the business plan to manage growth?
• Who will run the business?
• What makes those individuals qualified to do so?
• What are the risks and threats confronting the business?
• What can you do to mitigate those risks and threats?
• What are the business’s capital and resource requirements?
• What are the business’s historical and projected financial statements?

Depending on your business, some of these questions may not apply or you may not have applicable answers.

Nevertheless, it helps to think about, and try to provide details for, the whole list so your finished restaurant business plan is as complete as possible.

Once you’ve answered the questions for your business, you can transfer a large portion of that information to the business plan itself.

We’ll discuss exactly what to include in the next section.

In this section, we’ll show you what to include in an effective restaurant business plan and provide a brief example of each component.

1) Executive Summary

You should always start any business plan with an executive summary. This gives the reader a brief introduction into common elements, such as:

• Mission statement
• Overhead costs
• Labor costs
• Return on investment (ROI)

This portion of your plan should pique the reader’s interest and make them want to read more.

Fanty & Mingo’s is a 50-seat fine-dining restaurant that will focus on Sweruvian (Swedish/Peruvian) fusion fare.

We will keep overhead and labor costs low thanks to simple but elegant decor , highly skilled food-prep staff, and well-trained servers.

Because of the location and surrounding booming economy, we estimate ROI at 20 percent per annum.

2) Mission Statement

A mission statement is a short description of what your business does for its customers, employees, and owners.

This is in contrast to your business’s vision statement which is a declaration of objectives that guide internal decision-making.

While the two are closely related and can be hard to distinguish, it often helps to think in terms of who, what, why, and where.

The vision statement is the where of your business — where you want your business to be and where you want your customers and community to be as a result.

The mission statement is the who , what , and why of your business — it’s an action plan that makes the vision statement a reality

Here’s an example of a mission statement for our fictional company:

Fanty and Mingo’s takes pride in making the best Sweruvian food, providing fast, friendly, and accurate service. It is our goal to be the employer of choice and offer team members opportunities for growth, advancement, and a rewarding career in a fun and safe working environment.

3) Company Description

In this section of your restaurant business plan, you fully introduce your company to the reader. Every business’s company description will be different and include its own pertinent information.

Useful details to include are:

• Owner’s details
• Brief description of their experience
• Legal standing
• Short-term goals
• Long-term goals
• Brief market study
• An understanding of the trends in your niche
• Why your business will succeed in these market conditions

Again, you don’t have to include all of this information in your company description. Choose the ones that are most relevant to your business and make the most sense to communicate to your readers.

Fanty & Mingo’s will start out as an LLC, owned and operated by founders Malcolm Reynolds and Zoe Washburne. Mr. Reynolds will serve as managing partner and Ms. Washburne as general manager.

We will combine atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and menu variety to create a unique experience for our diners and to reach our goal of high value in the fusion food niche.

Our gross margin is higher than industry average, but we plan to spend more on payroll to attract the best team.

We estimate moderate growth for the first two years while word-of-mouth about our restaurant spreads through the area.

4) Market Analysis

A market analysis is a combination of three different views of the niche you want to enter:

• The industry  as a whole
• The competition your restaurant will face
• The marketing  you’ll execute to bring in customers

This section should be a brief introduction to these concepts. You can expand on them in other sections of your restaurant business plan.

The restaurant industry in our chosen location is wide open thanks in large part to the revitalization of the city’s center.

A few restaurants have already staked their claim there, but most are bars and non-family-friendly offerings.

Fanty & Mingo’s will focus on both tourist and local restaurant clientele. We want to bring in people that have a desire for delicious food and an exotic atmosphere.

We break down our market into five distinct categories:

• High-end singles
• Businessmen and businesswomen

We will target those markets to grow our restaurant  by up to 17 percent per year.

Every restaurant needs a good menu, and this is the section within your restaurant business plan that you describe the food you’ll serve in as much detail as possible.

You may not have your menu design complete, but you’ll likely have at least a handful of dishes that serve as the foundation of your offerings.

It’s also essential to discuss pricing and how it reflects your overall goals and operating model. This will give potential investors and partners a better understanding of your business’s target price point and profit strategy.

We don’t have room to describe a sample menu in this article, but for more information on menu engineering, menu pricing, and even a menu template, check out these helpful articles from the Sling blog:

• Menu Engineering: What It Is And How It Can Increase Profits
• Restaurant Menu Pricing: 7 Tips To Maximize Profitability
• How To Design Your Menu | Free Restaurant Menu Template

6) Location

In this section, describe your potential location (or locations) so that you and your investors have a clear image of what the restaurant will look like.

Include plenty of information about the location — square footage, floor plan , design , demographics of the area, parking, etc. — to make it feel as real as possible.

We will locate Fanty & Mingo’s in the booming and rapidly expanding downtown sector of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Ideally, we will secure at least 2,000 square feet of space with a large, open-plan dining room and rich color scheme near the newly built baseball stadium to capitalize on the pre- and post-game traffic and to appeal to the young urban professionals that live in the area.

Parking will be available along side streets and in the 1,000-vehicle parking garage two blocks away.

7) Marketing

The marketing section of your restaurant business plan is where you should elaborate on the information you introduced in the Market Analysis section.

Go into detail about the plans you have to introduce your restaurant to the public and keep it at the top of their mind.

Fanty & Mingo’s will employ three distinct marketing tactics to increase and maintain customer awareness:

• Word-of-mouth/in-restaurant marketing
• Partnering with other local businesses
• Media exposure

We will direct each tactic at a different segment of our potential clientele in order to maximize coverage.

In the process of marketing to our target audience, we will endeavor to harness the reach of direct mail and broadcast media, the exclusivity of the VIP party, and the elegance of a highly trained sommelier and wait staff.

8) Financials

Even though the Financials section is further down in your restaurant business plan, it is one of the most important components for securing investors and bank funding.

We recommend hiring a trained accountant  to help you prepare this section so that it will be as accurate and informative as possible.

Fanty & Mingo’s needs $250,000 of capital investment over the next year and a half for the following:

• Renovations to leased space
• Dining room furniture
• Kitchen and food-prep equipment
• Liquor license

Projected profit and loss won’t jump drastically in the first year, but, over time, Fanty & Mingo’s will develop its reputation and client base. This will lead to more rapid growth toward the third and fourth years of business.

Most entrepreneurs starting a new business find it valuable to have multiple formats of their business plan.

The information, data, and details remain the same, but the length and how you present them will change to fit a specific set of circumstances.

Below we discuss the four most common business plan formats to cover a multitude of potential situations.

Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short summary of your restaurant business plan’s executive summary.

Rather than being packed full of details, the elevator pitch is a quick teaser of sorts that you use on a short elevator ride (hence the name) to stimulate interest in potential customers, partners, and investors

As such, an effective elevator pitch is between 30 and 60 seconds and hits the high points of your restaurant business plan.

A pitch deck is a slide show and oral presentation that is designed to stimulate discussion and motivate interested parties to investigate deeper into your stakeholder plan (more on that below).

Most pitch decks are designed to cover the executive summary and include key graphs that illustrate market trends and benchmarks you used (and will use) to make decisions about your business.

Some entrepreneurs even include time and space in their pitch deck to demonstrate new products coming down the pipeline.

This won’t necessarily apply to a restaurant business plan, but, if logistics permit, you could distribute small samples of your current fare or tasting portions of new dishes you’re developing.

Stakeholder Plan (External)

A stakeholder plan is the standard written presentation that business owners use to describe the details of their business model to customers, partners, and potential investors.

The stakeholder plan can be as long as is necessary to communicate the current and future state of your business, but it must be well-written, well-formatted, and targeted at those looking at your business from the outside in.

Think of your stakeholder plan as a tool to convince others that they should get involved in making your business a reality. Write it in such a way that readers will want to partner with you to help your business grow.

Management Plan (Internal)

A management plan is a form of your restaurant business plan that describes the details that the owners and managers need to make the business run smoothly.

While the stakeholder plan is an external document, the management plan is an internal document.

Most of the details in the management plan will be of little or no interest to external stakeholders so you can write it with a higher degree of candor and informality.

After you’ve created your restaurant business plan, it’s time to take steps to make it a reality.

One of the biggest challenges in ensuring that your business runs smoothly and successfully is managing  and optimizing  your team. The Sling  app can help.

Sling not only includes powerful and intuitive artificial-intelligence-based scheduling tools but also many other features to help make your workforce management more efficient, including:

• Time and attendance tracking
• Built-in time clock
• Labor cost  optimization
• Data analysis and reporting
• Messaging and communication
• And much more…

With Sling, you can schedule faster, communicate better, and organize and manage your work from a single, integrated platform. And when you use Sling for all of your scheduling  needs, you’ll have more time to focus on bringing your restaurant business plan to life.

For more free resources to help you manage your business better, organize and schedule your team, and track and calculate labor costs, visit GetSling.com  today.

See Here For Last Updated Dates: Link

This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for specific advice.

Find the article useful? Share with others:

Related articles

How To Write Your Ideal Restaurant Mission Statement + 15 Inspiring Examples

Whether you run a one-person food cart, a small eatery with fewer than five empl...

12 Examples of Small Business Goals, Plus How to Achieve Your Own

Want to improve the way your business operates? Learn some of the more common bu...

55 Restaurant Marketing Tips To Win Your Market

Discover the best restaurant marketing tips and learn how you can harness onlin...

Get started today

Schedule faster, communicate better, get things done.

Creating Your Restaurant Mission Statement

By Silvia Valencia

A mission statement declares your restaurant’s reason for existing.

Mission statements can vary in length, but they are usually anywhere from one to three sentences and approximately 50 words.

There is, however, no hard and fast rule for length. Some are simple, one sentence statements.

Some restaurant mission statements can be created for different audiences, including customers, investors, employees, and franchisees.

The most effective mission statements are ones you can easily remember.

As a general rule, your mission statements should follow these principles:

Describe value

Describe how you fill diners’ needs and what you add to the restaurant industry.

Inspire your audience

The statement should encourage and inspire your staff and customers.

Be realistic

Your mission should make reasonable promises.

Be specific

Only express what’s necessary to describe your mission.

Chang Thai Restaurant

“To provide our customers with an authentic Thai dining experience, which is enjoyable, delicious, and represents the best quality of service. Our customers will experience Thai culture and Thai dishes which are the same as those found in all four regions of Thailand. Chang Thai is the ‘High Class restaurant at Middle Class prices’.”

Chang Thai Restaurant expresses their value by stating, “an authentic Thai dining experience” and “Our customers will experience Thai culture and Thai dishes which are the same as those found in all four regions of Thailand.”

Inspiration

Chang Thai Restaurant inspires their customers by promising an “authentic Thai dining experience, which is enjoyable, delicious, and represents the best quality of service.”

The mission statement doesn’t make any outlandish promises. They don’t claim to be the best Thai food in the world. Instead they express the basics: customers can expect authentic Thai food and good customer service.

The mission statement touches on:

• the food customers can expect
• their target market (a middle-class income level)
• the quality of the food
• the quality of service and affordability

Why Should I Have a Mission Statement?

Defining your restaurant’s mission statement is important for many reasons. If someone asks you about your restaurant’s main focus and business goals, a mission statement is a great way to let them know what you’re all about.

You’re going to need to get used to talking about your restaurant. A lot.

Here are a few reasons why it’s so important to define a sound mission statement for your restaurant.

To clearly define your restaurant’s purpose to customers and stakeholders.

Your customers need to know what to expect. Will they find home-made comfort food at your restaurant? Or will they be getting an authentic cultural experience?

You’ll want to describe what you do at a very high level. Your mission statement should remain the same even when your menu or operations are revised.

To narrow your focus when you’re completing your business plan.

Your mission statement is your foundation for all activities defined in your business plan . Come back to your mission statement when you select menu items , determine customer service standards, and set your marketing strategy .

To tell customers and stakeholders how you’re different.

While there may be ten burger joints in your neighborhood, there’s something that sets you apart from the herd. That something should be clear in your mission statement.

To help customers remember you.

A well-written mission statement can shape a customer’s experience before and after they visit your restaurant. Your goal is to ensure their experience matches your mission.

What Makes a Good Mission Statement?

You might be asking yourself: what makes a good mission statement? A good mission statement describes:

• What your restaurant does
• How you deliver your customer experience
• Why you opened your restaurant
• What your customer can expect
• The value you provide customers, employees, and stakeholders

When your mission statement is effective, it:

• Uses succinct language
• Sets expectations
• Addresses customer needs
• Provides direction to your restaurant’s activities
• Declares your competitive advantage
• Describes your value in simple terms
• Drives all decisions

Lotus Seed Mission Statement

“To be a catalyst for positive action by serving healthy meals. Offering high quality vegetarian food without compromising the taste and reasonable pricing is the perfect answer to our healthy and conscious customers.”

Lotus Seed’s mission statement expresses:

• What their customer can expect: “high quality vegetarian food”
• Their price point and customer needs: “reasonable pricing”
• Their target customer: “healthy and conscious customers”
• Their differentiating value: “to be a catalyst for positive action by serving healthy meals”

Lotus Seed avoids excessive marketing jargon that would add bulk to their statement. Instead they describe their value concisely in under three sentences.

What Makes a Bad Mission Statement?

You can recognize what makes a bad mission statement when it:

• Beats around the bush
• Could apply to any restaurant
• Uses complex language
• Is too long
• Combines mission and vision into one statement

McDonald’s Mission Statement

“McDonald’s brand mission is to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers’ experience.”

While McDonald’s mission statement starts out strong, it fails to announce what they offer, uses internal jargon with little explanation (Plan to Win), and is very vague.

How to Write a Mission Statement for a Restaurant

Now that you know what a mission statement looks like and why you should have one, here’s how to write a mission statement for a restaurant.

Step 1: Determine your audience.

You can write your mission statement for customers, investors, employees, or all of the above. Before you start, make sure you’re clear on which audience you’re speaking to.

Step 2: Perform a quick brainstorm.

Answer the following questions:

• What does your restaurant offer?
• What kind of environment does your restaurant create?
• How does your restaurant achieve its goals?
• Who does your restaurant cater to?
• What are your restaurant’s values? List five.
• What separates you from the competition?
• Why does your restaurant do what it does?
• How do you treat your guests and employees?
• What does your restaurant promise?

Step 3: Write your mission statement in long form

Using your initial brainstorm as your point of reference, write out your answers in long form. Don’t worry about length or word count at this point. The purpose of this exercise is to put together the building blocks of your mission statement.

At BeefLess VegMore Burgers:

• We offer gourmet burgers without meat.
• We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience.
• We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience by offering exceptional. service, a laidback atmosphere, and quality food.
• Our restaurant caters to vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters alike.
• Our restaurant values sustainable, meat-free meals that don’t taste like they’re vegetarian and exceptional service that caters to every dietary restriction.
• Our restaurant is different from the competition because our recipes are 100% vegetarian and make meat-eaters forget that they’re missing the meat.
• We do this to promote a more sustainable world and prove that food can be delicious without meat.
• We treat guests and employees like family.
• Our restaurant promises vegetarian burgers, exceptional service, and sustainable ingredients that meat-eaters will love, too.

Step 4: Distill your long-form answers into a single paragraph.

Once you’ve listed out the answers to your initial brainstorm, put them together into one large statement. This might look something like this:

“At BeefLess VegMore Burgers we offer gourmet burgers without meat. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience by offering exceptional. service, a laidback atmosphere, and quality food. Our restaurant caters to vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters alike. Our restaurant values sustainable, meat-free meals that don’t taste like they’re meat free and exceptional service. Our restaurant is different from the competition because our recipes are purely vegetarian and make meat-eaters forget that they’re missing the meat. We do this to promote a more sustainable world and prove that food can be delicious without meat. We treat guests and employees like family. Our restaurant promises vegetarian burgers, exceptional service, and sustainable ingredients that meat eaters will love, too.”

Step 5: Edit, edit, edit.

Cut all the fluff. You’ll notice that the answers you’re working with overlap. Your task here is to convey essential information without repeating it.

Tips for editing

Identify recurring themes.

Identify parts of your brainstorm that you’ve repeated more than once. They are important to your mission! These themes will be the base of your mission statement.

Delete redundancies.

You only need to say you’re a vegetarian restaurant once. Once you’ve identified trends, cut parts that you’ve repeated more than once.

Write in an active voice.

“We hope to offer” is wordier and less direct than “we offer.” Always use direct language.

Be positive.

Using negative language makes your copy longer and weaker.

Don’t use two words when one will do.

Be concise in your language. “We always promise,” says the same thing as, “We promise.”

Use strong adjectives or none at all.

When used incorrectly, adjectives can make your mission statement longer. Adjectives add fluff and you want to be direct. Instead of saying, “world-class dining experience” or “delectable, mouth watering food”, get to the point.

“We offer gourmet burgers without meat. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience. We want to create a relaxed but gourmet dining experience by offering exceptional service, a laid back atmosphere, and quality food. Our restaurant caters to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Our restaurant values sustainable, meat-free meals that don’t taste like they’re meat free and exceptional service. Our restaurant is different from the competition because our recipes are purely vegetarian and make meat-eaters forget that they’re missing the meat. We do this to promote a more sustainable world and prove that food can be delicious without meat. We treat guests and employees like family. Our restaurant promises vegetarian burgers, exceptional service and sustainable ingredients that meat eaters will love, too.”

Step 6: Refine your draft.

Once you’ve axed redundant information, the next step is to reduce your first draft to three sentences.

When you’re merging ideas together, don’t complicate them. Too many concepts in a single sentence can confuse your future readers. At the same time, be careful you don’t lose key parts of your mission by cutting statements that are actually important.

It’s good to note that creating multiple drafts is a good thing! Your first draft will never be your final draft.

Our mission…

Gourmet vegetarian burgers so decadent that vegetarians and carnivores alike will forget they’re meat-free. Our guests experience a relaxed dining experience, with dishes created from sustainable ingredients and service that make all customers feel at home. We operate under the belief that a meat-free, sustainable world can still be delicious.

Step 7: Check your mission statement draft against essential criteria.

Check your mission statement against the following questions:

Who: Does your mission statement identify your customer?

Yes: Vegetarians and meat-eaters.

What: Does your mission statement describe what your restaurant offers?

Yes: Vegetarian burgers and a relaxed dining experience.

How: Does your mission statement describe how your restaurant satisfies customer needs?

Yes: Vegetarian food, accommodates all dietary restrictions, fulfills tastes of meat-eaters.

Why: Does your mission statement describe why your restaurant exists?

Yes: To create a meat-free, sustainable world that is still delicious.

Is your mission statement to the point?

Yes: No fluffy language. Present tense.

Is your mission statement based on your competitive differentiator?

Yes: Sustainable ingredients and decadent vegetarian food that will satisfy meat-eaters.

Can your mission statement serve to motivate customers and employees alike?

Yes: Delicious vegetarian, sustainable food is better for the world but still leaves customers satisfied. Customers, employees, and stakeholders are all invited to join in.

Step 8: Get feedback.

Make your mission statement a joint effort. Solicit input from your advisors, whether those are your business partners, friends, prospective customers, or an industry expert. Even better, have your mission statement vetted by a marketing professional.

Your advisors will be able to identify the blind spots, grammatical errors, and redundancies you may not see. Remember: you’re very close to your mission statement. Distance and perspective are your best friends. (If you have a friend who’s an editor, even better!)

A clear, concise, focused mission statement will make appearances beyond your business plan.

Showcase your mission statement on your future website and in your employee handbook . If you decide to franchise one day, highlight it as your corporate mandate. Include it in your job descriptions when you hire staff .

Your mission statement helps you attract customers and staff who believe in your purpose and want to be a part of it. A great mission statement will set you on course from the beginning.

Famous Restaurant Mission Statements

McDonald’s brand mission is to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers’ experience.

Dunkin’ Donuts Mission Statement

To be the leading provider of the wide range delicious beverages & baked product around the kingdom in a convenient, relaxed, friendly environment, that ensures the highest level of quality product and best value for money. We provide our guests the elegant service and unforgettable experience to meet their expectations in every single visit.

Buffalo Wild Wings Mission Statement

Our mission is to WOW people every day! We are guest-driven: We will WOW our guests every day by achieving the highest level of satisfaction with an extraordinary focus on friendly service, food, fun and value.

We are team-focused: We will WOW our team members by providing the same respect, positive encouragement and fair treatment within the organization that we expect Team Members to share externally with every guest.

We are community-connected: We will WOW the communities where we do business by practicing good citizenship and helping to make these communities better places to live, work and grow.

We are dedicated to excellence: We will WOW our stakeholders with outstanding, industry-leading financial results and operational performance.

Panda Express Mission Statement

To deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.

Applebee’s Mission Statement

To contribute to the growth, joy and enrichment of all the lives we touch.

Wendy’s Mission Statement

To deliver superior quality products and services for our customers and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships.

Cheesecake Factory Mission Statement

To create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority.

Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

Here a number of restaurant mission statement examples:

We are here to share our knowledge of health and healing, making a difference in every life we touch through education and great food.

Coffee shop

Our mission is to provide superior products at competitive prices, while keeping charitable giving at the forefront of all we do.

Fine dining

As the leader in the foodservice industry, we will strive to provide the highest level of consistency in the quality and delivery of our products, services and knowledge.

The COBS Bread brand has been built on our commitment to the quality of our product, the development of our people and the delight the combination of these two elements brings to our customers.

Vegan restaurant

Bliss Raw Cafe and Elixir Bar

Eat clean. Eat raw. Live well.

Vegetarian restaurant

To be a catalyst for positive action by serving healthy meals. Offering high quality vegetarian food without compromising the taste and reasonable pricing is the perfect answer to our healthy and conscious customers.

Breakfast restaurant

Sunset Grill

We strive to be the best breakfast restaurant in town. We take pride in providing a warm, friendly and clean atmosphere for our customer’s enjoyment and satisfaction. We serve only the highest quality fresh foods and use the healthiest cooking methods.

Sushi restaurant

To bring the spirit of Japan to your dining table in the ultimate, authentic dining experience.

Pizza restaurant

Boston Pizza

To be a world class franchisor through selecting and training people to profitably manage an outstanding food service business. To achieve this goal we are innovative and responsive in our approach in business. We work as a team providing attention to detail but never losing sight of the larger picture. We recognize the need to provide leadership in all areas of operations, marketing and restaurant development.

Japanese ramen restaurant

Kimura Ramen Restaurant

We are committed to a traditional execution of Japanese food and culture.

Mexican restaurant

Zia Taqueria

To operate a community-minded & efficient fast-service, fresh-mex restaurant with a safe, clean, comfortable environment.

Better food accessible to everyone.

Greek restaurant

Blending Family, Fun & Drinks with authentic Greek cuisine giving you an unforgettable experience to eat and drink like a Greek once a week!

Thai Restaurant

To provide our customers with an authentic Thai dining experience, which is enjoyable, delicious, and represents the best quality of service. Our customers will experience Thai culture and Thai dishes which are the same as those found in all four regions of Thailand. Chang Thai is the ‘High Class restaurant at Middle Class prices’.

Silvia is the former Digital Marketing Manager for TouchBistro. During her time with TouchBistro, she managed and coordinated content for the RestoHub blog.

Sign up for our free weekly TouchBistro Newsletter

Your Complete Guide to Restaurant Reservations

More Articles

Join over 35,000 subscribed restaurateurs and unlock.

• Free industry reports, checklists, templates, guides, and more
• The latest restaurant trends delivered straight to your inbox
• Tips for running a successful restaurant

• Value of Culinary Education
• Financing Your Education
• Austin Student Life
• Boulder Student Life
• Culinary & Pastry Careers
• Hospitality Careers
• Health & Wellness Careers
• Food Entrepreneurship
• Success Stories
• World of Food & Drink
• Recipes & Techniques
• Culinary Arts
• Baking & Pastry Arts
• Blog Search

• Financial Aid
• Career Services
• Culinary Arts Programs
• Baking & Pastry Programs
• Food Entrepreneurship Programs
• Plant-Based Programs
• Holistic Nutrition & Wellness Programs
• Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management
• Online Programs
• Austin Campus
• Boulder Campus
• Tuition & Fees
• Financial Aid Process
• Scholarships & Grants
• Application Process
• Military & Veterans
• High School Students
• International Students
• Student Stories
• Open Houses & Events
• Our Chef Instructors
• Farm to Table ® Experience
• Accreditations
• Vision, Mission & Core Values
• Alumni Profiles
• History & Timeline
• Enthusiast Cooking Classes (not related to degree or diploma programs)
• Student Login
• (855) 955-7555
• Search for:
• Request Information

How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan

An overview of how to write a restaurant business plan for foodservice entrepreneurs, from concept and menu planning to kitchen design and marketing.

Get the Essential Guide to Starting a Restaurant

Download our guide to explore budget-friendly restaurant startup concepts, necessary licenses and permits, business planning tips, and more!

Clicking the "Get the Survey Now" button constitutes your express request, and your express written consent, to be contacted by and to receive automated or pre-recorded call, texts, messages and/or emails from via phone, text, and/or emails by Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts at the number(s)/email you provided, regarding furthering your education and enrolling. You understand that these calls , texts, messages and/or emails may be generated using an automated or pre-recorded technology. You are not required to agree to receive automated or pre-recorded calls, texts, messages or emails as a condition of enrolling at Escoffier. You can unsubscribe at any time or request removal of street address, phone number, email address via Escoffier website .

Here’s the truth about starting a restaurant. According to a study by Cornell University , over 26% of independent restaurants don’t survive their first year and nearly 60% fail by their third year. That’s why creating a solid restaurant business plan is so important. It may give you an opportunity to put concrete structure around your thinking and assess your ideas from a higher viewpoint, before spending a single dollar.

Although there are no guarantees in life (and especially in business) with a little preparation, education, and mentorship, you can avoid many of the pitfalls that upend others. In this article, you’ll discover how to begin writing a restaurant business plan—and how you can get an education that may help you start your own foodservice business .

Define Your Business Concept

A business plan should start with a basic conceptual overview. Where did the idea for your restaurant or food business come from? And how is your idea unique compared to what else is currently in the market? Who is your target market, and what (in general) will you be serving them?

Think of the concept as the bird’s eye view of your business.

You may also wish to include a mission statement in this section. This will be a short sentence or two that outlines the value the business provides to customers and employees, and may set an inspirational objective. A good example is The Kitchen American Bistro in Boulder, Colorado, which has the following mission:

“We believe in the power of good food and good drink to connect people as family, friends and a community. The Kitchen remains committed to our mission of creating community through food.”*

Verbalizing the bigger picture as a stated mission gives your business depth beyond just making money. When you use it as a guiding principle, it will be reflected in your marketing, operations, and the attitudes of those who join your team.

Do a Market Analysis

Where will your proposed restaurant fit into the overall foodservice market? Is there a niche in your area that’s not being served? Or will you be competing with established businesses? And if so, how will your concept stand out?

Everything from local factors like lack of competition to nationwide factors like a booming economy can contribute to your restaurant’s success or failure. A market analysis can help you to assess both the challenges and opportunities that you’ll face when you open your doors.

Food Entrepreneurship at Escoffier

Dive into greater detail on many of the topics covered in this article in Escoffier’s Food Entrepreneurship programs . The Culinary Entrepreneurship course specifically explores topics like business planning and begin writing a business plan.

Describe Your Service Style

Will your restaurant be fine dining? Counter service? An all-day café with servers? A buffet? A beer garden?

Make sure it’s clearly defined. If your service style is simple, you may include this in your concept section. But if it’s more complex, it may warrant its own section in your business plan. For example, perhaps you plan to offer elevated table service with a number of thoughtful touchpoints. You’ll want to be very clear about what that will look like.

Your service style will directly impact your staffing levels, which will affect your labor costs. That’s why it’s vital to include this information and the associated cost estimates in your business plan.

A full-service waitstaff like this will be more costly than a lean counter-service staff.

Build Your Sample Menu

A great restaurant menu is specifically designed to appeal to your target market, while staying true to your concept. Even if you’re not 100% sure what your final restaurant menu will include, create a sample version for your business plan.

The menu is your product, and it will impact everything about your restaurant from food costs (typically between 25% and 35% of the menu price) to the number of cooks you’ll need to the layout of your kitchen.

You should also calculate pricing for this menu to verify if it can be served at a price point that fits with your target demographic. A family-friendly spot with $20 burgers, for example, is creating a disconnect between its target market and its menu price.

The Science Behind Menu Design

Creating and designing a menu can be complex. You have to balance the art of making great food with the practicalities of food and labor costs. In Escoffier’s Food Entrepreneurship programs, students may explore topics like visual design and price analysis.

Determine Your Facility Design and Location

Once you have a sense of your concept and menu, you can begin to plan what your restaurant should look like and where it will be.

The kitchen is the most expensive part of a restaurant’s total cost. And every square foot taken up by cooking space is a square foot that can’t hold customers. Industry wisdom states that a kitchen should be between 25% and 30% of the total restaurant space—including storage. So you have to plan your kitchen as efficiently as possible.

In the dining room, you’ll need tables and chairs, possibly a host stand, and maybe a bar. You may have plans for art and custom light fixtures, or a high-end tap system for draft beer. Renderings from your architect and/or interior designer can help to show what you’re envisioning.

Include all of the equipment, furnishings , and supplies that you plan to purchase for both the back of house and front of house, so you can estimate the cost of building out your restaurant.

You will also need to decide where your restaurant will be. This will impact rent, guest parking, foot traffic, and even your operating hours. If you’re in a business district, for example, you may choose to only be open for lunch.

Choose Your Management Team and Determine Staff Needs

A great plan without a great team is likely to fail. An important part of your business plan is determining the various roles and responsibilities for your managers and employees.

Depending on the size of your business, your plan may include an organizational chart that explains which position is reporting to whom, how many people you will be hiring, the main skill sets of the management team, and the unique things that each employee brings to the table.

You can also call out any special achievements or accolades for the managers you plan to bring on board, like a general manager with a great deal of experience or a chef with impressive certifications .

If you attend culinary school or enroll in a food entrepreneurship program, some of those team members could even be former classmates. Business is ultimately about the relationships between people, and culinary school is a ripe environment to build those critical connections that may serve you down the road.

Forecast Your Costs, Revenue, and Potential Profit

Anyone looking to launch a foodservice business probably wonders how much the whole endeavor is going to cost, and what the return on investment might be. If you’ve gone through all of these steps, you’ll be well on your way to better awareness of the fundamental costs of business and what you can do to help guide it toward being a profitable venture.

Your business plan should detail the financing that will be required to get your business up and running, the associated costs of marketing and staff, and variable costs such as ingredients. Your business plan should be sufficiently detailed to estimate the profits and expenses for the first few years of your business, in order to help ensure that your plan is economically feasible.

Keeping An Eye On Restaurant Profits

Restaurant profit margins are relatively low compared to other businesses. A key course in Escoffier’s curriculum for the Food Entrepreneurship Associate Degree explores managerial accounting concepts, culinary math, and an overview of basic business accounting transactions such as how to read financial statements. It may explain the practical application of these concepts to the hospitality industry and how to manage costs for long-term profitability.

Create a Marketing Plan

The first step in restaurant or food truck marketing is to identify who your ideal customer will be. Are they looking for date spots, family-friendly restaurants, or group dining? What do they like to eat? What are their wants and needs? Will you be targeting specific dietary profiles, like vegan , paleo, or gluten-free?

Once you know who your customers are, how will you reach them? You will probably need to start a website, including your location, hours, and menu. You may also choose to promote your restaurant on social media , sharing photos and videos on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. You can also work with local food influencers , leveraging their larger platforms to spread the word about your new restaurant.

Share photos taken by your customers to connect with your audience.

While your marketing plan is sure to change and evolve over time, it’s wise to have a general strategy in place before you open your doors so you can have a successful grand opening.

Marketing 101

Escoffier’s Food Entrepreneurship programs include coursework in food styling and photography , social media, and hospitality marketing. Graduates could be prepared to identify their ideal customers and reach them for better visibility and higher sales.

An Entrepreneurial Education Can Mean Being Prepared

While it is obvious that you need a passion for the world of food and drink before launching a food service business, starting any venture is difficult without mentorship from professionals who have real-world experience.

In Escoffier’s Food Entrepreneurship programs , students can work with skilled experts from the culinary world who may help them avoid the pitfalls common to new business owners. A blend of culinary theory and practical, hands-on business operations experience can prepare students for the intricacies of foodservice, with a steady eye on profitability.

To learn more about what students can expect in our Food Entrepreneurship programs, get in touch with our Admissions Department . They can answer your questions and help you develop a plan to get closer to your dreams of business ownership.

Enjoyed this article? Here are a few more you may like.

• How to Start a Restaurant with Little to No Money
• Ghost Kitchens & Ghost Restaurants: What Are They and How Do You Start One ?
• The Complete Guide to Starting a Home-Based Catering Business

*Information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.

This article was originally published on June 29, 2020, and has since been updated.

Latest Articles

How to create the right atmosphere in your restaurant.

Creating the right restaurant atmosphere means paying close attention to what your guests see, hear, and feel. Set the right mood to help your space stand out!

What Skills Do You Need to Become a Chef?

Discover the essential skills needed to become a successful chef who can excel in the culinary world.

How to Cube a Potato: A Beginner’s Guide with Recipes

Discover how to cube a potato like a pro with our comprehensive guide. From prep to storage, get tips for perfectly dicing potatoes for your recipes every time.

Subscribe to the King of Chefs Blog

Get the King of Chefs email newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly. You'll get everything you need to know about culinary & pastry careers, food entrepreneurship, financing your culinary education, and more.

We’ve compiled a checklist of all of the essential questions into one handy workbook: Career options, academic plans, financing your education, and more.

Clicking the "Get the Workbook Now" button constitutes your express request, and your express written consent, to be contacted by and to receive automated or pre-recorded call, texts, messages and/or emails from via phone, text, and/or emails by Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts at the number(s)/email you provided, regarding furthering your education and enrolling. You understand that these calls , texts, messages and/or emails may be generated using an automated or pre-recorded technology. You are not required to agree to receive automated or pre-recorded calls, texts, messages or emails as a condition of enrolling at Escoffier. You can unsubscribe at any time or request removal of street address, phone number, email address via Escoffier website .

How to Write a Mission Statement + 10 Great Examples

17 min. read

Updated May 10, 2024

Why is an effective mission statement so valuable? It’s worth taking a minute to ask what it is about certain brands that keep us coming back. What is it about them that makes us spend more time, money, or effort over other options? Is it the price? Maybe the convenience? Or is it something more?

The brands and businesses that we really connect with do more than just supply a product or service . They showcase a purpose, a mission that we can get behind. This can be displayed in how they interact with customers, the organizations and communities they support, and even the way they develop their products.

And there’s no better way for a business owner to showcase this purpose, than through a well-written mission statement.

On this page

• What is a mission statement?

Mission statement or vision statement?

• Why write a mission statement?
• How to write a great mission statement
• 10 Examples of Great Mission Statements

A mission statement is a simple action-oriented statement that explains your company’s purpose. It summarizes what your company does for customers, employees, and owners, and typically includes general descriptions of your organization, its core function, and its goals. In short, you’re explaining what you do and why you do it within a mission statement.

Depending on the focus of your business, your mission statement may be even broader. Explaining not just how you serve your customers and employees, but your community and the world at large. Some businesses even opt to separate this larger aspiration into what’s known as a vision statement.

A vision statement is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a vision for the direction of your company and what it aspires to be. 

These two statements aren’t really interchangeable. They both reflect the purpose and goals of your business, but serve completely different purposes. Your mission statement is the roadmap to achieve your vision. Your vision statement is a much broader picture of the aspirations for your business. 

These can be completely separate written statements for your business, or they can be combined into a more comprehensive mission statement. Having all three does allow you to utilize them for different business purposes, so it may be worth developing variations over time.

Speaking of variations, it’s important to note that your mission statement will likely evolve over time as your business grows and changes. So, don’t be afraid to make adjustments when it seems necessary, and avoid looking for the perfect version of your mission statement. 

Brought to you by

Create a professional business plan

Using ai and step-by-step instructions.

Secure funding

Validate ideas

Build a strategy

I’ve had a 30-year love-hate relationship with mission statements. I’ve read thousands. I love it when a mission statement defines a business so well that it feels like strategy—which does happen—and I hate it when a mission statement is generic, stale, and completely useless. 

Just because a traditional business plan often includes a mission statement isn’t a reason to do one. If it’s not going to be useful for you and help guide your business, don’t bother. The vast majority of the mission statements are just meaningless hype that could be used to describe any business.

Don’t fall into the trap of writing a mission statement just because some checklist or expert said you had to. There are actually sites that poke fun at how most mission statements use vague, high-sounding phrases to say nothing. You should write a mission statement if you want to add clarity to your business goals and you want to get your employees, investors, and customers to understand what your organization is all about. 

Developing your company’s first mission statement, or writing a new or revised one, is your opportunity to define the company’s goals, ethics, culture, and norms for decision-making. The daily routine of business gets in the way sometimes, and a quick refresh with the mission statement helps you take a step back and remember what’s most important: the organization has a purpose. 

So how do you make a useful mission statement? Over the decades I’ve spent reading, writing, and evaluating business plans , I’ve come up with a process for developing a useful mission statement, and it boils down to these five steps.

1. Start with a market-defining story

A really good market-defining story explains the need, or the want, or—if you like jargon—the so-called “why to buy.” It defines the target customer or “buyer persona .” And it defines how your business is different from most others, or even unique. It simplifies thinking about what a business isn’t, what it doesn’t do.

Imagine a real person making the actual decision to buy what you sell. Why do they want it? How did they find your business? What does it do for them? The more concrete the story, the better. And keep that in mind for the actual mission statement wording: “The more concrete, the better.”

This isn’t literally part of the mission statement. Rather, it’s an important thing to have in your head while you write the mission statement. It’s in the background, between the words. If you’re having trouble getting started, make a quick list of what your company does and doesn’t do.

2. Define what your business does for its customers

Start your mission statement with the good you do. Use your market-defining story to suss out whatever it is that makes your business special for your target customer .

Don’t undervalue your business: You don’t have to cure cancer or stop global climate change to be doing good. Offering trustworthy auto repair, for example, narrowed down to your specialty in your neighborhood with your unique policies, is doing something good. So is offering excellent slow food in your neighborhood, with emphasis on organic and local, at a price premium.

This is a part of your mission statement, and a pretty crucial part at that—write it down.

If your business is good for the world, incorporate that here too. But claims about being good for the world need to be meaningful, and distinguishable from all the other businesses. Add the words “clean” or “green” if that’s really true and you keep to it rigorously. Don’t just say it, especially if it isn’t important or always true.

For example, Apple Computer’s 2020 mission statement is:

“Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms—iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS—provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it..”

That one obviously passes the test of defining the company with flying colors. Nobody could mistake that mission for generic hype. And it’s an interesting change from the early mission as defined by founder Steve Jobs:

“To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind.”

Ikea, on the other hand, starts its mission statement with something that could be any company anywhere. “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the [sic] many people.” To its credit, it goes on to define a “rest of the mission” that could only be IKEA:

“We make this possible by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”

And note, in this mission statement, how Sweetgreen incorporates a world vision into a product-oriented mission statement:

“Founded in 2007, Sweetgreen is a destination for delicious food that’s both healthy for you and aligned with your values. We source local and organic ingredients from farmers we know and partners we trust, supporting our communities, and creating meaningful relationships with those around us. We exist to create experiences where passion and purpose come together.”

3. Define what your business does for its employees

Good businesses are good for their employees too or they don’t last. Keeping employees is better for the bottom line than turnover. Company culture matters. Rewarding and motivating people matters. A mission statement can define what your business offers its employees.

My recommendation is that you don’t simply assert how the business is good for employees—you define it here and then forever after make it true.

Qualities like fairness, diversity, respect for ideas and creativity, training, tools, empowerment, and the like, actually really matter. However, since every business in existence at least says that it prioritizes those things, strive for a differentiator and a way to make the general goals feel more concrete and specific.

Don’t worry about being fully unique

With this part of the mission statement, there’s a built-in dilemma. On the one hand, it’s good for everybody involved to use the mission statement to establish what you want for employees in your business. On the other hand, it’s hard to do that without falling into the trap of saying what every other business says.

Stating that you value fair compensation, room to grow, training, a healthy, creative work environment, and respect for diversity is probably a good idea, even if that part of your mission statement isn’t unique. That’s because the mission statement can serve as a reminder—for owners, supervisors, and workers—and as a lever for self-enforcement.

If you have a special view on your relationship with employees, write it into the mission statement. If your business is friendly to families, or to remote virtual workplaces, put that into your mission.

You may not need to focus on employees

And this is rare in mission statements. The vast majority are focused on messaging for customers. My recommendation here is not the norm. I include it because it’s good practice, even though not common.

While I consulted for Apple Computer, for example, that business differentiated its goals of training and empowering employees by making a point of bringing in very high-quality educators and presenters to help employees’ business expertise grow. That was part of the culture and, to my mind, part of the mission; but it wasn’t part of the mission statement. It could have been.

American Express, however, includes the team in its mission:

“We have a mission to be the world’s most respected service brand. To do this, we have established a culture that supports our team members, so they can provide exceptional service to our customers.”

4. Add what the business does for its owners

In business school, they taught us that the mission of management is to enhance the value of the stock. And shares of stock are ownership. Some would say that it goes without saying that a business exists to enhance the financial position of its owners, and maybe it does. However, only a small subset of all businesses are about the business buzzwords of “share value” and “return on investment.”

In the early years of my business, I wanted peace of mind about cash flow more than I wanted growth, and I wanted growth more than I wanted profits. So I wrote that into my mission statement. And at one point I realized I was also building a business that was a place where I was happy to be working, with people I wanted to work with; so I wrote that into my mission statement, too.

However, this element too, as with the suggestion about including employees, is unusual. Few mission statements do it. That’s understandable, since most mission statements are outward-facing only, aimed at customers and nobody else.

Still, some of the best mission statements incorporate a much broader sense of mission that includes, or at least implies, the mission of ownership.

Warby Parker, an eyewear company, does a great job at voicing a higher mission that includes customers, employees, and owners.

“Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially-conscious business.”

5. Discuss, digest, cut, polish, review, and revise

Good mission statements serve multiple functions, define objectives, and live for a long time. So, edit. This step is worth it.

Start by considering developing a full mission statement for internal use and using a customer-facing subset for general publication. That’s common. Many companies have segmented mission statements, with sections set aside and categorized by type or goal. Use bullet points or sections if that works for you. Part of the reason people confuse mission with mantra and vision is that many businesses use them together, and many others also redefine them to fit their context. So what a company does for customers is often called vision, despite the formal definition.

Remember, form follows function, in mission statements, as in all business writing. Make it work for your business. Or don’t do it at all. If you want to call it a vision, and that works for employees and customers, then do that.

Cut out general terms

As you edit, keep a sharp eye out for the buzzwords and hype that everybody claims. Cut as much as you can that doesn’t apply specifically to your business, except for the occasional special elements that—unique or not—can serve as long-term rules and reminders. Unique itself, the word, means literally, the only one in the world. Use it sparingly. Phrases such as “being the best possible,” “world-class,” and “great customer service” mean little because everybody uses them. Having great customer service is way harder than writing that into a mission statement.

Read other companies’ mission statements, but write a statement that is about you and not some other company. Make sure you actually believe in what you’re writing—your customers and your employees will soon spot a lie.

Then, listen. Show drafts to others, ask their opinions and really listen. Don’t argue, don’t convince them, just listen. And then edit again.

And, for the rest of your business’s life, review and revise it as needed. As with everything in a business plan, your mission statement should never get written in stone, and, much less, stashed in a drawer. Use it or lose it. Review and revise as necessary, because change is constant.

• Great Mission Statements: 10 Examples

If you’re looking for some inspiration to get you started on your own mission statement, here are a few of my favorites.

1. Southwest Airlines

“The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.”

What’s most interesting about Southwest’s mission statement is that they don’t mention anything about getting from point A to point B. Their mission is all about how they differentiate what, these days, can be seen as a commodity experience. They also focus on their own employees and the “spirit of the company”, not just the customer experience.

2. Urban Outfitters

“A lifestyle retailer dedicated to inspiring customers through a unique combination of product, creativity and cultural understanding. Founded in 1970 in a small space across the street from the University of Pennsylvania, Urban Outfitters now operates over 200 stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe, offering experiential retail environments and a well-curated mix of women’s, men’s, accessories and home product assortments.”

Urban Outfitters focuses on the experience that they deliver and the focus on what they do. Their mission drives what their stores look like and what their goal is: to inspire. They also nod to their heritage of starting small and growing.

“At Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) we believe a life outdoors is a life well-lived. We believe that it’s in the wild, untamed and natural places that we find our best selves, so our purpose is to awaken a lifelong love of the outdoors, for all.”

REI’s mission focuses mostly on what it wants to do for its customers, but hidden in the mission statement is a mission to preserve the environment as well. Their focus on “getting outside” is what creates a connection between them and their customers.

4. Starbucks

“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”

Starbucks expands on its mission statement by stating its core values. This is really an extension of the mission statement and explains how they focus on their customers, how they grow their company, and how they work with employees. You can read their values here .

5. Walgreens

“Walgreens’ mission is to be America’s most-loved pharmacy-led health, well-being, and beauty retailer. Its purpose is to champion everyone’s right to be happy and healthy.”

Walgreen’s mission really defines their goals: what they want to achieve and in what product categories they want to achieve it in. They also bring in their broader purpose when they talk about “everyone’s right to be happy and healthy.”

“Make work-life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive.”

While Slack’s mission statement is short, it implies a lot. “Work” doesn’t just mean their customer’s work, it means their own work at their company. Their mission statement serves them both internally and externally.

7. The Coca Cola Company

“Refresh the world. Make a difference.”

Coca Cola takes a slightly different approach with a statement of purpose and then a vision statement. Their purpose is essentially their mission statement and says a lot for being so short. They want to refresh people in both body and spirit while making a positive impact on the world. Their vision also implies their goal of serving the entire world’s population which hits on their corporate and shareholder goals.

8. Patagonia

“We’re in business to save our home planet.”

Another short mission statement that says so much more than you would think at first glance. First and foremost, Patagonia doesn’t say that they are a non-profit – they state that they’re a business. And, this implies that they need to be a strong, healthy business to meet their goal of saving the planet. Their mission applies to their employees, their customers, their products, and their activism.

9. charity: water

“charity: water is a nonprofit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.”

charity: water’s mission statement is clear and to the point – it simply describes what it does and who it does it for. For most non-profit mission statements, this is enough.

 10. Asana

“Asana’s mission is to help humanity thrive by enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly.”

Similar to other mission statements, Asana blends a message about what they do with a higher goal of enhancing the world outside of their company. Yet, they still hint at their target market and goals of being a world-wide company, thus improving the lives of their employees and shareholders.

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software , a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching and evangelizing for business planning.

Table of Contents

Related Articles

3 Min. Read

Don't Make These 4 Mistakes in Your Executive Summary

10 Min. Read

How to Write the Company Overview for a Business Plan

16 Min. Read

How to Write a Competitive Analysis for Your Business Plan

The LivePlan Newsletter

Become a smarter, more strategic entrepreneur.

Your first monthly newsetter will be delivered soon..

Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy .

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

15 Mission Statement Examples For Your Business

Updated: May 31, 2024, 8:28pm

Table of Contents

What is a mission statement, examples of mission statements, bottom line, frequently asked questions.

When buying new shoes, choosing a birthday gift or deciding what podcast to listen to, most of us reach for the same brands over and over. Why? Because in addition to offering quality products, they also have a compelling story that resonates with us and feels meaningful. That’s the power behind a strong mission statement—the ability to influence consumers to support certain brands because they feel a connection. We’re looking at some of the best mission statements and why they work so well.

A brand is the sum of how a product or business is perceived by those who experience it: customers, employees, investors and media. Creating a mission statement that explains the purpose of your business allows you to shape that perception and provide an almost instant connection. A mission statement not only explains what your company does, but also the why behind it.

How Do You Write a Mission Statement?

When creating an outline for your mission statement, there are four steps to follow, each of which will help you craft the strongest, clearest statement for sharing the “why” behind your business.

1. Explain what your business does In simple terms, write down exactly what your business does, offers or provides. Include how you solve a problem and why you bring value.

2. Describe how you do it Sourcing local supplies? Capturing customers’ demographics accurately? The next step is to list out your business processes and what makes them stand out from the competition.

3. Capture your why Think about why you started your business in the first place, and what impact you hope to make. Customers want to know the backstory for a brand and why they should feel swayed to support it.

4. Bring everything together Taking everything from the first three steps, find the common threads and link everything together. You want to have the most concise mission statement possible, so drop anything that feels out of place or doesn’t add value. There’s no hard and fast rule about the length of a mission statement, but sticking with one memorable phrase or sentence is usually the best option.

“To inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.”

Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) is known for not only its high-quality outdoor products, but also for being a steward of the environment. The customer-centric co-op sums up its values and addresses its target audience, while also sharing what it sells.

2. American Express

“To become essential to our customers by providing differentiated products and services to help them achieve their aspirations.”

With a wide range of potential and current customers, American Express manages to help everyone feel included in its mission statement. It is offering products and services for all, no matter what your income level, elite status or dreams may be.

“To keep human connection at the heart of commerce.”

Etsy is all about less automation and more personalization. The global marketplace for creative products seeks to offer unique items and services that buyers can’t find anywhere else. Via its mission statement, the company is speaking directly to consumers who are seeking a personal experience.

4. audiochuck

“Creating top-of-the-line content that drives advocacy and change.”

With thousands of podcasts to choose from, having a mission that goes above and beyond profit is a smart way to differentiate yourself. The audiochuck brand shares that it is not only offering high-quality content, but that it also seeks to make a difference in the world.

5. Life is Good

“To spread the power of optimism.”

With its signature logo splashed all over shirts and hats, Life is Good wants its goals to be heard loud and clear. The quick phrase is all about spreading positivity, as evidenced not only through its mission statement, but also by the fun phrases and graphics that accompany its products.

“To inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.”

With such a simple concept—small bricks that join together to form creations—LEGO wants its customers to know that it understands what they are hoping for. Building is for everyone and it is going to keep offering products that provoke imagination for builders of all ages.

7. Dunkin’ Donuts

“We strive to keep you at your best, and we remain loyal to you, your tastes and your time. That’s what America runs on.”

Consistency is key, especially when it comes to food and beverages. Dunkin’ makes it clear that it knows how people want their products to taste, how fast they need a coffee and that you can count on it to deliver on both counts.

8. Norwegian Cruise Line

“Provide exceptional vacation experiences, delivered by passionate team members committed to world-class hospitality and innovation.”

When investing in travel, consumers love knowing they will receive heightened service and extraordinary adventures. Norwegian’s mission statement assures travelers that they will get more than their money’s worth on an NCL cruise, and that it will be an experience like no other.

9. No Kid Hungry

“We believe that every child in the United States needs—and deserves—healthy food in order to grow and thrive.”

No Kid Hungry is straight and to the point, and that is exactly why its mission statement works so well. “They believe that every child deserves access to healthy food? I do too!” Speaking directly to people’s beliefs makes them all the more likely to click on the donation button.

“Spread ideas, foster community and create impact.”

TED smartly integrates several keywords that instantly draw people in and motivate them to learn more about the company. It is directing its statement towards people who are curious to discover, hope to connect with other like-minded individuals and activate change.

11. The Hartford

“Underwriting human achievement.”

With an excellent play on words, the property and casualty insurance group establishes what it does, both literally and figuratively. The Hartford wants its customers to achieve greatness, and it is here to support them through both services and loyalty.

12. Warby Parker

“To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”

Want cool glasses at a great price? Also want to support a business that is socially conscious? Warby Parker checks both boxes with a mission statement that sums up its desire to be a profitable business that offers customers quality products while simultaneously seeking to do good.

“To offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”

IKEA’s mission statement doesn’t bother with lofty goals or veiled innuendos. It offers completely honest, transparent verbiage that outlines exactly what it does and whom it does it for.

“Maintaining a global viewpoint, we are dedicated to supplying products of the highest quality, yet at a reasonable price for worldwide customer satisfaction.”

Honda makes it crystal clear that it is a global company, offering products for everyone, no matter where they live. It also wants you to know that it understands that high quality doesn’t always necessarily mean high prices, so you should definitely consider it when looking for your next vehicle.

15. LG Electronics

“We wish to maintain our hard-earned reputation for bringing added value to the lives of consumers.”

LG wants customers to know two things right away: it has a solid reputation and its products add value to your life. Sharing a mission statement that manages to brag a little while offering peace of mind at the same time is a wise strategy to help the company stand out.

Mission statements are an important part of a business’s strategic planning process, as they provide a summation of the “why” behind a brand. When sitting down to create one, companies need to be thoughtful not only about what they include, but also about what they don’t mention. With more choices than ever, consumers desperately want to feel a connection with the business they are supporting. The best mission statements help establish that connection by sharing why they exist and how their offerings can help.

What is a mission statement?

A mission statement uses anywhere from a few words to a full paragraph to describe not only what your company does, but also why and how. It provides a way to connect quickly and authentically with customers, employees, investors and the media.

How do you write a mission statement?

When writing a mission statement, start by writing down what your business does, as well as your why and your how. Narrow the focus as much as possible to get rid of the extra fluff that isn’t necessary and doesn’t help draw attention.

How is a brand’s mission statement different from its values?

Mission statements focus on explaining the “why,” while a brand’s values describe what the business believes in and stands for.

Should a mission statement be included in an executive summary?

The executive summary is found at the start of the business plan, and one of its first components should be the mission statement, where you provide a few sentences on what the company’s purpose is. Read our guide for some assistance in creating a comprehensive executive summary for your business plan .

• Best LLC Services
• Best Registered Agent Services
• Best Trademark Registration Services
• Top LegalZoom Competitors
• Best Business Loans
• Best Business Plan Software
• ZenBusiness Review
• LegalZoom LLC Review
• Northwest Registered Agent Review
• Rocket Lawyer Review
• Inc. Authority Review
• Rocket Lawyer vs. LegalZoom
• Bizee Review (Formerly Incfile)
• Swyft Filings Review
• Harbor Compliance Review
• Sole Proprietorship vs. LLC
• LLC vs. Corporation
• LLC vs. S Corp
• LLP vs. LLC
• DBA vs. LLC
• LegalZoom vs. Incfile
• LegalZoom vs. ZenBusiness
• LegalZoom vs. Rocket Lawyer
• ZenBusiness vs. Incfile
• How To Start A Business
• How to Set Up an LLC
• How to Get a Business License
• LLC Operating Agreement Template
• 501(c)(3) Application Guide
• What is a Business License?
• What is an LLC?
• What is an S Corp?
• What is a C Corp?
• What is a DBA?
• What is a Sole Proprietorship?
• What is a Registered Agent?
• How to Dissolve an LLC
• How to File a DBA
• What Are Articles Of Incorporation?
• Types Of Business Ownership

Next Up In Company Formation

• Best Online Legal Services
• How To Write A Business Plan
• Member-Managed LLC Vs. Manager-Managed LLC
• Starting An S-Corp
• LLC Vs. C Corp
• How Much Does It Cost To Start An LLC?

What Is SNMP? Simple Network Management Protocol Explained

What Is A Single-Member LLC? Definition, Pros And Cons

What Is Penetration Testing? Definition & Best Practices

What Is Network Access Control (NAC)?

What Is Network Segmentation?

How To Start A Business In Louisiana (2024 Guide)

Laura is a freelance writer specializing in small business, ecommerce and lifestyle content. As a small business owner, she is passionate about supporting other entrepreneurs and sharing information that will help them thrive. Her work has been featured on Angi, Scary Mommy and Cubby.

• All Articles
• Antibiotics
• The Biodiversity Crisis
• California Foodways Podcast
• Climate Change
• Farms and Labor
• FERN Talks & Eats
• Infographics
• International Reporting
• Hot Farm Podcast
• A Map of FERN Articles
• Nutrition and Food Access
• Oceans and Freshwater
• REAP/SOW Podcast
• Toxins and Pollution
• Media Partners
• Become a Supporter
• Report for Us
• Tracking Our Impact
• Awards & Honors
• Our Reporters
• Code of Ethics
• In the Media

What does Donald Trump’s deportation plan mean for the food system?

A Q&A with Ted Genoways

The New York Times

By Ted Genoways , September 4, 2024

This article on which this Q&A is based was produced in collaboration with The New York Times . It will be available on thefern.org later this month. It may not be reproduced without express permission from FERN. If you are interested in republishing or reposting this article, please contact [email protected] .

Writing in The New York Times op-ed section , newly named FERN senior editor Ted Genoways argues that a Trump presidency, built on threats of mass deportation of migrants, would be a disaster for the American food system:

On August 22, just hours before Kamala Harris was due to take the stage in Chicago to accept her party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention, her opponent Donald Trump was in Arizona along the U.S. border with Mexico. Mr. Trump attacked Ms. Harris on immigration, claiming that she intended to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (I.C.E.) and allow more than 100 million people to cross into the United States. “If Comrade Harris has the chance,” Mr. Trump warned, “our country will be overrun and essentially it will not be a country. It will be ungovernable.” Mr. Trump then renewed his promise to use the military and other government resources to arrest and banish between 15 and 20 million immigrants currently living in the United States, including those in various humanitarian programs. “With your vote,” Trump said in Arizona, “we will seal the border, stop the invasion, and launch the largest deportation effort in American history.”

It would be easy to dismiss these threats as posturing to stir up his base, but recent reporting suggests that Mr. Trump’s allies are actively drawing up plans for the broadest and most regressive anti-immigrant policy program since 1954, when Dwight D.the Eisenhower’s administration rounded up more than a million Mexican immigrants as part of an openly racist campaign dubbed Operation Wetback. According to reporting by the Times and Wall Street Journal, Mr. Trump’s planned measures — which he describes as “following the Eisenhower model” — would not just remove people already living and working in the United States but also cut off the flow of new migrants. If implemented abruptly and thoroughly, as Mr. Trump has promised, such policies would threaten vital areas of the American economy dependent on immigrant labor. Nowhere is that more evident than the meat industry.

The Democratic National Convention is over, and the momentum Vice-President Harris has gained since taking over for Joe Biden has changed the face of the election. But Donald Trump is by no means finished, and that means Americans must still reckon with the nature of his policies, if elected. As November nears, what immigrant workers can expect from this country only grows more concerning. FERN editor-in-chief Theodore Ross spoke with Genoways about his article. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

You argue that Donald Trump’s anti-migrant policies would uniquely harm the food system in this country. Why is that? And why tell that story in Cactus, Texas?

I focus on the tiny meatpacking town of Cactus, Texas , because the potential impact is especially apparent there. Cactus is a town of about 3,000 people, and almost every adult works in the JBS beef plant along the highway on the north side of town. The industry’s reliance on immigrant labor is kind of impossible to miss in such a place. This is a dusty waystation between Amarillo and the Oklahoma border — I mean, truly the middle of nowhere — but there’s an African restaurant, a Burmese and Thai food store, multiple Mexican restaurants. And each of these populations have their own churches: the Cactus Islamic Center, serving Muslims from Somalia; the Cactus Nazarene Ministry Center , with services in Dinka for Christians from South Sudan; Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church for Catholics from Mexico and other parts of Latin America. According to the last census, 90 percent of residents in Cactus speak a language other than English in their homes. So when you start talking about mass deportations — including deportations of refugees, asylum-seekers, and people with other humanitarian status — you can see rather quickly how such a policy would empty out a town like Cactus.

When one group of immigrants climbs a rung on the social ladder, raising itself out of poverty just enough to leave jobs on the meatpacking line behind, the industry always finds the next vulnerable group.

But the effect stretches well beyond this little town. The JBS plant in Cactus is one of the largest beef processing plants in America. Its closure would dramatically affect the availability and price of beef all by itself. But then, multiply that effect across the other meatpacking towns dotting the middle of the country. And don’t stop there. The dairy industry is reliant on immigrant labor. Our fresh produce is almost entirely picked and packaged by migrant laborers. And consider how many immigrants work in trucking, in loading and unloading, in the kitchens of restaurants. The estimates are that at least a quarter of all jobs in the food industry are filled by immigrants — and the entire industry has been begging for exemptions to be able to hire more and more temporary foreign labor. If Trump’s proposed policies were put in place, it would break the entire food supply chain. How would we eat?

It’s estimated that 40 percent or more of the workers in American meatpacking plants are foreign-born. Why does this industry rely so heavily on immigrant labor?

The factors are complex, but it starts with a simple fact: this is physically exhausting, often dangerous, and unpleasant work. That’s been the case since meat processing industrialized in the 1890s, so the workforce turns over frequently. Tyson Foods estimates that 40 percent of line workforce turns over every year. To fill those undesirable jobs, the industry has always turned to people who don’t have a lot of other options. People with limited English-language skills. People with no work history. People who will take any job and be glad for the paycheck, at least for a while. This is an old story. Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle is often remembered as an exposé about food purity, but it was actually a book about the systematic exploitation of immigrant labor. In 1906, when Sinclair conducted his research, it was people like the protagonist, Jurgis Rudkus, who was fleeing poverty in Lithuania. Today, it’s Karen refugees from Burma, people fleeing civil war in Sudan, people escaping the failed state of Somalia, or the drug wars and climate pressures of Latin America.

Stay in the Loop!

Don’t miss FERN’s latest revelations, developments, and initiatives. Sign up for our newsletter and we guarantee you’ll never miss one of our stories.

The past being prologue, you write about a mostly forgotten episode in America’s anti-migrant history: Nationwide raids , in 2006, on undocumented workers in meatpacking plants, including the one in Cactus. Those deportations set the stage for a new economy in the food system, one built around immigrant and refugee labor. What are the lessons of those raids today?

To me, the first lesson is: when dramatic, high-profile raids are staged, they have a deep, traumatic effect on the people involved — the workers, their children, the broader community. After the raids on the six Swift and Company plants in 2006, children who had two parents arrested were left with no one to pick them up after school that day, nowhere to go. The school districts in places like Grand Island, Nebraska, and Worthington, Minnesota, were left scrambling to find relatives who could care for those kids. Such raids may even have a temporary effect on the industry. Again, after the Swift Raids, the industry briefly saw about a 10 percent dip in the employment of undocumented labor. And Swift itself, which was an old meatpacking company, the company that Upton Sinclair investigated in Chicago a century earlier, in fact, was severely harmed. Their production dropped by more than half as they struggled to replace their workforce, and the company was bought out by the Brazilian company JBS in less than a year. So the short-term effects can be devastating.

What [Trump’s] really vowing is to make life for immigrants as bad as he possibly can.

But the ruthless machinery of the broader industry always adapts. When one group of immigrants climbs a rung on the social ladder, raising itself out of poverty just enough to leave jobs on the meatpacking line behind, the industry always finds the next vulnerable group. The recent past tells this story. The industry went from Boat People from Vietnam to people from Latin America fleeing the drug war to Somalis fleeing civil war and the collapsing government. Wherever there’s a crisis creating a large group of at-risk people who are turning to the United States for refuge, the meatpacking industry is there to exploit them as the latest disposable workforce. To me, this one of the greatest shocks of the pandemic: seeing that as a country, we could stomach the cognitive dissonance of declaring a workforce “essential” — which required them to stay on the job for us — but then didn’t see them as worthy of workplace protections or even worthy of protections against deportation, once the crisis had passed.

There is the well-worn contention that ordinary Americans, whoever they may be, take Trump “seriously but not literally,” while us media folks take Trump “literally but not seriously.” Literal. Serious. How big is the threat to the food system?

I think it’s easy to look at what Trump is proposing — deporting as many as 20 million people — and to simply brush it off as impractical. It’s red meat for the base, many pundits are saying, not an actual policy objective. Carrying out a single day of coordinated raids, as ICE did  with the Swift Raids in 2006, is one thing. But deporting 20 million people would mean carrying out more than 10 such raids per day for the entirety of a four-year term. Setting aside the moral implications for even a moment, the logistical challenge would seem insurmountable. But, having said that, there are multiple reports that Trump’s immigration team is preparing plans for undertaking just such a policy. 

Stephen Miller — the architect of child separation, the travel ban, and Remain in Mexico from Trump’s first term — told the New York Times that Trump would instruct ICE to carry out workplace raids and other sweeps of public spaces. He said that officers from other federal law enforcement agencies would be temporarily reassigned, and state National Guard troops and local police officers would be deputized. They would build “vast holding facilities” along the Texas border — just think of that — where thousands of lawyers would be engaged in fast-tracking and rejecting asylum applications.

Could they actually get to 20 million people? Probably not. But, you know, in 1954, the Eisenhower administration rounded up an estimated 1.3 million people, mostly Mexican and Mexican American workers, as part of an openly racist campaign dubbed Operation Wetback. Trump himself has said that he plans on “following the Eisenhower model.” So, even if he only achieved a fraction of the promised mass deportations — so his threats were serious but not literal — the effect would still be catastrophic. 

I think that’s always the risk of taking Trump’s threats at face value. You start discussing them in terms of their logistical feasibility, and you’re missing the larger point. What he’s really vowing is to make life for immigrants as bad as he possibly can.

Help us keep digging!

FERN is a nonprofit and relies on the generosity of our readers. Please consider making a donation to support our work.

Cancel monthly donations anytime.

Make a Donation

Want the perfect workout program?

• Mace Training Guide
• Kettlebell Training Guide
• Band Training Guide
• SFS FIVE: Steel Mace
• SFS FIVE: Kettlebell
• SFS FIVE: Resistance Band
• SFS Fat Loss
• SFS Powerbuilding
• SFS Foundations
• SFS Strength
• SFS Hypertrophy
• Muscle Building
• Conditioning
• Celebs & Pro Athletes
• Chest Exercises
• Shoulder Exercises
• Biceps Exercises
• Ab Exercises
• Barbell Exercises
• Dumbbell Exercises
• Cable Exercises
• Protein Recipes
• Diet Guides
• Supplement Guides
• Pre-Workout
• Intra-Workout
• Post-Workout
• Fat Burners
• Men's Health
• Brain Health
• Free Weights
• Gym Machines
• Cardio Machines
• Accessories
• Commercial Gyms
• General Fitness
• Hypertrophy
• Testosterone
• Your Cart is Empty

30 Grams of Protein: Best Foods and Their Costs

Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S

Fact checked by Sam Coleman, Co-Founder

Updated On: September 02, 2024

We all know we need protein to build muscle. Many of us know we need a lot of protein to build muscle. But, simply telling someone to “eat more protein” without telling them what to eat is like telling a new business owner they need to “make more money.”  

In this guide, I’ll detail which foods and meals provide 30 grams of protein —considered the optimal amount per meal for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

The accompanying graphic illustrates the cost of obtaining 30 grams of protein from these foods.

Following the food recommendations, I'll dive into the fundamentals of protein and amino acid consumption, covering the recommended amounts and optimal timing.

Examples Of Food With 30 Grams Of Protein

Jumping right in, here are some prime examples of foods that can give you 30 grams of protein.

1. Hard Boiled Eggs/Eggs

Eggs have been the go-to natural protein source forever. They’re easy to make and deliver a lot of protein and other awesome nutrients such as choline, vitamin D, and iron…they pack a lot.

One large egg contains 6-7 grams of protein at 70 calories. This means you’d need to eat about 5 eggs, which pack 350 calories. 

For many people, this is going to be a lot of calories, but there’s good news. If you’re controlling calories, you can swap out some whole eggs for just the egg whites. Egg whites are almost 90% protein, delivering 4 grams of protein at 18 calories. 

2. Grilled Chicken Breast

Grilled chicken breast is the classic bodybuilding food of choice due to its high calories. One serving (100 grams) delivers around 28-33 grams of protein at just 160 calories. That makes it over 80% protein, which explains why this is the go-to food choice for those dropping weight. More than 80% protein puts chicken breast up with some protein powders. 

Now you could just eat chicken breast as is. However, you can also add it to other foods to instantly increase the protein amount. For example:

• Add to a salad
• Make a chicken omelet
• Use in a wrap 

This is what makes chicken breast such an effective food for bodybuilders. You can easily add it to whatever you want. 

3. Chicken Thighs

We believe the chicken thigh has been unjustly overshadowed by the breast, but it should be on your grocery list. Technically, it doesn’t have as much protein as chicken breast, but not by much. A 100-gram serving delivers 24-26 grams of protein at 175 calories, which puts it at around 60% protein.

Even though chicken thighs aren’t as “lean” as chicken breast, they do offer other benefits:

• More Nutrients
• Healthy fats
• Usually cheaper

Also, it’s easy to get your 30 grams of protein!

Including seafood in your diet is a great way to add a variety of nutrients and get your protein. Of all fish, salmon has become one of the more popular choices in the fitness world due to its high amount of healthy fatty acids and other nutrients. 

To get 30 grams of protein from salmon, you’d need to eat around 5oz, delivering around 300 calories. These 300 calories will also deliver a ton of nutrients such as 1 :

• 82 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin B12
• 46 percent of selenium
• 28 percent of niacin
• 23 percent of phosphorus
• 12 percent of thiamin
• 4 percent of vitamin A 

One drawback of salmon preparation is that it does take a little skill, but once you get that figured out, you’re good to go!

5. Greek Yogurt with Nuts (Almonds, Peanuts..)

Greek YogurtYogurt might be our favorite natural protein source for those on the go. It is highly convenient to eat—if you have a tub, you can just eat a couple of spoonfuls or a smaller cup.

Either way, eating Greek YogurtYogurt actually takes less time than making a protein shake. 

Different Greek yogurts can vary in protein intake but range between 16-20 grams of protein per serving. Therefore, you can add some nuts to the mix to increase your protein intake while getting all the good-stuff nuts delivered. 

Be aware that adding too many nuts will significantly increase your calories, so keep this in mind, especially if you’re losing weight.

You could also eat a bigger portion of Greek YogurtYogurt if you want. For example, 2 servings of Chobani non-fat Greek YogurtYogurt will deliver 32 grams of protein at 180 calories – that’s not bad at all! 

6. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is basically just cheese curd from milk, meaning it’s full of casein protein, similar to Greek YogurtYogurt. While not as common as Greek YogurtYogurt, it may surprise you to learn that cottage cheese is one of the best natural sources of protein—and it delivers a ton! 

Two servings of Good Culture Cottage Cheese (Low-Fat) would deliver 28 grams of protein at 180 calories. If you like fat, you could get their whole-fat version, which delivers 18 grams of protein at 140 calories (2 servings = 36 grams at 280 calories).

Like Greek Yogurt, cottage cheese can be a very convenient source of 30 grams of protein as it’s ready to eat. The only drawback would be that some people find the taste and texture “unique.” However, if you haven’t had any in a while, you might want to revisit this high-protein food to help you get your protein when you need it fast.

Everyone deserves a nice slab of steak once in a while! The problem is that “steak” can mean numerous cuts of beef.

Top sirloin and filet mignon are popular choices for many. A 100g (3.5oz) of either delivers around 27-30 grams of protein at around 220 calories, give or take. This makes these two leaner options for those who want to get their red meat fix while keeping an eye on their waistline.

Now, a nice cut of T-bone is another popular choice due to its extra flavorful and juicy profile. This extra taste comes from the higher fat concentration, which increases the total calories. To get 30 grams of protein, you’ll be closer to the 300-calorie mark. 

8. Beef/Turkey Jerky

Jerky can be a good choice for getting your protein in, but you do need to be a bit selective. Jerky is basically strips of meat that are marinated, seasoned, and then dried through various processes.

This process is relatively simple but can result in a wide range of products with various levels of “health.” Differences can be caused by the quality of meat used (how much fat), the type of meat (beef, turkey, chicken, etc.), and the amount of oils and seasoning.

The lower-calorie options will generally come from poultry and have about 210-240 calories for around 30g of protein; this is considered to be about 3 servings.

If you search hard enough, you can find some beef jerky, such as Archer’s (no sugar) . Two servings give you 24 grams of protein at just 140 calories; this is protein powder. The main problem with jerky is going to be the price, so this is really only a good choice for someone with plenty of cash.

9. Lean Ground Beef (90/10)

Lean ground beef is a good choice for anyone looking to get their red meat fix AND protein. Depending on how the beef is processed, you can find different quality labels as a ratio of “lean” to “fat. Lean ground beef is considered to have at least a 90/10 ratio, meaning the meat is 90% lean and 10% fat. 

This usually delivers 22 grams of protein per serving (4oz) with 200 calories. To reach your 30 grams of protein, you’ll need to use 1.5 servings, which gives you 33 grams of protein at 300 calories. 

You could get leaner beef if you want fewer calories, but that also means a price increase. For example, this 93/7 lean beef  delivers 25 grams of protein at 170 calories. You could easily throw on a slice of mozzarella cheese (5g of protein) or an egg to get your 30 grams of protein. 

10. Ground Turkey

If you’re watching your calories or trying to cut red meat out of your diet, you can choose some quality ground turkey instead of beef. Unlike beef, all ground turkey products have similar protein levels and calories. 

One serving of turkey has 26 grams of protein and 130 calories. To reach 30 grams of protein, you can add a little bit more, such as cheese or an egg. This is a great choice for anyone looking to increase protein while decreasing calories.

Pro Tip! If you like the taste of beef (who doesn’t?), mix ground turkey with ground beef in a 50/50 ratio. This allows the great taste of beef while bringing the calories down slightly. 

11. Protein Powder

The most obvious choice is going to be some protein powder. On today’s market, you can find a range of protein powders with varying levels of “leanness.” On average, your typical protein powder will deliver 30 grams of protein at around 150-170 calories. By “typical,” we mean something like Optimum Nutrition or Dymatize. 

However, some protein isolates provide even leaner options. For example, Optimum Nutrition has a Hydrowhey that delivers 30 grams of protein at just 140 calories. IsoPure has an even leaner option, supposedly 100% protein. 1 serving delivers 25 grams of protein at 100 calories.

Define "protein": Understanding Your Amino Acids

What we refer to as “protein” refers to the nutrient responsible for repairing and rebuilding our muscles. A quick side note, protein does a lot more than that. For example, it’s responsible not only for the repair of our muscles but also for all tissues, such as our skin.

We could even go further, as “protein” simply refers to any chain of 50 or more amino acids. If a chain consists of 49 or fewer amino acids, it’s known as a peptide. The point is that when we’re talking about protein, we’re actually talking about amino acids.

With that in mind, proteins (amino acids) are responsible for a slew of processes such as:

• Formation of some hormones (i.e. epinephrine, norepinephrine)
• Balance fluids
• Increase the immune system (immunoglobulins)
• Transport nutrients (i.e., hemoglobin delivers oxygen)

This means that your total protein intake is much more important for your body than just building muscles. Regardless, that’s what we’re concerned about today—building muscle mass! 

How Much Protein Should You Eat?

You can find a wide range of suggestions for protein intake, everything from 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (g/kg) to 2.5 g/kg and even higher 2 . 

That said, we believe that lifters and athletes should eat at least 1.6g/kg of protein. However, eating more could provide better results, making 2.0g/kg of protein the general recommendation for most bodybuilders .

To be clear, this should be done daily to achieve the best results. For example, let’s say you should eat 200g of protein daily. You shouldn’t eat 20g one day and then 380g the next day to “make-up.” 

Falling short once in a while won’t make much of a difference, but it should be as consistent as possible.

When Should You Eat Protein?

The most important variable in eating protein is the total amount consumed. Don’t worry about protein timing if you’re only eating 100g of protein when you should be eating 200g. Get your protein in!

Once you have that under control, you can worry about timing. The general rule is to spread your total protein intake into 4-6 servings throughout the day. Each serving should be relatively the same amount, but the major caveat is that every serving has at least 20g of protein. 20g of protein seems to be the dose that provides the highest increase in muscle protein synthesis.

Should You Eat Protein After Your Workout? (Anabolic Window)

The anabolic window refers to a belief that was spread that you need to eat protein within 30 minutes of your workout, or you will miss the chance to capitalize on your gains. 

Not true. This idea has been unnecessarily exaggerated over the years 3 . In short, yes, your body is “primed for growth after a workout but it’s much longer than 30 minutes, around 3 hours. 

That said, we recommend you eat your protein as soon as you can when you have the chance. That means if you have your protein, don’t put it off just because. If there is a benefit, it probably would be getting it sooner rather than later, but again, you don’t need to stress out about this.

Plus, there’s so much protein everywhere now; there’s really no reason you can’t get your protein in. Especially with the 30 grams of protein examples provided above.

Get Your 30 Grams Of Protein!

As you can see, eating quality animal products makes it easy to get 30g of protein. You could eat this alone or add some to mix it up, like with an omelet or wrap. Either way, you have a ton of options so choose whatever fit’s your lifestyle best!

Check out our Meal Plans!

References:

• USDA. (n.d.). FoodData Central. Fdc.nal.usda.gov. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-search?query=&type=Foundation ‌
• Campbell, B., Kreider, R. B., Ziegenfuss, T., La Bounty, P., Roberts, M., Burke, D., Landis, J., Lopez, H., & Antonio, J. (2007). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 4(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-4-8 ‌
• Arent, S. M., Cintineo, H. P., McFadden, B. A., Chandler, A. J., & Arent, M. A. (2020). Nutrient Timing: A Garage Door of Opportunity? Nutrients, 12(7), 1948. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071948

Garett Reid

Also in blog.

Larry Scott Workout Routine: Train Like the First Mr. Olympia

Simple 90/30/50 Diet Plan Guide

Quick Carnivore Diet Food List To Support Your Workouts

At SET FOR SET, we strive to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed for your fitness journey. Our team of experts, including certified trainers, dietitians, and athletes, brings over a decade of industry expertise. Our goal is to be your primary resource for all fitness inquiries, guiding you toward a stronger and healthier life. Sign up to stay up-to-date!

Recent Articles

• SFS Programs
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• SFS UGC Policy
• SFS MBG Policy
• Disclosures
• Legal Disclaimer

Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more…

The University of Chicago The Law School

Housing initiative transactional clinic—significant achievements for 2023-24.

Students in the Housing Initiative Transactional Clinic provide legal representation on complex real estate development projects to build affordable housing. Clients include nonprofit, community-based affordable housing developers and housing cooperatives. Students serve as deal lawyers, working with clients and teams of professionals—such as financial consultants, architects, marketing professionals, property managers, and social service providers—to bring affordable housing and mixed-use development projects to fruition. Projects range from single family rehabs with budgets in the $30,000 to $75,000 range, to multimillion-dollar rental and mixed-use projects financed by low- income housing tax credits, tax exempt bonds, TIF, and other layered subsidies. Students also counsel nonprofit clients on governance and tax issues related to their work.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, some of the key clinic projects are described below.

Cabrini Green LAC Community Development Corporation

The clinic advised the Cabrini Green LAC CDC as it made progress with its developer partners on two major redevelopment projects that will serve mixed income tenants on sites that formerly held Cabrini Green public housing projects.

At Parkside of Old Town, in conjunction with Holsten Development, the next phase will include approximately ninety-nine rental units distributed among four buildings, providing a mix of market rate and affordable housing on land owned by the Chicago Housing Authority. Students this academic year negotiated the documents that will govern the property management of the development after it is built, including the tenant selection plan, the management agreement, the management plan, and the form of tenant lease, among others. The Clinic also reviewed and commented on the construction contract for the development and the contracts for the purchase of specialized electrical equipment that will be needed for construction, and which require a long lead time for design and delivery. On the financing side, Clinic students reviewed and negotiated financing agreements for eight different funding sources coming into the project, including construction financing, permanent loan financing, state donation tax credits, and federal low-income housing tax credits. In all, the financing layers that Clinic students reviewed included (1) a construction loan from JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in an amount up to $34,700,000; (2) a permanent loan from a community development lender in the approximate amount of $10,100,000; (3) a construction/permanent loan from a community development lender in the approximate amount of $1,000,000; (4) a loan from the Chicago Housing Authority in the approximate amount of $11,500,000; (5) a loan of HOME funds from the City of Chicago in the approximate amount of $4,250,000; (6) a loan from State of Illinois donation tax credit proceeds from the Chicago Housing Authority in the approximate amount of $4,734,214.60; (7) a loan of tax-increment funds in the aggregate amount of $16,400,000; and (8) a loan of ComEd grant funds in the approximate amount of $331,415. In addition, the Clinic reviewed and commented on the partnership agreement for the syndication of an annual allocation of low-income tax credits of $1,911,000, resulting in a total equity contribution of $17,866,064. Parkside 5 is anticipated to close in the fall of 2024.

In its joint venture with Brinshore Development at Oak Street and Larabee Avenue, the Cabrini LAC CDC will participate in development of a seven-story residential building with approximately seventy-eight residential units, for market rate, low-income, very low-income and extremely low-income families, along with a community space, an outdoor space, a parking garage, and indoor bicycle spaces. The anticipated sources of financing total approximately $54 million, consisting of low-income housing tax credit equity, state donations tax credits, grant proceeds and tax increment funding from the City of Chicago, and loans from the Chicago Housing Authority and the Illinois Housing Development Authority. In 2023-2024, Clinic students reviewed the ordinance and redevelopment agreement for the tax increment financing, and participated in structuring discussions to arrive at the organizational chart for the project’s owner entity. In doing so, Clinic students learned about the tax rules regarding tax-exempt use and accelerated depreciation periods, which drive the organizational structure to arrive at an arrangement that maximizes depreciation deductions for (and hence the equity contributions from) the low-income housing tax credit investors. The Oak & Larabee transaction is anticipated to close in the first quarter of 2025.

The Clinic’s work on behalf of Cabrini Green LAC CDC continues to provide students with the rare opportunity to work on some of the most sophisticated affordable housing transactions in the country, utilizing the low-income housing tax credit. In addition to exposure to secured lending documentation, students learn about the tax rules for these tax-advantaged investments, which affect the financing for the deal and the entity structures that are required.

Oak Park Regional Housing Center

The Clinic represents Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC) in its Austin United Alliance development project. Since 1972, OPRHC has worked to counteract racial steering in housing and to promote pro-integrative choices through affirmative marketing. OPRHC promotes a racially balanced rental market by providing information and referrals to thousands of apartment seekers each year and by offering homeownership and rental counseling programs.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, the Clinic successfully closed on OPRHC’s joint venture to develop a mixed income, mixed use project in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, adjacent to the historic Laramie Bank Building. The project involves redevelopment of government-owned vacant lots into a new six-story structure containing seventy-two units of mixed-income housing and a community plaza. The closing was particularly complicated due to the negotiation of the replacement of OPRHC’s original development partner—which had run into financial difficulties for unrelated reasons—with a new development partner. With the new development partner in place, the closing on the land and financing involved the finalization and execution of documentation for a variety of funding sources, including (1) a federally-insured permanent loan of $3,200,000; (2) a construction loan of $23,400,000; (3) tax increment financing proceeds of $12,900,000; (3) ComEd grant proceeds of $324,680; (4) a loan from the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing of $14,450,000; and (5) low-income housing tax credit equity in the amount of $20,717,862. Construction is underway and is anticipated to be completed in 2025.

Community Male Empowerment Project

A longstanding client of the clinic, the Community Male Empowerment Project (CMEP) provides training and employment opportunities to disadvantaged populations through the mechanism of renovation of distressed single-family properties. In 2023-2024, the clinic advised CMEP in structuring of an ambitious project in Calumet City that would involve large-scale redevelopment of vacant city lots acquired by the municipality. In addition, the Clinic represented CMEP in finalizing the financing documents for its most recent acquisition and rehabilitation project utilizing CMEP’s line of credit with the Chicago Community Loan Fund.

Pilsen Housing Cooperative

The Pilsen Housing Cooperative (PIHCO) offers limited equity cooperative units to lower income families who have strong ties to the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago. In 2023-2024, the Clinic’s work for PIHCO focused on the creation of a set of model share loan documents. A share loan is financing used by an incoming co-op member to purchase their share in the co-operative, similar to a mortgage loan for purchase of a single-family home. Share loans are prevalent in New York, with its abundance of co-ops, but are effectively non-existent in Chicago. The lack of share loans greatly constrains the supply of cooperative housing, including affordable housing co-ops, in our jurisdiction. By creating a model set of share loan documents that are tailored to Illinois law, the Clinic and PIHCO will create a pathway for CDFI’s to originate loans for this underutilized affordable housing approach.

Clinic students assembled a set of share loan documents from New York and made changes to fit within Illinois law. In drafting the remedies provisions, students researched the foreclosure process applicable in Illinois when share loans go into default. Students also researched and provided advice regarding applicable licensing and truth-in-lending requirements that would govern Illinois share loan originators. Thanks to the collaborative share loan advocacy project spearheaded by PIHCO and the Clinic, both a Chicago-based lender and the state housing finance agency are on track to begin offering share loans in 2024.

Chicago Family Housing Community

Chicago Family Housing Community (CFHC) is a new, affordable housing cooperative. In 2022-2023, the clinic represented CFHC in closing on the acquisition of its first multifamily building in Chicago. In 2023-2024, Clinic students have supported the group in an offshoot project to develop affordable housing condominiums. The Clinic helped form a new limited liability company development entity and represented that entity in successfully closing on the acquisition and financing of a six-unit building on Chicago’s north side. Next, Clinic students provided counsel on the process under state and local law for converting the property to condominium, and drafted the condo declaration, association bylaws, property report, form of condo purchase agreement, and form of deed. The Clinic also provided counsel on accessing affordable housing funding and navigating different options for restricting the resale prices of units to keep them affordable for the long term. The project is ongoing, with units expected to be sold to the first round of condo buyers in the third or fourth quarter of 2024.

Voice of the People in Uptown

Voice of the People in Uptown (Voice) is a longstanding community development corporation and service organization in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood on the north side of the City. The Clinic has worked with Voice on the incubation of a new community land trust—the Dovie Thurman Affordable Housing Trust—that would serve as a vehicle for permanent affordability of multifamily housing in Voice’s service area and beyond. In 2023-2024, the Clinic advised the new board of directors on options for expansion and drafted proposed bylaws changes. The Clinic also provided counsel in approaching lenders for consent to implement affordability covenants on three properties that would be the inaugural properties governed by the Dovie Thurman Trust.

Jumpstart Housing Cooperative

Jumpstart Housing Cooperative is a new, affordable housing cooperative started by members of ChiFresh Kitchen, a worker cooperative with businesses on the south and west sides of Chicago. In 2022-2023, Clinic students helped form the co-op and negotiated the purchase agreement for the co-op’s first multifamily building, in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. In 2023-2024, the Clinic closed on the acquisition and financing of the building purchase and the sale of Jumpstart’s first three membership shares to co-op members.

Here to Stay Community Land Trust

The mission of the Here to Stay Community Land Trust is to retain low- to moderate-income households across the rapidly gentrifying Chicago neighborhoods of Hermosa, Avondale, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park through affordable homeownership and communal ownership of the land. In 2023-2024, Clinic students advised Here to Stay in designing its application processes and housing preferences to ensure that selection of residents for the CLT will comply with fair housing laws. Clinic students researched applicable laws at the city, county, state, and federal levels, and worked with the client in crafting language and procedures to meet the client’s goals and legal requirements.

Unity Parenting & Counseling

Unity Parenting & Counseling (Unity) was founded in 1993 to protect and support the most vulnerable groups within the community—those who are homeless or in unstable housing situations, abused and neglected children in foster care and their parents including those with physical and mental health challenges. Unity is a social service agency invested in promoting the development of healthier and stronger family units, also resulting in cultivating more positive communities. Unity engaged the Clinic in 2023-2024 to represent Unity in the acquisition and renovation of a budget hotel on Chicago’s south side, to transform it into transitional housing for young adults who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Financing for the project comes from the City of Chicago Department of Housing and Department of Family & Support Services. The Clinic negotiated the purchase agreement for the hotel, and the architect agreement for the renovation design. The project will feature private units for residents, a common kitchen and recreational space, and space for delivery of case management and health care services. The Clinic also coordinated with outside, pro bono counsel at a major Chicago law firm that is representing Unity in its special use zoning application. The project is on track to obtain zoning approval and complete the acquisition of the property in the latter part of 2024.

Claretian Associates Inc. and Villa Guadalupe Senior Services Corporation

The Clinic has long represented Claretian Associates Inc. and its affiliated senior housing developer, Villa Guadalupe Senior Services Corporation. Founded in 1991, Claretian Associates is a community development corporation that serves the community of South Chicago and surrounding areas by focusing on the three pillars of housing, convening and violence prevention. It is the only non-profit affordable housing developer in the South Chicago neighborhood and provides access to affordable housing, programs to address food insecurity, resources for homebuyers, financial stability, and generational wealth creation. The Villa Guadalupe is a senior housing development owned and managed by Claretian Associates’ sister agency, the Villa Guadalupe Senior Services Corporation.

In 2023-2024, the Clinic represented the Villa Guadalupe in a short-term refinancing with the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Clinic students negotiated the loan agreement and security documents, retiring a prior financing of tax-exempt bonds that the Clinic had worked on years before and that became due this year. With the Villa’s debt now restructured, the Villa will turn with the Clinic’s help to a longer-term rehabilitation and refinancing plan, anticipated to close in the next academic year.

The Clinic represented Claretian Associates in its acquisition of a vacant lot from the Cook County Land Bank. Students negotiated the purchase contract and advised the client on potential environmental issues. The parcel will be used by Claretian Associates as part of a future development plan.

The Clinic also represented Claretian Associates in its evaluation of a potential acquisition of a privately-owned senior housing development in the South Chicago neighborhood. Clinic students advised the client on what documentation to request from the potential seller, to help the client evaluate the prospective purchase. The Clinic also counseled Claretian Associates on the tax implications of an unusual, forgivable loan financing arrangement that encumbers the property. Evaluation of the project is ongoing.

Last, the Clinic represented Claretian Associates in its efforts to structure the financing and joint venture arrangements for its upcoming Sacred Apartments transaction. The Sacred Apartments will consist of a five-story elevator building that will contain eighty-one total and 100% affordable units, along with retail space. Claretian Associates is the co-developer. The Clinic provided counsel to Claretian Associates on joint venture questions and financing/guaranty questions as the project moves through approval processes at the City of Chicago and at the Illinois Housing Development Authority.