1. To: Kwame Christian, Esq.
From: Zauntre Dyer, Intern
Date: 17th June 2015
Re: Restaurant Business
_____________________________________________________________________________
Restaurant Business
Issue
First client is a passionate cook who wants to open a restaurant, yet has no knowledge
about business or law.
Starting a Restaurant Business
Starting a restaurant requires a large deal of business and financial planning, and there are
several legal regulations to abide by.12 There is a strict procedure to begin a business that of
which establishes and recognizes a business owner’s efforts as an official operating entity, while
verifying that the commercial activities comply with local, state, and federal laws.345 To create a
successful operating business, one must create a plan that maps out the nature and procedures of
1 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
2 How to Open a Restaurant. Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Restaurant
3 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
4 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from
http://columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Public_Health/Content_Editors/Environmental_Health/Food_Protection_for_Bu
sinesses/StartingAFoodBusinessGuide2013.pdf
5 Business.Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.business.ohio.gov/starting/

2. the business, research the competitive market and target market, gather start-up funds, and
acquiring multiple permits regarding the location, environmental impact, and health and safety of
the restaurant.6,7,8
Business Plan and Research
The first step to starting a business is establishing a plan that maps out the success of the
business.9 In this plan you must include:
 An executive summary that captures the essential profile and goals of the business,
including the mission statement and the products/services available.10
 A market analysis that provides information about the size and characteristics of the
target market as well as an analysis of the competition in the industry.11
 An organizational map that explains who does what in your business, who works with
you and for you, and the ambiance or atmosphere of the restaurant.12,13
 A service or product line that establishes the overall food concept of the restaurant, the
menu and pricing.
 a plan for funding the business start-up, which will be further discussed as the following
step for starting a business.14
6 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
7 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from
http://columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Public_Health/Content_Editors/Environmental_Health/Food_Protection_for_Bu
sinesses/StartingAFoodBusinessGuide2013.pdf
8 How to Open a Restaurant. Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Restaurant
9 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
10 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
11 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
12 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
13 How to Open a Restaurant. Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Restaurant

3. Funding
You will need a good estimate of how much it will cost to start your business. Things to
consider are equipment and inventory, business space, insurance, utilities, employees, licenses,
advertising, and unexpected costs.15 In gathering these funds it helps to consider all possible
resources including your own personal estate, (lenders usually expect business owners to provide
10-30% of start-up costs), family/friends, bank loans, business partners such as brokers and
investors, and government programs.16,17 There are several possible loan programs that can aid
in getting the finances necessary to begin your restaurant. When submitting funding requests,
you should include your funding requirement, how you intend to use the funds received, and any
strategic financial plans for the future, as they will directly impact your ability to repay your
loan.18
Legal Aspects
There are many legal aspects to abide by when starting a business. The first one is
choosing a business location that abides by local zoning laws.19,20 Property is broken down into
two zones, commercial or residential, and a commercial property cannot exist are in a residential
area.21 Here at the Christian Law Offices, we will help you understand how properties are zoned
to ensure that you are conducting business in an appropriate location.
15 Business.Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.business.ohio.gov/starting/
16 Business.Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.business.ohio.gov/starting/
17 How to Open a Restaurant. Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Restaurant
18 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
19 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
20 How to Open a Restaurant. Retrieved June 14, 2015, from http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Restaurant
21 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business

4. Other factors to consider when choosing a location are whether are not the area supports
your desired brand image, the existence to competition, the proximity to suppliers, and safety.22
Our knowledgeable and experienced lawyers have the ability to conduct the legal and market
research necessary to place you in the best location to have your business thriving the way you
envisioned it!
After finding a strong location, the next step is to determine the legal structure of the
business, (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC. etc). This is a very critical step as it determines
the ownership of your business, protection against the unfortunate case of a lawsuit, and
ultimately, the type of tax return form you will have to file for your business.23 At The Christian
Law Office, we will help you make the best decision as to which ownership structure best
benefits your profit and stability, while providing the most sensible protection for you and your
staff.
Following this, you will need to register your business name with the Ohio Department of
Taxation to acquire a Vendor's license as well as a Federal Tax Business ID, in order to officially
establish the restaurant as a business entity, allowing you to serve customers.24 In addition, you
must also register your business for state and local taxes, all of which our lawyers can assist you
with to ensure that your operation of business is not later interrupted.
In order to begin operation there must be obtained certain state permits, (health, zoning,
and environmental permits), in addition to some federal permits (depending upon the activities
22 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
23 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
24 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business

5. that will occur in the restaurant).25 A health permit is required and is granted after a health
inspection is conducted by the Columbus Public Health Department.26 The City of Columbus
Building Services will provide an environmental license after ensuring that the business location
poses no risks on the environment.27 Other federal permits may be necessary such as a copyright
license if the restaurant will play music, and a liquor license to sell alcohol.28
How We May Help You
Becoming a new business owner can be one of the most ecstatic experiences, yet it
requires extensive legal and business expertise. There are several in-depth elements to starting a
commercial operation, and the process can become overwhelming or frustrating without having
the most certified legal advisors to build the project with you. From creating a thorough business
plan that sets the tone for long-term success, to gathering up those thousands of dollars in start-
up costs, to sorting through that extensive list of strict laws and regulations, our lawyers here at
The Christian Law Office are ready and willing to service your every need in starting your brand
new operation.
Citing multiplesources for the same sentence:
If you need to cite morethan onesource in the same sentence, includeeach
footnote right after the relevant partof the sentence: The Franks were
25 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
26 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
27 Retrieved June 14, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
28 How to Open a Restaurant. Retrieved June 14,2015, from http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Restaurant

6. likewise a loose affiliation of peoples, 2 and the Goths “a very heterogeneous
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