The Salted Sugar Platter

Welcome:
Racciah Pittman was first introduced to the restaurant industry as a student in high school where she worked various positions in both front and back of house at Bran's Steakhouse and Grill in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Racciah continued to work in restaurants extracurricular throughout college where she learned that she enjoyed the customer service industry; taking care of people and making guests feel at home. She developed a true desire to feed people good food and establish meaningful relationships with regular guests. 

In addition to the hospitality business, Racciah also has a passion for cooking and creating charcuterie boards and is dedicated to sourcing food within the organic seasons. Racciah’s seasonal approach to food and commitment to local sourcing will bring a fresh perspective to The Salted Sugar Platter's Menu. 

Racciah is an entrepreneur with a passion for wine who seeks to provide an upscale place for wine fanatics by offering a wide selection of unique wines in one place. The Salted Sugar Platter will become the best wine bar in Gilbert, AZ, offering the highest quality and pleasant wine and charcuterie experience.

Business Summary

The Salted Sugar Platter, will be a Wine Bar, located in Gilbert, AZ is a wine bar focusing on providing unique and fine wines and charcuterie boards to the surrounding community. The Wine Bar will be centrally located and close to the popular market center areas and a residential neighborhood. The wine bar will strive to offer its customers a one-of-a-kind experience as well as the greatest selection of wine options available in the area. The bar will foster a friendly, pleasant, and warm ambiance explicitly in a conducive environment that is specifically designed for socializing and networking and free from all forms of violence.

At The Salted Sugar Platter, we will be set to make available assorted wines including red wines, white wines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines, beer, rosés and sparkling wines, spirits of all types, martinis, beverages (Serving wine for immediate consumption, offering wine tasting for patrons, and preparing and serving food for immediate consumption), appetizers, and charcuterie boards for those who would need something to pair with their wines. At The Salted Sugar Platter, we will have all health and safety certifications, and every other local license needed to run a wine bar. The wine bar will be designed in such a way that it meets these requirements.

The Salted Sugar Platter wine bar will be one that the atmosphere will be spiced up with good music of the different genres, ranging from pop to popular music, rhythm and blues, and jazz. There will also be an area designated for reservations only, enclosed by barn yard style doors, for customers that have private parties, events and/or needing a private space to host meetings. 

VISION
Our vision is to establish a friendly, standard and secured wine bar in Gilbert, Arizona that will be the melting pot of all lovers of wine, alcoholic and non – alcoholic drinks. We hope to become the leading wine bar in the East Valley, serving standard wines that meet the demands of all our customers.

MISSION
Our mission is to establish a wine bar business that will make available all the brands of wine, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the United States. And from other parts of the world at every given time to our highly esteemed customers and a place where people can network and socialize. Our wine bar will provide excellent food and wine at a reasonable price in a comfortable but refined atmosphere. With a year-round patio, our customers will be able to dine outside. The goal of our wine bar is to create a favorable environment for all our customers no matter their race, economic status, together with preferences. Our wine bar will be an excellent place for business people located nearby to come for a delicious lunch and a good quality glass of wine. It will be an appropriate place to take clients: the perfect place for a lunch meeting. The goal is to build a wine business that is a pacesetter among all other businesses in the industry.

Our perceived weakness could be that we are new business, and we may not have the financial muscle to sustain the kind of publicity we want to give our business. Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new wine bar or even a night club or restaurant in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same business model like us.

BUSINESS AIMED GOALS

1 year from now
Market through a new channel. Utilize more marketing channels such as a targeted social media. Coming up with new strategies to drive traffic to the business.

3 years from now
Expanding personnel and locations. Developing a plan to put more personnel in place. Adding more wine bar locations across the valley.

5 years from now
Maintain or improve profit margins. Making sure that our pre-tax profit is at a stable margin or increased.

THE PROBLEM

Our perceived weakness could be that we are new business, and we may not have the financial muscle to sustain the kind of publicity we want to give our business.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new wine bar or even a night club or restaurant in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt the same business model like us.

THE SOLUTION

The Salted Sugar Platter Wine Bar strength lays in the provision of comprehensive and exquisite customers. The vast array of sundry wine from the USA and auxiliary areas of the globe will also mold the business ideal for all patrons. The distinctive establishment, favorable facility, and socializing ambiance position the business for success. There are unlimited business opportunities available to wine bar businesses in cities like Gilbert; Gilbert is one of the cities in Arizona where social life is at its peak. Another opportunity that we stand to leverage on is the fact that we can easily order any brand of wine and drinks directly from the manufacturer with little or no stress.


THE ELEVATOR PITCH 
Did you know that demand for charcuterie boards and wine the U.S. has grown by over 40% percent in the past two years? Foodies are looking for more than just the generic, charcuterie board in record numbers.

I plan on opening a modern, with a bohemian twist wine bar that elevates the tastes buds of my customers. I’ll use healthy and quality ingredients and modern techniques that will help demonstrate how charcuterie boards and a nice glass of wine is much more than what most people think.

We’ve tested the market by catering several high-end events, and are ready to move to a full-service wine bar. Being home based has been successful, so I expect the launch to go very smoothly.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

WINE AND BEER 

The Salted Sugar Platter will offer hand-picked wines from a variety of countries that meet the Owners’ expectations of quality and value. Although the wine inventory will be fluid based on availability and experience, the focus will be on glasses of or near $7.50. Wine will be offered in-bar by the taste, flight, glass and bottle. In addition, bottles may be purchased for off-premises consumption. Wine flights will be offered based on season and stock as well as a build-your-own flight that will be available at times. All wines in the bar can be opened for a glass. In addition to wine offerings, a limited menu of premium beers will be offered by the bottle at an average price of $7 for those customers who are not persuaded to indulge in the staff’s passion for wine.

FOOD AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

The Salted Sugar Platter will serve prepared curated charcuterie boards and other light appetizers to compliment the wines being served, but will not feature a full-service kitchen. Among the items initially planned for sale are: cheese plates, cured meat plates, olives, nuts, fresh and dried fruits, prepared spreads such as hummus or cheese spreads, crackers, breads, chocolates and individual cakes and tarts. In addition, The Salted Sugar Platter will offer bottled water, and a small assortment of spirits, premium soda by the bottle and fountain drinks.

MISCELLANEOUS MERCHANDISE

The Salted Sugar Platter will offer miscellaneous merchandise for sale as a means of keeping with the mission of increasing the role of wine in the culture of the neighborhood as well as complimenting core sales with high margin impulse items. Logo T-shirts, hats, glasses and other wine-related items may be presented for sale in the store.

EVENTS

Themed wine tastings, wine classes, and excursions to local wineries will be offered on a regular basis and open to the public. In addition, The Salted Sugar Platter will solicit private parties and tastings to be hosted at the bar. This will benefit the community as The Salted Sugar Platter will offer a unique experience for private parties and public events where the consumer will have not only an attractive atmosphere for socializing, but an opportunity to team build together in a common and enjoyable learning experience.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer service at The Salted Sugar Platter will prove to be our greatest selling point. In researching market competition, customer service albeit generally friendly, did not meet the warm, inviting expectations of the owners. At The Salted Sugar Platter, one of the owners or the General Manager will be on the floor at all times to share their expertise and extend a hearty welcome to ensure that each customer has a truly quality experience regardless of their history with wine. In the future of The Salted Sugar Platter as servers are hired to assist, each will be trained to ensure the staff’s wine knowledge meets the owners’ minimum standards. In addition to the knowledge and passion that the owners and staff will emanate, the bar will display extensive information regarding wine varietals and regions to assist customers in understanding, identifying with and becoming self-sufficient in comparing and selecting wines from around the world.

The Salted Sugar Platter's customers are from a broad spectrum of demographics across generations, professions, genders, and ethnic backgrounds. However, there are a few general guidelines that can be applied to define The Salted Sugar Platter customer: Of legal drinking age (21+) At least occasional consumer of alcoholic beverages Earns middle class income and up Has attained some level of post-secondary education Enjoys food and dining experiences Enjoys public socializing Enjoys leisure time and activities Location: Gilbert, Arizona Age: targeting 21 and up – Gilbert median population by age: 33.9 Gender: not required Income level: median household 2020 income is $98,963.00 Gilbert is an extremely well-suited environment for this type of customer as it is a diverse and growing city experiencing a revitalization of commercial and residential growth, adding to a customer base already rich with target demographics. Gilbert is home to multiple military families, a thriving tourism industry, new residents from out of state, and state and local government. 

THE MARKET 

Market Trends 
As the baby boom generation continues to age, and their children grow up, baby boomers have more free time and money to go out to dinner. Fast-food restaurants, the domain of young families, have fallen out of favor as many boomers now demand more nutritional, higher-quality food. Fine dining allows people to socialize and relax as they meet friends over excellent food and a fine glass of wine.

In recent time, the societal shift away from alcoholic drinks toward healthier lifestyles is to a larger extent contributing to a steady decline in the amount of household spending allocated to trips to bars and nightclubs plus the fact that nobody wants to be caught driving while drunk. The recent market trend in the bar industry is such that the increase in the number of consumers choosing packaged beverages for home consumption rather than at bars or nightclubs is also on the increase. This trend is surely going to have lasting impacts on both the bar business and nightclub business alike. Even though the trend of wine bars in the United States was not well received in the 1980s, they began to gain popularity in the 90s.

In the early part of the millennium, wine bars became very popular and started popping up in many metropolitan neighborhoods across major cities in the United States of America. Wine bars now compete with the local hangouts such as coffee shops and local bars. The wine bar sensation offers the taste before you buy philosophy. No doubt, wine bars put a new spin on wine tasting. They seek to remove the association of wine with high – end clientele and overwhelming wine lists and replace it with a more casual and relaxing atmosphere. Many of these wine bars are furnished with nooks and cozy booths encased in rich colors and plush surroundings in hopes their guests will linger. 

Wine bars look to embrace the intellectual stimulation linked to wine and offer an alternative to the bar scene. The phlegmatic environment lends itself to a good socializing setting with a less crowded feel and more intimate appeal. In recent time, wine bars have begun to incorporate a larger variety of food choices as part of their product offerings. Traditionally associated with cheeses and desserts, wine bars are looking to combine wine with appetizer-sized gourmet selections to increase the enjoyment their customers stands to gain when they patronize them. In the last several years, bars have introduced a diverse array of options to promote their services. For instance, some are offering appetizers with the goal being to attract more patrons to their business from the already competitive market. There are also chefs who are using the same approach in their premises to expand their customer base. The concept brings the tastes of fancy restaurants to a dressed-down setting. So also, it is now common to find restaurant owners and chefs take the opposite approach and use wine bars as an opportunity for expansion.

Barriers to the Market
Current research shows that interest and patronage to The Salted Sugar Platter will be substantiated, though there are a few possible barriers to entry in the market we are targeting. Relatively high rent costs and limited availability of retail space in the targeted areas and in Gilbert and countywide may prove difficult for the proposed location. 

A second concern lies in obtaining a proper license for beer and wine sales in the city of Gilbert. Businesses zoned for alcohol sales as the primary source of revenue versus revenue from food, or through purchasing an existing license are more difficult to obtain in the city of Gilbert due to the current stance of the city laws and the Arizona Department of Liquor License and Control requirements and policies. 

Interaction with the Food and Beverage Administration of Gilbert must be according to law, and licensing procedures must be adhered to properly. In order to acquire the necessary licensing and documentation in order to correctly and accurately move forward with this endeavor, we have been seeking consult from lawyers and friends involved in the management and ownership of local clubs and restaurants. Our mentors in this arena have proved incredibly helpful and immensely knowledgeable in regards to our efforts and have given us accurate and obtainable information necessary to move forward. It is our desire to operate our business legally and most diligently, and in the manner of an establishment that provides a community with a model of not only local pride, but countywide excellence, as well.

Other Barriers
High capital costs 
High marketing costs 
Consumer acceptance and brand 

We will overcome these barriers by providing high quality service, reasonable prices, and local enthusiasm. Our market may be affected by changes in the housing market and a drop in the local economy.

Marketing Strategy 
The Salted Sugar Platter Wine Bar will look to a particular segment of the community for customers. Perhaps our strongest advantage is our location in the business area of Gilbert. We will build on the customers that Ms. Pittman has developed over many years throughout her businesses. For new customers our food platters and service will speak for itself; people will return based on the quality of experience of their first platter at the The Salted Sugar Platter.

We intend to become a recognized and active participant in the local community. Already, from working and living in the area, Ms. Pittman is well known in the community. The Salted Sugar Platter will build on this and take an active part in promoting the well being of the area by hiring locally trained chefs, graduates from local colleges, and by buying locally. There is a strong sense of community in Gilbert from which we can all benefit.

The Salted Sugar Platter Brand

The Salted Sugar Platter seeks to position itself as a respectable, upper-middle-market competitor in the wine bar industry. Customers can expect the finest wine and dining experience at the company’s upscale establishment.

The Salted Sugar Platter brand will focus on the company’s unique value proposition:

Promotions Strategy

The Salted Sugar Platter expects its target market to be residents living within a 10-mile radius of the location, aged 21 and above. The Company’s promotions strategy to reach the audience includes:

Pre-Opening Events

Before opening the wine bar, The Salted Sugar Platter will organize pre-opening events designed for prospective customers, local merchants, and press contacts. These events will create buzz and awareness for The Salted Sugar Platter in the area.

Advertisement

Advertisements in print publications like newspapers, magazines, etc., are an excellent way for businesses to connect with their audience. The Company will advertise its bar and bar offerings in popular magazines and news dailies. Obtaining relevant placements in industry magazines and journals will also help in increasing brand visibility.

Public Relations

The Salted Sugar Platter will hire an experienced PR agency/professional(s) to formulate a compelling PR campaign to boost its brand visibility among the target audience. It will look to garner stories about the company and its offerings in various media outlets like podcasts, television stations, radio shows, etc.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is one of the most cost-effective and practical marketing methods for improving brand visibility. The Company will use social media to develop engaging content in terms of different wine types and post customer reviews that will increase audience awareness and loyalty.

Word of Mouth Marketing

The Salted Sugar Platter will encourage word-of-mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients. The Company will use recommendations and word-of-mouth marketing to grow the customer base through the network of its existing customers. The Company will be incentivizing its existing customer base to encourage their friends to come and try their products for the first time.

Special Offers

Offers and incentives are an excellent approach to assisting businesses in replenishing the churn in their customer base that they lose each year. The Company will introduce special offers and happy hours scheme to attract new consumers and encourage repeat purchases, which will be quite advantageous in the long run.

Web Strategy

The Salted Sugar Platter website will be used for advertising and promotions along with consumer education. There will be an “education” page focusing on the featured theme and exhibit of the month. There will also be a large emphasis on social networking; Open Table, Four Square, Yelp, Google, etc.

Competitors
There are many restaurants and bars located in Gilbert, Arizona but very few bars that are dedicated to beer and wine, and none that are exclusive to having tasting flights. The Salted Sugar Platter will stand out as a popular tasting lounge offering unique ambiance, personalized customer service, and educational dining experiences that will set itself apart from other restaurants in the immediate area.

Here is a list of beer/wine establishments that appear when searching for a “wine bar” in Gilbert. Please note that Divided Vine is listed first in the search results:
The Salted Sugar Platter will have several primary competitors represented by competing wine bars and premium wine shops in the area, as well as some secondary competitors represented by wine bars and premium wine shops outside of the vicinity, high-end and large-scale grocery chains (Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s/Albertson’s/AJ's/Fry's) and big box merchandise stores carrying large inventories of premium wine (Costco/Sam's Club/Total Wine/World Market). 

The primary wine bar competitors, as across the board competitors, are the focus of direct research conducted by the owners for traffic, quality of service and sales numbers. The local high-end wine stores will compete only in that they will carry similar wines for retail sale at competitive prices. Among the secondary competitors, the grocery and big box stores may carry some similar labels but will not offer the level of full service nor experience that The Salted Suga Platter offers. Although there are several wine bars and wine shops outside of the mid-city area that may offer similar service, they are not concerning due to their distance from The Salted Sugar Platter’s core customer base.

Listed below is an analysis of comparable establishments near the proposed location for The Salted Sugar Platter;

I. Wine Bars: NO EXCLUSIVE WINE BARS IN TOWN other than Peacock Wine Bar- please see below for Cocktail/Lounges and Restaurants

II. Wine Retail Stores: Total Wine- they are more of a wine shop and less of a restaurant establishment, they can only do wine tastings between 12-7 p.m. Thursday thru Sunday.

III. Comparable Bars & Lounges: Divided Vine, The Whining Pig, Postino East.

1. Divided Vine: is focused more on craft beer and spirits and has a “gastropub” feel, has TVs for sports games

2. The Whining Pig: is a pub style bar with games, grilled cheese sandwiches and focuses on beer mainly.

3. Postino East: is a bright & airy restaurant café style featuring light Italian fare, dozens of wines by the glass & a patio, Also has cocktails. 

4. Beer & Wine Restaurants in Gilbert: Bourbon & Bones, North Italia, Tucked Away Craft Kitchen & Bar, Firebirds. (Not including the various Mexican and Sushi restaurants in Montrose)

The Salted Sugar Platter has several competitive advantages over our competition:

The Salted Sugar Platter will encourage our customers to open and taste any bottle on our menu in keeping with the mission of increasing our community’s interest and appreciation of wine. In researching The Salted Sugar Platter’s primary competitors, it was discovered that a number of wine bars push particular wine flights and discourage interested consumers from requesting glasses from the “bottle” menu. Wines will be selected from virtually every major wine region around the world that is suitable to the owners’ expectations of quality and value.

The owner’s of The Salted Sugar Platter embrace the truth that wines of excellent quality can be found at affordable glass and bottle prices, and this will be showcased through the selections we make available to our customers. In researching our direct competitors, a notable trend of four to eight reasonably priced glasses of wine exist on a list of twenty or more wines. At The Salted Sugar Platter we believe that our customers will value experiencing more options for superb quality wines at a more competitive price than direct competitors provide.

The Salted Sugar Platter’s commitment to high quality customer service will stand out among all competitors. At least one of the owners will be on the floor at all times to share expertise and extend a warm, personal welcome to customers. It is of the utmost importance to the owners that all customers feel comfortable at The Salted Sugar Platter, of previous experience/knowledge of wine. After all, the goal is to ignite a passion for wine in the community.

The Salted Sugar Platter will draw in customers with a warm and comfortable feeling atmosphere that embodies an edge of sophistication. The owners believe strongly in the importance of creating an environment that is relaxing to the mind yet exciting to the senses. In researching local competitors, the owners found a general shortage of locations that offer the type of environment The Salted Sugar Platter customers will embrace.

SWOT ANALYSIS

Our strength as a company is excellence and detailed customer service. Wide range of assorted wine both from the United States and other parts of the world, beverages, and food. Excellent facility, excellent ambience and perfect location for a bar in metropolitan city like Gilbert.

Our perceived weakness could be that we are new business, and we may not have the financial muscle to sustain the kind of publicity we want to give our business.

There are unlimited business opportunities available to wine bar businesses in busy cities like Gilbert; Gilbert is one of the cities in the Arizona where social life is at its peak. Another opportunity that we stand to leverage on is the fact that we can easily order any brand of wine and drinks directly from the manufacturer with little or no stress.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new wine bar or even a night club or restaurant in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same business model like us.

USP
The Salted Sugar Platter combines the convenience of a café, the eloquence of a wine bar and eclectic cuisine of a bistro. Our first priority is quality and presentation of the food. We will use the freshest local ingredients. For example, many of our cheeses will come from the local dairy, while we shop at the local Farmer's Market for fresh produce. In the summer we will operate one patio. It will be the one of the few places in Gilbert with a non-smoking patio.

Operations Plan
1. Operation

I. The Salted Sugar Platter will open estimated 3-4 weeks after funding to allow for permits, concept development, design, building renovations, and staff training.

II. Hours of Operation:

Mondays-Thursdays: 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Fridays: 2:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Saturdays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. 

Sundays: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. 

Happy Hours: 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

2. Organization Structure

An LLC will be acquired with a D.B.A. The Salted Sugar Platter. Final business structure will be dependent upon specific investor/partnership interests. 

4. Space/Capacity

An ideal location would be to lease a new retail space, approximately 1,500-2,500 Square Feet. The bar top should have hold 8-10 bar seats and the lounge/dining area should house a mixture of lounge chairs, benches and couches, with some cocktail tables. A separate retail section/reservation room area would be ideal with picnic style tables with swings and or/benches with lounge furniture.

5. Critical Suppliers

I. FOOD & RESTAURANT SUPPLIERS: (more need to be researched)

a. Sysco

b. Shamrock Foodservice Warehouse

c. Restaurant Depot

d. Western Foodservice Equipment & Design

e.US Foods

f. Sustainable & Organic food suppliers

g. direct shopping at Farmers Markets

h. daily/weekly shopping and local markets for unique ingredients

II. BEER & WINE DISTRIBUTORS:

a. Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc

b. Crescent Crown

c. Beer and Wine Distributors of Arizona

d. Classic Wines

e. Small production distributors

f. Boutique Wineries & Breweries who can sell direct

g. Local winery's and beer brewery's

6. Financial System

The Salted Sugar Platter will have an accountant consultant to help with the startup and will be available on a bi-weekly contract basis thereafter. The management team will each have administration days to help with paperwork and payroll processing.

7. Computer System

A standard POS system (Point of Sale) will be used; this system will be able to run cost and labor reports as well as have customizable functions specific to our needs. It will be able to take credit card payments as well. There will need to be at least 2 computer stations; one behind the bar, one for inside seating. Restaurant Computer Companies to research for pricing: Clover, Toast, Square, Lightspeed Restaurant, Upserve POS and TouchBistro.

8. Equipment

The location sourced, various equipment will need to be purchased in order to make the bar functional; an ideal scenario would be to acquire a new retail space to design a functional kitchen.

9. Permits and Licenses

(Must research updated 2021/2022 permit applications/requirements)

* In depth information on specific permits and licenses can be found through Arizona Department of Revenue website.(Most of these permits will already be set up with-in a restaurant purchase transfer)

Building and Construction Permit: 

Required for all new and remodeling & construction, including change of occupancy. 

Burglar Alarm Permit: 

A permit must be obtained for any businesses requiring a burglar alarm or security system. 

Business License (Business Tax Certificate): 

Required for all entities doing business within city limits 

Fire Department Inspection/Permit: 

All businesses may be subject to a yearly inspection of facility; and a Business Plan/Contingency Plan if hazardous materials/wastes are on site. 

Business Personal Property: 

Property used in the operation of a business such as machinery, equipment, trade fixtures, etc. is taxable and subject to assessment. Business operations need to file a Business Property Statement annually with the Assessor declaring property on hand on or before April 1 each year. 

Fictitious Name Filing (DBA): 

Required if fictitious name is used. 

Public Health Operating License: 

Required of restaurants and businesses manufacturing food, ice or soft drinks. We will need to check with health department to see what type of food licensing or permits we would be able to obtain and if the costs associated would be worth it- possibly use the conditional use permit for small appetizers. (More research needs to be done). 

Alcoholic Beverage License: 

Any person or entity seeking to sell alcoholic beverages must be licensed. Arizona Department of Liquor. Beer and Wine Bar Application Kit- Series 7. The approval process normally takes sixty-five (65) to one hundred five (105) days once a complete application has been filed.

Corporation, Company or Partnership Filings: 

If you are considering becoming a corporation, (either stock or nonprofit), a limited liability company or a partnership (limited, or limited liability), you must file with the Arizona Corporation Commission: Secretary of State's Office.

Sales & Use Permit (Seller's Permit): 

All businesses selling or leasing tangible property must obtain a Seller's Permit. Arizona transaction privilege tax (TPT), through Arizona Department of Revenue.

State Income Tax Information: 

Businesses should obtain the appropriate State income tax forms from the Franchise Tax Board. Contact: Arizona Department of Revenue.

10. Contracts

I. Owner/Management Contracts

II. Operational Contract

III. Investor payout contracts

IV. Rental/Commercial Lease

V. Contracts with consultants and professionals for startup

The Salted Sugar Platter is led by Racciah Pittman but will be managed and run by a person with management and bar knowledge and skills, who has been in the bar and bistro business for years. While Racciah Pittman has never run a wine bar herself, she has extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of managing a wine bar, including:

Racciah has personal relationships with a variety of suppliers. Racciah graduated from the KVCC where she majored in Business.

Hiring Plan

Racciah will serve as the CEO. In order to launch the wine bar, the company will need to hire the following personnel:

Pricing Strategy 
Pricing strategy is one of the most important functions that any business can plan for attracting customers. Prices are a foundational element of a company’s revenues—if managed carefully, they can generate high profits.

The Salted Sugar Platter’s pricing will be appropriate for the high quality and level of service associated with the bar, so customers feel they receive great value. The customer can expect to receive quality wine and dine service at a more affordable price than what they pay at an ultra-premium wine bar.

The Salted Sugar Platter pricing structure will have a few different strategic approaches;

I. Follow-the-leader pricing strategy:

Set pricing based on competition with local bars

II. Variable pricing strategy:

Pricing will vary based on (changing) cost of production, but will try and maintain 25% 

F&B cost

III. Premium Pricing:

There will be a few items that are priced higher because of their premium quality and

availability, the sliding scale pricing will also apply here.

FINANCIAL PLAN

1. Product and Service Pricing (please refer to website for menu examples and pricing)

WINE LIST:

Our wines will maintain a 20-30% cost percentage. The menu prices will range from $7-$32 dollars for a glass of wine, and $25 to $895 for a bottle. Half glasses and tastings will also be available.

LOCAL MICROBREWS & ORGANIC BEERS

Our beers will also maintain a 20-30% cost percentage, menu prices ranging from $7-$10 for a pint of draft beer or 12oz bottles, and $11-$15 for larger bottles and specialty beers

FOOD/APPETIZERS

All of the small plates, appetizers and charcuterie boards will range from $6 to $40 a item. Each item will be calculated per serving cost to maintain a 20-30% food cost percentage.

2. Funding Source Options:

INVESTOR AND/OR PARTNERSHIP(S):

(Please see “Investor/Partnership Structure Options” document)

SELLER FINANCING:

If purchasing an existing restaurant space, we will seek some sort of seller financing to help with startup costs.

COMMERCIAL BANK OR CREDIT UNION

If a loan is needed we will seek business loan funding through the Navy Federal Credit Union in Gilbert or thru Wells Fargo where we currently have a business account. We will apply for the SBA 7a Community Loan or Microloan. This loan is geared towards business acquisitions. Pre-approval takes 3-5 business days.

GRANTS

We have applied for several grant applications. Most grants awards take a few months and some are lottery. In the past we have been awarded grants and we continue to apply to secure funding.

One thing is certain when it comes to wine bars, if your wine bar is well stocked and centrally positioned, you will always attract customers come sales and that will sure translate to increase in revenue generation for the business.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Gilbert, AZ and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our clientele base.

We have been able to critically examine the wine bar market and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to startups in Gilbert, AZ.

Below is the sales projection for The Salted Sugar Platter Wine Bar, it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to wine bars start – ups in the United States;

N.B: This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same products and customer care services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

If the case it occurs, we are ready with a couple of templates and we are set to implement them to warrant that the concourse continues to raise profits and stays afloat. Closing down of the business plan for a wine bar is not a viable option for us.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The goal for this plan is financial: The owner will provide $80,000 thru spouses trucking business. The Salted Sugar Platters will seek a $270,000 either through grants, loans or private investors ( the use of funds is below) if more funding is needed. This document is one step in process. It is also a road map for the business.

Use of Funds: 

THE BACK UP PLAN

It is important to plan for any scenario where the business plans might not go as expected. However in my eyes, Plan B interferes with what we are doing with Plan. My main focus at hand is the first Plan . We can change our tactics and maybe even our strategy, but let’s not change the goal.

Short-term plan
In terms of if problems arise financially.

Long-term plan
Having some long term goals that will increase sales.