The library · 130 guides · updated aug 2026

F&B guides with real numbers

Start with your concept's complete guide, then go deep. Everything here comes from two decades of opening, running, and selling food businesses, and it's all free.

Start with your concept

01 — Restaurant · 94 guides

Restaurant

Start here: the complete restaurant guide

12 Essential Restaurant Branding Assets Every Owner Needs to Create

A logo is just one piece. Here are the 12 branding assets every restaurant needs, what each one does, and how

3 Things to Know Before Opening a Restaurant (And What Happens If You Skip Them)

Wilson K Lee breaks down the three foundational principles every restaurant owner must master: know your numbe

The 4 Restaurant Business Concepts Explained: Fast, QSR, Casual, and Fine Dining

Learn the four main restaurant business concepts, their real costs, revenue projections, and pros and cons so

5 Deadly Mistakes Every New Food Business Owner Makes

60% of restaurants fail in year one. Wilson K Lee breaks down the 5 deadly mistakes killing food businesses in

7 Instagram Tools Every Restaurant Owner Should Be Using

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 7 Instagram tools his team uses to grow restaurant marketing, save time, and brin

7 Money-Making Mindsets Every Restaurant Owner Needs to Build a Profitable Business

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 7 mindsets shared by hundreds of successful restaurant owners, from stopping perf

8 Ways to Cut Costs in Your Restaurant or Small Business

Eight proven strategies to reduce operating costs in your restaurant or small business, from building a roadma

5 AI Tools That Can Increase Your Restaurant Profits in 2026

Five concrete AI tools for restaurant owners in 2026: voice agents, HR platforms, menu pricing, inventory mana

How a Bar Owner Added $49K in Revenue by Turning His Skills Into a Digital Product

Kyle, owner of Nimble Bar Company, added $49,000 in extra revenue by turning his bartending expertise into a d

Biggest Restaurant Owner Mistakes That Lead to Bankruptcy (And How to Avoid Them)

Five critical mistakes restaurant owners make that kill their business, from not knowing their customer to wor

How Celebrity Collaborations Save Struggling Restaurant Brands (And What Small Operators Can Steal)

Learn the 3 marketing lessons from the Travis Scott x McDonald's collab: revive lapsed customers, generate UGC

How to Choose a Restaurant Concept That Matches Your Lifestyle

Match your restaurant concept to your stress tolerance, risk appetite, and work level. Wilson K Lee's three-va

5 Psychological Tactics Domino's Uses to Sell Millions of Pizzas Every Day

Domino's sells 3 million+ pizzas daily using five proven psychology tactics. Here's how to apply each one to y

5 Psychological Marketing Tricks Dunkin Uses to Sell 2.9 Billion Donuts a Year (And How Small F&B Owners Can Copy Them)

Dunkin sells 2.9 billion donuts a year using color psychology, habit loops, the Barnum effect, sensory appeal,

The One Financial Mistake That Kills Food Businesses (And How to Avoid It)

Not knowing your numbers is the deadliest mistake in food business. Learn the three critical metrics: average

10 Home Food Business Ideas You Can Start Right Now

Wilson K Lee breaks down 10 real home food business ideas with honest pros, cons, and margins so you can pick

How Much Do Uber Eats Drivers Really Make?

A clear breakdown of how Uber Eats calculates driver pay, what expenses eat into earnings, and what it means i

How Much Should You Invest to Start Your Restaurant?

Use the two-thirds rule to calculate the right initial investment for your restaurant based on projected annua

How Restaurants Can Make 20% More Profit by Cutting Third-Party Delivery Fees

Third-party delivery apps take up to 30% commission. Here's a concrete breakdown of how restaurant owners can

How Restaurants Can Save 20 to 30% in Third-Party Delivery Commissions by Running Their Own Delivery

UberEats and DoorDash take 20 to 30% off your top line. Here's exactly how to build your own delivery system a

How to Add $50K in Revenue to Your Restaurant by Digitizing What You Already Know

Six concrete steps to build a digital revenue stream from your restaurant's existing skills, from identifying

How to Assemble Your Restaurant Build-Out Team

Learn how to hire a general contractor, vet your build-out team, and protect your budget with the right paymen

How to Brand Your Restaurant: 4 Steps That Build Real Customer Loyalty

Branding your restaurant is more than a logo. Follow these 4 concrete steps to build emotional connection, com

How to Calculate Fixed Costs for Your Food Business

Learn what fixed costs are, why they determine your break-even point, and exactly how to calculate them for a

How to Calculate Labour Cost for Your Restaurant

Learn the two methods for calculating restaurant labour cost, what expenses to include beyond wages, and how t

How to Calculate Your Restaurant Break-Even Point

Learn the exact formula to calculate your restaurant's break-even point using fixed costs and variable cost pe

How to Calculate the Right Price for Your Food Product

Learn how to price your food product profitably using three proven factors: product quality, cost of goods sol

How to Calculate Variable Costs and COGS for Your Food Business

Learn exactly how to calculate variable costs and COGS for your food business in 5 steps, set the right price,

How to Create a Loyalty Program That Actually Brings Customers Back

Learn how to build a restaurant loyalty program that keeps customers engaged using gamification, referrals, an

How to Create a Value Proposition for Your Restaurant

Learn how to craft a clear restaurant value proposition that communicates your unique value to target customer

How to Create a Winning and Profitable Restaurant Menu

Learn Wilson K Lee's winning matrix framework to craft a restaurant menu that customers love and that actually

How to Create Your Restaurant Business Financial Plan with High, Average, and Low Scenarios

Learn how to consolidate your restaurant's financial projections into a complete business plan using high, ave

How to Create a Customer Avatar for Your Restaurant (4-Step Method)

Learn the 4-step method to craft a restaurant customer avatar: find competitor inspiration, dissect their chan

How to Design a Winning Food Menu Using the Four-Item Framework

Learn how to build a profitable food menu using the hero, decoy, alternative, and upsell framework. Concrete e

How to Define Your Restaurant's Core Values (And Why It Makes You a Better Operator)

Clear core values make you a faster decision-maker, a stronger leader, and a less stressed operator. Here's ex

How to Find the Perfect Restaurant Location: 4 Elements Every Operator Must Evaluate

Learn the 4 key elements for choosing a restaurant location: foot traffic type, visibility, accessibility, saf

How to Forecast Your Restaurant Revenue Using Square Footage

Calculate your restaurant's projected monthly revenue using a simple square-footage benchmark. The industry fo

How to Get Into the Minds of Your Restaurant Customers

Learn how to use the "jobs to be done" framework to understand what your restaurant customers actually need, w

How to Manage Your Restaurant's Online Reputation to Attract More Customers

A UC Berkeley study found half a star more on your rating drives 30 to 40% more bookings. Here are the 5 steps

How to Market Your Food Business on Instagram

A practical Instagram marketing guide for food businesses: identify your customer avatar, set the right goals,

How to Market Your Restaurant on Social Media: 4 Strategies That Actually Work

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 4 social media marketing strategies every restaurant owner needs: paid ads, revie

How to Negotiate Free Rent for Your Restaurant

Learn the 3-part negotiation framework Wilson K Lee uses to get free rent and lease concessions for restaurant

How to Open a Restaurant With No Money: 4 Ways to Raise Startup Capital

No startup capital doesn't mean no restaurant. Here are four concrete funding methods for F&B operators, with

How to Open and Run a Successful Restaurant: A 3-Step Framework

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 3-step framework for opening and running a successful restaurant: location, knowi

How to Overcome the Hardest Restaurant Business Obstacles with Your Why, Vision, and Mission

Define your why, vision, and mission statement to push through any restaurant obstacle. Wilson K Lee explains

How to Partner with UberEats and Avoid the Mistakes That Kill Your Margins

Learn how to become a restaurant partner on UberEats, DoorDash, and Postmates without losing money. Wilson K L

How to Pick Your Winning Restaurant Concept Using the Golden Trifecta

Learn how to validate your restaurant concept before you sign a lease. The Golden Trifecta framework aligns co

How to Price Your Restaurant Menu Using Average Order Value (AOV)

Learn how to calculate average order value (AOV) and use it to price your restaurant menu so you actually hit

How to Scale a Single Restaurant Into a Multi-Location Franchise in 3 Years

Wilson K Lee shares the exact ACE formula he used to grow 720 Sweets from one shop to seven international loca

How to Start a Food Business at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn exactly how to start a home-based food business from scratch, from finding your niche and understanding

How to Start a Profitable Restaurant: Timeline and Phase-by-Phase Overview

A clear, phase-by-phase timeline for building a profitable restaurant, from mindset and concept through team b

How to Start a Restaurant or Food Business Step-by-Step (Free Course Guide)

Wilson K Lee releases 85+ videos of paid restaurant and food business course content completely free. Here's w

How to Start a Restaurant With No Experience: 6 Foundational Steps

No restaurant experience? No problem. Wilson K Lee breaks down the six foundational steps every first-time ope

How to Start a Virtual Kitchen From Your Existing Restaurant

Learn how to launch a virtual kitchen brand from your existing restaurant, reach new customers, and add revenu

How to Use QR Codes to Market Your Restaurant

QR codes let you digitize your menu, collect more reviews, grow your social following, and run time-based coup

How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan: Every Element You Need

A step-by-step guide to writing a restaurant business plan that raises funds, attracts partners, and gives you

How to Increase Restaurant Sales With Food Delivery Apps

Five proven ways to use food delivery apps as a marketing channel, not just an order source, so you offset fix

Is This a Good Restaurant Location? Answers to Your Toughest F&B Questions

Wilson K Lee answers real questions from aspiring restaurant owners: evaluating location traffic, beating seas

3 Menu Mistakes That Are Draining Your Food Business Profits

Wilson K Lee breaks down the three costliest menu mistakes new food business owners make, and exactly how to f

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Food Business

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 4 costliest mistakes food business beginners make, from wrong mindset to ignoring

The Most Profitable Restaurant to Open in 2026

Wilson K Lee breaks down the most profitable restaurant concepts for 2026, why most restaurants fail, and the

Top 5 Most Profitable Food Business Ideas (And Why Their Margins Are So High)

Wilson K Lee breaks down the five food and beverage business models with 20 to 35% margins, low labor needs, a

5 Psychological Tricks McDonald's Uses to Get More Customers (And How to Steal Them)

McDonald's added $28 million with one question. Here are the 5 psychological marketing tactics they use and ho

5 Reasons Restaurants Fail in Their First Year (And How to Avoid Them)

More than 60% of restaurants fail within their first year. Here are the five real reasons why, and the concret

5 Ways to Reduce Labour Costs in Your Restaurant Without Losing Good Staff

Five practical strategies restaurant owners use to cut labour costs, protect profit margins, and keep their be

How to Craft Your Restaurant Business Blueprint with Stretch Goals and SMART Goals

Learn how to build a restaurant business blueprint using stretch goals and SMART goals to create a clear strat

4 Restaurant Business Models Compared: Which One Should You Open?

Compare all four restaurant business models by investment, labor, stress, and revenue potential so you can cho

How to Build Your Restaurant Business Team Structure: Partner or Go Solo?

Should you open your restaurant alone or with a co-founder? Wilson K Lee breaks down the lone wolf vs. triple

5 Pitfalls to Avoid When Creating a Customer Avatar for Your Restaurant

Avoid these 5 deadly mistakes when creating your restaurant customer avatar. Wilson K Lee shares real lessons

6 Emails Every Restaurant Should Be Sending to Make More Money

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 6 (plus a bonus 7th) money-making emails every restaurant owner should send to bu

How to Set Up and Optimize Your Restaurant's Google My Business Listing

Seven concrete steps to optimize your restaurant's Google My Business listing for maximum local visibility, mo

The Hiring Mistake That's Bankrupting Restaurants Right Now

Most restaurant owners hire for experience and pay for it with turnover. Here's the culture-first hiring playb

6 Essential Instagram Designs Every Restaurant Must Create

Stop posting the same dish photo on repeat. Here are the 6 Instagram design types every restaurant needs to at

4 Instagram Tactics to Get More Restaurant Customers

Four concrete Instagram marketing tactics for restaurant owners: awards, celebrity endorsements, friend sharin

Restaurant Lease Terms Every F&B Owner Must Negotiate

The 10 lease terms that determine whether your restaurant survives or thrives. Know what to negotiate before y

6 Restaurant Marketing Design Assets Every Owner Needs to Create

Six essential restaurant marketing design assets explained by an F&B operator: posters, social media graphics,

How to Create Restaurant Marketing Designs With No Experience

Learn how to create professional restaurant logos, menus, posters, and social media graphics yourself without

3 Restaurant Marketing Misconceptions That Will Cost You Money

Discounts, fast results, and "marketing fixes everything" are three traps that drain restaurant profits. Here'

How to Create a Restaurant Marketing Plan in 7 Steps

A concrete 7-step framework for building a restaurant marketing plan that cuts through the noise, sets SMART g

Top 10 Restaurant Marketing Strategies That Actually Work

Ten timeless restaurant marketing strategies covering review sites, photography, SEO, social media, PR, events

7 Steps to Create a Restaurant Marketing Strategy That Gets More Customers

A concrete seven-step framework to build a restaurant marketing plan that drives real customers through the do

Top Restaurant Marketing Trends You Need to Act On

Six concrete restaurant marketing trends every F&B operator should be executing: TikTok, values alignment, onl

6 Menu Design Hacks That Get Customers to Spend More

Six proven menu design strategies to increase average order value and restaurant profitability, from removing

How to Carve Out a Mind Space That Dominates Your Restaurant Competition

Stop competing in broad restaurant categories. Learn how to carve out a specific mind space so your restaurant

Top Restaurant Owner Mistakes That Kill Food Businesses (Part 2)

Five critical mistakes restaurant owners make that lead to bankruptcy, from running blind promotions to ignori

Variable Costs vs. Fixed Costs in a Restaurant: A Practical Budgeting Guide

Learn the exact difference between variable and fixed costs in a restaurant, with percentage benchmarks for fo

3 Rookie Mistakes New Food Business Owners Make

Avoid the three most costly mistakes new food business owners make: skipping preparation, skipping education,

Common Scams New Restaurant Owners Fall For (And How to Avoid Them)

Four costly misconceptions that trap new restaurant owners, from social media agency contracts to false promis

The Three Alter Egos Every Restaurant Owner Must Master

Master the entrepreneur, technician, and manager roles inside you to build a profitable, consistent restaurant

3 Viral Restaurant Marketing Ideas That Actually Drive Sales

Wilson K Lee breaks down three proven viral content strategies for restaurants: scarcity videos, customer reac

7 Ways to Increase Online Restaurant Orders

Seven concrete, operator-tested strategies to grow your online restaurant orders fast, from signage and social

Why Most Restaurants Fail (And It Has Nothing to Do With the Food)

Most restaurants fail because of poor market fit and weak culture, not bad food. Here's how to fix both before

Why Wilson K Lee Retired from Food and Beverage (And What Happened Next)

Wilson K Lee explains why he retired his F&B channel after 100K subscribers, five years in the industry, and b

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Reading costs is good. Running yours is better.

The calculator runs your cost to open, the ×1.4 reserve, and break-even for your concept and city.

Run your numbers

02 — Coffee shop · 11 guides

Coffee shop

Start here: the complete coffee shop guide

8 Steps to Building a Profitable Coffee Shop Business

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 8 essential steps to start and run a profitable coffee shop, from knowing your cu

How One Coffee Shop Owner Paid Rent in 24 Hours During COVID-19 Lockdown

Narrative Coffee's Max pivoted to half-gallon lattes during COVID-19 lockdown and covered rent and salary in t

How to Calculate Food Cost Percentage (and Actually Use It to Make More Money)

Learn how to calculate food cost percentage, the difference between ideal and actual food cost, and how to use

How to Open a Cafe in 2026: An 8-Step Playbook to Avoid the 80% Failure Rate

Wilson K Lee's modern 8-step playbook for opening a profitable cafe in 2026, using audience-building, AI tools

How to Open a Coffee Shop in 2026: The Modern 8-Step Playbook

An 8-step modern playbook for opening a coffee shop in 2026 using audience building, AI tools, and real data i

How to Open a Coffee Shop: Step-by-Step from Concept to Opening Day

Wilson K Lee breaks down every step to open a coffee shop, from finding your why and choosing a concept to bud

How to Write a Coffee Shop Business Plan (Step-by-Step)

A practical, step-by-step guide to writing a coffee shop business plan covering concept, team, location, menu,

5 Reasons Coffee Shops Fail in Their First Year (And How to Avoid Them)

75% of coffee shops fail in year one. Here are the five real reasons why, and exactly what you can do to make

5 Psychological Marketing Tricks Starbucks Uses (And How Small F&B Owners Can Steal Them)

Starbucks uses five proven psychology tactics to get customers to spend more and stay loyal. Here's what they

5 Unique Coffee Shop Business Concepts from Around the World That Actually Work

Wilson K Lee breaks down 5 unique coffee shop concepts from Asia and beyond, explaining why each works and how

03 — Cloud kitchen · 10 guides

Cloud kitchen

Start here: the complete cloud kitchen guide

How a Tech Sales Guy Built a Profitable Automated Cloud Kitchen With Zero Food Experience

A tech sales professional built an automated mozzarella stick ghost kitchen business in NYC, hitting $3,800/mo

6 Cloud Kitchen Business Models Every F&B Operator Should Know

A plain-English breakdown of the six cloud kitchen business models, from independent single-brand to hub-and-s

How to Write a Cloud Kitchen Business Plan: 10 Critical Components

A step-by-step guide to writing a cloud kitchen business plan, covering concept, team, financials, marketing,

7 Cloud Kitchen Marketing Channels You Must Master to Drive Sales

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 7 essential marketing channels every ghost kitchen operator must own, from Instag

5 Cloud Kitchen Mistakes That Will Bankrupt Your Business

Wilson K Lee breaks down the 5 most common cloud kitchen mistakes that kill ghost kitchen businesses, and exac

How to Make a Cloud Kitchen Profitable: 3 Critical Elements

Learn the three critical elements that make a cloud kitchen profitable: menu pricing strategy, marketing like

How to Start a Cloud Kitchen (Ghost Kitchen): A Starter Guide

Learn how to start a cloud kitchen from scratch: define your customer, pick a proven concept, build a delivery

How to Start a Cloud Kitchen: A Step-by-Step Guide for F&B Operators

Learn how to launch a cloud kitchen the right way: choosing your concept, building a delivery-optimized menu,

4 Reasons Cloud Kitchens Fail (And How to Avoid Each One)

Most cloud kitchens fail for the same four reasons. Wilson K Lee breaks down each one, with a real subscriber

04 — Ice cream shop · 5 guides

Ice cream shop

Start here: the complete ice cream shop guide

How to Add $50,000 Extra Revenue to Your Ice Cream Shop

Six concrete steps to diversify your ice cream shop income by building and selling online workshops, adding up

How to Open an Ice Cream Shop: A Three-Step Framework for New Operators

Wilson K Lee breaks down the exact three-step framework he used to grow 720 Sweets from one shop to an interna

How to Write an Ice Cream Shop Business Plan

A step-by-step guide to writing an ice cream shop business plan, covering concept, target market, team, locati

How Much Does It Cost to Open an Ice Cream Shop?

A full breakdown of ice cream shop startup costs, from renovations and equipment to runway cash, based on real

— More concepts

More concepts

Fewer guides here so far — start with the complete guide, then borrow depth from the restaurant chapters above: the cost, lease, and margin math transfers.

Boba / bubble tea · 3 guides

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Boba Shop? (2026 Complete Breakdown) Start here How to Start a Bubble Tea Shop: A Step-by-Step Guide jul 2026 How to Start a Boba Tea Booth Business at Farmers Markets and Events jul 2026

Bakery · 3 guides

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Bakery? (2026 Complete Breakdown) Start here How to Start a Home Bakery Business: A Step-by-Step Guide jul 2026 How to Write a Home Bakery Business Plan Step by Step jul 2026

Food truck · 3 guides

How Much Does a Food Truck Cost to Start? (2026 Numbers, Full Breakdown) Start here 9 Steps to a Profitable Food Truck Business in 2026 jul 2026 How to Start a Food Truck Business: A Step-by-Step Starter Guide jul 2026

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