Headline number: 60-seat casual dining
Assume contemporary Tamil + pan-Indian menu, dine-in plus aggregators from day one, and a GCC Corporation or Tambaram Corporation trade licence depending on ward.
Kitchen equipment — ₹11–17 lakhs
Similar to Pune/Bengaluru national pricing: range, tandoor, chillers, dishwasher, hood + ducting. Chennai's coastal humidity pushes refrigeration spec up one tier — budget an extra ₹80k–1.2L on chiller/freezer capacity vs a dry-climate city.
Interiors and furniture — ₹12–20 lakhs
| Micromarket | Rent (₹/sqft/mo) | Fit-out band (₹/sqft) | 60-cover capex hint |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. Nagar | 120–180 | 900–1,400 | Mid-high |
| Adyar | 140–200 | 1,000–1,600 | High |
| OMR (IT corridor) | 80–130 | 800–1,200 | Mid |
| Anna Nagar | 100–160 | 850–1,350 | Mid |
Property deposit — ₹5–10 lakhs
Six to eight months' rent as deposit is standard. Prime high-street (T. Nagar Usman Road, Adyar) pushes toward eight months. OMR ground-floor retail in IT parks often negotiates six months if the landlord wants F&B anchor tenancy.
Licences — ₹2–3.5 lakhs
FSSAI state licence, GST, Shop & Establishment, GCC trade licence, fire NOC, signage, pollution NOC, professional tax. See the Tamil Nadu FSSAI guide and the licence checklist for line items.
Working capital — ₹4–7 lakhs
1.5× monthly operating cost on opening day. Chennai month-one revenue is often 45–55% of stabilised — aggregator settlement T+7 to T+14 makes the cash gap real.
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