The headline number for a 60-seat casual-dining restaurant in Pune
For a 1,200-1,400 sqft casual-dining restaurant in Pune, expect ₹38 lakhs to ₹62 lakhs all-in. The spread is driven by location tier (Kothrud vs FC Road vs Koregaon Park), kitchen complexity (vegetarian vs full-service), and how aggressive your interior design is. The numbers below assume a contemporary north-Indian or pan-Indian kitchen with both dine-in and aggregator presence from day 1.
Line item 1: kitchen equipment — ₹12-18 lakhs
Kitchen equipment is your second-largest line. A typical breakdown: 2-burner Indian range (₹85k), tandoor (₹65k), salamander (₹55k), 3-door under-counter chiller (₹1.4L), upright freezer (₹1.1L), commercial dishwasher (₹2.2L), exhaust hood + ducting (₹2-3L depending on shaft length), prep tables (₹80k), gas bank + LPG manifold (₹65k). Add 12-15% for transport, installation, and small wares (sieves, knives, ladles, gastronorms).
Line item 2: interiors and furniture — ₹14-22 lakhs
Interiors are usually the single largest line for casual-dining and the most over-spent. ₹1,000/sqft is a credible lean fit-out in Kothrud. ₹1,800/sqft is contemporary FC Road. Above ₹2,500/sqft you're in fine-dining territory and need to ask whether the format justifies it.
| Component | Lean (₹) | Mid (₹) | Premium (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| False ceiling + lighting | 1,80,000 | 3,20,000 | 5,50,000 |
| Flooring (1,200 sqft) | 1,20,000 | 2,40,000 | 4,80,000 |
| Furniture (60 covers) | 2,40,000 | 3,60,000 | 6,80,000 |
| Wall finishes + art | 80,000 | 1,80,000 | 3,20,000 |
| Bar + counter joinery | 1,20,000 | 2,40,000 | 4,80,000 |
| HVAC | 1,40,000 | 2,80,000 | 4,80,000 |
| Signage | 60,000 | 1,20,000 | 2,40,000 |
Line item 3: property deposit — ₹6-12 lakhs
Pune commercial leases typically ask 6 months of rent as deposit. At ₹85-120/sqft prime QSR rent for a 1,200 sqft footprint, that's ₹6.1L to ₹8.6L. Premium high-street locations (FC Road, Koregaon Park) ask 8-10 months and rent at ₹150-220/sqft, pushing the deposit above ₹12L.
Line item 4: licences and approvals — ₹2-3 lakhs
FSSAI state licence (₹2-5k), GST registration (free), trade licence from PMC (₹3-15k), fire NOC (₹5-25k incl. fire-safety installation), shop & establishment (₹500-5k), signage licence (₹1,500-12k), professional tax registration (free, capped at ₹2,500/year/person), pollution NOC (₹3-25k), and a music licence if you play recorded or live music (₹12-60k). Liquor adds ₹2-7L if the format calls for it. See the Forkcast licence checklist for the Maharashtra state-specific list.
Line item 5: working capital — ₹4-8 lakhs (and the one most owners forget)
Working capital is the line that kills more openings than capex. Aggregator settlement is T+7 to T+14. Vendor cash terms are 7-30 days. Salaries on the 1st, EMI on the 5th, electricity on the 10th. The mismatch is real — you need 30-45 days of operating cost in the bank on opening day.
Calculate it as 1.5× monthly operating cost. For a Pune casual-dining at ~₹3.5L monthly fixed + ₹1.5L variable at low-volume month one, that's ₹5L-7.5L. Most first-time owners under-budget this and end up borrowing at 24%+ in month 3.
What's not included
- Branding and pre-launch marketing — budget another 3-8% of capex (₹1.5L-5L).
- POS hardware and software — ₹40k-80k for Petpooja or UrbanPiper plus annual fees.
- Recipe development and chef trial period — ₹1.5L-3L if you don't already have a tested menu.
- Soft-launch ingredient inventory — ₹80k-1.5L of dry storage and proteins on opening week.
Run the numbers for your specific format
The ranges above are calibrated for casual-dining. For QSR, expect 50-60% of these numbers. For cloud kitchens, 30-40%. For fine dining, 2-4×. Use the free calculator below to get a tailored estimate by format and city tier.
Open the free capital estimator →